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wm dege RE: . POSSIBLE: TRIKE AND ATTEMPT TO CLOS” DOWN ' CONFINENTIAL . KENT STA, "IVERSETY (KSU), KENT, 7%, “ON MAY 3 - ., 1971 ry STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ge Students for a Democratic Society, commonly known as SDS, came into existence at a founding convention held during June, 1962, at Port Huron, Michigan. From an initial posture of “participatory democracy," Marxist-Leninist ideology of various shadings became predominant during 1968-1969 with debate centering on how best to create a revolutionary youth movement. SDS moved from involvement in the civil richts structtile to an anti-Victnam war position to advocacy of a militant anti-imperralist line linking up the oppressed peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America with the black liberation movement in the United States. All major factions within SDS ombrace Marxism-Leninism and identify internationally with China, Cuba and North Vietnam as countriocs leading the worldwide strusgles against the United States. However, the Soviet Union was reparded as imperialist and with the Connunist Party, United States of America, “revisionist” in nature. SDS operated under a national constitution which called for an annual National Convention (NC) and quarterly Rational Council meetings wherein pregrams were initiated and debated. Three national officers were elected annually with a Nationar Interim Committee to run the organization. Regional offices and college chapters elccted delegates to the national meetings but each functioned independently on local matters. Its official publication "Fire" (formerly “Hew Left Notes") last appeared in December, 1969. Internal factionalism of serious proportions developed during 3 SG6S& - 1569 and the following three fa act 1GnsS evolved as a result of a split at the June, 1°69, NC: Weatherman, Worker Student Alliance (WSA), and Revolutionary Youth Movement (Ry). The effect of the split on SDS chapters througkhout the country was divisive. Same alligned with one or the other of the three major factions. Others, unable to identify with any faction, disassociated with SDS completely and changed names. . a edie. - APPENDIX ne “+ CONPADENTTIAL