2024 Resolutions

No to US intervention, Anti-War Resolution

Whereas: Over the past year the US has bombed Yemen, sent troops into Lebanon and funded wars in Palestine and Ukraine to the tune of tens of billions of dollars. While our politicians continue to deny their desire for a wider war, the proof of their true intentions is plain for the world to see.

Whereas: Since 2001 the US has repeatedly launched criminal wars of conquest and launched devastating bombing campaigns across the Middle East and North Africa. These wars have left millions dead, tens of millions displaced and nations devastated. For most Americans these wars have meant nothing but flag-draped coffins and increased repression for the anti-war movement. For oil companies, weapons contractors, and the politicians they’ve bought and sold, these wars have meant record profits and more countries to exploit and pillage.

Whereas: The US backed genocidal regime of ‘israel’ has acted as the bloodthirsty attack dog of US interests in the Middle East, bombing Syria, Iran, and Yemen and invading Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. The constellation of resistance forces from across the Middle East has stood steadfast against these attacks, meeting the zionist aggression with unparalleled courage and resilience. The US government has been just as steadfast in its support for ‘israel’, providing billions of taxpayer dollars worth of military aid and invaluable diplomatic support to the genocidal regime. As of October 9th over 40,000 US troops are stationed in ‘israel’ and the Middle East.

Whereas: US politicians, from reactionary Republicans to corporate Democrats are beating the drum of war, in particular a war with Iran and the popular resistance across the region. While hiding behind the language of ‘defending our allies’, ‘combatting terrorism’, and ‘spreading democracy’, the true implications of a regional war can be seen in Gaza, genocidal devastation, and billions for weapons contractors. The US and ‘israel’ have repeatedly bombed Iran, assassinated Iranian political leaders, and engaged in a long-term economic war on Iran with ever-mounting sanctions. In any war between Iran and the US, it is clear that the US would be the aggressor.

Whereas: The history of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) is one deeply intertwined with the mass movement against the war in Vietnam. Our legacy is boldly anti-war and anti-U.S. aggression. New SDS reaffirms that as students in the heart of a global empire, fighting back against U.S. military aggression must remain at the core of our organization. This reaffirmation is vital as the US is hell-bent on instigating a wider war in the Middle East, that is a war we must oppose by building a fighting student movement in the belly of the beast.

Therefore, SDS resolves to:

Mobilize students to oppose all US interventions and organize campaigns to oppose military recruitment and military partnerships on our campuses.

Organize against economic warfare and oppose the murderous sanctions the US government imposes on the world.

Demand an end of US aid to ‘israel’ and a withdrawal of all US troops from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

US out of Asia Pacific!

Whereas, the US has parasitic military bases in South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Guam, and the Marshall Islands.

Whereas, the US has escalated and continues to drastically escalate military action in Korea, raising tensions to unprecedented levels. The US and South Korean militaries have staged hundreds of drills and joint exercises, such as Ulchi Freedom Shield, to rehearse invasions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in order to turn Korea into a battlefield in their New Cold War against China.

Whereas, the fascist regime of Philippines' President Marcos Jr continues; the US facilitates oppressive economic and military action in the Philippines by providing aid to law enforcement and pushing for trade agreements that primarily benefit the ruling elite.

Whereas, the US has taken an aggressive stance against China ushering in a New Cold War. Both the Republican and Democratic parties are seeking to escalate the trade war with China, furthering the imposition of high tariffs, hypocritical bans on Chinese companies, and criminal sanctions, devastating all working and oppressed people.

Whereas, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) exist to increase profit for big business and increase the exploitation of working and opressed people. APEC and IPEF has led to the forced seizure of land and destruction of the environment to maximize profit by giving the ruling elite control over trade and employment laws as well as key decision-makers.

Whereas, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) has a long legacy of anti-war work and an understanding that we play a significant role as students in the belly of the beast to fight against US backed coups, interventions, invasions, bombings, sanctions and aggression.

