Blast From The Past These archives are for all the various front page stories that you've come to expect on the NYRA page. If you miss a current story check back here, it'll be archived. Also for novelties sake scroll down and see what NYRA was up to months and years ago. It's interesting to see how far we've come.
December 22, 2008A Pro-Youth Flood of Activity in New York City As 2008 draws to a close, the dedicated activists in NYRA's New York City chapter are working hard to finish the year and start out 2009
with a bang for youth rights. Several major projects are in the works,
including some ambitious plans for the near future that could generate
a great deal of attention, funds and action for the cause.
The chapter plans to use video to help organize action on a major
student rights issue at Stuyvesant High School, one of the most
competitive high schools in the country. The New York City school
system prohibits students from bringing electronics, including cell
phones, to school, and in an attempt to enforce this policy Stuyvesant
is installing metal detectors to catch students with cell phones. The
metal detectors will be installed in late January. NYRA-NYC plans to
interview students outside the school about their views, using the
video to mobilize student action at Stuyvesant and throughout the NYC
school system.
In addition to student rights issues, the chapter is progressing on
other fronts as well. NYRA-NYC president Ana Hevesi is in the early
stages of planning another public debate among experts about the legal
drinking age, similar to the one held recently at Manhattanville
College, collaborating with Manhattanville College president Richard
Berman. Plans are to hold the debate, to feature prominent experts in
the field, on a college campus in New York City this coming spring.
The chapter plans to focus recruiting efforts on city campuses in the
months before the debate and to lobby area colleges to sign the
Amethyst Initiative, Choose Responsibility's statement of support for
a public debate on the drinking age.
NYRA's activists in New York City are generating a flurry of youth
rights activity, working with young people, youth organizations and
NYRA partners to bring about real change for youth. With the
determination and passion for the cause demonstrated by NYRA-NYC,
there is no doubt that they will succeed.
Student Rights Union Continues to Make Waves
The Zionsville Student Rights Union, NYRA's affiliate in central
Indiana, continues to be an effective voice for youth. The ZSRU's most
recent victory came just this month when they successfully worked with
their high school administration to change the structure of final
exams starting in 2009, after a long cooperative process involving
months of negotiation.
Successes such as these demonstrate that it is possible to form
cooperative alliances with schools and other institutions in order to
enhance youth voice and youth participation. Because of these
successes the ZSRU has been asked by John Loflin, senior fellow of
education and youth issues at the Black & Latino Policy Institute, to
take the lead on a statewide initiative to gain support for
"democratic education," where young people are actively involved in
shaping their own educational experience. ZSRU leadership plans to
meet with Loflin, an expert on democratic education and a member of
the Democratic Education Consortium, and leaders from the Student Alliance for Education, an organization founded by urban Indianapolis
students, this week to form a strategy to move the effort forward.
Texas College Chapter Gets Off the Ground
NYRA's newest chapter has been approved at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the new chapter's founder, Lindsay Coley, is eager to
get started. The chapter has ambitious goals, planning to hold a
debate on the drinking age on campus during the spring semester. Last
month, NYRA Executive Director Alex Koroknay-Palicz made our case very
successfully in a similar debate at Manhattanville College, but this
would be the first public debate on the issue, along with the planned
debate in New York City, hosted by a NYRA chapter. NYRA-UTSA also
plans to campaign for the University of Texas system to endorse the
Amethyst Initiative, the effective push by NYRA ally Choose
Responsibility to open public debate about the legal drinking age, and
the chapter hopes to win a lower drinking age within five years.
In addition to the drinking age, the new chapter also plans to work
for student rights, both in colleges and for younger students, and to
strongly oppose discriminatory youth curfews. Coley and her chapter
recognize that, even though they as college students are no longer
directly affected by unjust laws that target only legal minors, "the
last thing we should do is ignore those problems as we once faced
them, it would be wrong to ignore them."
NYRA-UTSA will have help on campus as they work for youth rights. A
co-founder of the chapter is starting a chapter of another
organization that partners with NYRA, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and they plan to work with the campus ACLU chapter as well.
NYRA Looking for New Interns
With the spring semester approaching, NYRA is looking for interns to
help us advance the cause of youth in our Washington, DC office. If
you're looking for an opportunity to work as an intern during the
upcoming spring semester, and are interested in helping NYRA make
progress for youth rights, email us for more information.
Also, NYRA is looking for interns to work over the Internet in various
ways for youth rights. If you have a talent for or interest in web
design, video editing and production, chapter formation and
organizational expansion, research and writing, or fundraising and
budgeting, and a passion for youth rights, email to find out how you can help.
November 19, 2008Youth Make Themselves Heard on the Voting Age
With the national election just past, young people and youth activists are speaking out across the country on the need to lower the voting age. On Election Day, youth in several cities rallied for youth suffrage. Active young people made waves in New York City, rallying on the steps of City Hall for increased youth civic participation and youth voting. NYRA Director Jason Kende of NYRA's New York City chapter says that not only did the City Hall rally draw a decent turnout, but they also got some great video of pro-youth speeches and interviews that they will be able to use in the future. The chapter plans to keep working for the youth vote, starting with a follow-up discussion on November 22 at Hunter College.
NYRA's chapter in Southeast Florida also got in on the action, rallying to spread the word about the voting age. Chapter president Jeff Nadel reports that they distributed over 1,500 NYRA brochures at the polls, gathered petition signatures supporting the youth vote, including those of a Congressional candidate and a state Senatorial aide, and signed up many new members. Most voters that the youth suffragists interacted with were supportive, which is a very positive indication of successes to come.
