On April 24th and 25th, we welcomed the largest gathering of the multifaith religious Left in DSA’s history, perhaps in U.S. history. Through presentations, panels, workshops, and discussions, we learned that each of our traditions has a history on the Left, and we committed ourselves to working within our own traditions, in our own regions, and as a national body.
More than 700 of you registered to start telling a different story than the one the religious Right tells. This conference marked the beginning of that journey.
If you could not join us or missed some of the sessions, almost every session is available to view on our YouTube channel here.
Video versions of conference sessions currently available for viewing on our YouTube channel include:
The Fire This Time: Forging a Multi-Faith Movement for Religious Socialism
Democratic EcoSocialism & the Green-Red-Black New Deal: Getting the Change We Need
Abolition: Can Religion Help Us Imagine a World Without Policing and Prisons?
Views from Left Field: Mapping the State of Contemporary Jewish Life
Using Values to Drive Social Change Around Poverty Issues: An experiential workshop
Create a ‘Zine to Remember this Day and your Takeaways
Refugees at the Border: How do we respond?
Strategies of De-escalation: What Muslim Thought Contributes to the Practice
Multifaith Perspectives on Medicare for All
(Other conference sessions will be uploaded soon)
And they are joined by multiple pre-recorded videos, including:
Breaking taboos: Tips for preaching on socialism in a progressive, nondenominational church.
Joerg Rieger: Deep Solidarity, Religion, and the Future of Socialism
Avi Garelick: Shabbos: The Political Significance of Jewish Law
Angela Cowser: Religion, Ethics, and Transforming the World for Justice
Sajid A. Khan: Striving for Justice: Muslim Influences on a Public Defender
Charles “Chaz” Howard Interviews George Lakey about Religion and Nonviolent Direct Action Strategies
Russell Fox: Religious Communalism and Democratic Socialism: The yearning for justice and equality
Samuel Cruz: The Living Legacy of Liberation Theology and the Current Moment of Socialism
Gary Dorrien: Intertwined Strands: The Religious Roots of Democratic Socialism
We hope you are inspired to get involved. Three ways to get started:
1) If you would like to be a part of our national working group, or get some guidance on starting your own area group, or contribute to our weekly publication, contact maxine.phillips(at)gmail.com. We'd love to have you join us!
2.) If you have family or friends who would like to get connected to the DSA Religion & Socialism Working Group, share this with them and invite them to visit www.religioussocialism.org and sign up to receive our monthly newsletter.
3.) If you’re not yet a member, join DSA!