East Bay WILPF member Sandy Thacker on far right with BEFORE YOU ENLIST veterans Eddie Falcon and Rosa Del Duca and therapist Roberta Stern who volunteer with the project.
The BEFORE ENLISTING program seeks to share different narratives
about the military other than the ones teenagers usually see, and to
highlight non-military job training, and continuing education that can
lead to well-paid and meaningful careers.
Our East Bay CA WILPF branch has created “BEFORE ENLISTING”, a counter-recruiting project that brings veterans into high schools and onto college campuses to offer a different view of what life in the military is really like, to counter the billions spent each year on military recruiting ads and outreach to high school and college students. Today, with less jobs available, kids are more inclined than ever to choose the military, and the ads certainly play to their love of video gaming and 'a few good men/women' ethos. They are feeling military service is their only option, without fully understanding the risks.
Learn about the Before Enlisting project, and bring the information back to your branch for discernment to determine if it's something you could launch locally, alone or with allies.
WHO SHOULD JOIN THE CALL?
A representative of your branch plus local peace allies, youth services allies, peace church representatives, concerned parents, any local veterans for peace groups, or individual veterans speaking out locally for peace, Black Lives Matter organizers in your city, or local Black or Hispanic youth groups
- help give students the full picture of life during and after the military so that they can make an informed decision about their future after high school.
- create positive ongoing relationships with current/new veterans in your area and high school/college teachers and students... all of whom could benefit from knowing about the work of WILPF US.
- your branch might gain some new members from the project as well.
