2011 SDS National Convention - Schedule up NOW

Beginning on November 12th of 2011, Students for a Democratic Society will be hosting our annual national convention in Milwaukee, WI.  We want to spread the word far and wide so that SDSers across the nation and progressive students can begin making plans to attend this exciting and important convention the weekend of November 12th thru the 13th.

CONVENTION SCHEDULE:

Saturday, November 12th
Registration - 8:00 - 8:30 - Mitchell Hall Rm 195

Opening Plenary - 8:30 - 9:30 - Mitchell 195
Welcome Presentation - Kas Schwerdtfeger, SDS National Working Committee. What is SDS, what do we do, and how do we function? - Stephanie Taylor, SDS National Working Committee

Workshop Section 1 - 9:40- 10:40
Radical Sex and Gender Liberation - Bolton B40 - Dee Michel - Sex-positive discussion on building a healthy community of activists inside that addresses gender, sexuality, and oppressions and privileges associated with it.

Protest the NATO/G8 Summit! - Bolton B56 - Kait McIntyre & Chapin Grey - Everything you need to know about organizing around the protest of Nato/G8, May 2012 in Chicago!

Save Our Schools - Bolton B76 - Carmen Montopoli - Discussion of corporate education "reform," strategies to interrupt policies that are harmful to equity, equality, and student well-being. Info on the SoS movement, brainstorming for how to involve students more meaningfully.

Collective Breakout - 10:50 - 11:50 - Mitchell 195
Gender/Sexuality: Further than the Binary - Grace Kelley, Shannon Nicholson & Joan Feakins - A critical discussion around gender and sexuality, sharing strategies on how to eliminate sexism, homophobia, and transphobia.

Workshop Section 2 - 12:00 - 1:00
The Afro-Indigenous Garifuna Struggle to Protect Ancestral Lands in Post-Coup Honduras - Bolton B40 - Miriam Miranda, a leader of the opposition in Honduras and a representative of the Garifuna people speaks on the struggle of her people since the 2009 coup to maintain their land despite repression, death threats, and evictions.

Building the Movement to Fight Repression - Bolton B56 - Tracy Molm & Kelly O'Brien - Connecting attacks on international solidarity activists, Arabs & Muslims and historical examples like the Black Panthers, Brown Berets , civil rights movement, and AIM.

Chapter Building 101 - Building/Improving SDS Chapters - Bolton B76 - FL SDS - How to start/improve an SDS Chapter, sharing experiences and strategies from FL for exponential growth of SDS chapters.

Free Lunch - Ballroom - 1:10 - 1:45

PLENARY: Fighting Back Against FBI Repression - Ballroom - 2:00 - 3:30

Carlos Montes was a founding member of the Brown Berets, and founder of Latinos Against War. National organizer of the Protests at RNC 2008. Montes’ home was raided and he was arrested, facing trumped up felony charges that carry up to 18-years in prison.

Scott Crow is a political activist, strategist and author investigated and labeled a 'domestic terrorist' by the US government. He is launching his new book 'Black Flags and Windmills: Hope, Anarchy and the Common Ground Collective'

Stephanie Weiner is a Chicago-based activist active with the Palestine Solidarity Group, a member of AFSCME 3506, and a target of FBI repression, and grand-jury resister.

Workshop Section 3 - 3:40 - 4:40
Black Flags and Windmills: Anarchy and the Age of Domestic Spying: Bolton B76 - Scott Crow discusses his personal narrative of being targeted by the government for his activism.

Troubles & Triumphs of Organizing in a 'Red-State' - Bolton B56 - Elizabeth Rucker, Oklahoma SDS - Critical discussion of strategy + tactics to develop regionally-appropriate and relevant campaigns for “red states.

How Capitalism Works & Why it Doesn't Work for the 99% - Bolton B40 - Chance Zombor & Stephanie Taylor - Using Marxism to understand the econ. crisis and how it relates to the people in our communities, campuses, the rise of inequality, racism, and poverty, all while Wall St. and the rich get bailed out.

Effective Communication for Organizing - Bolton B80 - Discussion of how to effectively communicate for on-campus organizing including tabling, fliering and general outreach for new members and campaigns.