Therefore, be it resolved,

To mobilize students in opposition of US aggression and intervention in Asia Pacific;

To demand an end to criminal US sanctions;

To demand the withdrawal of all US troops and removal of US military bases from Asia Pacific;

To oppose US wars and military partnerships with regimes such as in the Philippines;

To oppose US aggression against China and the DPRK as potential sites of conflict;

To educate ourselves and combat the intense propaganda and disinformation the US has imposed on countries such as China and the DPRK

To join the struggle to resist APEC and IPEF;

To endorse the US out of Korea campaign led by the diasporic Korean organization, Nodutdol;

To continue solidarity work and build stronger relations with Filipino youth organization, Anakbayan;

SDS Demands Freedom for Simon Trinidad!

Whereas: Simón Trinidad is a political prisoner held in solitary confinement in a US federal supermax prison since 2008. Trinidad was a leader of the people’s movement in Colombia. He joined the revolutionary fight of the FARC-EP to defend Colombian workers, peasants, and indigenous people from right-wing, paramilitary death squads. These death squads are often run by the Colombian military, who are themselves funded, trained, and directed by the U.S.

Whereas: The U.S. government intervenes in Colombia to suppress union activity and other popular movements, for the benefit of big U.S. corporations--especially oil, coal, and minerals. As a direct result of U.S. war and intervention, more than 220,000 Colombians have been killed since 1958, and Colombian people’s lives have been thrown into chaos.

Whereas: Two years ago, the first left-wing administration was elected and allowed to take office in Colombia. The government of President Gustavo Petro is widely supported by Colombians, particularly by students and youth, workers, and peasants. This is potentially a new era for Colombia, where a lasting peace and the rights of the people can be secured. And, where the demand to free Simón Trinidad can be met, so he too can join in the transformation of Colombia.

Whereas: Simon Trinidad is a Colombian revolutionary and prisoner of the U.S. Empire. Born Ricardo Palmera, and choosing the alias Simon Trinidad, he became involved in reform politics in the 1970’s. In the 1980’s, the Colombian government and oligarchy launched a massive wave of violent political repression targeting political activists and candidates of the Patriotic Union killing thousands. Seeing many of his friends murdered or exiled, Simón Trinidad fled his home and joined the FARC-EP. In the FARC, he became one of their principal spokespersons at peace negotiations.

In 2004, U.S intelligence agents kidnapped Trinidad while he was in Ecuador to meet a UN official to discuss peace with justice. The U.S. extradited Trinidad and put him on trial four times. The trials were a sham, with the judge and prosecutor caught colluding at one point and the judge forced to step down. Three trials ended in hung juries, but Trinidad was convicted on one charge, belonging to the FARC-EP, and the judge sentenced him to 60 years.

For more than 52 years now the U.S. has backed the wealthy Colombian oligarchy against revolutionaries of the FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army) and ELN (National Liberation Army) who are fighting for freedom from US domination. Beginning in 2000, the US initiated Plan Colombia to ostensibly fund counternarcotics efforts but ultimately the $10 billion in so-called aid, troops, and training went toward fighting the FARC, ELN, and murdering leaders of labor unions and social movements. 

Despite Colombians’ desire for peace, the U.S. continues to fund war and now has seven military bases in Colombia. This continues even after the FARC ratified the 2016 Peace Accords and laid down their arms. This promised to usher in an historic era of peace and reconciliation by creating numerous institutional guarantees and importantly, the Special Peace Jurisdiction Court (JEP) which is responsible for handling the cases and sensitive issues related to the war.  In horrific irony, since ratifying the Peace Accords in 2016, over 1300 social leaders and over 300 ex-FARC members have been assassinated or murdered. 

It is in these conditions that freedom for Simón Trinidad is needed. The JEP of Colombia, as well as certain government officials and revolutionary forces in peace negotiations are requesting his presence to aid in peace accords. Therefore, it is imperative that we demand that the US government FREE SIMON TRINIDAD so he may return to his homeland and participate in talks for peace with justice. 

With the election of President Gustavo Petro and Vice-President Francia Marquez, the first Afro-descendant and woman in that office, the opportunity for the return of Trinidad are ripe. The national strikes of recent years prove the need for a new Colombia.

Momentum is building for Simón Trinidad as he now has access to his Colombian lawyer after a successful lawsuit against the US government. We need Colombian President Petro to demand the return of Simon Trinidad in coordination with the JEP. We need the United States President to free Simon Trinidad. We ask all progressive forces to spread the call and demand: Free Simón Trinidad!”

