Student Anti-Apartheid Newsletter, Nov. 1985
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Student Anti-Apartheid newsletter, Nov. 1985 http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.acoa000117 Use of the Aluka digital library is subject to Aluka’s Terms and Conditions, available at http://www.aluka.org/page/about/termsConditions.jsp. By using Aluka, you agree that you have read and will abide by the Terms and Conditions. Among other things, the Terms and Conditions provide that the content in the Aluka digital library is only for personal, non-commercial use by authorized users of Aluka in connection with research, scholarship, and education. The content in the Aluka digital library is subject to copyright, with the exception of certain governmental works and very old materials that may be in the public domain under applicable law. Permission must be sought from Aluka and/or the applicable copyright holder in connection with any duplication or distribution of these materials where required by applicable law. Aluka is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of materials about and from the developing world. For more information about Aluka, please see http://www.aluka.org Student Anti-Apartheid newsletter, Nov. 1985 Alternative title Student Anti-Apartheid newsletter Author/Creator American Committee on Africa (ACOA) Contributor Nessen, Joshua Publisher American Committee on Africa (ACOA) Date 1985-11 Resource type Newsletters Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) United States, South Africa, Namibia Coverage (temporal) 1985 Source Africa Action Archive Rights By kind permission of Africa Action, incorporating the American Committee on Africa, The Africa Fund, and the Africa Policy Information Center. Description National Student Conference on South Africa and Namibia. Angola. UNITA. Anti-Apartheid Action. Liberation movements. Divestment. Format extent 4 page(s) (length/size) http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.acoa000117 http://www.aluka.org STUDENT ANTI-APARTHEID NEWSLET1ER STUDENT ANTI-APARTHEID NEWSLET1ER American Corrn-ittee On Africa 198 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 100381(212) 962-1210 1 Cable AMCOMMAF Prepared by Joshua Negean, Student Coordinator REPORT ON NATIONAL STUDENT CONFERENCE ON SOUTH AFRICA AND NAMIBIA From November 1-3, 1985 500 student activists from 35 states and over 100 schools gathered for a National Student Conference on South Africa and Namibia at Hunter College. The conference, organized by student groups and the American Committee on Africa, was the largest student anti-apartheid conference in many years and succeeded in attracting groups from all regions of the country, particularly the South. Following the successful October 11 National Protest Day, the conference was important in developing a political agenda for the upcoming year at a critical moment for the student anti-apartheid movement. The main organizational and political directions emerging from the conference were: l)Mobilization for 1986 National Weeks of Anti-Apartheid Action from March 21April 6, with April 4 as a National Divestment Protest Day in commemoration of Martin Luther King. (SEE AND REPRODUCE ENCLOSED FLYER) (Info packet: 212-962-1210) 2)An immediate push to prevent any American aid to UNITA, South Africa's surrogate in Angola. Telegram your Congressional Representative: Rep _ , US House of Representatives, Wash DC 20515 and call #202-224-3121 (See enclosed Action Alert) 3)National Student Material Aid Drive, in which each school would attempt to raise ($500) for Namibian and South African refugee projects with all funds going through the Africa Fund. The target amount would be raised by the end of February, with events during February Black History Month being crucial. For information on projects of the Africa Fund: 198 Bway NYC 10038 #212-962-1210 4)The conference affirmed the importance of strengthening regional coordination in the student anti-apartheid movement and encouraged the formation of city-wide student coalitions (as in Washington DC). Regional conferences will be held building up to the Weeks of Action in: !)Midwest (Chicago Nov 15-17) #203-346-1667 ii)Northeast (February 1-2). Planning meeting Sat Nov 23 at Wesleyan Univ (llam-5pm) For transport info: ACOA #212-962-1210 (Middltown CT) iii)South. Planning meeting Jan 18. For info: AFSC/Atlanta #404-586-0460 and #404-691-1531 (D. Redding) 5)The conference emphasized that struggles against domestic racism must be intimately linked to anti-apartheid organizing, and that Black students need to play a leading role in the anti-apartheid movement. 