On Monday, February 11, The Solidarity Alliance of McGill (SAM) held a meeting to announce their new constitution. Since November, SAM has been in the process of drafting its constitution. The organization’s constitution aims to support and empower those “unjustly oppressed.” SAM will create a productive and welcoming environment for progressive groups to promote and share their agendas. Furthermore, SAM will, with the help of a variety of voices, represent leftist groups present on campus.
SAM aims to be a forum to serve progressive groups at McGill. They will aim to start discussions campus on official objectives of the new constitution, including starting discussion on campus involving issues associated with progressive interests; draft and publish shared statements; coordinate events between groups; create greater institutional memory to improve efficiency for campaigns.along with memories to improve efficiency for campaigns; and issue endorsements of policy and candidates in student electoral politics.
In terms of membership, SAM represents a coalition of numerous groups on campus, each group is awarded one voting representative. Some groups, such as the Daily and the Union for Gender Empowerment, hold observer status, and are non-voting members but are still welcome at meetings. Current voting members are QPIRG, Socialist Fightback McGill, Divest McGill, STAND for Prison Justice McGill, NDP McGill, and Independent Jewish Voices McGill.
The coalition will be creating social media platforms in order to inform the McGill student body, including email, Facebook, and Instagram account. In terms of event planning, Solidarity Alliance will collect money through ticket sales, for example, and donate said proceeds to a charity that will be decided before the event.
For more information, visit SAM’s Facebook page.