Beyond the Washington Consensus on the economy

Democratic Socialists Hold Convention in Washington-

Responding to the Economic Crisis: Beyond the Washington Consensus.

  

“Occupy Wall Street and the Struggle for a Democratic Society-“

A plenary session at 1:30 PM  on Friday  will kick off the national convention of DSA, the Democratic Socialists of America to be held from  Nov. 11 through Nov. 13 at the Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner located at 8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA.

DSA, the U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International, is the largest socialist political organization in the country with more than  7000 members and active locals in more 40 U.S. cities and college campuses. DSA members reside in all 50 states. 

A public outreach event “Equality and Jobs for the 99%: Economic Justice for All” featuring speakers including labor leader and immigration reform activist Eliseo Medina, author John Nichols, Josyln Williams of the AFL-CIO,  Maria Svart and additional progressive activists,  occurs at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11 at the St. Stephen and Incarnation Church at 1525 Newton St. NW, Washington, D.C.

Thirty years of deregulation, deunionization, privatization, and tax cuts for the rich, along with two unfunded wars, have robbed the public sector of the revenues needed to fund basic social services. While Republicans and Democrats trumpet the long range deficit as the major threat, DSA argues that we face not a debt crisis, but a political crisis and a jobs crisis. Extreme economic inequality, coupled with the capital crisis, has produced a shortfall of demand—similar to the U.S. economic situation of 1930–1936. In response to this demand crisis, we must put ordinary people back to work through a public jobs program.

This fifteenth bi-annual  convention is the first major organizational function under the leadership of DSA’s new national director, Maria Svart.

“Given our rapidly growing membership and the spreading Occupy protests, we have a lot to talk about,” Svart said. “The national conversation about the economic crisis has shifted from one framed around debt and austerity, to one framed around inequality and democracy. This is exciting.”

DSA Locals in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Wichita, among others, have taken an active role in the Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Freedom Plaza, and other Occupy protests.

Convention schedule: www.dsausa.org/convention2011/convention.html

For a full press kit email as listed above.

Electronic Media should contact us at least three days in advance with technical needs. Maria Svart is available for media interviews