Articles in this EditionCOS Update YWU Calendar and Updates11/28 at 5:30 P.M. - Sister Fire! Planning Committee Evaluation Meeting, For all the sistahs on the planning committee: We will be meeting at Scalo's Northern Italian Grill which is 4 blocks from the YWU office (3500 Central SE) to chill and give feedback on the Sister Fire! event.
11/29 at 5:30 P.M. - End of the Year Party! It's almost 2008 and we've got a lot of work to do next year, so we want to kick back and honor the great stuff we've done this past year and have a good time. We're hosting the party at Out ch'Yonda located at 929 4th Street. We'll have some some grub and beverages and lots of art supplies, so just bring yourself, the kiddos, and some friends and come chill with us (and all you practicing artists should bring any extra art supplies or images you might want to work with). 12/19 - 1/3/2008 - YWU Office Closed for winter reflections and dreaming. Who are all those new chicks in the office?New Staff and Volunteers: There are three new staff/volunteer members now at YWU! Molly Maguire-Marshall and Kai Margarita-Ramirez are service learning students who are working with YWU through their Women's Studies course, "Feminist Theory and Methods in Action," at UNM. They're going to hang out and help us in the office so feel free to say hi. Also, Amanda is our new Public Ally through NM Forum for Youth and Community, she will be kicking it with YWU full-time for the next ten months. She likes to talk a lot so stop by the office with some coffee and tell her all about any projects you're doing in the community or in your personal life. Doula Training!! Love babies and helping mothers? Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming training to become a YWU doula in February of 2008. Contact Andrea Garza for more info at 505-831-8930 or email her atamayahuel JOB OPPORTUNITY @ YWU- please distribute widelyLooking for a way to spend even more time at YWU? (And get paid for it?) Check out the Job Description below and see if it fits you or someone you know: Communications & Office Coordinator Position Organization Summary Young Women United is a community based organization created by and for young women of color. We come together to support each other, educate ourselves, and take action to:
Position Summary The Communications & Office Coordinator focuses on outreach and issue-based public relations for the campaigns and efforts of Young Women United. In addition, this position heads the administrative work and ensures smooth office operations for YWU. Responsibilities
Qualifications
The following skills & experience would also be a plus:
Compensation Average yearly income $28,000 DOE, full time salary. Applicants for part-time work will also be considered. Generous benefits, including health insurance and childcare. Contact Please send or fax cover letter, resume and three references to: Hiring Committee, Young Women United, PO Box 8490, Albuquerque NM 87198 / Fax 505-341-0826. In the cover letter, please address the values and experiences that make you the best person for this position, and why you think Young Women United's work is important. We will start the interview process in January 2008. * For more information on the work of Young Women United please call us at 505-831-8930 or check out our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/ YWU Shirt close outWe are almost out of our current YWU shirts, we need to clear them out so our creative designers can make more, get them as gifts at the new low price of $5 a shirt, don't miss this deal. YWU Posters - a great deal at $3 a poster, fill your room with female energy with this poster created by the most talented Kirbie Platero. |
Young Women United's e-News, November 2007 |
Hey Everyone!This E-Newsletter is just to remind you of what went down, what you missed, or what's coming up soon that you should check out at Young Women United. Who says it's gotta all be about meetings? At YWU we mix it up and try to stay out of the office. We couldn't have done all this without our members who really run the show. We really came together and had fun and made an impact at the same time. A big Ups to Adriann Barboa and Andrea Garza for their overtime the past couple of months and to everyone else who helped make YWU a good rumor spreading through the 505!
