FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Citizens of the World:
We the people of Public Education Coalition of UC San Diego seek to globally unite, from Chile to Puerto Rico, from Greece to Spain, from Egypt to Iran, from Occupy Wall Street to Occupied Palestine, from UC Riverside to UC Davis to UC Berkeley, with those who share our commitment to the empowerment of workers, students, and the unemployed through the creation of an equitable and compassionate society. Through collective struggle we will reverse the privatization of our universities and reclaim public education as a human right for all people.
Together, university and state officials all over the world have used the tactics of neoliberalization and privatization to systematically dismantle access to public education by underrepresented, underserved and otherwise invisible communities.
March 1st is one day of action in a growing movement, but there are any number of ways to support it.
When you walk out, teach out, march out, or speak out on March 1st you are demonstrating your commitment to the importance of public education in an egalitarian society. You are demanding your role in shared governance of a public institution, and you are defending future generations who will inherit the political, economic, social and educational systems we create for ourselves today.
This is also a call to VIRTUAL ACTION.
As inheritors of the legacies set forth by millions of student protesters across the globe and across generations, we cordially invite the citizens of the world to become actors in a performance of Electronic Civil Disobedience through a virtual sit-in on bankofamerica.com, universityofcalifornia.edu, and jerrybrown.org.
By taking part in this gesture of Electronic Civil Disobedience, you will align yourself in the traditions of non-violent direct action and civil disobedience established by peaceful dissenters throughout world history. Proponents of Electronic Civil Disobedience are borrowing tactics of trespass and blockade from earlier social movements and applying them to the virtual sphere. Electronic Civil Disobedience, as a form of mass de-centralized electronic direct action, utilizes virtual blockades and virtual sit-ins. Unlike the participants in a traditional civil disobedience action, an ECD actor can participate in virtual blockades and sit-ins from home, from work, from the university, or from other points of access to the Net. The virtual sit-in will begin on March 1st at 12:00 AM and end on March 5th at 11:59 PM. To participate, follow reclaimucsd.wordpress.com or send an email to march1stvirtualsitin@gmail.com. Details will be posted to the blog and sent out via email tomorrow evening about how to participate. In the meantime: take the flyer attached below and print it, email it and spread it far and wide in the virtual sphere.
If not us, who?
If not now, when?
See you on the streets and the virtual networks of the world.
Sean Estelle, Sophia Lawson, Stephanie Nowinski, Shelby Cohantz
Public Education Coalition (marchformarch2012@gmail.com, reclaimucsd.wordpress.com)
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alyssa wing, ASUCSD, commentary, divestment, education, sjp, solidarity, student government, UCSD
SJP at UCSD Denounces ASUCSD
In Uncategorized on March 5, 2012 at 9:00 amSJP at UCSD Denounces ASUCSD Failure to Uphold Principles of Community and Corporate Responsibility for Palestinian Human Rights
Students for Justice in Palestine, UC San Diego
Associated Students at UCSD failed the “Resolution in Support of UC San Diego Corporate Accountability through Divestment from Corporations Profiting from Violent Conflict” in a 13-20-0. The decision came after over seven hours of public input and deliberation.
The SJP community and its allies were repeatedly demonized by members of the public as well as university staff and faculty. UCSD students were publicly singled out, followed, and harassed outside the AS chambers. In addition, senators who were seen as sympathetic to SJP’s dedication to corporate responsibility and human rights were sent threats and verbally harassed throughout the night. SJP questions the dedication of administration to Principles of Community as no authority present made moves to protect the student body from such intimidation.
Such open hostility is not new for those who advocate for human rights and corporate responsibility on campus. Earlier this quarter, SJP members were harassed at their event by university staff, fliers for the organization have continually been defaced, and students are continually harassed during Muslim Student Association’s Justice in Palestine week. Despite this, students have still presented issues such as divestment, and will continue to do so.
Furthermore, It has come to the attention of SJP at UCSD that the office of the president at AS sent emails advocating for the rejection of the divestment bill. President Alyssa Wing also attempted to contact outside organizations and individuals to submit open letters aimed to frame divestment as divisive. SJP at UCSD condemns her abuse of executive power as a violation of the Principles of Community. Additionally, the rhetoric she employed in accusing students of playing a “game” is deeply offensive. SJP questions whether advocating for the corporate responsibility and the humanity of Palestinians are what the office of the president believes to be a “game.”
SJP at UCSD encourages students to contact AS president Alyssa Wing at aspresident@ucsd.edu or 858.534.4452 to express distaste with the tactics of her office and the decision reached by Associated Students at UC San Diego regarding divestment.
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Students for Justice in Palestine is a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, and community members centered at the University of California, San Diego and organized in accordance with democratic principles to promote justice, human rights, and the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people.