Not only that, but NYRA is mentioned prominently in a story by USA Today published the day after the election; Executive Director Alex Koroknay-Palicz and NYRA-Southeast Florida president Jeff Nadel are both quoted advocating for voting rights for youth.
NYRA Voice at First Drinking Age Debate
Alex Koroknay-Palicz, NYRA's executive director, participated in the first national debate on lowering the drinking age on November 13, providing a powerful voice for youth. The debate, sponsored by the Amethyst Initiative, which has gained so much traction over the past few months in the fight to lower the drinking age, was moderated by Richard Berman, president of Manhattanville College. John McCardell, founder of Choose Responsibility and the Amethyst Initiative, and Adrian K. Lund, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, also participated in the debate, along with several other experts and authors.
Koroknay-Palicz' arguments - that the drinking age of 21 is both ineffective and fundamentally unfair to our young people - were very well received by those present; Koroknay-Palicz says that everyone he spoke with after the debate was impressed by our side of the issue. Several members of NYRA's New York City chapter attended the debate as well and recorded it, and Koroknay-Palicz and other NYRA members also had the opportunity to network with other panelists at the college president's house afterwards. This first-in-the-nation debate on lowering the drinking age gave NYRA the opportunity to put our best foot forward and take a stand for youth on this issue, and we took full advantage of it. Read a news article about the debate here.Also watch video from the debate and download the panel's powerpoint presentations here.
Student Rights Union a Force for Youth at Indiana School
The newest NYRA affiliate is the Zionsville Student Rights Union, which represents the students of Zionsville Community High School in central Indiana. The ZSRU is a full-scale operation, with over 400 members, a professional website, and a major presence in the school.
A major priority for the ZSRU is ensuring that rules impacting students are reasonable and consistent with students' constitutionally protected liberties. "We keep a close watch over rules governing students," says Steve Ross, ZSRU Chairman. The Union has already achieved several victories: stopping school officials from reading private text messages on confiscated cell phones, ending arbitrary and unfair restrictions on restroom use, reforming parking lot policy, and more. Also, according to Ross, the ZSRU is on the verge of winning a more favorable final exams structure. With its large membership base, the ZSRU is sure to continue working on behalf of student rights in Zionsville for years to come.
In addition, the ZSRU is taking the lead in organizing the youth rights movement in Indiana, with the goal of setting up several additional chapters throughout the state. With their help, Indiana could become a hub for youth rights action in the future, like Berkeley and Southeast Florida have been. NYRA looks forward to working with our allies at the ZSRU on student rights issues. The ZSRU has created a Facebook group for Indiana students to network and advance their rights. Be sure to check it out.
NYRA Launches Youth Vote Video Project
NYRA is taking to the streets and high schools, this time armed with video cameras, to comprehensively document the case for lowering the voting age. NYRA earned in the past month a grant from Mobilize.org and the Sunlight Foundation for the purchase of video cameras for a youth participation project, and we intend to take full advantage of it. This project will be an opportunity for young people to make their voices heard throughout the country on camera, demonstrating through a multitude of faces, voices and young lives the need for full youth participation in our democracy. The videos will be posted both on YouTube and on the NYRA website, youthrights.org, as well as elsewhere on the internet, so this project has the potential to really get the word out.
October 16, 2008NYRA Plans To Air Television Ad for Voting Age
The airing of NYRA's very first television ad, just in time to celebrate our 10th anniversary, is less than two weeks away! The advertisement, produced by NYRA of Southeast Florida and focusing on our support for lowering the voting age, will air on Washington, DC cable the week of October 20 on several major channels such as Comedy Central, MSNBC. This ad will introduce thousands of young people and others in our nation's capital to NYRA and to our goal of lowering the voting age to 16.
The ad campaign is already generating some significant attention in the blogosphere, before the first spot has even aired, and already has over 1,500 views on YouTube. To air the ad as many times as we'd like on all the channels we're targeting, NYRA will need an estimated $2,396. With the generous donations we've received from NYRA members and supporters, we're two-thirds of the way there, but we still need your help. You can chip in to help air the ad at the NYRA website, youthrights.org, where you can donate securely via PayPal. Just click the ChipIn link at the top of any page on our website.
Several Chapters to Protest the Voting Age on Election Day
Not only is an excellent TV ad advocating a lower voting age about to air in our nation's capital, NYRA is preparing a round of voting age protests on election day to further drive home the point that the voting age needs to be lowered now. Chapters in New York City, Orlando and Southeast Florida will be at the polls protesting come election day, and you can help too. An election day voting age protest is the perfect opportunity for your chapter to bring attention to this issue. If you don't have a chapter, you can gather a few friends to protest with you. If your state allows early voting, you can also garner public and media attention by protesting at polling places before election day. Don't miss this opportunity to make your voice heard loud and clear and to let your community and the nation know that you want the right to vote now!
NYRA's Anti Age Discrimination Campaign Making Waves
NYRA has renewed its campaign to end age discrimination in businesses, with several victories already in the past few weeks. The primary focus of the campaign so far has been in Maryland, though efforts are also underway in Michigan and Florida. In the area of age discrimination in business, Maryland state law is clearly on our side, prohibiting age discrimination with no lower age limit. Simply by opening a dialogue with businesses and reminding them of the state law, NYRA has succeeded in removing discriminatory policies in several businesses, including 15 Party City locations throughout the state, a Comfort Inn, a Dollar Store, and more. A business in Michigan has also ended a discriminatory policy because of NYRA's efforts, and NYRA of Southeast Florida may soon be jumping into the fray as well, taking on an ageist policy at a store in Boca Raton. In the last two months NYRA has had a total of 19 victories against age discrimination in business. Tackling age discrimination in businesses is an excellent way for NYRA members to make a positive difference for youth in their communities. If you spot a business that discriminates based on age, please add it to our list.
