I’m too old to benefit from the Institute for a Democratic Future’s excellent six-month training program, but many of you are not, so if you’re between the ages of 21 and 36, and looking to make a difference through politics, I highly recommend sending in your application before the November 20th deadline passes.
Training occurs from January through June, mostly on weekends, and includes hands on sessions throughout the state, and in the nation’s capital. This intensive program is an incredible opportunity for aspiring young activists and politicians; alumni include dozens of current and form state legislators, county and city council members, and community leaders from throughout Washington state.
Whew! For a second there, I thought you were talking about another IDF.
:-)
Gee, from the headline I thought the Israeli Defense Force was looking for “a few good men (and women)”.
Dick Cheney used to oppose expanded G.I. benefits for veterans because – as he admitted – he thought it would hurt re-enlistment rates. What he didn’t say, but was obvious in the context, was that he wanted veterans to be so desperate for jobs that they had no choice but to stay in the service.
Well, he got the economy he wanted. The Bush economic policies and resulting rescession provide a bleak job environment for thousands of American servicemen and servicewomen who’s enlistments are over. A close friend of my son has been out of the service for a little over a year now, and has yet to find a job (he’s going back to school, but V.A. applications are slow to be processed because of the flood of applications for education benefits).
As thousands of reserve and national guardsmen return after a (first, second, or third) tour of duty in Iraq, many are now finding that the jobs they held when last called up no longer exist. Some are continuing to fight corporations who are trying to “weed out” reservists and national guardsmen by arguing that their jobs were the ones eliminated in any layoffs over the past year, and the ones retained are for employees who don’t cause “complications” by being repeatedly called up for service. A good friend of mine had to retain an attorney before he left for another tour recently to remind his company (a large private utility) that they were required by law to keep his job open for him when he returned.
As for the Institute for Democratic Future, I wish they had that program when I was younger. Right now it wouldn’t make much sense to train me for long-term activisim, those opportunities should be made available to those younger than me.
for those of you, like myself, who are outside the qualifying range for IDF, we will be starting next year an “IDF – Continuing Education” program which will be an intensive 2 weekend program for folks over 36 who want some of the same benefits of the full program but in a more condensed 2-weekend format. More soon…
Thanks Goldy for posting!
Jason Bennett, Executive Director
Institute for a Democratic Future