Student Anti-War Conference in Toronto, Canada

Students Against Sanctions & War in Iraq (SASWI) would like to invite all students from across Canada and Québec (and the US) to participate in the Pan-Canadian Student Anti-War Conference at the University of Toronto from January 30 to February 2, 2002. ~Le texte en français suit.~ ******************************************* Students Against Sanctions and War in Iraq (SASWI) Open call to all students across Canada and Québec --and the United States! 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@yahoo.ca. Further contact details are at the end of this announcement. 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 a website to be launched at the end of November. 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@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@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@yahoo.ca or phone 416.533.6026. SASWI online: www.project3media.com/iraq/. The following are just some of the groups that have so far endorsed the Pan-Canadian Student Anti-War Conference: University of British Columbia Coalition Against War on the People of Iraq (CAWOPI), University of British Columbia Medical Students for Global Survival, University of Victoria Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), Simon Fraser University Coalition to Stop the War on Iraq, Simon Fraser University Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), Emily Carr College of Art & Design Coalition Against War in Iraq (CAWI), York University Now End War and Sanctions (NEWS) on Iraq, University of Toronto Students’ Administrative Council (SAC), University of Toronto Coalition Against War in Iraq (CAWI), University of Toronto Arab Students’ Association (ASA), Ryerson University Arab Students’ Association (RASA), Ryerson University Christian Arab Students’ Association (CASA), Toronto Committee Against Sanctions & War on Iraq (TCASWI), Toronto Trade Unionists Against the War (TUAW), Carleton University Middle Eastern Discussion Group, Carleton University Solidarity with Iraqi & Palestinian Children (SIPC), University of Ottawa Global Peace Coalition, Brock University Anti-War League (BAWL), Niagara Palestine Association (NPA), McGill University Coalition Against War & Racism (CAWR), Montréal Muslim News, Fredericton Residents for Education on the Economically-Motivated Deployment of the Military (FREEDOM), Dalhousie University Peace and Justice Coalition, St. Mary’s University Activist Coalition (SMAC), the Arab Palestine Association of Canada (APA), the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), and many others! We hope we’ll be able to add your name to the list too! ******************************************* Students Against Sanctions and War in Iraq (SASWI) Un appel à toute la population étudiante à travers le Canada et le Québec --et les États-Unis! Conférence pan-canadienne des étudiantEs contre la guerre Du 30 janvier au 2 février 2003 Université de Toronto Toronto, Ontario Le mouvement d’opposition à la menace d’une nouvelle guerre contre l’Irak se multiplie à travers le monde. En Angleterre, plus de 400 000 personnes ont manifesté contre la guerre à la fin septembre. Les manifestations de 100 000 personnes à Washington et de 60 000 à San Francisco le 26 octobre ont attiré des milliers d’étudiantEs en opposition à la guerre contre l’Irak. Et le 31 octobre en Angleterre, des douzaines de manifestations ont eu lieu sur les campus des universités et des collèges, y compris des occupations à Cambridge, Liverpool, Manchester, Brighton, et Leeds. À Sheffield, 500 étudiantEs ont occupé un édifice portant le nom de la compagnie Boeing. À Londres, des occupations ont eu lieu à Goldsmith’s, King’s College, London School of Economics, et bien d’autres. Au Canada et au Québec, des coalitions contre la guerre ont été formées sur pratiquement chaque campus, et les étudiantEs se mobilisent pour leurs propres actions et pour la mobilisation nord-américaine contre la guerre le 18 janvier. Plus récemment, des milliers d’étudiantEs ont participé à la journée d'action pan-canadienne contre la guerre contre l'Irak les 16-17 novembre, une mobilisation de 35 000 personnes au Canada et au Québec. Récemment, lors d’une conférence à l’Université de Toronto, des étudiantEs