Websites

http://www.buildresources.org/ is the website of BUILD, which began as a program of the Self Education Foundation, and is now an independent organization. BUILD has an impressive online collection of resources for self-education, and also for housing, activism, work, health, support and travel – mostly in the Philadelphia area.

prisonactivist.org is "the source for progressive and radical information on prisons and the criminal prosecution system."

http://www.nomoretests.com/ is the website of Students Against Testing (SAT), a nationwide network of young people who resist high stakes standardized testing and support real-life learning.

http://www.protest.net/ is a calendar of protests, meetings, and conferences all around the world

idealist.org a huge resource for all types of activists, listing organizations, job opportunities, and more

indymedia.org Indymedia is a collective of independent media organizations and hundreds of journalists offering grassroots, non-corporate coverage. Indymedia is a democratic media outlet for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of truth. They have collectives all over the world!

http://www.soundout.org/ is the website of SoundOut, an organization whose aim is to share information and resources about meaningful student involvement throughout schools with students, teachers, and community allies across the United States.

takingitglobal.org is an online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities. It is now the world's most popular online community for young people interested in making a difference, with hundreds of thousands of unique visitors each month.

visualresistance.org is a website where politically-minded artists can post their art, see what other are doing, and find new artists to collaborate with

woostercollective.org an extensive website dedicated to street art

youthrights.org is the website of the National Youth Rights Assocaition, which has over 6000 young members. They focus on changing policies such as curfew laws and lowering the age for rights such as voting. The websites has forums and more.

http://nyc.youthrights.org the page of the NYC chapter of NYRA

http://www.youthrights.net a network of youth rights resources that anyone can edit

youthventure.org is the website of Youth Venture, an organization that assists youth-led projects with up to $1000 in seed money, among other things

Organizations

ABC No Rio is a community center for art and activism. Our gallery and performance space was founded by artists committed to political and social engagement and we retain these values to the present. In the late-eighties No Rio became active in the hardcore music scene, instituting a policy of not booking racist, sexist or homophobic bands. ABC No Rio is one of the best-loved punk venues in the world. Our space has always been available to community and other organizations for meetings, work-shops, forums, benefits, and other community services. ABC No Rio also provides space and other resources to Food Not Bombs and Books Through Bars. It is also host to a zine library, a darkroom, a screenprinting shop, and a computer lab. www.abcnorio.org

Blackout Arts Collective is a grassroots coalition of artists, activists and educators working to empower communities of color through the arts. We use the tools of culture and education to raise awareness and catalyze action around the critical issues that impact our communities. We believe in the power of the creative process to transform lives, mobilize communities, and build a more just society. http://www.blackoutartscollective.com

Bronx Pryde provides space, resources and training to youth in the South Bronx to promote their personal transformation, political development and collective consciousness so they can use their strengths and talents in creating justice with their lives, families and community. Bronx PRYDE prepares passionate, capable and visionary community leaders through an innovative program design that combines youth development, grassroots organizing and legal advocacy.
Bronx PRYDE youth are between the ages of 14-21. We recruit poor and working class youth who are racially, ethnically, gender and sexuality diverse. Knowing that our community is stronger and safer if all of our young people are successful in finding friends, interests, activities, education and jobs, we also seek diversity in recruiting young people who are at very different places in their lives. Bronx PRYDE includes formerly incarcerated youth, youth who are excelling academically, youth who have dropped out of school, youth who are gang-involved, youth who struggle with drug abuse and youth who cannot attend Sunday events because they will miss church. The Bronx Defenders / 860 Courtlandt Avenue / Bronx, NY 10451 / (718) 838-7878 / (800) 597-7980

Critical Resistance "seeks to build an international movement to end the Prison Industrial Complex by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes us safe. We believe that basic necessities such as food, shelter, and freedom are what really make our communities secure. As such, our work is part of global struggles against inequality and powerlessness. The success of the movement requires that it reflect communities most affected by the PIC. Because we seek to abolish the PIC, we cannot support any work that extends its life or scope". NATIONAL OFFICE / 1904 Franklin Street, Suite 504 / Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 510.444.0484 Fax: 510.444.2177

The Drug Policy Alliance The Alliance is the nation's leading organization working to end the war on drugs. We envision new drug policies based on science, compassion, health and human rights and a just society in which the fears, prejudices and punitive prohibitions of today are no more. drugpolicy.org

El Puente, a holistic learning and development institution founded in 1982, uses a community center approach to bridge the efforts of a performing and visual arts center, a public high school and a community health and environment institute with after school / after work and in school programs to inspire and nurture leadership for Peace and Justice. 211 South 4th Street / Brooklyn, NY 11211 / Tel: 718-387-0404 / Fax: 718-387-6816

