Donate Now!

October 27, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

$30,000
by November 11!

DONATE NOW!
at Indiegogo campaign


Make a big difference by giving generously to make the Dialogue between Cornel West and Bob Avakian known far and wide. Your donation will also make it possible for youths and those without funds from across the country to be a part of this historic Dialogue.

Consider these three reasons why this Dialogue is something people absolutely won’t want to miss. Then, decide how much you can give to make this possible.

1. This is a chance to see and hear Bob Avakian live! This is a very rare opportunity to see him in person and hear what this revolutionary leader and architect of a whole new framework for the emancipation of all of humanity is saying about the prospects for revolution and what transformations have to be undertaken to truly get free of the confines and horrors of the present system. How could you not want to be there?

2. This is a chance to see and hear Bob Avakian and Cornel West sharing a public stage together for the very first time, rolling up their sleeves and dialoguing together, exploring some of the important things they agree on and some of the important things they don’t agree on, no doubt surprising and challenging their audience to think more deeply, study more critically, reflect on how they might step up their own participation—with all this taking place in an atmosphere of love, mutual respect, and principled struggle, between these two people, with the shared passion for emancipation of the most oppressed and all of humanity front and center. How could you not want to be there?

3. This is a chance to experience what they have to say on a topic, Revolution and Religion: The Fight for Emancipation and the Role of Religion, that is objectively very important. Not so much because of what any of you, as individuals, may personally think about religion. Both believers and non-believers are very welcome at this Dialogue. But individual belief or non-belief is not the heart of the matter on this occasion. The reason the subject of this particular Dialogue is so important right now is because the topic of religion (any religion, all the many different kinds of religion) matters deeply to hundreds of millions of people, and even billions of people, not only in this country but all around the world. We all happen to be living at a moment in time where that is very much the reality: Religion really matters to a whole lot of people, and shapes many people’s thinking and actions. But what is religion’s place, what is its role in relation to fighting injustices and in advancing towards truly emancipatory social revolution? Can religion help with this? Or is it a hindrance and gets in the way? These are some of the questions Bob Avakian and Cornel West are going to be batting around and exploring together, sharing their points of unity as well as their differences with a broad audience. Again, how could you not want to be there?

Here's what your money will go toward:

Your contribution is needed to subsidize the tickets and travel for people from the most oppressed sections of society to be in the house on November 15. Buses and vans will be coming from Ferguson, Chicago, and Atlanta. We want to run a shuttle bus from the Bronx through Harlem to Riverside Church. Tickets for youths, homeless, and unemployed need to be subsidized. Our message to those who this system has cast off and counts for nothing, but who can actually count for a great deal, is: “This Dialogue Is For You.” Your donations make this possible. Budget: $15,000.

To make this known, we are launching a 10-day targeted media and social media advertising campaign. Think of all the students and young people agonizing over the future of the world. We want to run social media ads targeted to students and youth across the country; print advertising in campus newspapers in New York; online advertising on websites that reach progressive intellectuals and artists. The IndieGoGo campaign will contribute $15,000 to the preliminary advertising budget of $35,000.

The full budget for the Dialogue includes:

$15,000 so that this historic Dialogue can be filmed and made available next year so that audiences across the country and internationally have an opportunity to watch it.

$15,000 for the production of palm-card announcements and posters.

And $30,000 is needed for renting the main cathedral at Riverside Church—a venue with a deep history—and for high-quality production.

If this resonates with you... if you recognize the impact that this could have... if you feel the difference it would make if it were possible for hundreds of people who don't have the financial means to travel to New York, or even to pay for the full price of a ticket, then how could you not want to contribute all you can to make this possible?

For the 16 days leading up to the Dialogue, we are calling on you to be a part of raising $30,000 on IndieGoGo to accelerate fulfilling the $110,000 budget it will take to put on this event.

In addition to this online Indiegogo campaign, there are other important fundraising efforts underway. These include working to get large contributions from those who can afford it as well as street collections and community fundraising events involving hundreds of people all aimed at getting the word out about this Dialogue and guaranteeing its success.

REVOLUTION AND RELIGION is sponsored by The Bob Avakian Institute and Revolution Books NY. Individual and Group donations to help these efforts can also be made by contacting either sponsor online or by sending a check or money order to: The Bob Avakian Institute or Revolution Books NYC

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