de quinze universités, collèges, et écoles secondaires ont participé à une discussion intitulée <>. Un consensus s’est dégagé de la conférence: il est non-seulement possible, mais aussi nécessaire, de construire un mouvement contre la guerre au sein de la population étudiante à travers le pays. Avec la menace d’une guerre qui grandit à chaque jour, nous pensons que le moment est venu pour les étudiantEs de créer un réseau unifié qui pourra construire un énorme mouvement étudiant contre la guerre en Irak. Les étudiantEs opposéEs à la guerre et aux sanctions contre l’Irak (Students Against Sanctions and War on Iraq) lancent un appel à toute la population étudiante pour participer à une Conférence pan-canadienne des étudiantEs contre la guerre à l’Université de Toronto du jeudi 30 janvier au dimanche 2 février 2003. La conférence sera accessible aux francophones et aux anglophones. Déjà plusiers coalitions étudiantes contre la guerre ont exprimé leur désir de participer à cette conférence. Nous invitons toutes les coalitions contre la guerre, les organismes pour la paix, les associations étudiantes, les organisations culturelles, les groupes religieux, ou les clubs étudiants qui veulent participer d’offrir leur appui par courriel à saswi2003@yahoo.ca. Au cours des prochaines semaines, nous feron circuler une ébauche de programme pour la conférence, y compris un horaire. Vers la fin novembre nous espérons afficher sur un site internet l’information pertinente lorsque les détails de la conférence seront confirmés. Nous organiserons aussi des comités pour organiser l’inscription, l’hébergement, la nourriture, le transport, les levées de fonds, et les activités sociales. Toutes les étudiantes et tous les étudiants de la région de Toronto qui sont intéressés à participer à un des comités peuvent contacter saswi_logistics@yahoo.ca. La possibilité de constuire un mouvement étudiant contre la guerre existe partout à travers le pays. Nous pensons qu’une coordination étudiante pan-canadienne contre la guerre pourra jouer un rôle pour assurer que nous rejoignons chaque école, chaque classe, et chaque campus avec le message que nous pouvons et devons prévenir cette guerre! Pour appuyer la conférence ou pour plus amples renseignements: courriel saswi2003@yahoo.ca ou téléphonez au 416.533.6026. Pour participer à un des comités étudiants (pour les étudiantes et étudiants de la région de Toronto): courriel saswi_logistics@yahoo.ca ou téléphonez au 416.533.6026. SASWI sur l’internet: www.project3media.com/iraq/. Voici une liste partielle des organisations qui ont déjà donné leur appui à la Conférence pan-canadienne des étudiantEs contre la guerre: University of British Columbia Coalition Against War on the People of Iraq (CAWOPI), University of British Columbia Medical Students for Global Survival, University of Victoria Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), Simon Fraser University Coalition to Stop the War on Iraq, Simon Fraser University Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), Emily Carr College of Art & Design Coalition Against War in Iraq (CAWI), York University Now End War and Sanctions (NEWS) on Iraq, University of Toronto Students’ Administrative Council (SAC), University of Toronto Coalition Against War in Iraq (CAWI), University of Toronto Arab Students’ Association (ASA), Ryerson University Arab Students’ Association (RASA), Ryerson University Christian Arab Students’ Association (CASA), Toronto Committee Against Sanctions & War on Iraq (TCASWI), Toronto Trade Unionists Against the War (TUAW), Carleton University Middle Eastern Discussion Group, Carleton University Solidarity with Iraqi & Palestinian Children (SIPC), University of Ottawa Global Peace Coalition, Brock University Anti-War League (BAWL), Niagara Palestine Association (NPA), McGill University Coalition Against War & Racism (CAWR), Montréal Muslim News, Fredericton Residents for Education on the Economically-Motivated Deployment of the Military (FREEDOM), Dalhousie University Peace and Justice Coalition, St. Mary’s University Activist Coalition (SMAC), Arab Palestine Association of Canada (APA), la Fédération canadienne des étudiantes et étudiants (FCÉÉ), et plus! Nous espérons que nous pourrons ajouter le nom de votre organisation à la liste aussi!