Sister Fire! 2007 SummarySaturday, October 20th Sister Fire! was off the hook. We had the perfect combination of local and traveling artists, both experienced and virgin performers. Every time I felt like the mood was starting to settle in, a new performer(s) would come on stage and change the atmosphere. R&B/Funk/Soul singer Sina Soul and Beat Boxer Say Wut took the stage, rocked it and everybody got out of their seats and started dancing. THAT'S how performances should be: loud and funky, with great beats and a Soul-full voice that makes you feel lame if you're still in your seat. And then, of course, Shife (ShaVon and Ife, YWU's veteran dancers) showed up and taught all dancers how to own their rhythm. Speaking of dancing, we steamed up City on a Hill's windows a few times, between the Jazz Performance by Fever (I'll never think of the song "Fever" the same way again), the Hoofing Foot Percussions, Misia Denea bringing in Gulf Coast issues with her Interpretive dance, the African dancers - Odigba Adama and Dance Tahiti who made me want to start taking belly dancing lessons again to feel part of the show. Some drama for yo mama took center stage with a theater performance by Omnirootz Theater, story telling with Ramona King and YWU flipped the script showcasing comedian Gina Chavez, she had us rolling in the aisles with her original style straight out of the 505. Sister Fire would not be, if not for the variety of Poets and Spoken Word artists who brought it all together when they made us all laugh through our tears: I see you Alison Roh Park, Whisper Carpenter Kish, Amanda Singh Bans and Andrea Serrano, damn ladies; there aren't any words left to describe your art because you took them all away. Only the truly passionate and revolutionary community members stuck through it with us 'til the very end (and I can't blame anyone, that was a lot of talent and female power to take in during only one show) ending the night with YWU member Monie's awesome poem titled "Unique" that brought light to our campaign to End Violence Against Women. Needless to say, we got a thousand pictures of the night, it was THAT good (speaking of which, if anyone who is feeling especially creative wants to help tell this story again through the pictures we got then stop by the office and I'll help you go through them). We raised over $2,000 and brought the community a great show proving that women of color in Albuquerque rock the show! Sister Fire 2007 was so fierce I don't know how we're going to do it again next year. Got any ideas? Stop by and share'em. Sister Fire is Young Women United's annual event that helps us bring awareness and sister power to the community, raise some funds and showcase women of color performance artists, all of which is possible due to the donation of time, talent, energy and support. A Super BIG Thank You to all our performers, volunteers and local businesses that make Sister Fire a hit! Thank you for showing your support for young women of color in Albuquerque. Until next time, Amanda Singh Bans
Circle of Strength Update (COS, ages 13-19) September/November 2007COS recent weekly sessions Planned Parenthood came out and held a Sex Ed/Peer Ed refresher course with our members to keep the info fresh and bring us up to date with new information regarding sexual health. Zac Freeman from Channel 27 conducted an orientation with our membership. YWU is on our way to becoming certified producers!! We remebered loved ones for Dia de los Muertos, and decorated offerings to place on our YWU altar. Training & consultation In September we provided assistance to Rocky Mountain Youth Corp, who hope to start doing youth organizing in Taos New Mexico. We Conducted a Responsible Sex Ed session at the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center. We Held a weeklong Girlz Power session at Amy Beihl Charter High School which included a responsible sex Ed session, along with sessions around gender oppression, healthy relationships, race, & more! COS outreach & recruitment Our members have been working hard to spread the word & bring their friends! Most recently we have outreached to students at Amy Beihl Charter High School. We also advertised our weekly meetings in several community calendars and COS members passed out flyers & spoke to young women at the New Mexico State Fair! Come check our out weekly meetings every Thursday from 3:30-5:30pm; bring your voice to the table in building female power and community! Shout Outs: A warm welcome to our two newest COS members Paula & Ophelia!!!! Lo de mas COS has participated fully in YWU'S packed calendar these past couple of months:representing youth voice at the Incite! Women of Color Against Violence Southwest Regional Conference in Denver, Co; showing a presence at the fun Morningside Block Party!!! YWU's 4th annual SisterFire!; and the YWU intergenerational campaign to "end violence against women of color."
