On Saturday December 12, 2009, Gandhi Brigade attended and participated in the LAYC youth Conference DMV Voices. LAYC staff and youth organized the conference to raise awareness about issues happening around us in our communities. Gandhi Brigade was asked to facilitate an hour-long media and social justice workshop.

The Youth Media Explosion event, pushed to the brink of postponement by a winter snowfall, was still held to a warm reception by everyone involved. A large number of people braved the cold snowfall to take part in the viewing all of the youth's hard work from the previous months.

Get a glimpse into the life of things here at the Gandhi Brigade on Saturday December 5th. Youth Media Explosion 2009 will feature the Fall productions of local youth in design, photography, film, and blogging. Awards will be given and food will be served as we enjoy an evening of recognition of the amazing youth, volunteers and community supporters that make our work possible. All are welcome!

On the sunny morning of November 21, 2009, bands warmed up, floats lined up, performers stretched, and the crowd lined up along the sidewalks of Georgia Ave all the way into Ellsworth Drive. Cold winds blew and the crowd was set for the parade to begin. Photographers pulled out their cameras and began taking shots lefts and right, some for the news and others, for a family keepsake.

Two thursdays ago, supporters from the youth groups Gandhi Brigade, Gap Busters, and Mixed Unity attended a town hall meeting with county executive Ike Leggett to discuss the allocation of a space for youth in the new Civic Center, and the creation of a Youth Action Committee for Silver Spring.

I graduated AYD in the Spring of 2008 with about 25 other youth workers, most of whom I had never met before but now consider friends and colleagues that are part of a growing network of folks dedicated to young people, justice, and resistance against ageism and all other -isms that affect our young people.

African club is a group filled with diverse people. They are from different places and have different beliefs and values. It is a community in the school, a backboard for students with a shared African heritage at the school. They have created a covenant to make the club feel more welcoming to the members and to build a strong bond amongst the African students.

Walking along Wayne Avenue on September 26 in downtown Silver Spring, it was hard to imagine anyone wanting to be outside at all. The sky was dark and gloomy, the streets barren and wet, and the rain was coming down in a depressing drizzle. One block over on Ellsworth, though, the mood was upbeat and the people were out.

Youth from Montgomery County, PG County, & DC convened at Montgomery College this past Saturday, October 10th for the first annual MXD Unity Peace Summit. Young people filled classrooms where they learned about different forms of violence (gender/sexual based, genocide, and gang related) & put their heads together to develop their own ideas for effective & meaningful solutions.

We are excited to welcome Rhys Talbott, Bronte Moreau, Valerie Chou, Johanna Escobar and Tiffany Spencer to this year's Youth Action Cabinet! Winners of a popular vote, the YAC will work directly with youth, staff, and board to help build youth leadership within the Gandhi Brigade and the community.