Support National SJP’s 6th annual conference, sustain student activism
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2016
Dear friends, allies, and fellow activists,
National Students for Justice in Palestine is excited to announce that it will be holding its sixth annual conference on November 4th-6th, hosted by George Mason University Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) in Fairfax, VA and the DMV.
Palestine solidarity activists are truly at a juncture of the utmost importance. Where we go from here may very well be remembered in the history books. Blacklisted, censored, accused, and slandered, we cannot afford to lose ground and allow those complicit in oppression and occupation to stifle our mobilization as students. Our theme for this year’s conference, “Critical Mass: With Our Roots in Resistance, Forging a Just Future,” reflects this crucial moment in our movement. (The detailed goals of the theme can be found here.)
At these crossroads in our movement’s history, we have an obligation to respond to the demands that we ourselves have vocalized and have likewise taken in from students across the country. At the 2016 conference, we intend to continue last year’s work in building a sustainable structure for NSJP as a national body, to mobilize alongside and beyond divestment to ensure that we ground our efforts in tangible realities, to share skills and grow alongside our peers and predecessors, and to revive our roots so that we can draw upon our establishing histories so that we may maneuver around the newest attacks on our movement and respond to them accordingly. But we need your help.
As we strive to host a successful conference for hundreds of insightful, spirited, loving minds ready to speak, perform, and declare their dedication to justice, we are struggling to accomplish these key goals. This year’s conference has taken a particular hit, and we find ourselves lacking the funding for all that we aim to do in time for November 4th. There are lessons we need to teach, voices we need to amplify, and passions that we need to inspire in order to build on the successes of the past five conferences, but for us to do that, we need financial support.
Your donations will not only help to consolidate the physical spaces necessary for the conference itself but also to enable students and speakers from across the country to attend, regardless of their financial means, thereby maintaining the accessibility of these dynamic and engaging activist spaces. We need to fortify and preserve this bastion for activist youth that we have created, and continue to strengthen ties amongst SJP chapters throughout the nation. Will you donate to help us forge the dynamic future that Palestine solidarity activism needs?
Contribute online to our base goal of $20,000 today and spread the word. For tax-exempt donations, please mail checks to the following address (marked “SJP National Conference 2016” in memo line): WESPAC Foundation52 North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10603
In solidarity,
National Students for Justice in Palestine
