Starting Date: 02-17-2006
Starting Time: 6:00pm
Ending Date: 02-19-2006
New York, New York
United States
212-727-8610 ext. 24Mark your calendars! Start planning your trip today!
TURNING THE TIDE TOWARDS FREEDOM:
Building the Youth and Student Movement for Justice
February 17-19, 2006
New York City
GO TO YDS WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO, TO REGISTER ONLINE, CONFERENCE FLYERS, ETC!
The Young Democratic Socialists (YDS) are hosting a national conference in New York City on February 17-19 (President's Day weekend), called "Turning the Tide Towards Freedom: Building the Youth and Student Movement for Justice" to bring together activists from across the country for workshops, trainings, great speakers, and more to reenergize the struggle to build a better future!
POLITICAL CONTEXT:
Hurricane Katrina exposed the realities of injustice in America, and a movement is growing to challenge not only the Bush administration, but the entire systems of inequality and oppression that led to the disaster. The US government's use of torture and secret detentions has fanned the flames of already growing popular discontent with the war. The weak response from official Democratic party leaders to the racist, sexist and homophobic beliefs of Bush's Supreme Court Justice nominee, Samuel Alito, has spurred grassroots activism in the electoral arena. Right wing attempts to slash billions from vital programs like student aid and food stamps is starting to provoke a backlash from communities that refuse to take it anymore.
In this context, it is time to renew our energies, build community, and remember to keep our eyes on the prize: a world of genuine democracy, liberty, and equality. Join us in NYC from February 17-19 to debate, learn from each other and strengthen the youth and student movement. Young people can and must turn the tide towards freedom, for in the timeless words of Frederick Douglass, "power concedes nothing without a demand!"
FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Conference workshops and panels will feature organizers and trainers from the anti-racist, feminist, youth, queer, trade union, and anti-war movements, as well as noted activist scholars from the democratic left, including:
* Bill Fletcher Jr. - President of TransAfrica Forum, founder of the Black Radical Congress, former Education Director of the AFL-CIO;
* Frances Fox Piven - Distinguished sociologist at the CUNY Graduate Center, author of The War at Home: The Domestic Costs of Bush's Militarism, Poor People's Movements, and The New Class War, and Honorary Chair of the Democratic Socialists of America;
* Christian Parenti - The Nation correspondent, author of The Freedom: Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq, The Soft Cage: Surveillance in America from Slavery to the War on Terror and Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis;
* Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak - Director of the Center for Comparative Literature and Society at Columbia University, author of Can the Subaltern Speak?, noted post-colonial theorist, and longtime activist in the international women's movement;
* Marilyn Clement - Head of the Campaign For A National Healthcare Program Now!, formerly the Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom;
* Steve Max - Former leader of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Midwest Academy trainer;
* Adrienne Maree Brown - Director of Communications at the League of Young Voters;
* Damu Smith - Co-chair of Black Voices for Peace, executive director of the National Black Environmental Justice Network;
* Stephen Eric Bronner - Author of Blood in the Sand: Imperial Fantasies, Right-Wing Ambitions & the Erosion of American Democracy;
* Joseph Schwartz - Chair, Department of Political Science at Temple University, author of The Future of Democratic Equality.
FULL SPEAKER LIST AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE: WWW.YDSUSA.ORG
...as well as an amazing hip hop and spoken word performance by The Movement in Motion Collective.
WORKSHOPS & PANEL TOPICS:
Conference sessions will cover critical topics, such as:
*combating racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia
*fighting the prison-industrial complex
*ending the wars abroad and in our own communities
*exposing the realities of the low wage economy
*building a vibrant democracy
*engaging in anti-corporate campaigns and student-labor solidarity
*linking struggles through multi-issue organizing
*discussing the theory and practice of democratic socialism
*learning the nuts and bolts of grassroots activism
*building activist chapters
*and more
COME AWAY WITH:
*a vision of the better world we are struggling to create every day
*valuable skills and resources for campus, high school and community organizing
*a deeper understanding of systems of oppression and exploitation
*strategies for combating the right-wing agenda of endless war, corporate greed, intolerance and deep cuts to needed social programs like college loans, affordable housing and Medicare
PLANNING YOUR TRIP / FUNDRASING / GETTING TO NEW YORK CITY:
People come to YDS conferences from all over the country. If you are coming from out of town, it is important to plan your trip as early as possible. We're committed to ensuring that everyone who wants to come to "Turning the Tide Towards Freedom" is able to attend. We're offering limited travel scholarships for those coming to NYC by plane, bus, car, or train (more info below). However, we highly recommend that you fundraise to help cover costs. Check out the conference website for great tips on travel planning, economizing and fundraising, from getting cheap plane tickets, hosting events to raise money, to hitting up your student government for funds. Please remember that plane tickets are typically cheaper the further in advance you purchase them and that Student Government Associations often require plenty of advance notice if you are requesting special funds from them. Do plan ahead!
CARPOOLING - NEED / OFFER RIDES TO NYC?
If you are within driving distance of New York City and are in need of a ride, let us know and we can check to see if others planning to attend in your area can offer you one. If you have extra space in your vehicle, please let us know. We encourage you to carpool to the conference with other friends and activists. There is a space on the on-line registration form to offer or request rides.
HOUSING ACCOMODATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY:
We are working to provide all out-of-town conference goers with free housing. If you live in New York City, or have friends/family that can house additional conference attendees, please notify us. If you prefer and can afford to stay in a youth hostel, we can provide you with a list of affordable options in the area.
REQUESTING HOUSING OR TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS:
You can request or offer housing assistance and/or travel scholarships in the on-line registration forms available here. YDS has a limited budget to help subsidize travel costs. Preference is given to YDS members and those wanting to start YDS chapters. If you request a travel scholarship, please fill out the appropriate information on the registration form. We will respond to you shortly to let you know if your scholarships request has been granted and how much financial assistance YDS can provide.
REGISTRATION & COSTS:
You can register on-line for the conference by going to: www.ydsusa.org. Registration will be based on a sliding scale of $10 - $50. Special considerations for low-income individuals will be made (please note this on the on-line registration form). Registration fee includes conference materials, admission to all conference sessions, light breakfast and lunch Saturday and Sunday and admission to Saturday night Party. Special pre-registration rates are only available if paid on-line or post-marked by February 12th. Go to the on-line registration page for more information.
FEB. 17-19 IS A THREE-DAY WEEKEND!
"Turning the Tide Towards Freedom" takes place during President's Day Weekend. The conference opens Friday evening, February 17th and goes until Sunday, February 19th. The Monday afterwards is a national holiday. Please keep this in mind when planning your trip to New York, as you will probably not need to rush back to campus once the YDS conference is over.
SEE YOU IN NEW YORK CITY!Geographical Scope: National Conference |
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