Starting Date: 08-12-2005
Ending Date: 08-14-2005
Ossining, New York 10562
United States
212-727-8610Mark your calendars for the weekend of August 12-14!
You won't want to miss the annual Young Democratic Socialists national conference and activist retreat. This year we will be meeting at a small castle surrounded by forest and ponds, conveniently located in Ossining, NY (only 30 minutes north of New York City).
We come together at a time when Bush and the Republicans are on a rampage and greedy corporations are more powerful than ever. The right wing in the United States controls all three branches of government and is pushing forward a regressive agenda of tax cuts for the rich and attacks on unions, women, people of color, the LGBT community and our social programs. The labor movement, often the right wing's most formidable opponent, is at a weak point and is internally divided. Abroad, the violence in Iraq continues to escalate, destroying countless lives and draining billions of dollars from the public coffers. As young people, we see tuition costs and personal debt spiraling out of control and an uncertain future with fewer decent job prospects amidst the expanding low-wage economy.
And yet, despite all these distressing realities, there are signs of hope. Bush's popularity ratings are at an all-time low. His administration faces considerable resistance to its domestic privatization schemes and its militaristic foreign-policy. Progressive activists in and outside the Democratic Party are working to fight mostly defensive battles while also crafting a long-term strategy to advance our own agenda of social and economic justice. Internationally, the wave of opposition to capitalist globalization continues to grow as popular social movements and left-wing electoral victories spread, particularly across Latin America. The time to build a stronger democratic Left in the United States is now. Join us from August 12-14 as we work together to prove that a better world is possible.
Our conference, entitled "Building the Next Left," is a unique opportunity for YDS members and activists to get away from it all, to remember why we do what we do and to learn how to do it better. There will be workshops and discussions on organizing strategies, the history of the left, contemporary social movements, mapping out political priorities for youth and students organizers, building a stronger progressive presence in mainstream US politics and more. Come to the castle to meet young and veteran activists from around the country in an affordable retreat setting. There will also be partying, video screenings, and plenty of out-door fun in between workshops and trainings. Most importantly, this is a great way to wrap up the summer, make new (and sometimes life-long) friends, and get ready for a fall of campus and community activism.
*HOUSING PROVIDED*
Limited travel scholarships available.
Click here for more information, flyers, and to register on-line:
www.ydsusa.org/confs/nyc_0805.html
Help us spread the word to activists in your area, and see about bringing other committed organizers to our conference at the castle!
Geographical Scope: National Conference |
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