NYRA Unveils New Youth Rights Facebook Application
NYRA's vice president, Stefan Muller, has been working all summer on a youth rights Facebook app, and it's finally ready to be rolled out to the public. This new app will allow youth rights activists throughout the country to network with each other via Facebook, collaborating on youth rights projects that will have a real impact for youth across the nation. Help make concrete change for the youth rights movement here.
New Director and Officers Jump In
In addition to all the other exciting things going on within NYRA and the world of youth rights, NYRA has gained a new member of its Board of Directors, and new officers have been appointed by the board. Yonaton Yares, Director of Media Communications for NYRA, has resigned from the Board of Directors, and former NYRA intern Jacqueline Trumbull has been appointed to replace him. As an intern last year, Jacqueline has a proven history of being effective and getting things done, and will doubtless be an asset on the board.
Also, Chip Sinton, who was Vice President last year, has been appointed by the board as President, and Stefan Muller is the new Vice President. Former NYRA Director Pamela Tatz is replacing Yonaton as Treasurer, and Jessica Roeder, who was on the board last year, has been appointed to replace longtime NYRA member and Director Katrina Moncure as Secretary. The addition of these talented and dedicated individuals in our Board of Directors and officerships will enable us to get more done for youth rights in the year ahead.
September 11, 2008NYRA Plans To Air Television Ad for Voting Age
The National Youth Rights Association has decided to air its first ever television ad. The ad seeks support for lowering the voting age to 16. The ad will run in the Washington, DC market in late October on the popular channels CNN, Comedy Central, MSNBC, MTV, VH1, and Cartoon Network. We hope to target both young people and influential leaders in our nation's capitol. We will be running the ad a total of 50 times. To run the ad we need your help. To make this ad a reality we need to raise $2,396 for the airtime. We are holding an online fundraiser to raise the $2,396 needed to make this ad a reality. You can watch the ad on YouTube. To help get this on the air, please make a generous donation to support the project.
This is an important moment for the youth rights movement, for the first time NYRA is purchasing television ads to get our message out. We hope this will bring many new people to the cause, show the world that NYRA is serious about lowering the voting age, and bring in new donors who haven't given to us in the past. "This is the perfect time to highlight the disenfranchisement of youth," says Alex Koroknay-Palicz, NYRA's Executive Director, "With the election less than two months away and much of the country preparing to vote and decide the course of this nation for years to come it is important we focus attention on the millions of Americans left out of this process." This ad won't run without your help! Your donations will make this ad happen. Help us raise the $2,396 we need to put this ad on the air! Your dollars will put this well-made on the air 50 times. Donate today!
NYRA is not only campaigning for youth voice in politics, we put it in practice. The ad was selected from various ads submitted by our membership for this contest. The winning entry was written, filmed, and organized by NYRA-Southeast Florida a high school based chapter in Boca Raton.
College Presidents Push for Drinking Age Debate
NYRA has campaigned to lower the legal drinking age to 18 for years,
and progress has been made. But the prospect of a lower drinking age
came one step closer to reality in the past month with the emergence
of the Amethyst Initiative, a group of over 120 college presidents
calling for a reconsideration of the drinking age.
NYRA ally Choose Responsibility, an organization which advocates for a
lower drinking age, and its director Dr. John McCardell, recently
created the Amethyst Initiative to bring the issue of the minimum
drinking age to the forefront of the national consciousness, and
they've generated an impressive amount of media attention in the past
few weeks. The Initiative's call for public debate on alcohol policy
change has been covered prominently by major news sources, such as
CNN, Fox News, the Washington Post, the New York Times, NBC, AOL, the
Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Baltimore Sun,
Newsday, and many major websites and blogs. In a promising sign,
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a large pro-21 organization, is taking
this very seriously, recently devoting 100% of the main page of their
website to countering our drinking age arguments. The momentum is
swinging in our favor, and our opponents are scrambling to compensate.
This is a major development on the drinking age front. Expect more
good news as NYRA capitalizes on this opportunity to push our drinking
age advocacy forward.
NYRA Gets the Word Out
NYRA has already gotten media publicity on the drinking age in the
past month since the creation of the Amethyst Initiative. Vice
President Stefan Muller did a radio interview in San Francisco on
August 19 and Executive Director Alex Koroknay-Palicz made radio
appearances in Pittsburgh on August 19 and Raleigh, NC on August 20.
During Koroknay-Palicz's interview on Pittsburgh radio, a significant
majority of those who called into the show were on our side, which is
both amazing and inspiring. NYRA Media Communications Director Yonaton
Yares also did interviews with the Philadelphia Inquirer and a
newspaper in New Jersey.
On other issues, NYRA President Chip Sinton did a 30-minute radio
interview with a youth-run radio station in Lawrence, KS on August 23.
NYRA-Southeast Florida has generated a few press articles about
lowering the voting age, and we've had several articles nationally
about youth mall curfews. Additionally, NYRA has made several
appearances at Warped Tour over the past few weeks, tabling in
Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati and Washington, DC, recruiting over 250
new members.
NYRA Unveils 21K to End 21 Fundraiser
A new NYRA fundraiser is underway on our Lower the Drinking Age cause
on Facebook. The fundraiser aims for $21,000 to lower the drinking
age. The money raised will be put towards debates, training workshops
for chapters, spreading information about responsible drinking,
providing money for college chapters, and advertising. The 21K to End
21 fundraiser will go on until December 5, the 75th anniversary of the
ratification of the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution,
which ended alcohol Prohibition. Everyone is encouraged to donate whatever they can, and to spread the word far and wide. If everyone
pitches in this goal can definitely be reached! To donate, make sure
you're logged into Facebook, and go here.
