Starting Date: 04-20-2007
Ending Date: 04-22-2007
Williamsburg, Virginia 23081
United StatesStudents for a Democratic Society Mid East Conference
Keeping It Local
The William and Mary SDS Chapter in Williamsburg, Virginia, will be hosting a Mid-East Conference on Friday, April 20th thru Sunday, April 22nd, 2007.
Too often, the citizenry of the United States is blinded by the hegemonic mechanics of our State and National legislatures. The distance between our representatives and ourselves is widening, evident in the direction of the Iraq War, our nation’s weakening economy, our President’s monarchial disposition. We then focus on these broad spectrum problems and dedicate ourselves at trying to change the most protected and intrinsically corrupt institutions.
Change takes place when we inspect our immediate surroundings, and recognize our immediate contribution to the overall problem. Then, the ways in which we can fix these problems are made clear.
The Mid-East Conference will focus on the interaction of citizens and their local governments, and the way local government should be operating to most efficiently convey the demands of its citizens to State and Federal government. William and Mary is located in the heart of Williamsburg, and has hosted its share of dissent from the Student Body towards the local governments Voting laws, Housing laws, Police activity and Homeless and Indigent policies. Williamsburg students are tax-paying citizens of Williamsburg, and a misconstrued and misinterpreted definition of residence and domicile have left them largely disenfranchised. Beyond the campus boundaries, Williamsburg practices housing policies that have displaced a disproportionate number of working-class poor, primarily African American and Mexican construction workers. As a result, many people have had to move 20 or 30 miles away, and have difficulty maintaining a job in Williamsburg. Furthermore, there are close to 700 working homeless in Williamsburg, rotating between motels and the woods for shelter. The local code has no language pertaining to the care, or even existence, of a homeless population in Williamsburg.
We must know our communities and understand what our communities want and need. This weekend will serve as a forum for relating experiences that we all share, exposing the weaknesses and building our collective knowledge of the solutions. Please try and clear this weekend and come out in numbers. Please check for weekly updates, email back with questions or suggestions and start planning. We are looking for speakers, activities, ideas and art-work.
At this point, housing will be provided, as well as some meals. Please stay tuned, email Geographical Scope: Regional Conference |
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