[antiwar-van] Student Anti-War Conference in Toronto - January 30th 2003

[Tony Tracy]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 15:19:35 -0500
From: Richard Fidler <rfidler at cyberus.ca>
Subject: Open call to all students across Canada and Québec

> PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY
>
> Students Against Sanctions and War in Iraq (SASWI)
>
> Open call to all students across Canada and Québec
>
> Pan-Canadian Student Anti-War Conference
> January 30 to February 2, 2003
> University of Toronto,
> Toronto, Ontario
>
> Opposition to a new war on Iraq is growing worldwide.  In Britain, over
> 400,000 people marched against war at the end of September, including
> thousands of students from all over Britain. The mobilization on October
> 26 of 100,000 in Washington, D.C. and 60,000 in San Francisco brought
> many thousands of students onto the streets to oppose the war against
> Iraq. And in Britain on October 31, dozens of protests took place at
> universities and colleges, including occupations at Cambridge
> University, Liverpool, Manchester, Brighton, and Leeds. In Sheffield,
> 500 students occupied a faculty building sponsored by Boeing. In London
> there were occupations at Goldsmith's, King's College, the London School
> of Economics, and many others.
>
> In Canada and Québec, anti-war coalitions are springing up on almost
> every campus with students building both their own campus anti-war
> actions and the January 18 North American day of action against war on
> Iraq.  More recently, thousands of students just participated in the
> pan-Canadian day of action against war in Iraq on November 16-17 which
> mobilised 35,000 people in Canada and Québec.
>
> At a recent teach-in at the University of Toronto, students from fifteen
> different universities, colleges, and high schools took part in a
> discussion called "Students against war: Building an anti-war movement
> on the campuses". A consensus emerged that it is not only possible but
> also necessary to begin building an anti-war movement among students all
> across the country.
>
> With the threat of war looming larger every day, we feel it is now time
> for students across Canada and Québec to pull together in a unified
> network that can build a massive student movement against war in Iraq.
> Students Against War and Sanctions in Iraq (SASWI) would like to make an
> open call to all students to participate in a pan-Canadian student
> anti-war conference at the University of Toronto from Thursday, January
> 30 to Sunday, February 2, 2003.  The conference will be accessible both
> to English- and French-speaking students.
>
> Already a number of student anti-war coalitions have expressed interest
> in supporting, participating in, and endorsing the conference. We
> welcome any anti-war coalition, peace organisation, student union,
> cultural organisation, faith group, or student club that would like to
> get involved to send your endorsement to saswi2003 at yahoo.ca.
>
> In the coming weeks, we will be circulating a tentative conference
> programme, including a timetable.  We look forward to your feedback and
> hope to post final details as soon as they are ready on our website:
> www.project3media.com/iraq/.
>
> We will also be organising committees of student volunteers to organise
> registration, housing, food, transportation, fundraising, and social
> events.  All students in the Toronto area who are interested in working
> on one of the committees should contact saswi_logistics at yahoo.ca.
>
> The possibilities are huge of building a broad, inclusive student
> movement against war right across the country.  We think that a
> pan-Canadian student anti-war co-ordination can play a role in helping
> to reach deeper into every school, every classroom, and every campus
> with the message that we can and must stop this war!
>
> To endorse the conference or for more information:
> e-mail saswi2003 at yahoo.ca or phone 416.533.6026.
>
> To get involved in one of the student committees (for students in the
> Toronto area):
> e-mail saswi_logistics at yahoo.ca or phone 416.533.6026.
>
> SASWI online: www.project3media.com/iraq/.
>
> To join the pan-Canadian student anti-war listserve:
> e-mail saswi at yahoogroups.ca.
>

[French omitted]