<nettime> Debt Campaign Launch

[Andrew Ross <ar4@nyu.edu>]

Occupy Student Debt!
National Campaign Launch
www.occupystudentdebtcampaign.org

On Monday, November 21, Occupy Student Debt is launching a national
campaign of student debt refusal. This campaign is a response to the
student debt crisis and the dependency of U.S. higher education on
debt-financing from the people it is supposed to serve. There is no
justice in a system that openly invites profiteering on the part of
lenders. Education is a right and a public good, and it should be
properly funded as such.

The campaign will consist of three pledges:

-A debtor's pledge to refuse loan payments.The pledge will take
effect after a million debtors have signed.

-A faculty pledge of support for the refusers

-A non-debtors' pledge of support for parents and other public sympathizers

The pledges come out of our commitment to four fundamental principles:

- Education is not a consumer good and therefore student
loans should not be treated like consumer loans. If they are to exist,
student loans should be interest-free.

- Tuition at all public colleges and universities should be federally funded.

- Private and for-profit colleges and universities should open their books.

- The current debt burden should be written off, ending the bondage of
two generations of student debtors.

The launch will take place 1:30 at Zuccotti Park, followed by
CUNY/Baruch at Madison Square Park at 3pm. Given the strength of
national sentiment around this issue, we expect campuses around the
country will join us in staging events to launch the campaign.

The campaign is the work of the student debt subcommittee of the
OWS Empowerment and Education working group.

The pledges are on this website  www.occupystudentdebtcampaign.org
FB facebook.com/pages/OccupyStudentDebtCampaignorg/217129071692202?sk=wall#
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