Young Filmmakers Decry the Trillion-Dollar Cost of Two Dumb Wars

Derrick Crowe

Political Director, Brave New Foundation

Posted: February 10, 2011 11:53 AM

What would you do with $1 trillion? Unfortunately, one of Washington, D.C.'s answers over the last decade has been, "waste it on two wars that make us less safe and cause deep suffering at home and abroad." The true costs of those bad decisions will be paid by today's youth, since policymakers failed to raise the revenue to pay for it when they started the debacles in Afghanistan and Iraq. But, nobody in D.C. asked the young people what they'd do with that money. So, next week, some of those youth are going to Washington to tell them in person.

Late last year, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the National Priorities Project sponsored a youth film-making contest called, "If I Had A Trillion Dollars." Entrants had to be age 13-23 and had to produce a video around one to three minutes in length addressing the $1 trillion cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. In January, the panel of judged picked two winners, both of which are embedded below, to receive the first place prize: $500 and a trip to Washington, D.C. to screen their film for Members of Congress, the Obama Administration and the press.
Briseida Montiel
"If I Had A Trillion Dollars"

You can see the other winners and honorable mentions at AFSC's website. All of the submissions can be viewed on the If I Had a Trillion Dollars YouTube channel.
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