Frank H. Joyce
Vietnam Summer
There is, even though you may not have noticed it lately, still a war going on in Vietnam.
More than forty people, representing virtually every white peace group in the city, met on Monday, June 5 to try to do something about it.
Despite the wide divergence of political viewpoints represented the group tenuously agreed to combine their efforts over the summer. Committees were established to probe programs in four areas including community organization; anti-draft action; marches, demonstrations, and mobilizations and political action. A fifth committee will make proposals for structure, coordination, the name of the group, the setting up of a central office and the like.
A series of meetings beginning on June 11 was to make final the summer plans.
The June 5th meeting was called by the Spring Mobilization Committee and was chaired by the mobilization chairman John Anderson. Those present included representatives of Citizen’s for Peace, The Detroit Committee to End the War in Vietnam, Women’s Strike for Peace, Trade Unionists for Peace, SDS, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, People Against Racism, The Young Socialists Alliance, The Socialist Workers Party, Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam, Citizen’s for Responsibility, Veterans for Peace and the Draft Counseling Center. A number of unaffiliated individuals attended as well.
Mr. George White, a student from Brandeis University representing the national representing Summer” effort was present to report on plans for Vietnam Summer. Mr. White is the official Vietnam summer coordinator for Michigan.
The meeting heard a report on the national conference, held in Washington, to evaluate the Spring Mobilization which on April 15 brought more than 500,000 people together in New York and San Francisco to demonstrate against the war.
The Washington conference decided on a fall Mobilization to be held in Washington D.C. The demonstration, to take place on October 21 will attempt to bring together more than 1,000,000 people from across the country.
In addition, the Spring Mobilization conference passed resolutions on Draft Resistance, and Non-Violent Strategy and Tactics. Both the Majority and Minority proposals on Political Action were tabled due to lack of time. A conference on political action is to be called in the near future.
Still another national action program was called for by a group called the Vietnam Work-In. Headquartered in New York and San Francisco, the Work-In seeks students and others willing to get factory jobs in order to mobilize workers. The New York office is at 149 West 108th Street, New York, N.Y. 10025.
Information about Detroit programs can be gotten by calling the FIFTH ESTATE.
Related
See Fifth Estate’s Vietnam Resource Page