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Students Rising:
The 5th Anniversary Summit of the Campus Antiwar Network
October 19-21 at the Univ. of Wisconsin Madison
The title of our upcoming national conference is: Students Rising: The Fifth Anniversary Summit of the Campus Antiwar Network. The theme of student power was discussed widely at the summer retreat and among the members of the Conference Planning Committee as we settled on this title. Student activism is clearly back on the agenda in a big way as campus antiwar organizing gains prominence in 2007. That said, CAN activists should be proud of our nearly five years of organizing against the invasion before it happened, and for immediate withdrawal ever since the war began. (CAN’s fifth birthday will be January 17, 2008)The conference will be hosted by CAN’s University of Wisconsin (Madison) chapter from October 19-21. More specific details about the conference agenda, how to register and how voting delegates will be seated is explained below.
Goals for the Conference
As discussed at the retreat and on recent conference calls, the Campus Antiwar Network has not had a national conference in two years. As such, many members of the elected coordinating committee are no longer students and, in general, CAN’s organizational infrastructure lacks the cohesion to wage the type of coordinated, national student antiwar movement necessary to bring the troops home. Electing a Coordinating Committee for the week-to-week regional and national coordination of CAN’s activity is a primary goal of the conference.
The movement of antiwar soldiers and veterans—particularly in the organization, Iraq Veterans Against the War—has grown considerably in the last two years. As more and more veterans are using the GI Bill on our campuses, collaboration with IVAW has become a top-priority in many CAN chapters. Crafting a national strategy, which prioritizes the development of the veterans and soldiers’ movement, is an important component of this fall’s conference. Student-veterans will present how to better build the vets movement on college campuses and Camilo Mejía is the featured speaker of the Saturday evening plenary. Mejía is the chairman-elect of the Board of Iraq Veterans Against the War, and author of Road from ar Ramadi: the Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejía.
As we are into the fifth year of the Iraq War, many college freshmen weren’t even in high school when the war began. Further, the mainstream media has done little to explain how and why the American occupation has devastated the lives of millions of Iraqis. Another goal of the conference is to equip chapter leaders with a program for political education on Iraq, the broader war on terror and all the lies and racism employed to justify continuing—and expanding—the war.
These considerations among others make up the basis for CAN’s 2007 summit, Students Rising. If you have questions or suggestions for the consideration of the Conference Planning Committee, please e-mail:
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(this e-mail address automatically forwards to all the members of the CPC)
Conference Planning Committee members
The CPC members were selected at the summer retreat in Cuba City, Wisconsin in August. Representatives from those regions under-represented at the retreat were sought out and are included in the full list below:
- Brian (Univ. of Iowa),
- Graham (Univ. of Illinois Chicago),
- Katrina (San Francisco State Univ.),
- Kelly (Univ. of Texas),
- Dan (Univ. of Massachusetts),
- Hannah (Univ. of Vermont),
- Leia (Brooklyn College),
- Chris (Univ. of Wisconsin)
- Amanda (Hunter College)
Participation at the conference
Every CAN chapter may send 2 voting delegates to the national conference. Delegates should be elected by a majority of an affiliated CAN chapter. Chapters in a position to send additional non-voting guests are welcome to do so. However, given the limited resources of CAN nationally, the CPC is prioritizing the participation of the 2 delegates from each chapter. Given the financial strain on many chapters struggling to send delegates, please consider contributing the funds needed for these chapters before sending many non-voting guests from your school.
Students who have not been elected as delegates are welcome to participate in the conference. Non-delegates have speaking rights, but no voting rights. Given time constraints, chairs may give speaking priority to delegates above guests.
Student ID will be required.