August 20, 2008NYRA's Annual Meeting a Huge Success
This month NYRA held its annual meeting at its offices in Washington,
DC, and it was by all measures a great success. This year's meeting
had the biggest turnout ever, with an estimated 30 people in
attendance. Good times were had by all, with good food, amazing
people, and some great presentations and workshops.
The schedule was packed with empowering and informative speakers speakers from the ACLU, the Community Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of Youth (CAFETY), Youth Venture, Mobilize, and Students for a Democratic Society. Plus inspiring and thought provoking speeches & presentations by NYRA officers, staff and members Chip Sinton, Julian Gutierrez, Justin Graham, and Yonaton Yares. Plus the annual presentation of NYRA's annual report and strategic discussion for the year ahead. The report details the tremendously successful year NYRA has had and looks ahead to the future.
Those who came to the meeting also had a youth rights cookout at our
fearless executive director's house after Saturday's conference.
Attendees had the opportunity to vote in this year's annual election
in person, and were the first in the country to hear the results of
the election. Check out pictures from the event here. Thanks to everyone who came and participated for making
this year's annual meeting a great success, and the best yet.
The Election Results Are In
Voting in this year's annual election is complete, and the results
have been announced! The membership chose a new Board of Directors, a new slogan for NYRA, and voted on changes to the organization's
mission statement and bylaws. Voting began on July 3 and lasted for a
month until the annual meeting on August 2; voting in the election was
open to all dues paying members of NYRA. In all, 80 of you helped chart the
course of NYRA over the next year by voting. This kind of high
participation is good for the future of NYRA.
With so many qualified candidates this year, choosing a board of only
nine was a difficult task for voters. In the end, incumbents Alex
Koroknay-Palicz, Keith Mandell, Katrina Moncure, Stefan Muller, Chip
Sinton and Yonaton Yares won re-election, and they will be joined by
three newcomers: Justin Graham has co-edited NYRA Freedom since
February 2008; Jason Kende has been an active NYRA member for years,
serving on the Board of Directors from 2003-2004 and helping work on the NYRA website; and Eric Kim is the president of NYRA-Bergen County, NJ, which recently desegregated a local McDonalds.
Additionally, NYRA now has a new slogan (Live Free, Start Young), and
changes to the mission statement and bylaws were approved by the
membership. Thanks also go to all of you who made your voice heard by voting. We have a busy and doubtless very productive year ahead of us, and NYRA is in good hands.
NYRA to Air TV Ads; Your Help Needed
NYRA and board member Keith Mandell are sponsoring "Make NYRA Famous," a contest to see who can create the best NYRA TV ad. We are looking
for talented, creative members and supporters to create our very first
TV ad, which will be aired on Washington DC cable this fall on
stations like CNN and MTV. The ad should focus on NYRA's efforts to
lower the voting age, and will air in time for the 2008 presidential
elections. The best ad will receive a $100 prize and will air on TV
this fall; all other quality ads will be published on NYRA's website,
YouTube, blogs, and elsewhere on the Internet.
To volunteer, or if you have any questions, please contact Keith. If you can't shoot an ad yourself, you can
still contribute to this exciting project by donating to NYRA so that the ad can run on more stations. We would like to receive all entries by September 1, to ensure
that the best ad will air in October, before the election. Get more info about the contest here.
NYRA Moves to New Office
If all the activity of the past month wasn't enough, NYRA has moved to
a new office! After the annual meeting was over and most people had
gone home, NYRA staff and volunteers helped move all our equipment to
our new offices. In an office swap with another organization, Atlas
Service Corps, NYRA got a bigger office for lower rent (the trade-off
for the other organization is that they now get to share space with
their partner, Mobilize.org, which will save us money as we move
forward. NYRA's new address is 1101 15th St., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005, and our new office phone number is 202-296-2992 x131.
August 1, 2008Annual Meeting Almost Ready
The NYRA staff has been hard at work over the last week, setting up for the 10th Anniversary Annual Meeting. Chip Sinton, with some token assistance from various other volunteers, secured in-kind donations and bulk deals from Panera Bread, The Bagel Store, and Dominoes. Alex has been hard at work on another wholly adequate Annual Report, and early estimates have it being finished as early as this evening.
Pam Tatz came down from New York City to make flustered phone calls, and intern Jacqueline Trumbull has been hard at work organizing the amazing gifts that will be distributed to all in attendance. Preliminary estimates put the attendance of the meeting in the mid to high 30s, giving NYRA the ability to field over 3 baseball teams of supporters. A number of experts and demagogues(but they agree with us, so its okay) have been lined up to present and speak at the Annual Meeting. This meeting, which will have bagels, coffee and chairs, is shaping up to be the greatest event in history. Ever.
July 18, 2008U.S. House Passes Bill to Restrict Teen Torture 318-103
By an overwhelming majority vote of 318-103, on June 25 the U.S. House
of Representatives passed HR 6358 (previously HR 5876), the Stop Child
Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008.
This watershed legislation will enact necessary reforms intended to
stop the abuse and torture of young people in behavior modification
facilities, or gulag schools, throughout the country. It will prohibit
the all-too-common physical, sexual, or psychological abuse of teens
by facility staff. It will require that young people held in these
facilities have access to food, water, shelter, clothing, medical
care, and a telephone. It will restrict the use of physical
restraints, require inspections of residential treatment centers, and
more.
And it passed by greater than a three fourths majority, more than
veto-proof. This vital, common-sense bill garnered strong bipartisan
support, earning the votes of 229 Democrats and 89 Republicans.