Global Youth Action Network is a not-for-profit organization that acts as an incubator of global partnerships among youth organizations. Their mission is to facilitate youth participation and intergenerational partnership in global decision-making; to support collaboration among diverse youth organizations; and to provide tools, resources, and recognition for positive youth action. GYAN believes that the critical issues facing the planet now demand our attention and commitment; and that if we are to solve these problems in our life, then we must act, and combine our efforts to guarantee a future of peace, justice and sustainability. 211 East 43rd St., Suite 905 / New York, NY 10017 / U.S.A. (212) 661-6111 / youthlink.org

Grassroots Artists MovEment (G.A.ME) was created to redirect Hip-Hop's resources back to the Black & Brown community and utilize them to grow our communities. Named the Grassroots Artists MovEment (G.A.ME), Inc. by artists Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Dead Prez, G.A.ME is an international non-profit membership organization with the mission of utilizing Hip-Hop Culture to organize the community around sociopolitical and economic issues facing the black and Latino community. G.A.ME focuses in the areas of preventing youth incarceration, providing healthcare, and our union of artists. G.A.ME’s central and local chapters hold regular democratic meetings that offer members a voice in every aspect of the organization. http://www.kickgame.com

Hip-Hop Association “facilitating, fostering, and preserving hip-hop culture!” is their motto. The mission of H2Ed is to serve as a resource for educators and those committed to helping children succeed in school by using the power of hip-hop culture as a learning tool. www.h2ed.net

Hip-Hop Matters is a Washington DC based non-profit serving the youth of America. Hip-Hop Matters has three core operating areas: Youth Advocacy, Urban Youth Outreach, and Education. Their mission is to energize, motivate, empower and support the youth of America through outreach, youth advocacy, urban policy analysis, educational publications, and educational consulting which responsibly utilizes the five elements of hip-hop culture and encourages proactive civic engagement. The first issue of their publication, Journal of Hip-Hop, is out now. www.journalofhiphop.org

The Point Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. We work with our neighbors to celebrate the life and art of our community, an area traditionally defined solely in terms of its poverty, crime rate, poor schools, and sub-standard housing. We believe the area's residents, their talents and aspirations, are The Point's greatest assets. Our mission is to encourage the arts, local enterprise, responsible ecology, and self-investment in the Hunts Point community. 940 Garrison Avenue / Bronx / NY 10474 / (718) 542-4139 / thepoint.org /

The Independent Media Center is a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth. We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work for a better world, despite corporate media's distortions and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity. There are dozens of IMC’s all over the world. indymedia.org

The League of Pissed off Voters The League of Young Voters is a national organization that supports young people to build power to solve problems in our communities. We work with young people who have been shut out of the political process to make politics fun, engaging, relevant, and meaningful. We register voters, write and distribute voter guides, and lobby elected officials about issues that affect us ‘cause we want a progressive governing majority in our lifetime. We also like to have fun, throw parties and club nights, and laugh. http://indyvoter.org/

Make the Road by Walking is a not-for-profit, membership-led organization based in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Its members are primarily low-income Latino and African-American residents of Bushwick and surrounding neighborhoods. Working within these economically marginalized neighborhoods, Make the Road by Walking fights for justice and opportunity through community organizing on issues of concern to our multi-generational membership. The Youth Power Project at Make the Road by Walking sees young people as its organization's and its community's most valuable resource. Youth Power's main focus is drawing young people into vigorous organizing work that challenges unlawful behavior by local police officers, lack of funding for after-school programs, and increased New York City investment in juvenile prisons. Youth Power also offers young people an opportunity to participate in a variety of other activities, including poetry writing, performing arts, radio documentary production, computer skills training, mural-making, and photography. Youth Power Project: Oona Chatterjee, Youth Power Staff Make the Road by Walking / 301 Grove Street / Brooklyn, NY 11237 phone: (718) 418-7690 fax: (718) 418-9635

National Youth Rights Association is at the forefront of fighting for the civil and human rights of youth, with over 6000 young members. youthrights.org / http://www.youthrights.net

The Prison Moratorium Project/No More Youth Jails "building a future beyond prisons" is their motto. They are largely credited with the 2002 victory that stopped $64.6 million from being spent on new youth jails in New York City. Recently, the PMP team launched a 12-week intensive internship program called PMP Academy, where eight young people ages 18 to 23 who have been through the juvenile-justice system receive political education and skills training. nomoreprisons.org / 388 Atlantic Ave.3rd Fl / Brooklyn, NY 11217 (718) 260-8805 /