Therefore, SDS resolves to:

Call actions to demand Freedom for Simon Trinidad!

U.S. out of Colombia! No more U.S. bases in Latin America or the Caribbean!

Free All Political Prisoners!

SDS Stands with NAARPR Against Police Crimes and Militarization of Police Forces; We Demand Community Control Now!

Whereas, The George Floyd uprising was the largest mobilization for the Black liberation struggle seen in recent history, with solidarity actions spanning the globe;

Whereas, Federal and local governments in the U.S. have responded with a new era of militarized police and repression on all sectors of society. These intrusive tactics include use of data mining software on protestors, unlawful civilian curfews, and out of state police forces;

Whereas, The recent examples of Sonya Massey who was murdered by racist sheriffs in Springfield, Illinois in response to her own 911 call prove police forces to be the modern day lynch mobs that terrorize black and brown communities;

Whereas, the gross excesses of police militarization and repression were seen during the 2024 Republican and Democratic Conventions, respectively, leading to the murder of Samuel “Jah” Sharpe Junior by Columbus, Ohio police in Milwaukee, Wisconsin;

Whereas, D’vontaye Mitchell, was killed by security in the same way as George Floyd just two weeks before the murder of Sharpe Jr., showing the day to day oppression faced primarily by African American, Chicano, Native American, Latino, and Asian people in the U.S.;

Whereas, The City of Atlanta and its racist police foundation pushed to spend over $90 million taxpayer dollars to bulldoze an urban forest in a Black neighborhood and build a fake city to practice urban warfare against Black and Brown communities and protestors;

Whereas, Municipalities throughout the U.S. are looking at “Cop City” as a model for racist and political repression and violence in the wake of the George Floyd Uprising;

WHEREAS: International armed forces, such as the genocidal Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) collaborate with U.S. police;

Whereas, As the student movement continues to grow following a highly active 2023 school year culminating in the encampment season last spring, youth activists now face heightened repression on campuses;

Whereas, SDS has always seen and seeks to end the connections in the struggle against racist and political repression, a struggle which we lead alongside the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression

Therefore, be it resolved,

to encourage all SDS chapters to cooperate with NAARPR chapters in their respective cities in the struggle to establish Community Control of the Police.

that National SDS will call for a National Day of Action against police crimes and to demand community control now

that all SDS chapters be encouraged to take the forefront in demanding justice for victims of police brutality as relates to their local conditions, campaigns, and actions

to oppose all attempts to increase surveillance and escalate state violence against Black and Brown communities, including opposing the construction of “cop cities” where they are proposed or are currently being built.

SDS Stands with Palestine!

Whereas: After 76 years of occupation, the Al-Aqsa Flood operation led by the Palestinian resistance forces on October 7th, 2023 was the beginning of a heightened struggle for liberation in occupied Palestine. Resistance fighters broke through the fences that locked them in the largest open air prison for decades. Israel's subsequent reaction to the Al-Aqsa Flood, such as bombing, using white phosphorus, and forcibly removing people from their homes was just the start to the current phase of genocide. They targeted hospitals, destroyed schools, and bombed refugee camps. Israels campaign of genocide has led to 10,000 missing, 100,000 injured, and over 50,000 dead.

Whereas: Students at universities across the country have taken up the call to demand that their universities divest from Israel and weapon companies. Many universities have their endowment funds invested in Israeli companies such as Elbit Systems and Elta, as well as weapon companies such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Bae Systems.

Whereas: In the spring semester of 2024, Columbia University Students for Justice in Palestine started a worldwide encampment movement on college campuses and Students for a Democratic Society led encampments across the country at around 20 schools. Some encampments won demands, such as at the University of Minnesota, while on other campuses they faced severe repression. These encampments also led to the occupation of buildings such as at Cal Poly Humboldt and Columbia University. The encampment movement has set a fire that has been unseen in the student movement in years.

Whereas: Israel attacked Lebanon on September 27th, 2024 in southern Beirut, leading to the death of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and thousands of others. Subsequent bombings, attacks on Palestinian refugee camps, and a ground invasion of Lebanon led to 500 dead and 1,500 wounded. In reaction to the attacks on Lebanon, Iran sent missiles to Israeli military sites and broke through the Iron Dome.