Pre-register by October 15th
2 delegates from each affiliated CAN chapter must be elected and registered by e-mail by Midnight, October 15th. Non-delegates (or ‘guests’) may register on-site but it is preferred that guests pre-register by e-mail as well. Registration is a simple process. E-mail the following information to
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:
1. Your name, phone # & e-mail address
2. School Name
3. Is your school group affiliated w/ CAN?
4. Are you a ‘delegate’ or a ‘guest’?
5. Are any of your guests or delegates experienced at chairing meetings?
6. Do you need free housing? Special needs? (e.g. allergies, “must sleep on bed,” etc.)
Transportation to Madison
Housing assignments and on-site registration will begin at 8pm, Friday evening, October 19th. Conference participants should aim to be at the UW campus no later than 9pm, Friday night. If this is not possible, be sure to e-mail
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with the details of your anticipated arrival time.
If you are flying into Madison, then take a cab (about $12) into town. Conference attendees should arrive at the Casbah Restaurant (119 E Main St) for the Registration Party at 8pm, Friday night--the party will last until midnight and housing assignments will be made on sight.
Direct flights into Madison are generally more expensive than flights into Chicago. If you are flying into Chicago’s Midway or O’hare airports, then you can take the “Van Galder Bus” to the University of Wisconsin’s “Memorial Union”. It’s a three-hour ride and it costs $52 round-trip. You can pay cash, on the bus or buy your ticket ahead of time at www.vangalderbus.com Bus schedules are available online, too. It is about a 15 minute walk--or a 5 minute cab ride--from where the bus drops you off to the Casbah Restaurant.
If you are flying into Chicago’s Midway Airport, then the trip may be a little longer. Be sure to ask the driver if a transfer is necessary.
If you have any questions about transportation to Madison, e-mail the UW chapter’s host committee at
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Housing in Madison
Free housing will be provided for delegates and invited guests in need. Just indicate your need for free housing in your registration e-mail (described in greater detail below). The host committee will accept requests for free housing for others, but given limited space, delegates will be prioritized.
Cost of the conference
The conference is free for all participants. However, delegates from affiliated chapters will not be seated unless the 2007 affiliation fee ($40) is paid by Saturday morning of the conference. Additional donations are welcome.
Delegates and the Credentials Committee
In the event of controversy or confusion, the seating of delegates will be cleared by the Credentials Committee.
Proposals for Consideration at the Conference
Any member of a CAN chapter may submit a proposal of any kind for consideration at the conference. Pre-conference proposals should be submitted to
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by midnight, October 15th. Proposals submitted by the deadline will be distributed to conference attendees prior to the conference and will be made available in packets to be received upon checking in to the conference. Proposals may be submitted during the conference. Meeting chairs will explain how this works during the conference. All proposals should clearly identify their author and sponsoring delegate(s).
A delegate must sponsor and present the proposal for it to be heard from the floor of the conference on Sunday morning. The proposal must be “seconded” by another delegate to be opened for discussion and voted on.
Workshop Presenters
Below, you will find the preliminary conference agenda complete with organizational breakouts and educational workshops. Not all breakouts and workshops have presenters, but the Conference Planning Committee is looking for students to present on these topics. If you are interested in presenting or if you have ideas for alternative workshops, please e-mail
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Preliminary Conference Agenda
(All exact locations are to be determined)
Friday October 19
8pm-Midnight: Registration & Housing Party at The Casbah Restaurant (119 E Main St, Madison, WI)
Saturday October 20
9:30-10am Registration
10-10:30am Welcome from conf. organizers
10:30-11am Discussion and vote on agenda
11-12:30pm State of Iraq
Lunch Break
1:30-3pm Building a student antiwar mvmt
3-4:30pm Organizational Breakouts
Website & Publicity
Chapter Building
Regional Outreach/Mobilizations
Working w/ Veterans
Break
5-6:30pm Educational Workshops
Afghanistan, Islamophobia & the War on Terror
What’s Palestine got to do with it?
No War on Iran!
Lessons from the student movement against the Vietnam War
Dinner Break
8-10pm Soldiers & Students say “Out Now!”
Featured Guest: Camilo Mejía
Party
Sunday October 21
9:30-10:30am Presentation of Proposals
10:30am-12:30pm Discussion and vote
Lunch Break
1-3pm Discussion and vote
Adjourn
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