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I understand a lot of people were bummed out about what happened
yesterday, so several of us put together a statement to help clarify the
purpose of this convention. I’d also like to point out that it was an
error on the part of the convention organizers, myself included, for not
allotting enough time for the discussion on the SDS national structure.

We understand that many people have paid a lot of money to attend this
convention because they want to play a role in building an international,
student-led, radical organization. However, due to yesterday’s events, it
appears that some individuals in attendance do not wish to participate in
such a movement, do not wish to join SDS, and have come to this convention
with different agendas or perceptions of the purpose of this convention.
We want to make clear that SDS is an organization, not a network between
already existing organizations. That is apparent by the influx of 1,000
members and 150 chapters ready to organize as an official chapter of SDS.
It is important for preexisting groups to maintain their identity and work
with organizations that identify with our vision for a democratic society
– but it is fundamentally undemocratic for individuals outside the
organization to have a say in the internal affairs of SDS. Due to the
conduct of several individuals attempting to derail our first discussion
as a national entity on formulating an official structure, the Movement
for a Democratic Society was unable to present a proposal to provide
support resources including direct funding, legal defense, and the radical
education project, the Women’s Caucus was unable to present their
statement, and high school members of SDS were systematically denied
representation in the meeting. This was never intended to be a
decision-making convention. Like the first SDS convention, this convention
was meant to spark discussion regarding the goals, vision, and potential
structure of the organization. There are many issues regarding how the
convention was planned, of course we are going to plan conventions
differently in the future, but this is about building a community – we
have to know each other, have working relationships with each other before
we can even begin to trust each other to develop an effective,
participatory structure. Clearly, prolonged debate and discussion will be
necessary before SDS can create an official structure. We have tried hard
to become all encompassing and decentralized, but by doing so we have
given up the opportunity to create an official organization that is highly
structured, but remains decentralized. If we were to make a decision, such
as the creation of a decision making process, it would not be in a
democratic fashion – it would be a top down decision because we (the
convention) would be making decisions that affect the entire organization
rather than the local chapters and regions of SDS building structure from
the bottom up. We should have another national convention, but we
encourage that chapters form regional meetings to specifically discuss the
local, regional, and national structure of the organization between now
and next summer. This is not meant to be sectarian or factional, but it is
meant to clarify the purpose of this founding convention. Let us move
forward in building a democratic society.

Pat Korte, Stonington, Connecticut SDS
Doug Viehmeyer, Bergen County, New Jersey SDS
Kat Poe, Pratt Institute SDS
Brian Kelly, Pace University SDS
Ben Levy, Marlboro College SDS
Glen Davies Jr., Monmouth County SDS
Brendan Maslauskas Dunn, Olympia SDS
Adam Sanchez, Portland SDS

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs