The General Picture

It seems fair to assume that most SDSers generally agree that the convention should be held during August, most likely in the Midwest (Chicago and Ann Arbor continue to be the top choices). Listserve activity has failed to generate consensus or even widespread participation in the ongoing discussion. This shouldn’t be seen as a terrible thing though. It is simply a fact that this is finals time on most campuses; students are consumed with studying for tests and getting ready to leave for the summer (and partying). Nevertheless, there is a lot of work to be done before this convention becomes a reality. Within the next month, the real legwork needs to take place if we are going to get this off the ground.

The most obvious pressing issues can be divided into two categories: Logistics and Content/Convention Agenda.

Let’s tackle these one at a time:

Logistics:

Housing, Location, Grub, Fundraising, Travel, Media Outreach, general coordination.

1. Housing: We need to locate housing for large amounts of people. As many affordable options as possible should be explored, including but not limited to hostels, dorms, campgrounds, and cheap hotels. Many hostels offer group discounts.
2. Location: A meeting space with a large auditorium that can accomodate at least 500 is a must, but we also need classrooms for breakout discussions following general assemblies.
3. Grub: How many meals should the organizers be expected to provide? Obviously there will need to be food options for vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores. A light breakfast of bagels, fruit, and juices might work with a more robust lunch. Dinner could be left up to attendees and cheap eats could be located within the vicinity of the convention.
4. Fundraising: This could be an interesting experiment in what anarchists like to call Mutual Aid. The bottom line is that we need to start collecting funds and donations from allies and supporters to put this together. Chapters can start be creating a a “convention fund,” with each member contributing what they can. Without the loot, this whole thing could crash and burn before it even gets off the ground. So let’s start working on this immediately.
5. Travel: Carpools/Rideboards, Bus and Train fares, and flight options for all those jetsetters in MDS should be made available soon. People have pointed out that Chicago is a desirable location for the relative cheapness of travel expenses to and from. Would organizing charter buses from regional hubs be practical?
6. Media Outreach: I personally believe that getting as much pre-convention advertising as possible is crucial. There is a lot of buzz about the new SDS in various left/progressive circles right now, especially following our warm reception by marchers at the April 29 UFPJ march (some of the grey hairs looked like they busted a nut just seeing an SDS banner). Ads should be taken out in different Left publications. I would strongly push for trying to get a back cover full page ad in the July issue of Z Magazine because ZNet has been very supportive up to this point and its free. Other obvious options include The Nation, The Progressive, Mother Jones, Clamor, Left Turn, etc… Where we can advertise will depend on our funds.
7. General Logistics: There will be a lot of odds and ends that will need to be tied together and resolved, including confirming speakers.

Convention Agenda/Content:

Workshops, Panels, Trainings, Film Showings, Social events.

I am in no position to decide what the content will be but just as a suggestion, we may want to have a general assembly/ panel on each issue prior to breaking out for smaller group discussions.

Among the most important issues would probably discussions of:

1. SDS’s Vision and Strategy
2. SDS Structure
3. Participatory Democracy and Social Justice
4. Anti-Imperialism/Internationalism
5. Student-Worker Solidarity/Labor Organizing
6. Women’s Liberation
7. GLBTQ Issues
8. Anti Racism
9. The University and the Society Beyond
10. The Occupations of Iraq and Palestine (Perhaps these merit further discussion beyond Anti-Imperialism).
11. The Culture Struggle (Kulturkampf), Youth Culture, the Dominant Ideology and Cultural Hegemony.
12. Strategies/Tactics of Resistance

Obviously that is a broad list but we have to begin to define an organizational identity.

It would be great to conclude the convention with a march or demonstration of some kind. Maybe a MARCH AGAINST THE SYSTEM.

The Statement/Manifesto Issue: Almost every person I speak to asks if there is going to be a “new Port Huron Statement” issued at the convention. From a pragmatic view this would be incredibly hard to achieve. Ideologically speaking, it might be jumping the gun to issue a definative statement. I firmly believe SDSers need to experience the struggle for radical, democratic change together before we can issue any such statement. I’m looking at the 1st convention more as a place to share and plan together collectively. SDS chapters should be having study/discussion groups on the various subjects, especially participatory democracy, during the next school year. Only after that kind of intense discussion at the chapter level can we hope to gain any ideological clarity/coherance.

At the same time, it wouldn’t hurt to issue a short, basic set of principles to help guide the growth of SDS nationally. A sort of “What we are for/ What we are against statement.” This might help the media frame the event in a fairer light.

The Question of a Steering Committee.

This seems practical given the short amount of time left to do this. Some have suggested dual Logistics/Content committees. Sounds good to me. In any event, we need people to volunteer to shoulder the load for putting everything together, especially in the host city. Committee members drawn from the “Most Active” chapters seems reasonable at first glance but given the fact that many chapters are still in formation and that many do not post action reports on the SDS site or Next Left Notes, how can we objectively judge who the most active chapters are? If we judged simply by action reports, that designation would go to NYC Metro or Central Florida. That will not cut it. A strickly volunteer committee might be better if there was sufficient feedback from chapters during the pre confernece period. How this can be resolved I don’t have a clue, but it needs to get done NOW.

IN THE INTERIM, I HOPE SDS CHAPTERS PARTICIPATE IN THE “HARASS THE BRASS” CAMPAIGN.

DOUG V

NJ/NYC METRO SDS