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YDS's Socialist Summer Retreat: On to Valley Brook!
Save the Date: August 8th to 10th
 Join
the Young Democratic Socialists for an unforgettable summer weekend of
socialist politics, activist workshops, fun activities such as
swimming, pick-up sports and much more. Our summer
conference is special this year because it's at a retreat
center. We'll get away from the distractions of New York
City and really have a chance relax, enjoy ourselves and get to know
each other.
Each summer conference is a critical event for YDS, too. It's where we elect our coordinating committee, debate and vote on the coming year's national Activist Agenda
and discuss how we'll relate to the November elections and any new
administration in Washington, D.C. Members and friends will be coming
from across the country, and you don't want to miss out!
You can check out the retreat center, Valley Brook Inn, at
their website here. Registration and a conference page will
be up shortly. Housing and meals are covered in your
registration. If you have any questions, feel free to email
YDS at yds@dsausa.org and we’ll get back to you ASAP!
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Celebrating the Role of Socialists in US History
New YouTube Video Highlights Role of Socialists in Progressive Change.
 Check out this great short video about
the important (and all-too forgotten) role of democratic
socialists in U.S progressive movements. The video features
American socialist leaders Eugene Debs, Norman Thomas, and A. Philip
Randolph (pictured left). Today, socialists and radicals continue
to play an important role in struggles for social justice.
Without democratic socialists being the "left-wing of the
possible," looking at global capitalism as a system, and
articulating greater demands than liberals, even
basic reforms can be red-baited as "socialist" and
"un-American." The fact that neither Clinton nor Obama's
healthcare plans take power away for private insurers but are
still denounced by the right and even some moderates as "socialized
medicine" means we need to be louder and clearer about, what socialism
has to offer working people, students and others. |
Get a Great Documentary Series and Support YDS, Too
Buy This Brave Nation and Proceeds Go Directly Towards YDS
Brave New Foundation and The Nation magazine teamed up together to produce This Brave Nation,
a documentary series in six parts that celebrates remarkable champions
of the progressive movement. Now they want you to nominate your
heroes.
This Brave Nation features Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
Honorary Co-Chair Dolores Huerta, Tom Hayden, Bonnie Raitt, Pete Seeger
and Carl Pope in one-on-one conversations with rising progressive
leaders Van Jones, Majora Carter, Naomi Klein, Ava Lowery and Anthony
Romero. Check out the first episode on June 1st here and then be sure to tune in each Sunday through mid-July to see the other episodes in the series.
The Nation
and Brave New Foundation are also creating the Brave Nation
Award. The award will be presented to the country's most
inspiring young local hero from a pool of candidates nominated through
an online contest and selected by the ten featured heroes
themselves. Whom do you know that is making a change at the local
level? Someone who speaks for those who cannot? Someone working to make
your community a cleaner place in which to live? Or is it you who is
actively working to make this world a more just place? The Brave Nation
Award will recognize one of these exceptional individuals.
We want to be inspired by YOU. Click here to nominate one of your heroes.
This series will be
available free-of-charge over the internet, but there will be DVDs
available. For a $15 donation, we will give you two copies of the
series, $30 for five or $50 for 10. Keep one for yourself and
donate the other copies to local schools, libraries and young people in
your life. To donate and receive a DVD, click here. For each purchase, Brave New Foundation will donate YDS $3.
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Democratic Socialist Perspectives
"Solidarity Divided," "Landing the White Whale," and "Gandhi Joins Martin Luther King Jr."
DSA member Bill Fletcher has just released Solidarity Divided.
Co-authored with trade unionist and professor Fernando Gapasin, the
book covers the problems that the labor movement faces, divisions
between the trade union confederations, and how we can build a more
encompassing labor and community coalition for social justice.
You can read reviews and purchase the book here.
DSA Vice-Chair Harold Meyerson's "Landing the White Whale" directly challenges the Democratic Party to stand behind the Employee Free Choice Act
if it seriously wants to regain working-class white male votes. A
majority of white male union members vote Democratic, in part because
the unions operate political education campaigns showing who are with
working people and who are against them, as well as demonstrating every
day how unions can and do serve their members’ interests. A
nationwide revival of organized labor is critical not only for working
people to win respect on the job but to defeat the right wing and
strengthening the movement for social justice. Passage of the
Employee Fair Choice Act is the next necessary step.
DSAer Paul Garver covers the 2008 Jobs
with Justice convention and includes moving stories of international
solidarity, such as Indian guest-workers walking off the job to protest
US labor laws while singing "We Shall Overcome" in their native
languages. You can read "Gandhi Joins Martin Luther King Jr" here.
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