Winter 2001-2002 Bulletin

Youth River Campaign: Creative Youth Spring into Movement for theRío Grande

Amigos Bravos’ Albuquerque Office is coordinating a six month Youth River Campaign as an extension of the Alliance for the Rio Grande Heritage campaign. The Youth River Campaign covers the Middle Río Grande area. The Campaign’s goal is to design and implement a simple, positive river-awareness message targeting the Middle Río Grande's younger population. Following two or more months of coordinating meetings, a river crew of young adults 18-25 years old was formed to develop a river campaign. The river campaign crew includes: Margarita Ortega y Gomez, Dorian Shiver, Carlos Martin, James Aranda, Armando de Madrid, and Laura Carlisle. Individually and collectively they represent the pulse of younger voices and youth movements comprised of poets, visual artists, writers and performers. During recent meetings, crew members have taken time to get to know one another by sharing stories, theories, histories and resources, building unity as a core group and exploring how to reach a younger audience. Now, in the second phase, an intensive training period has begun. Campaign development, public speaking, media, river education, and media training will be the focus during the coming month. The completion of this phase will bring them to a third phase, finalizing the message, developing several multi-media products, and a public debut both on-the-street and in public performance venues including performance art during the February “River Day” at the Roundhouse. The Youth River Campaign complements and supports the Alliance for the Rio Grande Heritage campaign, exploring bridges between river restoration, cultural use, and clean water initiatives. Building community around the river is an implied goal of the Youth River Campaign encouraging a healthy, vibrant, and active community. Individuals and organizations already lending their support include: the SNEEJ (Southwest Network for Environmental adn Economic Justice) Youth Coordinator, Aditi Vaidya providing campaign development training; Community Organizer, Joaquin Arguello, with media and public speaking workshops; and Deb Hibbard at Rio Grande Restoration with river education training. In addition, word about the Youth River Campaign has reached the River Network’s planning committee who have expressed interest in members of the youth crew making a presentation at the 2002 River Rally Conference in North Carolina. The Youth River Campaign welcomes public participation and support. Contact the Amigos Bravos Albuquerque Office at 505 924-2223 for details.

 

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