Revolution and Religion

The following appeal for funds needs to reach many thousands of people in the next few weeks: IF you burn with rage about the generations of youth in the U.S. and around the world who have no prospects for a future fit for human beings... IF you are sick to death with a society and culture that promotes and rewards selfishness, that celebrates surviving and thriving at the expense of others... IF your desire for something truly emancipating to emerge on this planet is great enough for you to move out of your comfort zone and focus on the biggest questions bound up with changing the world... Then you need to be in New York City on November 15 for the historic Dialogue between Cornel West and Bob Avakian, REVOLUTION AND RELIGION: The Fight for Emancipation and the Role of Religion. But you need to do more. This fall, you have an opportunity to help open people’s eyes to the possibility of a whole different world. Tell everyone you know that this Dialogue is happening and donate funds—dig deeply and give generously—so this event can have the impact it MUST have. This Dialogue will be a rare opportunity to hear Bob Avakian live and in person. He has been fighting for the people for 50 years and leading the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA for nearly the last 40 of those. He has taken the understanding of how to make revolution, and how to keep a revolutionary society on the path to full emancipation, to a new level. BA has come up against repression and suppression, and endured slander and sacrifice in doing so. And through all that time his deep commitment to the people has never wavered and, indeed, has grown stronger. He is the author of many books, including Away With All Gods! Unchaining the Mind and Radically Changing the World. (To get a fuller sense of BA, check out the article “Watching Fruitvale Station with Bob Avakian” at revcom.us.) Cornel West is widely recognized as one of the most important and provocative public intellectuals of our time. Coming out of the religious prophetic tradition, he has been fighting for the people for decades—“speaking truth to power,” defending those on the bottom of society, and lending support and often front-line involvement to key protests and resistance. He plays a unique and invaluable role in the political and moral life of this country. And Cornel West connects very deeply with those who most hunger for liberation—“the least of these.” This Dialogue is about revolution and religion. It will touch on the deepest questions of what it means to be human. Just think of everything that is bound up with religion, spirituality, the moral dimension and how people see that relating to revolution and getting free. This is a question affecting the lives of billions in the world, including those at the bottom of society who would have to be and would be in the front ranks of any revolution worth fighting. These two people are coming together from different perspectives with largeness of mind and generosity of spirit, with sincerity and heart and deep unity about the need to be rid of centuries of oppression at the earliest possible time. All this speaks volumes to the uniqueness and importance of this exchange. Think about it: When was the last time there was a program like this on a major public stage where two people—of this stature and with this depth—were talking about the fight for human emancipation? And Cornel West and Bob Avakian are taking the public stage together with the full comprehension that doing so is not risk-free. There are those who do not want this subject aired so publicly and unabashedly—they fear the potential of revolutionary understanding connecting with broad sections of society, including with those whose daily existence cries out for radical change. And they hate and vilify those who have refused to give up and give in but, to the contrary, have dared to lead. You need to step up too. Tens of thousands of dollars are needed to make it possible for this Dialogue to have the kind of impact needed. Along with putting on the event, there is the need to advertise in print, on the Internet, and to as many media outlets as possible. The news of this Dialogue needs to reach broadly and deeply throughout society, penetrating academia, religious communities, social movements, the ghettos and barrios of this country, and out to the suburbs. And most especially this has to reach the younger generation, those opening their eyes and stepping into political life on campuses and among those who catch hell every day. Funds are also needed to help pay for travel and event tickets for what will be an extremely important section of the audience: the most oppressed sections of this society, especially the youth. Dig deep and donate generously. If $5 or even $1 is a major sacrifice for you given your life conditions, this is a cause to put that toward, and you will be part of thousands just like you around the country who will be doing likewise. If you have the ability to give more, then do so—$200, $500, $1,000, or $10,000. The more that is raised, the more powerfully this Dialogue can impact the terrain. We sit at an important juncture in the world. Will things continue to hurtle rapidly backwards while people’s hopes and dreams stay confined to the world as it is? This Dialogue can be a major part of changing what people are thinking about, debating, dreaming, and how they see their lives. It will go up against all those who say this is the best of all possible worlds, that you should just make peace with what is, find your place in it, or even get a piece of the plunder for yourself. Supporting this dialogue is where your funds can make a real difference—isn’t it time to move beyond giving to projects that amount to window dressing on a burning house on top of a rotten foundation, or to piling fortunes into the killing confines of the election cycle where the “lesser evil” in reality continues the same evil that needs to be stopped? Instead, contribute to putting the question of fundamental change before the eyes of society. There is nothing more important right now than making this possible. Attend the Dialogue, help spread the word about it, introduce people to who Bob Avakian is and what he is all about, and build broad and deep support. And make the greatest financial donation you possibly can and call on others to do the same. You have a role to play in daring to change the world.