Therefore: Students for a Democratic Society will stand in unconditional solidarity with the people of Palestine and all countries who face Israeli attacks funded by the USA

SDS will oppose any and all monetary or physical support (weapons, troops, etc.) that the USA sends to Israel

SDS will continue to demand for schools to cut ties with Israel academically and financially. Such as stopping study abroad programs and divestment.

When Israel makes significant escalations on Palestine or other countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Iran, or Yemen, SDS will call National Days of Action against the attacks.

Defend Indigenous Sovereignty, Demand Climate Justice for All! Proposed by UWM SDS

Whereas, Corporations and the U.S. war machine are the drivers of climate change globally

Whereas, Indigenous peoples are at the forefront of the struggle against climate change and environmental degradation

Whereas, Fossil fuel and other extractive industries are concentrated on Indigenous land and Black and Brown communities, leaving destroyed or contaminated waterways, soil, and entirely polluted ecosystems in their path;

Whereas, Pipeline projects like Enbridge Line 3 and Line 5 on Anishinaabe land in the Great Lakes region, the Mountain Valley Pipeline on the land of the Sissipihaw, Saponi, Shakori and Occaneechi peoples in Appalachia are undermining the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples

Whereas, The Navajo Nation is currently battling federal and state governments, in addition to mining companies to prevent the illegal transport of uranium ore on their land

Whereas, The U.S. government and current Biden Administration have doubled down their support for fracking, despite the well known environmental impacts of this destructive practice and fossil fuels in general;

Whereas, Defending Indigenous Sovereignty extends not just from US Corporations stealing and destroying local Indigenous lands, but to the US Government arming and funding environmental terrorism against Indigenous peoples and their lands such as in Palestine and the Congo;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: National SDS reaffirms the resolutions passed at the 2021 convention on climate justice and Indigenous sovereignty

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: National SDS will demand the end of encroachment of extractive industries on Indigenous land;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: SDS supports the struggle for liberation from Turtle Island to Palestine. We demand full sovereignty for Indigenous peoples;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: SDS will organize and/or support militant actions to support the struggle for Indigenous rights and to demand climate justice for all, particularly on Indigenous Peoples Day and Earth Day to stop corporations and universities from co-opting these days;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: SDS will highlight the connection between U.S. militarism, environmental degradation, and the oppression of Native American, Black, Chicano, Asian, and all working people in the U.S. at these actions

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: SDS will plan a panel/workshop on Indigenous sovereignty at every convention going forward;

SDS Demands Legalization for All; Tear Down the Border Wall!

Whereas, The U.S. was built on land theft and genocide, making the basis for the U.S.-México border illegitimate;

Whereas, The U.S.-Mexico border is a symbol of Manifest Destiny. Reflecting the bloody history that lead to the separation of Indigenous peoples like the Tohono O’Odham and to the forging of the Chicano Nation;

Whereas, The border wall is an environmental justice issue — leading to fragmented ecosystems and destruction of riparian habitats;

Whereas, The border wall is a site for U.S. cooperation with the apartheid state of Israel. The criminalization of Indigenous peoples, migrants, and asylum seekers from countries ravaged by U.S economic domination and interventions mirrors the oppression faced by Palestinians in occupied Palestine;

Whereas, The fifth court of appeals, the appellate court for the reactionary states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, is once again challenging the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act (DACA), affecting millions of undocumented youth;

Whereas, The Biden Administration has failed immigrants with their unfulfilled promises to the undocumented: DACA was never expanded, the border wall is still being built, children are still in cages, families are still being separated at border crossings, no expansion of labor rights, and the Kamala-Walz ballot is campaigning on being “tougher on the border”, with Kamala Harris having told migrants “do not come”, neglecting the role of the U.S. war machine in mass migration;

Whereas, Operation ’Lone Star’, starting in 2021, has further militarized the Texas-México border, resulting in hundreds of deaths and cost over $15 billion to date;

Whereas, 13 reactionary Republican governors sent over 200 state police forces and 1,300 National Guardsmen to the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass, Texas, in violation of U.S. Federal Law. Additionally, Texas governor Greg Abbott installed floating barbed wire buoys, resulting in the deaths and injuries of migrants, facing no repercussions;

