I am contacting you on behalf of the organisation Mobilization Against War And Racism (MAWAR)- and even more specifically the student committee within the larger group.
MAWAR began as a conference of some 300 concerned and scared citizens (including, of course, but not limited to students) on September 15, 2001. Since that time we have organized three demonstrations, begun a massive educational newspaper, set up committees for grass roots outreach and much more. Essentially, we have answered the public need for a strong anti-war voice emanating from the public itself.
The student coalition was formed almost spontaneously at a large planning session for MAWAR. We were talking amongst the larger group about all the different student groups that were popping up on many of the campuses around the city. This includes but is not limited to: Simon Fraser, UBC, Douglas, Capilano, Kwantlen and Langara colleges. We decided that night that we realised (obviously) that our power is greater in larger numbers. We set up a "rolling teach in" week- where each campus would put on a teach in on the major issues of the day, history of the Mid to far East, organising on campuses against the Vietnam war, alternative media- and many other immediately burning issues. The teach ins we held were all a success, including the most important one at the end of our week of rolling teach-ins: the all-campus one that was all day, Oct 28th. This was held- due to lack of alternate venues- out in the far reaches of the UBC campus on the morning after many people had attended the Halloween parties. We still received nearly 200 people over the day.
This was all the day after the larger MAWAR coalition (of which we in the student committee are all members as well) put together a march and demonstration from the local library to the American consulate. MAWAR has filled the void for a loud voice against the war, and the student committees are finding fertile ground for the expansion of the anti-war movement on the campuses. the skies over Afghanistan may be dark with bombers, but there is always the light of hope that comes from such times.
We received notice of the upcoming all-western continental conference in Berkely only recently. Like so many grassroots organisations, we are hopelessly underfunded. To aid in our grassroots organising, we put the bulk of our resources directly into reproducing our fine newspaper (online at: http://www.tao.ca/~mayworks/911/1/index.shtml ), which is our most important tool. I will make several pleas here. 1) we need to be as big and loud a voice as possible. We in the student movement already know the urgency of internationalism. Our first starting place on that note is the conference coming up in Berkeley. It is very important to have our Canadian, Vancouver voice heard at this event. We feel it is very importnat that we help and actively participate in the formation of this new group, which I for one hope will stand in the great tradition of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) that was so instrumental in helping build the resitance to the Vietnam war. We have an even better starting place than they did, so our chances are great. 2) We want and request any and all donations possible to sponsoring 1 or 2 participants from Vancouver to head down to the conference. If people are able to help with the funding and sponsoring of some of the new, young radical student groups here in making our voice as loud and co-ordinated as possible as needed, please contact myself at 604- 525-9171 or mstainsby at tao.ca or you can call Sima Zerehi at 604 209 7703.
We obviously need these funds immediately, if at all possible. Arrangements for how to make contributions directly can be worked out.
If you read this far, all there is left to say is a word: Peace.
sincerely, Macdonald Stainsby on behalf of MAWAR and the MAWAR student coalition.
------------------------------------------- Macdonald Stainsby Rad-Green List: Radical anti-capitalist environmental discussion. http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green ---- Leninist-International: Building bridges in the tradition of V.I. Lenin. http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international ---- In the contradiction lies the hope.
--Bertholt Brecht