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle listened to the voices
of victims of behavior modification facilities and boot camps, and of
their constituents, including hundreds of NYRA members from across the
country who wrote and called their representatives and made their
views known.
But the fight for justice is not over yet. This long-overdue
legislation still does not yet have a sponsor in the Senate. The bill
must still pass the Senate before it can be sent to President Bush for
his signature. You can help by writing or calling your senators and
urging them to introduce the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs
for Teens Act of 2008 in the Senate. To find and write your senators, go here.
Voting is Under Way in the 2008 NYRA Election
It's finally time to cast your ballot for NYRA Board of Directors. The
2008 NYRA election began on July 3, and voting will continue until the
annual meeting on August 2. There are 12 strong candidates running for
nine positions on the Board of Directors this year, and your vote is
more important than ever in determining the direction of the
organization for the coming year. In addition to the Board election,
there are also two changes to the NYRA bylaws on the ballot, along
with a change to our mission statement and, for the first time in six
years, an opportunity to pick NYRA's new slogan.
The only requirement for voting is a paid membership to NYRA (just $10
a year). If you're currently disenfranchised by the voting age of 18,
you can still vote in this election. There is plenty of information
available online about the candidates for the Board, as well as the
bylaw and mission statement changes and the new slogan possibilities.
Don't miss your opportunity to cast your ballot and influence the
direction of NYRA!
To read all about the candidates, the proposed changes to the bylaws
and mission statement, and the options for the new slogan, visit the election page. To ask the candidates questions about the issues or about the
direction in which they would take NYRA as a Board member, go to our election forum. To pay your member dues and gain full voting rights, please do so here.
NYRA's 10th Annual Meeting is Almost Here!
The time for NYRA's annual meeting is rapidly approaching; it's only
a few short weeks away! Every year, NYRA members and officials gather
in one place to help determine the direction of the organization over
the coming year and to chart a course forward for youth rights. Plus we'll be celebrating NYRA's 10th Anniversary with a cook-out at the Executive Director's house. This
year, the annual meeting will take place August 2-3 at NYRA's offices
in Washington, DC, our nation's capital. In the very city where a
chamber of 435 legislators overwhelmingly passed a major victory for
youth rights just a couple weeks ago, we youth rights activists will
meet to plan the next steps. Please join us, and make your voice
heard. Email us to RSVP.
NYRA-DC Takes Action Against Abusive Programs
On June 24, as the U.S. House of Representatives was debating the Stop
Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008, which later
passed overwhelmingly, members of NYRA's District of Columbia chapter
attended a hearing before the DC City Council about the rampant abuses
in behavior modification facilities.
The City Council is considering Bill 17-0654, the Protection of Students with
Disabilities Amendment Act of 2008, which would prohibit the District
from sending young people to residential programs that use "aversive
methods" such as electric shock, food and water deprivation, forced
exercise, and more.
Several NYRA members testified before the Council, and the only person
offering testimony that day who knows what it is like to go through a
behavior modification program from personal experience was a NYRA
member. At NYRA, we believe strongly that the views of young people
who have been subjected to these programs need to be represented. We
encourage all members who are DC residents to contact the City Council
and tell them to support the Protection of Students with Disabilities
Amendment Act of 2008. Tell them why. It's time for government to
listen.
June 19, 2008HR 5876 Before Congress to Stop Torture of Teens at Gulag Schools
Every day, young people are tortured or otherwise abused in "behavior modification facilities" or gulag schools, residential "treatment" facilities designed to set troubled and misbehaving teens on the straight and narrow. Young people at these facilities are beaten and subjected to other physical and sexual mistreatment. They are forced to exercise in the heat until they drop to the ground in exhaustion. They are forced to eat vomit or denied access to restrooms. They are physically restrained and left in isolation for hours or even days at a time. They are denied access to food and water. They are intentionally humiliated and subjected to brainwashing techniques designed to tear down their self-respect. And the operators of these facilities are not held accountable.
But that may be about to change.
Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008. This vital piece of legislation will enact several necessary reforms intended to stop the torture. It will prohibit gulag schools from abusing young people physically, sexually, or psychologically; require that residents have access to food, shelter, clothing, and medical care; restrict the use of physical restraints; require that young people have access to a telephone; require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to inspect these facilities at least once every two years; and more.
This is perhaps the most important piece of youth rights legislation in NYRA's history, and you can do something to help advance it. Even if you're currently disenfranchised by the voting age of 18, write to your representative in Congress and insist that he or she support this bill. Educate others about this important issue. You can even write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper expressing your support for the bill. Pass along NYRA's press release in favor of HR 5876.
We are finally within striking distance of the gulag schools. Let's make our voices heard.
Ralph Nader Comes Out in Support of the Youth Vote
In a bombshell article, presidential candidate Ralph Nader has come out strong in support of one of our most important goals: lowering the voting age to 16. Mr. Nader supported lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 during the Vietnam War, but he, like many other Americans young and old, doesn't want to stop there. Mr. Nader recognizes the worth of young people and their value to America, and, like us, is tired of seeing them disenfranchised by the 18 voting age. With his courageous stance for youth suffrage, Ralph Nader joins a growing list of public servants advocating a lower voting age, including Dennis Kucinich, Cynthia McKinney, and more. "Much has been made of the youth vote this year amid evidence that more young people are turning out to vote in the primaries than ever before," says Mr. Nader in the article. "Let's take it to the next step."
Election for NYRA Board of Directors Begins July 2
Time is running out to become a candidate for NYRA Board of Directors; the election begins next month. There are currently 12 candidates for nine available seats. All it takes to run is a paid membership to NYRA and a passionate dedication to youth rights. A seat on the Board of Directors is an excellent opportunity for youth rights activists to advance the cause. If you're interested in running for the board, please let us know as soon as possible. Only full NYRA members may vote in the election, sign up here and pay your member dues here. The campaigning has already begun! Meet the 2008 board candidates and ask them questions here.