Campaign UpdatesSex Ed Update Since the State Public Education Department conducted its formal review of the Health Education policies, it has asked schools to teach sophisticated health related knowledge. Knowledge that will maintain & improve health, prevent diseases & reduce health related risk behaviors. This should happen by providing medically accurate information around condoms, contraception, STDs/STIs, and abstinence. We are currently trying to ensure that this policy is implemented, that schools are in compliance with the standards and are routinely monitored & evaluated. On October 22nd 2007, our YWU Community Organizer met with APS school board member Mary Lee Martin, she thanked YWU for keeping the APS Board "on top" of this issue, and for constantly reminding them to ensure that schools are implementing policies in a timely manner. Martin committed to follow up with the issue & to make sure that the other school board members are educated as to what is currently happening within APS around the implementation/evaluation of the health policy. We strongly encourage APS students who are down for Responsible Sex Ed to join their school's health advisory committee or wellness committee who are responsible for school level implementation & a wellness action plan!! Sex Ed Report Card: What's really going down?! COS has been researching the Sex education students are receiving in Albuquerque. We have a questionnaire that students can fill out, or they can leave a number if they'd prefer us to call & interview them over the phone.If you have any information regarding the Sex Ed in any of the following schools, please contact us ASAP!! Albuquerque High, Cibola, Del Norte, El Dorado, Highland, La Cueva, Manzano, Rio Grande, Sandia, Valley, Volcano Vista, & West Mesa. We are anxious to see the results of the APS needs assessment and implementation plan for the Health Standards, as well as the needs assessment around the wellness policy. We hope to ensure youth voice is present in these needs assements, evaluations & implementation processes of each & every school. Want Sex Ed in da Skools? We best do it ourselves!!!!!! COS & YWU Community Organizers have been conducting Responsible Sex Education sessions for youth & students across Albuquerque. We have a fun, interactive, & very educational session that engages young people and helps them become comfortable with talking about their sexual health. If you would like to request a session please call YWU for more information @ 505-831-8930 Ending Violence Against Women Campaign Update As we embark on new territory and build upon the work of YWU sisters accomplishments and lessons learned, we are excited for what lies ahead. Commmunity Organizers recently met with over 12 service providing organizations in burque working toward the same goal. We have lots to learn but it is wonderful knowing that we have such great resource and knowledge in our communities. So YWU will be taking our time to establish how we will hit this the YWU way and we will be working on establishing relationships with others in the field while building our skillset and tools to make a change. As many of you know we have been collecting surveys from local women around their perspectives of violence in their lives and community, so far we have input 65 surveys and we're still looking for more. So, stop by the office and pick up more surveys if you're out of them or dust off the ones you've been hiding under your bed and start handing them out! Or even better just click now on this link YWU Stop Violence Survey If any of you are interested in coordinating a time where we can all go out as a group then email Amanda at ywu.intern@gmail.com or call the office and we'll set something up. Intergenerational work September/Novemeber 2007
Incite! Women of Color Against Violence Southwest Regional Conference 2007October 5th-7th, 2007 Yes, those of us who went remember the eight-hour-one-way drive to Denver last month to check out the Incite! conference, when we rolled up around 2 A.M., YWU style and still looking good. INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence is a national activist organization of radical feminists of color advancing a movement to end violence against women of color and their communities "through direct action, critical dialogue and grassroots organizing." The Southwest Regional Conference focused on three key issues: violence against Native and Indigenous women in the Southwest; state violence against immigrant women of color (border violence, immigration, militarization, police violence against trans- and women of color); and organizing strategies. YWU added their flavor to the conference assuring that spirituality, self care, and revolutionary motherhood were integral parts of the conference. YWU held two workshops and did the opening and closing pieces for the weekend. COS let their voices be heard as some of the only youth representatives at the conference, giving positive and constructive feedback to our fellow Incite! sisters so that next year it will be even more inclusive and also more fun. Thanks to all the sisters who made it happen, we had a great time, building the movement with women of color solidarity and POWER! The revolution never looked so good!
What is Circle of Strength (COS)?The future of today! Circle of Strength is a free, year-round leadership development and community organizing program for teenage women of color age 13-19 years old in Southeast Albuquerque. COS focuses on youth rights, self-determination and cultural pride as well as community action, leadership and networking with other youth in order to create positive changes and healthier communities. Contact Andrea Garza for more info at 505-831-8930 or email her atamayahuel@hotmail.com! Weekly Meetings: Thursdays 3:30-5:30 PM What is Circle of Fire (COF)?A committment to change. Circle of Fire is a group of women of color between ages 19-35. COF meets once a month for dialogues, sessions, and trainings, and to support each other in our professional and personal endeavors. COF also serves as a support system for COS. Circle of Fire is committed to empowering women and to creating a community free of patriarchy and violence. Contact Adriann Barboa for more information at 505-831-8930 or email her at abarboa@youngwomenunited.org. Monthly Meetings: 5:30-7:30 PM; Date varies depending on members' schedules Who we Be... Young Women United (YWU) is an organization created by and for young women of color and our allies, who are focused on changing the relations of powers in Albuquerque. We strive to build a community of young women of color as critical thinkers with the skills and tools needed to make change. By using their personal experiences in connection with the broader social justice movement, the young women can create positive change for individual growth and community participation. YWU has two sister circles - Circle of Strength and Circle of Fire. Our mission is to support each other, educate ourselves and our communities, and take action to reduce violence, improve health, and build the power of our communities. We aim to build this community on mutual respect, personal and communal growth, and friendship in which each member is both a teacher and a student. Stop by our office: 120 Morningside NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 Or give us a call: 505.831.8930 Fax: 505.341.0826 Young Women United | P.O. Box 8490, Albuquerque, NM 87198 | 505.831.8930
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