Over $24,000 Raised!
BA Everywhere Online Fund Campaign Surpasses Goal
July 28, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
The BA Everywhere Summer 2013 Indiegogo crowdfunding effort ended on July 15 with a big success—surpassing the goal of $20,000 for a total of $24,606. This online campaign launches a whole summer of even bigger fundraising in order to spread much more widely in society the liberating vision and framework for a radically different world brought forward by Bob Avakian. In particular, the Indiegogo campaign raised the money necessary to launch the BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! Van Tours in New York, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles (with another round of Van Tours planned for August).
Hundreds of people donated to the Indiegogo campaign—from smaller contributions collected in the neighborhoods of oppressed people to larger contributions ranging up to $2,000. The campaign was kicked off early by two significant calls of support: from musician Matthew Shipp, who wrote, "BA is one of the few theorists asking the right questions and grappling for answers..."; and Dennis Loo, sociology professor, who challenged other educators "who want to see a different world" to match his $500 donation. All kinds of people were inspired to contribute. The following are just some of the statements from people who donated to the campaign.
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A Challenge To All:
I am a single mother of 4 and living in the projects in Harlem NY.
For the Anti-4th of July picnic I made two drinks: lemonade and also half tea and half lemonade, and sold the drinks for $3 a cup. I raised $54 dollars for this indiegogo campaign.
Why? Because I want to get this Revolution on the Road Now!!!!
I challenge people to match my amount and more.
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$2,000—I'm making the donation because the ENTIRE political discourse in the U.S. is skewed to the right. We need a broader conversation. I believe in personal liberty and collective welfare. They need to have the proper balance and right now self-interest is all most people focus on. A just system creates the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people and does not foster dog-eat-dog individualism.
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$300—from a supporter of the revolution given in the middle of the night, July 15, at a protest for Trayvon Martin.
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$500—I see the situation in the world today from Egypt to Snowden and I feel having BA's vision of a radically different society out there is much needed and will make a big difference. I challenge other young professionals to contribute at least $250 each so that we can get a much needed discussion going in the world.
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From an artist who donated a sculpture for the Indiegogo campaign: It gives me hope for humanity. This is just the beginning of my part in the revolution. Thinking globally and acting locally. Creating and sharing that change is in the future. I watched the film [BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS!]. I saw the communist concepts for our future and seeing it as a realistic path...
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$50—We have to get Bob Avakian out to people awakening in these outbreaks. I was reading the letter from Turkey ["A Spring Thunder Resonating Far and Wide," English, Spanish, and Turkish, revcom.us]. Without what BA is bringing forward, these upsurges will get sidetrack & not contribute all they can to moving humanity forward... Those who cannot be out physically in the midst of all this can make a big difference by making as big a financial contribution as you can for BA Everywhere—that way you will be.
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$866—I volunteered to match $3 to every $1 raised in XXX because I must aid in creating a world worth living in. I usually find it difficult to go out & raise money, especially in the "hood," & especially among the youth, but I feel that those are critical forces if we're going to get past this capitalism/imperialism the world is mired in. The powers-that-be certainly are treating them as their enemy.
I challenge YOU to match what a team raises on a given day, donate now. Make that difference.
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