[Peace-discuss] Students in DC and San Francisco form national Campus Anti-War Network (CAN)

[Charles Jenks]

Press Contact:  Lauren Ciszak –George Washington University -
<ciszak at gwu.edu>

[See full account with photos at http://traprockpeace.org]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

'CAMPUS ANTI-WAR NETWORK' (CAN) FORMED IN DC AND SAN FRANCISCO

Washington, DC - Students anti-war activists from around the country met on
January 17 in delegated meetings representing almost 79 college and high
school anti-war committees.  Joint Conferences, meeting at George Washington
University in Washington, DC and San Francisco State, in San Francisco, CA,
voted to form a new national organization, Campus Anti-War Network (CAN), to
organize opposition to an impending war on Iraq.

The two conferences were connected by speaker phone as delegates from one
coast ratified their decisions with delegates on the opposite coast.

Michele Bollinger, a member of CAN from George Washington University said,
"This day was a great step forward for our movement, we are far more
powerful as students when united by a national organization."

Keith Rosenthal, who traveled to the conference from University of Vermont
in Burlington, VT said, "So many people are against this war in this country
without any organized opposition to turn to.  By forming CAN we can help
give people from across the country a place to voice their dissent."

The conferences voted on a mission around which all of the campus committees
could unite - opposition to the initiation of a war on Iraq by the U.S. or
any state, and a commitment to educating and organizing to oppose it.

Plans were set for national days of action on January 27 and January 28th to
correspond with the U.N. Weapons Inspector's report to the U.N. and
President Bush's State of the Union Address.  The organization will also
mobilize on the east coast for the Anti-war march set for February 15, 2003
in New York City. 

With an eye toward organizing once a war begins, the organization plans to
hold a national conference at the University of Chicago to bring together
the entire organization.

The new organization unveiled itself as a distinct feeder march and
contingent on January 18th at the national anti-war demonstration called by
International ANSWER.

Student leaders from around the country are available
for interviews by contacting Lauren Ciszak at <ciszak at gwu.edu>

[Jeremy Corbyn, British MP (Labour) gave the keynote address at the
Washington, DC conference.  He is a member of the coordinating committee of
the Stop the War Coalition (UK), which sent Helen Salmon, a student at
Oxford University and organizer with the National Union of Students (UK) to
the conference as a student ambassador.  They both participated in the press
conference during the afternoon session of the DC conference.]

For interviews with Mr. Corbyn or Helen Salmon, please contact Charles Jenks
at charles at mtdata.com.

Report by Lauren Ciszak, media liaison [with additional notes by Charles
Jenks]



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



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