New Chapter in the Sunshine State to Focus on Voting Age
Jeff Nadel is the young, eloquent founder of NYRA's newest chapter, NYRA-Boca Raton. This chapter has just been approved in the last few weeks, but already looks very promising. Jeff has been talking with Alex Koroknay-Palicz, NYRA Executive Director, and together they have formed some exciting plans. The chapter has decided to use the summer as a planning period and then get things into full swing in the fall when they will begin recruiting members and pursuing goals actively.
Currently, the chapter's main aim will be lowering Florida's voting age to 16. A campaign for communication with Florida's legislators is currently in the works. Qhile still a new chapter, they have received impressive press coverage about their campaign to lower the voting age. Nadel and several other chapter members were featured on the local ABC news station, WPBF. Anyone in the South Florida area who would like to join the chapter or to help out should contact Jeff.
NYRA's Annual Meeting Approaching
NYRA's famous (or infamous) annual meeting is now less than two months away. The annual meeting is an opportunity to network with other NYRA members and youth rights supporters from across the country, plot the course of the organization over the year to come, and become actively involved in the cause. Participants will see informative presentations about a variety of topics (last year there were guest speakers from the ACLU, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and others), discuss the direction of NYRA, learn and suggest ways to work towards real change for youth. Attendees will also be the first in the country to hear the NYRA election results. This year's annual meeting will be held August 2-3 at NYRA's offices in Washington, DC. E-mail us to let us know you're coming. Also pay attention to NYRA's election section of our forums.
May 7, 2008Abuse at Gulag Facilities Exposed at Congressional Hearing
The U.S. Congressional Committee on Education and Labor got an earful on April 24: a day of evidence and testimony about the physical, sexual, and psychological abuse of young people at gulag schools, or behavior modification facilities, across the country, and the deceptive marketing practices they use to ensnare the children of frustrated parents. After a year of congressional investigation, the chairman of the committee, Rep. George Miller, advocates federal laws that will regulate these facilities, requiring that staff be trained and parents be fully informed, and empowering the Department of Health and Human Services to inspect the programs. The committee heard not only from GAO investigators but also from victims of gulag schools, such as Jon Martin-Crawford, who testified, "The nightmares and psychological scars of being dragged from your home to a place in the middle of nowhere, restrained in blankets and duct tape, assaulted, verbally and physically... those scars and that trauma will never go away." Jon, as well as another program survivor who testified, Kathryn Whitehead, are both on the board of the Community Alliance For the Ethical Treatement of Youth, a NYRA ally. Among the attendees was NYRA executive director Alex Koroknay-Palicz.
Be sure to write your Congressperson and tell them to support H.R. 5876, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008. This is the biggest pro-youth rights bill in Congress in decades, if you've never written a letter to Congress before, please do so now.
Great Drinking Age News Coverage
NYRA has been making a splash this past month with quite a few radio and TV appearances. Executive Director Alex Koroknay-Palicz appeared twice on television, once on Fox News and again on the Mike and Juliet Show, and President Stefan Muller was on the Sirius Satellite Radio show "Me and Vinnie. In separate shows, Koroknay-Palicz and NYRA-New Orleans President, Ashley Campbell were both interviewed on the Ed Clancy Show on WGSO 990 AM radio in New Orleans.
What sparked all this media attention? The movement in seven states to lower the drinking age. In Kentucky, Wisconsin, and South Carolina, the movement is meant only for members of the military. South Dakota, Missouri, Vermont, and Minnesota hope to lower the drinking age to 18 for everyone.
New York Politicians Push for Teen Representation
New York may soon take a big step towards equality for youth by lowering the age at which one can sit on community boards in New York City to 16. After a press conference on April 13 by the Future Voters of America announcing the initiative, legislation was introduced in both state and city governments to lower the age. In the state legislature, Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh and Senator Andrew Lanza are pushing for the change, and in the New York City Council, Councilwoman Gale Brewer is championing the cause. Brewer introduced a bill earlier that would have lowered the voting age to 16 for city elections.
Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, a supporter of the proposal, himself was appointed to a community board when he was 16 years old. Lowering the age for representation to 16 would allow 16- and 17-year-olds greater civic participation in their communities. "[Young people] definitely can participate in the discussions about their community," Councilwoman Brewer told the New York Daily News. "I've seen them do it time and time again." Young people who care about their communities have friends in New York.
New U.S. Congresswoman Supports Lower Voting Age
At the same time that strides are being taken for youth rights in New York, progress towards a lower voting age is being made across the country, in California. In the state Assembly, Speaker-elect Karen Bass supports a lower voting age, and has been in contact with local youth rights activists, including NYRA Director Alex Hull-Richter, about the issue. Also, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, former California state senator, won a special election on April 8 to replace the late Congressman Tom Lantos in the U.S. House of Representatives. Speier is a youth rights supporter who advocates a lower voting age. During her time in the California state government, she filed legislation to lower the voting age in that state, and she was endorsed by NYRA-Berkeley when she ran for lieutenant governor.
Speier isn't the only advocate of youth suffrage in the U.S. Congress. Congresswoman Maxine Waters also wants the voting age lowered, and not only has Congressman and former Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich publicly advocated lowering the voting age, but it is rumored he may introduce federal legislation to do just that.
