"International Student Movement"

Hello There!

Just wanted to report from California that many are dissatisfied with the University of California, a system of 9 universities, 5 hospitals, and 3 research labs. This is including the facility in Los Alamos New Mexico where the first nuclear weapon commissioned by the us military was produced and has made every nuke used by the military since... by our very own public universities.

This is a huge system and it is being piloted as the premier example for 'public-private strategic partnerships'.... and you should see the old boy's club that runs it a group of 19 unelected businessmen, with hands in everything from Enron to BP to construction firms profiting from the war in Iraq. Ugh.

Anyways, people ARE doing things, and a statewide movement to change California's Constitution to DEMOCRATIZE the UC BOARD OF REGENTS is beginning. For more info, check out  www.ucdemocracy.org

The Phoenix Project for UC Democracy:

"is a new organization that seeks to contribute to systemic reform of the University of California, the goal being a more responsible, just, diverse, equitable, sustainable, and democratically-governed public University.

We work with other student groups, unions, ngo's and statewide coalitions to hold events that find our mutual goals, methods, and points of support. We are a new face of an old struggle to "free the UC' democratize, demilitarize, deprivatize.

In the u.s. the influence of commericialism and capitalist thought are deeply ingrained and extensive, and there are many splits between activists who want to only preserve the tactics and strategies of those who have 'broken through' some profound realization of the circumstance, and those who seek to make the movement more broad and accessible, often by making the message 'friendly' and digestible. I have seen this many times, and feel both have vaild points. Perhaps our new economic situations are obstacles that can unite all of us who are affected by these unelected leaders, and start calling out for some real change, regardless of how soon we came to the conclusion that democracy must begin at home, and so on.

Other great resources from incredible California activists and advocates:

http://universityprobe.org/- blog of a UCB physics prof. regarding UC finance

www.democratizetheregents.org

and Students for a Democratic Society.

 and csss.org, the California Student Sustainability Coalition

Best wishes on all your progress, and please let us know how we can work together to Free Education!!