In This Issue    Young Democratic Socialists Update: July 16, 2007
Socialist Summer School
 
 
Contributions of Immigrants
  

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
2007 Socialist Summer School
Program and Logistics
 
Where: SEIU Local 1199.  310 W. 43rd Street between 8th and 9th Aves, New York, NY 10036
 
When:  The weekend of August 11th & 12th
 
The 2007 Socialist Summer School is less than a month away!  On the heels of positive events such as the United States Social Forum, the defeat of the Republican majority in Congress, and the rising influence of the anti-Iraq war movement, there is a growing space for democratic radicalism.  The workshops at the Socialist Summer School aim to provide young radicals with a venue to work together on seizing these and other emerging opportunities. 
 
YDS believes that the foundation of a new movement for social justice must be built on the unity of today.  This conference offers students trainings and workshops for students to strengthen their activism in a setting where we'll build relationships between people from across the country. It also offers attendees a voice in crafting the final Activist Agenda, the yearly national program for the Young Democratic Socialists.
 
YDS wants your feedback on the Activist Agenda proposals.  We'll use your ideas in finalizing the official Activist Agenda.  Each piece, available on the YDS Blog, will have a space below for your comments. 
 
Click here for "Student Debt" and here for "Immigrant Rights National Project."
 
For questions and more information email yds@dsausa.org or call 212-727-8610.
 
Check out the list of workshops.  Download and distribute the conference flyer.
 
Below are a few articles on two proposed Activist Agenda items:
 
The Dangerously Spiraling Cost of Education 
Burying America's Future in Debt
 
"College Cost Reduction Act" from Committee on Education and Labor
The bill, passed overwhelming in the House of Representatives, would help millions of students at no new cost to taxpayers. Of course, President Bush is threatening to veto the legislation.
 
The Nation covers cronyism that has worsened student debt across the country.
 
Opportunity Maine provides a tax break for students who study and live in Maine.  Such legislation brings hope of governments providing relief for student debt.
 
The Contribution of Immigrant Labor
A Democratic Socialist Perspective
  
Barbara Ehrenreich, the honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America and speaker at YDS?s ?Justice Beyond Borders? conference last February, critiques the notion that undocumented workers have nothing about which to complain and owe the US everything.  In fact, immigrant contributions to US society outweigh even the right-wing propaganda?s image of what immigrants ?take.? 
 
  
Young Democratic Socialists Rock Atlanta
Report back from the United States Social Forum
 
The United States Social Forum was an amazing event for both the Young Democratic Socialists and the Left.  A dozen diverse students made up the YDS delegation and all came home saying they had a sense of renewed hope for building an open, better unified, and articulated progressive social movement.  Check out pictures from our panel and of us below.  For a full report our activities and results, click here.
 
Our panel "Radical as Reality: Pragmatic Politics and the Student Left"
 
Nine of the dozen YDS members at the US Social Forum
 
 
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