April 4, 2008New Chapter in New Jersey Successfully Desegregates McDonald's
A recently formed NYRA chapter in New Jersey, NYRA-Bergen County, headed by high school junior Eric Kim, scored a victory in the fight against age discrimination by successfully desegregating a local McDonald's restaurant. Late last year, the restaurant implemented and began enforcing a policy restricting one of their cash registers to customers 21 years old and older. This policy was ostensibly to serve adults faster during the lunch hour, but the segregation was enforced at all hours, and Eric and his new chapter saw it as ageist discrimination to be worked against. They responded with a concerted letter-writing campaign, followed by an in-person meeting with restaurant management. After this initial attempt didn't work, all it took was reminding the McDonald's management of New Jersey's laws against age discrimination to get them to change their policy.
On the heels of this victory, the chapter, with 15 active, dedicated members so far, is aiming for bigger and better things. Eric has a meeting with his town's mayor scheduled for this week to discuss the possibility of a youth representative on the city council, and to ask for the mayor's support for lowering the New Jersey voting age to 17. Eric is very optimistic about this meeting, saying that the mayor is "a nice guy, and he seems willing to discuss the issues." He's also in the process of scheduling a meeting with New Jersey state legislators to discuss drafting a bill to lower the voting age. Look for exciting developments out of New Jersey in the months to come.
Media Alerts - Great NYRA Coverage NYRA continues to tear up the airwaves. In the last few weeks NYRA representatives have appeared on radio shows in New Orleans and Pittsburgh, plus newspaper articles (see news section). On April 3rd, NYRA's Executive Director, Alex Koroknay-Palicz, appeared on Fox News Channel's "Fox Report with Shepard Smith discussing lowering the drinking age to 18. Also, Koroknay-Palicz will appear live on Fox's daily morning show, the Mike & Juliet Show, on Monday April 7. The show should air at 9 AM EST Monday morning. Be sure to tune in and listen to NYRA making arguments for lowering the drinking age on national tv.
New NYRA Chapter Opens in California
A new chapter out of California, NYRA Thacher, just held their first meeting on March 27. Sara Brody, who started the chapter, said only five people attended but a better turnout was expected for the next meeting. She thinks the meeting sparked the interest of the people who attended and that they will become more involved in the future. NYRA Thacher does not currently have a specific issue that it plans to focus on. A lot of talk was focused on gulag schools and on emancipation rights but those will not be the only concerns of the chapter.
Sara attends The Thacher School, a college prepatory boarding school, where she is a freshman. The Thacher administration gave her no trouble about forming the chapter and were facilitating it. Sara says she has always been interested in civil rights and when she was young her parents encouraged her to question unjust authority. She had previously campaigned for student rights but did not stumble upon NYRA until recently while researching the civil liberties of young people. She believes that "...NYRA is a great organization and I'm very excited to be a part of it."
Interns Wanted for Spring and Summer
NYRA is looking for interns to work in our national office in Washington, DC during the spring and summer. Interning at NYRA is a rewarding, fulfilling experience that provides an excellent opportunity to serve an important role in the campaign for youth rights, and to help bring about concrete change for young people.
Responsibilities include personally assisting individuals seeking to form local NYRA chapters, outreach to youth rights activists at high schools and universities across the country, fundraising, tabling at various events, conducting online research, assisting in the development and distribution of educational materials, helping to create and update chapter formation materials, and more.
Qualified applicants should have strong verbal and written communication skills, strong online research skills, and the ability to work efficiently and independently. Interested candidates should apply by sending us their résumés.
Youth Rights Meet-Up in NYC a Success; Next Meeting in April
NYRA New York City's Youth Rights Meet-Up was held on March 10, and youth and student rights activists from both the NYC metro area and across the country attended, including key figures in NYRA's national office in Washington, DC and Brian Lombrowski of CAFETY. Thank you to all who attended; you helped make the Meet-Up a great success. NYRA NYC plans to hold these meetings on a regular basis, and they will be an excellent opportunity to network with other youth rights activists from around the NYC metro area and to work for real change for youth. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 14, at 5:15 P.M. All local NYRA members are strongly encouraged to attend. For more information, and to RSVP, visit here.
February 25, 2008Money Bombs a Great Success. New Fundraising Record Set.
The last two months have seen an unprecedented surge in NYRA
fundraising. Because of your generosity you have put NYRA on pace for
a record fundraising year in 2008. NYRA participated in the Causes
Giving Challenge on Facebook that began on December 14 and lasted till
February 1. NYRA focused on two days, December 19 and January 16, to
hold "money bombs" in the hope of winning the contest's daily prize of
$1,000. Despite an incredibly impressive drive on both days, we did
not win the daily prize on either day, nor did we win any of the
overall prizes in the contest. But we did shatter all fundraising
records this organization's history.
Between the two money bombs on Facebook, our annual year-end
fundraiser and two small grants we received, we raised a total of
$14,160 in the last two months! Over $5,000 of that total came from
individual members and supporters of the cause. This is absolutely
unprecedented. Last year we raised about $17,000 for the entire year.
To follow that with over $14,000 in just two months sends a very
strong message that youth rights is gaining in popularity and gaining
in strength.
Over 170 people gave to NYRA in the last two months. Our paid
membership is up to 190, the highest total in NYRA history. Thank you
to everyone who participated and thank you for continuing to grow this
organization. We're still small, but with your continued support we
are growing bigger and bigger every year!
Time to Rethink Age Restrictions - Op-Ed in NY Times
Wednesday the New York Times printed an op-ed written by Anya Kamenetz
entitled, "You're 16, You're Beautiful and You're a Voter". Kamenetz
makes the case that the voting age, drinking age, credit card
ownership and other age restrictions should be lowered to 16. She
also describes competency testing as a more flexible standard than
"increasingly inadequate" age restrictions. Kamenetz proposes adult
rights be granted gradually to individuals who are 16 or 17, as we
currently do with driving. The New York Times editorial page is an
important podium from which to promote greater youth rights and
skepticism of age restrictions. NYRA welcomes Kamenetz' support. The
profile of this movement continues to grow and our list of supporters
continues to expand.
