See also Photo Album of DC Conference

For history: see
University Students Organizing Against War,
Pre-Conference Press Release - East Coast
Pre-Conference Press Release - West Coast

Upcoming - see Nov. 1-2, 2003 - Campus Anti-War Network (CAN) conference in Chicago, and 2003 national Speaking Tour

Students Create National "Campus Anti-War Network"
at Sister Conferences in Washington, DC and San Francisco on January 17, 2003

Press Contact: Lauren Ciszak - George Washington University - ciszak@gwu.edu (all photos © Charles Jenks, 2003)

On January 17, 2003 in Washington, DC and San Francisco, students representing 79 college and high school committees created the Campus Anti-War Network (CAN), a new network representing the largest organization of student activists against the war on Iraq. The next day, on January 18th, a separate feeder march and contingent flew the CAN banner in the ANSWER national anti-war march to represent the broad student voice.

CAN had its roots in student conferences after the October 26, 2002 rallies in Washington, DC and San Francisco. Students Against War in Iraq at George Washington University started a national campus listserv on October 26, which created a communication network among student activists. The listserv reported organizing news, including subsequent regional student conferences in San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Minnesota, North arolina and New York City area. This activity led to calls for simultaneous sister conferences in Washington, DC and San Francisco.

Student organizers invited Jeremy Corbyn, MP (Labour) to address the conference. Mr. Corbyn, a noted human rights advocate, is a member of the coordinating committee of the Stop the War Coalition in the UK and active with the Committee for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). The students also invited Helen Salmon, who is a student at Oxford University and an organizer with the National Union of Students, to attend. The StoptheWar Coalition sent Ms. Salmon to the DC Conference as a student ambassador. Traprock acted as liasion between the students and StoptheWar in the making of the invitatio.

Mr. Corbyn's 4 day stay in Washington, DC was hosted by Traprock Peace Center, in collaboration with the StoptheWar Coalition. Traprock arranged for media interviews and meetings with leading US peace activists during his stay.

Both Mr. Corbyn and Ms. Salmon participated in the press conference in the afternoon at George Washington University on January 17th. The student participants were: Tim Kaldas, faciliatator, George Washington University, freshman; Kathleen Brown, University of Vermont, sophomore; Anna Carson-DeWitt, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, freshman; Matt Hanson, Woodrow Wilson High School, junior; Gregg Jashani
University of Michigan, senior; Khury Petersen-Smith, Rochester Insitute of Technology, junior; Jenny Rosloff, University of Maryland, junior.

Press Conference participants:

Report by Nihar Bhatt

Washington, DC - Students anti-war activists from around the country met today
in delegated meetings representing almost 80 schools. 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 conference 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 in Chicago (hosted by Chicagoland Students Against War Network) to bring together the
entire organization on February 22-23.

The new organization unveiled itself as a distinct feeder march and
contingent on January 18 during 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@gwu.edu.

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Minutes of January 17, 2003 Student Conference at George Washington University

Name:
Campus Antiwar Network

Initial Point of Unity:
We the members of campus communities of colleges and high schools from
across the United States are united in our opposition to a war with
Iraq and any attempt by our government or any other government to
initiate a war with Iraq. We pledge to educate and organize our high
school and college campuses, local communities, and nation in order to
prevent this unjust war.

(friendly amendments were made during conference: "members of campus
communities", "provoke" changed to "initiate")
Hostile amendment to add „or any other unjust wars‰ failed.
(others tabled until national conference)

Agreed upon National Actions:

1.US National Student Conference on February 22nd and 23rd in Chicago
has been agreed upon.

2.NY Youth Bloc has called for a Week of Cultural Resistance the week
of February 8th to the 15th inside and outside of our schools, both
against the war on Iraq and against the military machine that makes it
possible by recruiting us, taking money away from public education,
etc. Creative speakouts, concerts, poetry slams, guerilla art, putting
out underground magazines, whatever individual schools and campuses
want to do.

3. "Ted‚s proposal"We endorse and organize a national student walkout
or other action on day X (the school day after US invasion of Iraq
starts).

4. National Days of action Jan. 27(Hans Blix report), 28(State of the
Union), and 29th with students holding demonstrations, speak-outs,
marches, banner drops, and educational events- can help highlight
opposition to Bush‚s war drive as well as the massive military spending
that‚s robbing our schools of badly-needed funds.

5. Formation of working group for Feb 15th student rally.
This rally has been endorsed by UFPJ as part of their NYC action. It
will take place in the evening and feature performers and celebrities,
in addition to speakers representing various interests opposed to the
war.

Columbia has requested a working group to work specifically on this
event. Planning group and listserv (feb15_students@yahoogroups.com)
A friendly amendment was added: To have a CAN contingent at Feb. 15th
rally.

6. That this organization remains independent of other national
organizations, in order to avoid divisiveness and sectarianism. We
will work with any and all organizations fighting the war and will join
with other groups around specific actions such as the Jan. 18th march
called by ANSWER and the Feb. 15th mobilization called by UFPJ.
Friendly amendment was accepted: For CAN to keep a liason with other
antiwar organizations.

7. On January 18th to march as a student bloc in the ANSWER march.
DONE!!!

8. On January 18th to have a short feeder march at 11 AM to the
National Mall, preceding the ANSWER march. DONE!!!

9. That this national network mobilizes for February 15th as the next
nationally coordinated day of action against the war on Iraq, as called
for by United for Peace and Justice and other peace coalitions across
the world.

10. Endorsement of the NYSPC's Student Strike on March 5th or other
action.

Tabled proposals:

1. That member campuses of CAN be able to send two proxy votes
regarding proposals posted before the conference if they are unable to
send representation to that conference.

2. The coordinating committee for the National Student Antiwar
Conference be composed of representatives from each CAN school (as is
possible) to create a well-designed and democratic conference.

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See also Photo Album of DC Conference.

See pre-conference press releases for National East Coast and West Coast Student Peace Conferences and Archives on Student Organizing.

Page created January 22, 2003 by Charlie Jenks.