ROOTS (Revolution Out Of Truth and Struggle) is the youth program of the War Resister's League, focusing on counter-recruitment and the impact of militarism on targeted populations like youth of color and the poor. 339 Lafayette St. / NY, NY / New York, NY 10012 / (212) 228-0450 http://www.warresisters.org/youth/

Sista II Sista is a Brooklyn-wide community-based organization located in Bushwick. We are a collective of working-class youth and adult Black and Latina women building together to model a society based on liberation and love. Our organization is dedicated to working with young women to develop personal, spiritual, and collective power. We are commited to fighting for justice and creating alternatives to the systems we live in by making social, cultural, and political change. http://www.sistaiisista.org/ Phone: (718) 366-2450 ext. 0# / Fax: (718) 366-7416 / 89 St. Nicholas Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11237

Young Eclectic Liberation Leaders (YELL!) is a youth activist group based out of The Renaissance School, a NYC high school. It was founded in 2004 with the mission of ending apathy among the youth and getting them interested in issues that affect them. YELL! has organized two city-wide youth activist conferences, with workshops like "Education for Liberation", "Youth and the morning-after pill", "Radical Cheerleading", and "Visual Resistance". http://trcs.wikispaces.com/Young+Eclectic+Liberation+Leaders+(YELL) /

Youth Channel is a division of Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) targeting youth under 25. It’s an alternative to mass media-providing equal access to all young people, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or social status. The Youth Channel strives to build confidence, establish role models, inform, educate, and entertain. It empowers youth create change within their communities and the world. The Youth Channel is run by adults and youth who want to make a difference. Cynthia Carrion: MNN Youth Channel Outreach Coordinator (212)757-2670 ext. 330 MNN Youth Channel / 537 West 59th Street / New York, New York 10019 http://youthchannel.org/
Youth Media Distribution is on a mission to improve the distribution of independent youth created film, video, radio and new media. YMDi.org provides information and tools that are essential to increasing the visibility of youth made media. YMDi.org
Youth Venture provides seed money – up to $1000 – and support for youth-led initiatives such as organizations, community projects, and small businesses. Find out how they can power your original ideas at youthventure.org

Books, magazines, and Zines

AWOL
No More Prisons by William Upski Wimsatt
What an incredible book! A list of its contents doesn’t do it justice, but I’m gonna list them anyway: urban life, self-education, hip-hop leadership, meaningful philanthropy, and a hitchhiker’s guide to community organizing. It’s full of fascinating interviews, hilarious anecdotes, and smart-ass but smart politics. Upski, a former break-dancer and graffiti writer, shows you how all these different movements are linked up and need each other, and speaks to youth the way few authors can. Get this book!

Bomb the Suburbs by William Upski Wimsatt
This book actually came out five years before No More Prisons. While less all-encompassing and mature, it’s still really great. It’s about hip-hop from the point of view from someone who’s both an insider and an outsider, and it talk about graffiti, race relations, hitchhiking, and tons more – intelligent and funny as hell.
How To Get Stupid White Men out of Office

Zero Tolerance: Resisting the Drive for Punishment in Our Schools
This is a collection of essays describing how zero tolerance policies are ineffective and ultimately destructive. It discusses issues such as juvenile crime, racial profiling in school, and the “funneling” of kids from school to prison. This book should be read by all students, parents, and teachers.

Future 500 by The Active Element Foundation
This is basically the yellow pages of youth organizing and activism in the United States. It starts off with biographies of 25 diverse youth activists under 25. It then dives into a state-by-state directory of youth-based organizations. Needless to say, this book is indispensable for any aspiring activist.

It’s Your World – If You Don’t Like It, Change It: Activism for Teenagers by Mikki Halpin
This book talks about ways teens can make a difference regarding issues like free speech, racism, the environment, women’s rights, gay rights, bullying and school safety, animal welfare, war, safe sex, and AIDS. It includes the basics of activism, various projects and ideas, stories from teenagers who have made a difference, and all kinds of resources.

Recipes for Disaster: An Anarchist Cookbook
This is a really thick how-to guide on everything from bicycle parades to legal support to making musical instruments to non-monogamous relationships to supporting survivors of domestic violence. This book is full of enough ideas, information, and inspiration to keep anyone with a crafty and curious mind busy for the next three lifetimes.

Hope In the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit
The author draws on her life as a writer and activist on historical events, and on current changes to find hope and an inspiring outlook on the future. This book is valuable for both seasoned activists and fresh faces.