Whereas, Undocumented people are used as pawns by both the Democratic and Republican parties. Racist and reactionary politicians spread lies about undocumented immigrants, leading to increased harassment, oppression, and violence perpetrated against these communities.On the other hand, the Democratic Party often only pays lip service to the immigrants rights movement, while promoting war and intervention abroad;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: National SDS supports legalization for all and full equality for the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: SDS demands the complete dismantling of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and the dissolution of ICE;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: SDS demands the shutdown and dismantling of the inhuman detention centers, the removal of all cruel and criminal traps and hazards installed by the Texas state government and for those responsible to face justice;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: SDS will mobilize students to demand legalization for all, organize days of action, and work with local Legalization for All! Network affiliates and similarly minded immigrant rights organizations.

Resolution to fight budget cuts, firings, corporate outsourcing, and the consolidation of administrative power on campus.

Whereas: Over the past decade, universities across the country are cutting funds from, or outright eliminating departments like ethnic studies, gender studies and/or other departments historically associated with progressive movements or progressive education on campus.

Whereas: University administrations have taken to firing faculty members—essential to a quality education—under the pretense of balancing university budgets, while simultaneously bolstering administrative salaries by tens of thousands year after year and creating new high-paying administrative positions often with unclear roles.

Whereas: University administrations have taken to firing staff who work in accommodations, payroll, housing and all departments that make a university function and propel a student’s education.

Whereas: The aforementioned firings create greater challenges for students with accessibility needs, scholarship needs, housing needs, and any hope for a quality education with a sustainable support system.

Whereas: Universities have increasingly outsourced the work of staff and university departments to corporate entities, often out of state, which are incredibly inaccessible to students and out of touch with broader campus communities.

Whereas: Department leads learn of firings after the fact, faculty committees are left out of decision-making, and the replacement for those fired are often chosen by administration, bypassing any established process of shared governance with faculty and student government.

Whereas: This process of budget cuts, firings and corporate outsourcing represent a direct attack on our education.

Whereas: Clerical workers, food service workers, janitorial and maintenance workers face stagnant wages, higher demands of their work, and the same process of firings as faculty and staff.

Whereas: The unfolding of these actions outlined above at schools such as Lawrence University has broken down transparency processes, allowing administration to conduct themselves with impunity.

Therefore: Students, Staff and Faculty have a common enemy in the administration that conducts these firings, budget cuts and corporate outsourcing.

Therefore, be it resolved that New Students for a Democratic Society

Work to unite with students, workers, faculty and staff in opposition to firings, budget cuts and corporate outsourcing.

Structure campaigns targeting budget cuts, firings, corporate outsourcing, and administration salaries with demands that represent the needs of students, workers, faculty and staff.

Meet each respective group where they are at, host actions that build a movement and do not overstep the current consciousness of each respective group.

Support and mobilize students to efforts by workers, faculty and staff to better their pay and conditions, whether that be in a union space or any available avenue.

Invite workers, faculty and staff to speak at our actions.

No to Campus Suppression of Free Speech

Whereas: The right to free speech is constitutionally protected under the First Amendment, upheld by Supreme Court decisions, such as Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Whereas: At the University of South Florida, university administration continues to target pro-Palestine organizations and students by placing two SDS members, Saba Indawala and Isabella Deschene, under interim suspension after already expelling member Victoria Hinckley and suspending member Joseph Charry after the encampment held in April and expelling Tampa Bay SDS from USF campuses.

Whereas: At the University of South Florida, the Board of Trustees passed policy 6-028 which restricts signage and events like tabling and protests, allowing for university administrators to shut down organizations’ tables and protests.

Whereas: Denver Universities (CU Denver, MSU Denver) have placed Denver SDS on interim probation, barring them from flyering and meeting on campus, and arresting 2 SDS members during a Board of Trustees meeting in which public comments were completely skipped to prevent trustees from hearing student voices, while arresting 81 people at the Denver encampment.

Whereas: Tulane University claims free speech to be a right of all, yet targets student organizers in their sleep, arresting 14 at 3am during an encampment, in an attempt to silence their demands to divest from Israel while threatening disciplinary action.

Whereas: Florida State University commemorates protests against the Vietnam war on campus, yet arrests 5 pro-Palestine protestors and attempts to ban Tallahassee SDS from holding activism events on campus, threatening student organizers with expulsion and legal action.

