Minneapolis, MN – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) will host its Ninth Annual National Convention at the University of Minnesota starting Oct. 10. SDS began anew in 2006 and is now one of the largest student activist groups in the country. Organizers anticipate this to be one of the largest conventions yet.

Stephie Taylor, a key organizer with the University of Minnesota SDS chapter said, “We are happy to have the convention in a Midwest city again. We expect young activists from all over the country to show up and talk about important issues of today like opposing U.S. wars, fighting racism and sexism, and how to bring change to the rising costs of education, student loans and access to education. This will be a convention to remember.”

The plenary sessions and workshops feature some of the most influential leaders against war and oppression in the country.

Hatem Abuddayeh will speak for the Rasmea Odeh Support Committee. He will be joined by Jenn Meeropol of the Rosenberg Fund for Children who will chair the session, “From Ferguson to Palestine: Political Repression is a Crime!”

Joe Iosbaker of the United National Antiwar Committee will speak at the anti-war plenary, “From the Belly of the Beast: Fighting Back against U.S. Wars and Imperialism.”

SDSers and other student leaders will speak on “Education Is a Right: Campus Economic Fight Backs and Achieving Access to Higher Education for Everyone.” This will detail the SDS national “Education for All” campaign that fights for immigrant student rights on campus.

There will be workshops about student activism, including “Building Struggle in Red States.” “Combatting Chauvinism,” and “Empowering People of Color through Political Struggle.”

On Oct. 13, the final day of the convention, SDS will vote on various resolutions submitted by SDS chapters speaking out on different people’s movements within the U.S. and around the world. SDS will adopt these resolutions nationally for chapters to orient their work for the coming year. Resolutions in the past included condemning U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, condemning systemic racism and repression against African-American, Chicano and Latino youth, combatting attacks on students’ rights, and opposing tuition hikes.

The convention will take place at Blegen Hall at the University of Minnesota. For more information or if you want to donate to the convention, please visit http://newsds.org or go to National Students for a Democratic Society’s Facebook page at https://facebook.com/StudentsForADemocraticSocietyNational.

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