Collective Breakout - 4:50 - 5:30 - Mitchell 195
Organizing Against Race, Racism, & National Oppression Within and Outside of SDS - Florida SDS - A critical discussion on race and racism in our society , how it affects our organizing work, and steps we can all take to fight back against systemic racism.

PLENARY: 2011 - Year of Resistance - 5:40 - 7:00 - Mitchell 195
Wisconsin Protests, Occupy Wall Street , Troy Davis & Political Injustice,
and the Upsurge of Political Repression.

Free Dinner & Chapter Report backs - Ballroom - 7:00

After-Party - Club Timbuktu - 8:30 - 520 E. Center St

Sunday, Novermber 13th
Opening Plenary: Building National Anti-War Protests - Ballroom - 9:45 - 11:00
Reflections from the RNC '08 - Stephanie Taylor, U of Minnesota SDS, Organizer for the 2008 RNC Protests

Building for the NATO/G8 Protests in Chicago - Kait McIntyre, U of Illinois SDS, Organizer for NATO/G8 2012 Protests

Looking forward to the RNC 2012 in Tampa - Florida SDS, Building coalition for the 2012 RNC

Workshop Section 4 - 11:10 - 12:10
Immigrant Rights - Ballroom - Milwaukee’s Youth Empowered in the Struggle discuss strategies and tactics from recent immigrant-led movements, and how to mobilize youth for the struggle for immigrant rights.

Coalition Building - Rm 191 - Mia Overly & Kas Schewerdtfeger - Organizing in coalitions, and brainstorm ideas for local chapters to organize among different sectors for various issues SDS works with such as police terror, occupy, stop FBI, anti-war, etc.

Advertising for Activism - Wisconsin Room - Jacob Flom - Learn to make effective and engaging event posters by using basic design and composition techniques. No experience necessary!

Closing Plenary - Ballroom - 12:20-1:20
- Summation of the convention
- How to get involved in national work
- Vibe Check
- Goodbye hugs
- Room cleanup

Other Info:

For Milwaukee SDS, a lot of logistics and money go into making sure that people are housed and fed. If your in a chapter and have the ability to bring food for either yourselves or non-perishables that can feed approximately 150 people, please indicate that on the registration form! This will help us cut costs and and will allow us to focus more on making this convention a success!
If you are not in a chapter but would like to support our efforts, SDS on a national level is ALWAYS looking for charitable donations. Your contribution can help raise scholarship money for SDSers who are lacking travel funds. Please consider donating here: http://www.newsds.org/?q=node/13

The national convention has consistently been a space that youth and students throughout the country gather to share progressive ideologies, ideas for action, and methods of organizing. We have done this in the past through plenaries, inviting speakers and hosting a variety of workshops taught by and for SDSers and other progressive youth. Workshop topics have included everything from how to make a flyer, how to run successful campaigns on your campus, and Mud-Stenciling. These skill shares are a part of what makes our conventions memorable and our movements stronger.
While we do have limited space for what we can accomplish over the weekend of the convention, we encourage everyone to submit workshop proposals that they might be willing to teach. You can do this on the registration form below.
Lastly, this year we are really encouraging all chapters to fundraise locally to contribute to their own methods of transportation. While SDS on a national level has some money we are asking local chapters to attempt to cover most of their own expenses. Hosting a hang out or a party with a $5 cover at the door is an easy way for friends and supporters to invest in your activities. Sending letters to supportive faculty or staff on your campuses that ask for a donation is another easy way to raise money for your chapter. Need other ideas? Email us at students4ademocraticsociety@gmail.com or start a thread on the SDS facebook page.
Register Here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QS525M3
Workshop Registration: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HWTN8RT
If you are planning to come to the convention, please fill out the registration form as soon as possible. This will help us with planning when it comes to housing, food, reserving rooms, and allocating funds. In addition, there are limited funds available for travel stipends if you and/or your chapter needs financial help in getting to Milwaukee. These funds are limited, and we encourage chapters to look primarily at fundraising locally or getting your school to sponsor you but don't be intimidated to apply!
Register early! News, information and the schedule of events for the weekend will be forthcoming.
We look forward to an exciting convention. Everyone's involvement is what will really make it great!