Le Socialiste
21st May 2012, 20:00
Up until last Saturday apathy had been the greatest threat to being able to reform and hold accountable the highly coordinated attack on public education at all levels that is ceaselessly degrading the public education system. Last Saturday at Santa Monica College (SMC) we struck a blow for the good guys and gals where the first step to proactive engagement of all those wanting great public education took its first steps. Through the inspired effort of SMC students and others, students gathered at SMC for an all day conference whose goal is to build a statewide student union movement to confront the privatization juggernaut that has up until now had those fighting it relegated to just responding to the latest outrage that those in power could come up with.
After initial discussion, it was decided to give ever person present irrespective of present student status an equal vote in determining the issues presented to the general assembly of all those present. Subsequently, those present were able to directly connect by Internet to the student union movement in Quebec, where members of that movement Micha Stettin and Rushdia Mehreen spoke as representatives of the members who are presently on strike. They talked about the demands that they were making to stop the assault on a financially accessible education model for all, while forming broad based coalitions with other segments of the population being impacted such as labor unions.
Another presentation was made before the SMC general assembly by Herbert Claros, who is a member of ANEL, the independent Brazilian student union organization that is presently confronting the same internationally coordinated attack on public education, which is seen by those doing it as a means of getting their hands on the vast amounts of money spent on education, while at the same time dumbing down the citizenry to make the corporate agenda of further limiting wealth and power into the hands of a few around the world.
It became clear to me as I was listening to the presentations from Quebec and about the movement in Brazil, that those of us in this country truly interested in stopping privatization have a great deal to learn from others like the Canadians, Brazilian, and Europeans whose movements are far advanced beyond where we are in this country.
While many proposals were subsequently brought before the general assembly at SMC to be discussed and acted upon, if the general assembly felt comfortable in so doing on that day, it seemed clear that La Voz de los Trabajadores (The Voice of the Workers) proposal best incorporated the main principles that all present felt the proposed student union should stand for:
1. To Fight for the Right of All Students to a Free Quality Public Education
2. To Fight for Democratic Governance of the Schools by Students, Staff and Faculty.
3. To Unite and Fight for All Sectors of Public Education across California.
4. To FIght Against Oppression in the Movement, in Society and Everywhere
These core principles are to be organized through:
1. Participatory Democracy
2. Orientation towards Mobilization and Mass Direct Action
3. Political Independence
4. Student and Worker Solidarity and Unity in Struggle
5. Against Repression: in Defense of Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and the Right to Protest
6. National and International Solidarity
The most positive aspect of this Statewide Student Union Organizing Conference at SMC was that it did not just talk about grand ideas and then pack its tent and head off into oblivion. Before the conference disbanded committees/work groups on facilitation, outreach, communication and correspondence, and economic research were formed to assure that the momentum would be maintained over the summer in preparation of an expanded second meeting that was agreed upon at the end of September- beginning of October in Northern California.
If you are interested in getting involved as the best antidote for the apathy that we have allowed to demoralize us for far too long, come join the 99% and get connected through the Statewide Student Union Organizing website at:
http://castudentunion.wordpress.com/
Pretty cool stuff. :cool:
After initial discussion, it was decided to give ever person present irrespective of present student status an equal vote in determining the issues presented to the general assembly of all those present. Subsequently, those present were able to directly connect by Internet to the student union movement in Quebec, where members of that movement Micha Stettin and Rushdia Mehreen spoke as representatives of the members who are presently on strike. They talked about the demands that they were making to stop the assault on a financially accessible education model for all, while forming broad based coalitions with other segments of the population being impacted such as labor unions.
Another presentation was made before the SMC general assembly by Herbert Claros, who is a member of ANEL, the independent Brazilian student union organization that is presently confronting the same internationally coordinated attack on public education, which is seen by those doing it as a means of getting their hands on the vast amounts of money spent on education, while at the same time dumbing down the citizenry to make the corporate agenda of further limiting wealth and power into the hands of a few around the world.
It became clear to me as I was listening to the presentations from Quebec and about the movement in Brazil, that those of us in this country truly interested in stopping privatization have a great deal to learn from others like the Canadians, Brazilian, and Europeans whose movements are far advanced beyond where we are in this country.
While many proposals were subsequently brought before the general assembly at SMC to be discussed and acted upon, if the general assembly felt comfortable in so doing on that day, it seemed clear that La Voz de los Trabajadores (The Voice of the Workers) proposal best incorporated the main principles that all present felt the proposed student union should stand for:
1. To Fight for the Right of All Students to a Free Quality Public Education
2. To Fight for Democratic Governance of the Schools by Students, Staff and Faculty.
3. To Unite and Fight for All Sectors of Public Education across California.
4. To FIght Against Oppression in the Movement, in Society and Everywhere
These core principles are to be organized through:
1. Participatory Democracy
2. Orientation towards Mobilization and Mass Direct Action
3. Political Independence
4. Student and Worker Solidarity and Unity in Struggle
5. Against Repression: in Defense of Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and the Right to Protest
6. National and International Solidarity
The most positive aspect of this Statewide Student Union Organizing Conference at SMC was that it did not just talk about grand ideas and then pack its tent and head off into oblivion. Before the conference disbanded committees/work groups on facilitation, outreach, communication and correspondence, and economic research were formed to assure that the momentum would be maintained over the summer in preparation of an expanded second meeting that was agreed upon at the end of September- beginning of October in Northern California.
If you are interested in getting involved as the best antidote for the apathy that we have allowed to demoralize us for far too long, come join the 99% and get connected through the Statewide Student Union Organizing website at:
http://castudentunion.wordpress.com/
Pretty cool stuff. :cool: