Connecticut Students Against the War—a coalition of students, youth, faculty and young workers, began its statewide organizing drive on September 14th, 2009 to build for its Fall Semester Mass Meeting on November 1st starting at 11 a.m. Scheduled to take place at Wesleyan University, the meeting brings activists from all over the state together for a day of political reports, speakers, planning and decision-making.
Connecticut Students Against the War (CTSAW) formed last year around the December 7th, 2008 “Need Money? End the War!” demonstration in Hartford at the state capitol. Building on previous statewide organizing, the coalition moved forward to their founding conference on April 25th 2009. The conference brought together student activists from all over the state, and solidified CTSAW as a united front coalition seeking to bring student and youth organizations from around CT closer together, strengthening the local anti-war movement.
The Nov. 1st mass meeting aims to bring together students and youth from across CT to plan for spring semester anti-war activity. In addition, CTSAW is currently in negotiations with several prominent guest speakers sure to draw in folks from across the anti-war movement. CTSAW welcomes participation from the broader anti-war movement to encourage unity among different groups and to build for future local and national actions. CTSAW has also made a commitment to economic justice, and supports workplace organizing and struggles against foreclosures.
In the current crisis that students, youth and working people are struggling in, no one can oppose wars abroad and accept wars at home as Washington and Wall Street search for ways to exploit this crisis for profit.
Students and youth struggle with the same conditions that are destroying communities throughout the state—unemployment, poverty, militarization of our communities, and a decrease in the quality of social services—including education. These conditions are especially damaging to workers and people of color in already struggling neighborhoods in Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and surrounding areas.
“The mass meeting is going to be a place where students and youth—as well as other anti—war and economic justice activists – can come together and unify to build a larger and stronger local and regional anti-war and economic justice movement,” says Kari Sledzik a CTSAW organizer and Senior at Central Connecticut State University.
CTSAW is looking for groups to help support their efforts. CTSAW is asking for organizations to help contribute to honorariums for speakers and is offering tables to groups to help raise funds. If you or your group is interested in contributing or participating, please contact Wes Strong at 860-916-2761 or cutsaw@gmail.com
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