Whereas: The University of Minnesota has implemented “politically neutral” anti-protest policies on campus, such as limiting protests to 100 persons and sound amplification to 1 bullhorn, to justify the political repression and academic intimidation of students.

Whereas: The University of North Florida charged 16 people, including 9 students, with trespassing for refusing to leave a pro-Palestine rally.

Whereas: Universities across the nation are placing suspensions, bans, expulsions, and other conduct discipline against students and student organizations, such as SDS and Students for Justice in Palestine, who speak against the genocide on Gaza.

Whereas: Universities continue to work with organizations like Hillel International to suppress free speech on campuses and continue to ban SDS chapters and students.

Therefore, be it resolved that National SDS:

Will continue to oppose the repression of free speech on campus.

Will use all tools and resources possible, including legal action, to protect the right to free speech, assembly, and association.

Will call for days of actions to rally against the suspensions of SDS chapters & students, and against general attacks on free speech.

Will plan national call-ins and similar actions to continue to pressure universities to drop any and all charges on SDS chapters & students.

National SDS Says No to Anti-DEI Laws

WHEREAS: The GOP has continued its attacks on programs that fall under the umbrella of DEI, targeting programs, courses, and course material, ultimately impacting LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and other marginalized voices within the realm of education. The Texas State Senate passed SB-17, targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs by name on June 17th, 2023, with the bill going into effect on January 1st, 2024. Similar bills have been introduced or are being introduced in states such as Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Kansas, among others.

WHEREAS: K-12 institutions have fallen victim to book bannings and the rewriting of curriculum, with organizations such as Moms for Liberty leading the charge to ban books depicting the experiences of marginalized identities, silencing voices that students might have otherwise related to and found solace in. We also see the removal of history critical of racism and colonialism being erased from textbooks, being replaced with either watered down accounts or apologia.

WHEREAS: College campuses across the US have been scrambling to reformat its programs and courses to conform to the Bill, with universities preemptively and quietly shutting down its programs even before the date anti-DEI laws were supposed to go into effect. These actions can be observed throughout every state in which DEI restrictions are being enacted.

WHEREAS: Universities that attempt to comply with anti-DEI laws while also providing its students with the same programs through rebrands and renaming, face infiltration and reports by independent, right-wing actors, with administrations failing to protect the privacy and security of their institutions.

WHEREAS: Countless university staff have been left without a job, since many of these anti-DEI bills target the presence of offices related to DEI, such as African American studies, LGBTQIA+ studies, and Mexican American studies. Non-academic programs such as university-employed therapists provided by universities’ LGBTQIA+ programs have been shut down as well. Most of the states in which these changes have been enacted are right-to-work.

WHEREAS: Queer programs have faced an unprecedented amount of closures, with UT Arlington, for example, closing its LGBTQIA+ Program quietly over last year’s winter break. Staff and students were lied to about protections of their programs and jobs, with the school touting a quiet rebrand before closing the program outright. The silent closure left staff without jobs and students without access to resources such as therapy and HRT. Students have been left to their own devices in creating their own networks concerning these services. The same story is reflected throughout campuses impacted by anti-DEI laws. Across the board, DEI program removals resemble shock therapy.

WHEREAS: Despite crackdowns and the capitulation of university administrations to the GOP’s demands, student organizations have continued to band together and strive to offer the same services and education to their peers, while continuing to fight for the reinstitution of DEI programs in states where crackdowns have been carried out.

Therefore, National SDS resolves to:

Maintain our national campaign to defend Ethnic Studies and DEI, continuing the fight in states like Texas in which bills similar to SB-17 targeting DEI have been passed, and striving to prevent the spread of said bills into other states;

Encourage teach-ins by SDS chapters that focus on Black, Latine, and LGBTQIA+ Studies, providing education that the state seeks to suppress;

Maintain the creation of actions against bans or budget cuts against DEI programs, not only in states where said cuts have already happened, but the furtherance of crackdowns in other states;

Stage national days of action protesting programs that have been closed or are at risk of closure under DEI bans;

Pressure university administrations to stand alongside their students, who are currently working to preserve programs that provide marginalized students with support networks and voices wherever their universities have abandoned them;

Pressure universities to protect their students and staff from right-wing agitators who infiltrate campuses and publicly post the faces and identities of those who are attempting to work around the restrictions anti-DEI laws place upon schools;

And encourage collaboration with other student organizations and university programs who are at risk of suspension under DEI crackdowns.

