[Peace-discuss] FW: Press Conference to announce the launch of a national student anti-war movement; UK representatives will participate

[Charles Jenks]

Charles Jenks
President, 
Traprock Peace Center - http://traprockpeace.org
charles at mtdata.com

Press Contacts:
Snehal Shingavi - UC Berkeley - 510-484-5242 (cell)
Lauren Ciszak - George Washington University ­ 202-302-7335 (cell)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHO: Student anti-war activists representing over 60 high schools, colleges
and universities
WHAT: Press Conference to announce the launch of a national student anti-war
movement
WHERE: The George Washington University Amphitheater located on The George
Washington University campus in the Marvin Center (800 21St Street NW) 3rd
Floor
WHEN: January 17, 2002, 2:30 PM

Joint conferences announce the creation of a national student anti-war
Network. Meetings bring together college and university anti-war activists
from across the country.

Washington, DC - Student anti-war activists will hold a press conference to
announce the creation of a national student anti-war network. Joint student
organizing conferences - held at George Washington University and San
Francisco State  - will bring together student anti-war activists on the eve
of the national anti-war demonstrations.  These conferences will serve to
create a national student run anti-war network, which will represent schools
from across the country.

The press conference will serve as a forum to announce the preliminary
decisions of the new network, including plans link campus anti-war groups in
an attempt to coordinate activities against the war.  The Stop the War
Coalition in the UK (http://www.stopwar.co.uk) is sending Helen Salmon, a
student ambassador to the US student movement.  She is a leading organizer
with the National Union of Students.
Press contact for Stop the War is Andrew Burgin
(andrew at burgin.freeserve.co.uk; 07939 242229).

Also in addition to student speakers, Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour Party member
of the House of Commons from London and the UK Stop the War Coalition, will
be speaking at the press conference to show the International support for
the conference, as well as offer a perspective on the prospect of war from
an influential member of the UK¹s government.  Mr. Corbyn
(http://www.northislington.freeserve.co.uk/corbyn/body.htm) is also speaking
at the rally in Washington, DC on January 18.  His visit to the US is hosted
by the Traprock Peace Center (http://trarpockpeace.org) and co-sponsored
with the Stop the War Coalition.  Press contact for Traprock Peace Center is
Charlie Jenks (charles at mtdata.com; 413-773-1633).

The two bicoastal conferences will represent over 60 high schools, colleges
and universities, including Columbia University, University of
California-Berkeley, University of North Carolina, University of
Massachusetts, University of Pennsylvania, University of Utah, University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Wake Forest University, University of Texas-Austin, Yale
and many more. There has already been substantial anti-war organizing
happening on several campuses throughout the country as university and
college students have begun to question the rationale and the need for war
on Iraq.  The recent troop movements and the seeming inevitable preemptive
war against Iraq, have led increasing numbers of students \to challenge the
war and the effects that it will have at home and abroad.

Jessica Jones, a member of George Washington¹s Students Against the War in
Iraq (SAWI) remarked ³This conference is the start of a movement that will
show the students of this country do not support this war and we will not
stay silent while a war, that will kill our peers as well as innocent
Iraqis, is waged in our name.²

Rachel Oswald another member of GWSAWI states, ³This conference is a great
starting point to organizing a nationwide student movement to oppose the
impending war in Iraq. Meeting with students for across the country is
encouraging and invigorating.  It is very exciting to be at the beginning of
such a broad and powerful movement.²

Members of the press are encouraged to RSVP for the press conference.  Press
packets will be made available at the press conference.  Conference
attendees will also be made available to answer specific questions about the
conferences and the national, student anti-war movement. Another press
release will also follow the completion of the conference to announce any
decision made after the press conference.

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