Arizona Bill Proposes Lowering the Voting Age
Arizona has become the latest state to consider lowering the voting
age. State legislator Ed Ableser introduced a bill to amend the
Arizona State Constitution to lower the voting age to 16 state wide.
While only the minority party, there are signs that the Arizona
Democratic Party would support this bill that would legally
enfranchise Arizona's teens.
We are making progress. There was a time, when such a proposal in and
of itself would have been considered impossible. And there will be a
time when such a proposal will pass and become a reality. Those of you
who live in Arizona call up your state legislators and ask them to
support HCR 2010. The voting age is within grasp.
Do Graduated Driver's Licenses Work? Mike Males Says No
In a ground breaking study, author and sociologist Mike Males,
demonstrates that California's graduated driver's license (GDL) has
not, like its proponents claim, made driving safer in the state.
Males' study gives solid evidence to support the assertion made by
youth rights advocates for years that greater experience produces
better drivers, not age. Many studies have touted the effectiveness
of strict graduated drivers licensing laws, but this study showed an 8% increase in fatal accidents after the GDL law was passed.
This study, published in the National Safety Council's Journal of
Safety Research looked at the broad effects of the GDL law instead of
looking exclusively on the effects the law has had on teen drivers as
previous studies have done. Previous studies have shown GDL laws to
reduce fatal accidents among drivers under 18. This new study
confirms that fact but looks at how those drivers behave on the roads
after the GDL restrictions expire at age 18. The study shows that
drivers aged 18-21 who learned to drive under GDL experienced far more
fatal accidents than drivers who never had GDL. A full 24% increase
in fatal accidents among 18-year-old drivers. This increase more than
offset the lives saved among 16-year-olds.
This important study confirms the notion that GDLs do not produce
better drivers, they just deny useful experience to young drivers who
will experience a dangerous learning curve at 18 instead of 16 like
before.
New York City Meet-Up Planned for March
Youth rights supporters in the NYC metro area are encouraged to attend
a Meet-Up scheduled for March 10 at 5:15 PM. With many active members
in the area and several up and coming chapters, New York could be a
strong hub for the movement in the future. This Meet-Up will be a
great chance for youth rights supporters to sit down and discuss
strategy and plans for working together. In addition to local
activists, Freechild.org founder, and NYRA advisor Adam Fletcher plans
to attend. The Meet-Up will be held at the Whole Foods on the corner
of Houston and Bowery. All local NYRA members are strongly encouraged
to attend.
NYRA
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1101 15th St., NW
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Suite 200
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Washington, DC
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20005
Care about youth voice?
As 2008 draws to a close, the dedicated activists in 
exams starting in 2009, after a long cooperative process involving
months of negotiation.
would be the first public debate on the issue, along with the planned
debate in New York City, hosted by a NYRA chapter. NYRA-UTSA also
plans to campaign for the University of Texas system to endorse the
Amethyst Initiative, the effective push by NYRA ally Choose
Responsibility to open public debate about the legal drinking age, and
the chapter hopes to win a lower drinking age within five years.
The primary focus of the campaign so far has been in Maryland, though efforts are also underway in Michigan and Florida. In the area of age discrimination in business, 
the all-too-common physical, sexual, or psychological abuse of teens
by facility staff. It will require that young people held in these
facilities have access to food, water, shelter, clothing, medical
care, and a telephone. It will restrict the use of physical
restraints, require inspections of residential treatment centers, and
more.
This chapter has just been approved in the last few weeks, but already looks very promising. Jeff has been talking with Alex Koroknay-Palicz, NYRA Executive Director, and together they have formed some exciting plans. The chapter has decided to use the summer as a planning period and then get things into full swing in the fall when they will begin recruiting members and pursuing goals actively.
a splash this past month with quite a few radio and TV appearances. Executive Director Alex Koroknay-Palicz appeared twice on television, once on Fox News and again on the Mike and Juliet Show, and President Stefan Muller was on the Sirius Satellite Radio show "Me and Vinnie. In separate shows, Koroknay-Palicz and NYRA-New Orleans President, Ashley Campbell were both interviewed on the Ed Clancy Show on WGSO 990 AM radio in New Orleans.
Late last year, the restaurant implemented and began enforcing a policy restricting one of their cash registers to customers 21 years old and older. This policy was ostensibly to serve adults faster during the lunch hour, but the segregation was enforced at all hours, and Eric and his new chapter saw it as ageist discrimination to be worked against. They responded with a concerted letter-writing campaign, followed by an in-person meeting with restaurant management. After this initial attempt didn't work, all it took was reminding the McDonald's management of New Jersey's laws against age discrimination to get them to change their policy.
NYRA continues to tear up the airwaves. In the last few weeks NYRA representatives have appeared on radio shows in New Orleans and Pittsburgh, plus newspaper articles 
and student rights activists from both the NYC metro area and across the country attended, including key figures in NYRA's national office in Washington, DC and Brian Lombrowski of CAFETY. Thank you to all who attended; you helped make the Meet-Up a great success. NYRA NYC plans to hold these meetings on a regular basis, and they will be an excellent opportunity to network with other youth rights activists from around the NYC metro area and to work for real change for youth. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 14, at 5:15 P.M. All local NYRA members are strongly encouraged to attend. 
Despite an incredibly impressive drive on both days, we did
not win the daily prize on either day, nor did we win any of the
overall prizes in the contest. But we did shatter all fundraising
records this organization's history.