SDS Says Hands Off Venezuela!

WHEREAS U.S. sanctions, involving the theft of Venezuelan assets responsible for billions of dollars in revenue which formed the financial basis for public healthcare and education programs, have crippled Venezuela’s economy causing an extended humanitarian crisis.

WHEREAS Following the Bolivarian revolution in 1999, conservative forces have continually attempted to overthrow the democratically elected government, notably in 2002 and 2016 with the U.S. being a key actor in the 2016 attempt, spreading misinformation to manufacture consent for regime change while applying criminal sanctions against key industries and individuals, a strategy that has been used against the people of Cuba with whom the Bolivarian government of Venezuela has shown consistent solidarity in the form of bilateral agreements and humanitarian aid.

WHEREAS Nicolás Maduro won the 2024 Venezuelan Presidential Election against Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia in an election certified by the National Electoral Council, upheld in a decision by the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice, prompting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to recognize Gonzalez as the winner, creating the pretext for further intervention and military escalation in the region.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that SDS will oppose any attempts of U.S. intervention in the Venezuelan political process, including sanctions and warmongering, as well as support national sovereignty across Latin America through statements and days of action in response to neocolonial U.S. aggression against countries like Venezuela and Cuba.

Resolution to Continue Student-Labor Solidarity

Whereas the conditions of students and workers are inextricably tied, cuts to campus workers' pay normally come with hikes in tuition and other student cutbacks;

Whereas solidarity between the student movement and the labor movement is crucial for the advancement of all of our rights and the ability to raise demands against college administrators;

Whereas due to the current unprecedented and historic strike wave that the country is in, we must acknowledge that a win for a union is a win for the entire working class, and locally, that a win for on-campus unions against admin is also a win for the student body;

Whereas the Teamsters in UPS won a 48% wage increase over 5 years with an immediate $2.75 wage increase. UPS Drivers also won air conditioning and cargo ventilation in their vehicles, no forced overtime by their employers, and a real choice about their hours. Finally, UPS also won the creation of 7,500 new full-time jobs at union wages.

Whereas the UAW won major economic gains for 7,300 workers made up of a more than 25% wage increase, the end of tiered wages, and the introduction of profit-sharing, and Cost-Of-Living Adjustments (COLA), equalizing the rate of pay across the country among tens of thousands of workers.

Whereas the Longshoremen won a 62% wage increase over six years, bringing the hourly wage of the top dock worker up from $39 an hour to $63 an hour by the end of the new contract, fundamentally changing the standard of living and livelihood of unionized dock workers.

Whereas the AFA has won major gains on their new contract with United workers, with the threat of a strike that authorized a 90% voter turnout and a 99.99% Yes Vote, have won boarding, retro pay, and an immediate wage increase of 20% and on the back of this huge win the AFA is carrying this energy into attempting to unionize Delta Endeavor workers from this recent and historic strike wave over the past year.

Whereas our universities and colleges are reliant upon the exploitation of both its students and their non-administrative staff: with students paying excessive amounts of money to receive a degree that lands most graduates in the working class despite otherwise having aspirations of becoming professionals or independently wealthy;

Whereas campus clerical, technical, maintenance, and food service workers are underpaid for the essential labor they provide through understaffed positions in undesirable working conditions;

Whereas progressive student and labor movements have historically been united in our demands for racial, gender, class, and disability justice;

Whereas the relationships built between SDS and on-campus unions have been strategic and beneficial to the building and strengthening of both the student movement and labor movements on campus.

Therefore, be it resolved that Students for a Democratic Society:

1) Participate in solidarity actions in response to the needs of labor unions on our campuses and in surrounding communities.

2) Organize our own student-labor solidarity actions on campus in response to the needs of labor unions on our campuses and in surrounding communities.

4) Attend and mobilize students around picketing events held by striking unions.

5) Aid in the gathering of donations for strike funds.

6) Invite union members and labor organizers to attend and speak about our actions.

7) Attend and provide speakers for labor actions when requested.

8) Never cross the picket lines of striking workers.