On Saturday, January 21st, millions of women from around the world participated in the Women's March. The Los Angeles Women's March had an estimated 750,000 people present--women, men, and children all marching for the causes that are important to them.
The Women's March mission statement and vision: "We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country." "The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us - immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault - and our communities are hurting and scared...We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us. We support the advocacy and resistance movements that reflect our multiple and intersecting identities...This march is the first step towards unifying our communities, grounded in new relationships, to create change from the grassroots level up. We will not rest until women have parity and equity at all levels of leadership in society. We work peacefully while recognizing there is no true peace without justice and equity for all." Read below what our council members thought about their experience at the Women's March: Ariella Amit (IYCLAC President): Attending the Women's March was both an inspiring and reassuring experience. I was pleased to see that the individuals who marched alongside me represented a diversity of race, religion, and sexual orientations. When I attended the Women's March, I also attended a gathering for environmental protection, LGBTQ+ rights, religious tolerance, and the black lives matter movement. For the Los Angeles community, I think that the Woman's March was a formative experience--it brought together diverse communities and groups who supported each other unconditionally. The interaction of all of these groups was an experience that, as a high school student, I never had the privelage to attend before. Emily DiPressi (IYCLAC Secretary): Participating in the Women's March was the most amazing experience I have had. Even though we all had different reasons for attending the march, we were all united through the notion that we will not stand down from the fight for equality. Seeing so many people there enforced the idea that we are not alone. This was not just a one day demonstration, but rather day one for our movement. Daisy Sanchez (IYCLAC member): I participated in the march because I still have to make my voice heard despite the fact that I cannot vote yet. I refuse to be a bystander to injustice and Trump's unfair policies.
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On December 10th, IYCLAC held a fundraiser to help the people of Standing Rock fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). 21 students, friends, and family participated in the Insane Inflatable 5K in Pasadena in addition to working a fundraising booth at the event.
The booth consisted of two activities to combat hate and stereotypes: "Pie Hate in the Face" and "Knock Down Hate". 5K attendees had the opportunity to "pie" our Executice Director, Steve Wiebe, with shaving cream as he sat in a chair wearing a shirt that said "Hate, Prejudice, Stereotypes". 5K attendees also had the chance to "Knock Down Hate" by throwing a ball that said "Love" at cups labeled with "hatred, stereotypes, racism, sexism," etc. to symbolize the work we do as a council. The booth also offered henna tattoos (courtesy of our Youth Outreach Coordinator, Saniya Ibrahim) and stickers promoting love and kindness. By the end of the run, IYCLAC had raised nearly$500 to help fight against DAPL. We had meaningful conversations with people who stopped by our booth and received many thank you's for the work we are doing. We are grateful for everyone who participated in the event and stopped by our booth! On Sunday, November 27th, a group of ten IYCLAC members and friends volunteered at Union Rescue Mission (URM) to serve dinner to the homeless population by Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. Our group helped prep breakfast for the following morning and served dinner to three groups in URM's rehabilitation programs: families, women, and men. In assembly line fashion, students put food on plates and passed them out to individuals. By the end of the evening we had served nearly 500 individuals.
It was great to see the smiles and gratitude on the faces of those we served--even if they did not have much. Having served just a few days after Thanksgiving, it was a great reminder that we have so much be thankful for: our homes, our beds, our families, being able to choose the meals we eat, and so much more. We are looking forward to continuing our work with URM and volunteering with them in the near future! On October 8th, IYCLAC and IYCOC participated in the Victorville 5K Neon Run as part of our first fundraiser of the year. We had thirty participants show up for our event and had a blast! We sported our team shirts that said "Interfaith Young Leaders" as well as our glow bracelets and necklaces. Participants ran or walked the 5K while getting sprayed with different colored neon powder and making pit stops to take pictures and dance at DJ stations.
We chose the 5K Neon Run as our first fundraiser not only because we knew it would be a fun time, but because we saw the mix of different colored powders as a wonderful metaphor for people of all religious backgrounds gathering together and blending our perspectives for the common good. Our group of IYCLAC and IYCOC students chose to donate the funds raised during this event to the Tiyya Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to relocating refugees in Orange County and assisting them assimilate to their new communities. We are grateful to everyone who showed up to our event and helped us raise over $400 for the Tiyya Foundation. We are already looking forward to our next run! On August 28th, IYCLAC members came together with IYCOC members at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Tustin for an afternoon retreat to kick off the 2016-2017 year. It was a day of team building, group activities, planning for the upcoming year, and bowling! The council members discussed numerous ideas for events and service projects for the new year and are excited to start planning them. Our group made bracelets to represent the coming together of people from different backgrounds and faith traditions. Each student chose a bead that represented who they are and the students put the beads together to represent the diversity of our councils.
We are all excited for the new year and are looking forward to our first event! IYCLAC came together on Sunday at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles to host a fundraiser for Flint, Michigan--a community whose water supply has been tainted with lead and, as a result, made undrinkable. The White House declared a state of emergency for the majority African-American Flint community. Our students looked at the situation in Flint and wanted to help by raising money to donate to a local organization that provides clean water and healthcare to those affected by the tainted water supply (among other community resources).
Our group of IYCLAC students, with the help of family and friends, coordinated a potluck and information booth about what was going on in Flint. Individuals who donated to our cause received food, henna tattoos, and Flint stickers to express our gratitude. Our group successfully educated numerous people who were unaware of the situation in Flint and raised money to donate to the cause. We are grateful to those of you who came out and supported our group and the Flint community. Our IYCLAC members have participated in different service projects and activities throughout the Fall to give back to their community and help those in need. In October, our students volunteered at the Union Rescue Mission kitchen where they prepared and served dinner to over 300 homeless individuals at Skid Row. In December, IYCLAC raised money through a gift wrapping fundraiser to donate to an organization helping with the refugee crisis, and they also held a toy drive so less fortunate families would be able to give their children toys during the holiday season. We are looking forward to continuing building bridges, breaking barriers, and giving back to the community in 2016!
On August 30th, IYCLAC members came together with members from the Interfaith Youth Council of Orange County for an afternoon retreat at USC's Office of Religious Life. It was an interactive day of relationship building, deep conversations, group activities and planning for the upcoming year. New IYCLAC members were welcomed by returning members and quickly integrated into the group. The council members discussed numerous ideas for events and service projects for the 2015-2016 academic year, and can't wait to start planning them!
On March 14 & 15, IYCLAC attended the Interfaith Youth Council of Orange County (IYCOC)'s 2nd Annual Teen Faith Festival at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Tustin. Day 1 consisted of their "Teens Expressing Their Faith In Art, Dance, and Song" event which displayed beautiful art pieces and performances from high school students, including bhangra dancing, contemporary dancing, tabla drums, guitar playing, and singing. Day 2 was the 11th Annual Interfaith Forum where the students had an open dialogue with other youth from different faiths about various topics revolving around advances in technology and it's impact on religion. The event ended with a panel discussion consisting of IYCLAC and IYCOC members talking about their experiences with interfaith work and the importance of interfaith work in their schools and communities.
We had a great time this past weekend and are so grateful for the insightful dialogue, delicious food, and many friendships we formed. Thank you IYCOC for your incredible hospitality and for sharing your wisdom with us. We are looking forward to doing it again next year! |
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January 2017
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