Constitution Adopted, Movement for a Democatic Society (MDS) Is Re-born

OCTOBER 16, 2009 -- A diverse coalition of community-based activists committed to the creation of an egalitarian, directly democratic, and mult-generational movement, voted to ratifty their draft Constitution thereby officially becoming known as Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS).

The MDS Constitution is an adaptation of the SDS Constitution circa 1962-1967 updated to account for the political sensibilities and realities of modern times. It sets forth the following Preamble:

"Movement for a Democratic Society is a global association of people on the left. It seeks to create a sustained community of educational and political concern and actions: one bringing together liberals and radicals, activists and scholars, students, faculty and workers in all trades. It maintains a vision of a democratic society, where at all levels the people have control of the decisions which affect them and the resources on which they are dependent. It seeks a relevance through the continual focus on realities and on the programs necessary to effect change at the most basic levels of economic, political, and social organization. It feels the urgency to put forth a radical, democratic program counter-posed to authoritarian movements."

Following the ratification, the new organization resolved to build upon it's unique standing as a multi-issue, multi-tendency formation committed to direct action. It's initial energies will go toward opposing the ongoing occupation in Iraq, the expanding wars in Afghanistan-Pakistan, and any future war with Iran. MDS calls for Universal Single Payer Healthcare, seizing the rally cry "Healthcare Not Warfare". Among it's first campaigns - Boycott Whole Foods Market and solidarity with the workers at the recently closed Stella D'Oro plant in the Bronx, NY. John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO, uses his money to actively oppose single payer health insurance and the company has a history of union busting practices. Lance Inc. recently purchased the Stella D'Oro brand name and immediately announced plans to move production to a non-union plant in Ohio.

Speaking on the re-birth of Movement for a Democratic Society, Alan Haber, first president of SDS and an organizer in the current MDS effort said, "we had an altogether positive meeting in Ann Arbor, and the experiment of a number of groups meeting simultaneously in different parts of the country - NYC, Berkeley, with links in Chicago, Springfield MA, San Diego - on a similar agenda is an important step torward movement building. The organization form, which we took the initiative in promoting, has the potential of encouraging and linking action groups and making more visible the Movement for a Democratic Society. Hopefully the form will facilitate the action. Truth is in doing. Congratulations to those who took on to do it! Now it is about keeping on, keeping on, and being open and inviting, and willing to improve. MDS, Movement for a Democratic Society, is a modality through which the multitudes can mobilize, and therein, the empire will have met it's match".

Contact: Bob Meola, bobmeola@mindspring.com Devra Morice, devra.mor@gmail.com Alan Haber, megiddo@umich.edu Elaine Brower, mermaid423@aol.com

http://mdsconvention2009.com/