6)While divestment will remain the central focus of campus organizing, it is critical to build direct political and material support for the liberation movements and to oppose Reagan's policy of "constructive engagement" which above all aims to prevent the coming to power of the ANC and SWAPO. Students from these states attended the conference: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin plus groups from Montreal, Toronto, and Sweden. CONFERENCE SESSIONS Friday November 1 Opening Session Conference participants were welcomed by Diane Dwyer, president of the Hunter College Day Session Student Government, who played a key role in the successful struggle for divestment at City University of New York. She was followed by Claire Mohapi of the African National Congress Youth Section, Monica Nashandi of the SWAPO YtkFLeague, and Roger Uriarte of the National Union of Nicaraguan Students who all had participated in a Fall "Boycott South Africa Not Nicaragua" tour of over twenty campuses. Claire Mohapi and Monica Nashandi stressed the cutting edge role of students in southern Africa and in the United States, and the need to oppose Reagan's destructive policy of "constructive engagement". Roger Uriarte was greeted with a standing ovation and chants of "Non Passaran" (They shall not pass) and underscored the importance of linking the anti-apartheid struggle to organizing against U.S. intervention in Central America. Norma Francis of Hunter College moderated. Another speaker was Dumisani Kumalo of the American Committee on Africa and a South African exile. Mr. Kumalo highlighted recent state divestment victories in New Jersey ($2 billion), New Mexico ($150 million) and Minnesota ($1.1 billion) and then focused on corporate strategizing against divestment: "U.S. companies claim to be in South Africa to help Black people. They love us more than we love ourselves. If General Motors loved Black people so much, why are they laying them off in Detroit." The opening session was also marked by a showing of the anti-apartheid video "Ain't Gonna Play Sun City" which was introduced by Little Steven (Van Zandt), author of the song which is raising money for refugee projects in southern Africa through the Africa Fund. New York State Assemblyman Roger Green closed out the evening by stressing the importance of community-student alliances, and the need to push for New York divestment legislation in November's special legislative session. For more information contact Assemblyman Green's office: #718-596-0100 Saturday November 2 Student Anti-Apartheid Movement Panel This morning panel presented an overview of student organizing and featured Erich Nakano from the University of California/Berkeley, Tanaquil Jones from Columbia University, Keith Jennings of Atlanta University, Karen Seavers from the University of Wisconsin/Madison, and Joshua Nessen of the American Committee on Africa, with Willy Terry of the Black Student Communications Organizing Network as moderator. All speakers emphasized the importance of linking anti-apartheid organizing to struggles against domestic racism and the key role of Black student leadership in the movement. Panelists also stressed the necessity of direct, militant action in campus struggles, given the undemocratic corporate character of the university. It was noted that since the escalation of tactics in April, there had been 30 total or partial divestment moves by U.S. schools. Speakers also underlined the need to broaden understanding and support for the unfolding liberation struggle in South Africa and Namibia and to see divestment as simply one means to support that struggle. Panel on U.S. Foreign Policy William Johnston of Episcopal Churchpeople for a Free Southern Africa and Damu Smith of the Washington Office on Africa highlighted the regional character of U.S. policy which has consistently backed South Africa in its repression domestically, attacks on the frontline states, and stalling on Namibian independence. The growing pressure to fund UNITA in Angola is part of a right- wing strategy to shift attention away from South Africa and could have serious reprecussions for the liberation struggles in Namibia and South Africa. This is particularly true given Angola's role as a firm rear base for SWAPO and ANC armed combatants. Workshop Summaries (more complete report available from ACOA on request) The heart of conference was a series of small to medium group discussions dealing with a wide-range of grass roots organizing strategies. I Material Aid Workshop (Moderators: ANC, SWAPO, Africa Fund) l)National Student Material Aid Campaign. By end of February Black History Month