DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA
 
 January  20, 2009
 
News From DSA
A Report from DSA's National Office

Contents

 

News From DSA is published by DSA's National Office. You can help DSA spread the word with the "forward to a friend feature" button at the bottom of this message.
 
 
Youth Conference Speakers and Program Announced:
 
Beyond the Ballot:
Making the Movement Matter
A National Conference of Youth and Student Activists,
February 27th to March 1st, 2009 in New York City
 
As Barack Obama and the new Democratic majority take office, the nation?s political and social landscapes are already changing. We must ask "what kind of change" and "what can we do?"  To answer these questions, the Young Democratic Socialists is hosting, "Beyond the Ballot: Making the Movement Matter," a national three-day conference that will bring together progressive youth and movement veterans to discuss strategies for the new terrain on which we struggle. 
 
Join investigative journalists, Amy Goodman & Christian Parenti; author and organizer, Frances Fox Piven; longtime trade union activist, Bill Fletcher Jr.; an editor of The Nation Magazine, Liza Featherstone; activist and expert in student debt, Jeffrey Williams; community organizer, Steve Max; and political theorists Christine Kelly, Komozi Woodard, Joseph Schwartz, Stephen Eric Bronner, and Corey D.B. Walker.  The event will also feature more than a dozen workshops with activists, organizers, and academics on relevant topics like the economic crisis, labor, student debt, war, racial justice, queer rights, immigration, and more.   
 
Dates: February 27th to March 1st (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
Location: Academy of Environmental Science; 410 East 100 Street, in  New York City (Manhattan).
 
 
Young Activists Need Your Help
 
Because the future of our movement lies in recruiting a new generation, not only to our socialist vision but also to the project of building an organized socialist presence in the United States, conferences such as this one are among the most important events that we organize.  The life long bonds between comrades that are often forged at these conferences are critically important to building our organization. Of course the conference is much more than a networking event, it empowers young activists and focuses their energy on a program for change. The conference generates the focused energy required to pressure the new administration to adopt a progressive rather than a more centrist agenda. 
 
Of course cost, particularly in these difficult economic times is a significant barrier to participation. To offset that obstacle the DSA Fund has established a special scholarship fund and is accepting tax-deductible contributions to increase youth participation in this important gathering.
 
The Scholarship Fund is off to a good start, but it needs more support now in order to generate the maximum attendance as the conference opens in just five weeks. Your help is vital, especially as the declining economy makes it more difficult for young people to find jobs.
 
You can make a tax-deductible contribution right now to support a new generation of socialist activists. Just click on one of the amounts listed below to charge a conference scholarship for one, two or three days to your MASTERCARD or VISA.
 
Yesterday and today have been a joyous celebration of a historic achievement and signal the end of a dismal and tragic period in our history. Supporting these young activists with a contribution is a great way to conclude these two days.
 
Thanks very much for your support and generosity.
 
In solidarity,
 
 
Frank Llewellyn
National Director
 
P.S.  Besides making a financial contribution you can help spread the word by forwarding this message to interested young people.
 
 
 
 
 
Paid for by Democratic Socialists of America Fund, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 505, NY, NY 10038.