Announcing a second run of BA Speaks: Revolution—Nothing Less! Bob Avakian Live
And the second printing of BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian
September 23, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
These new publications mark a juncture in the campaign to get BA Everywhere and to project BA's vision and work throughout society. The first run of 3,000 sets of the BA Speaks: Revolution—Nothing Less! DVD is almost sold out. And the first printing of BAsics in English—10,000 copies—is totally sold out.
Thousands of copies of the DVD Revolution—Nothing Less! and print copies of BAsics have been distributed through the efforts of hundreds of people going out in neighborhoods and in wealthier areas, to college and high school campuses, in major cities and smaller communities. The financial contributions of hundreds of people made it possible to send BAsics to prisoners across the country. Thousands have viewed BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS!—including on the van tours this summer.
Step back and reflect on what this means and how meaningful it is that people from a range of corners of society have engaged with BA.
One young Latina said after seeing Revolution—Nothing Less!: "I think it's very important for everyone, especially young people from the hood to see this because BA talks about what they go through and he has a solution to all oppression. And I know for me, when I saw it, it changed the way I looked at everything…music, shows, commercials, ads. I just started seeing all the fucked up shit they promote and it made me want to challenge all that and not go along with any of it."
A Black man in Harlem, before the New York City premiere of the film, said "I'm buying a ticket for a young person who might need help getting to BA Speaks: REVOLUTION —NOTHING LESS. I want this ticket to go to a young person who is not a carbon copy of what this society wants the youth to be. Someone who wants a different future for this world. BA is one person who has the vision and the program for another world. Go hear BA and don't be a carbon copy. Be a new generation that is standing up against what keeps us enslaved."
This film, and this book, which are at the heart of the campaign to get BA Everywhere, have provoked people from different parts of society who agonize over the state of this society and the world to think in new ways about why the world is the way it is and the reality that the world does not have to be this way, that a different and far better future is possible, and that there is a leader who has devoted his life to the emancipation of all humanity and brought the science of revolution to a whole new level. Together, these two works are the way in for thousands—and millions—to get to know and engage with BA. Humanity needs revolution and communism, and Bob Avakian has developed the theory and strategic orientation and pathways to make such a revolution and advance to communism.
This is quite an accomplishment—and a good beginning.
But looked at from the standpoint of seriously and radically changing society, it is only a glimpse of the potential and urgent need for the BA Everywhere campaign to truly impact all of society. Everybody needs to know about this revolutionary leader. That is the challenge! Let your mind range widely as you think about what could be accomplished with truly major funds. Funds for more showings of Revolution—Nothing Less! Funds for big promotion and advertising of these works, including on the Internet, and printing promotional cards, T-shirts and other gear. Funds not only to get the film out broadly, but for cultural events and other diverse ways BA and his work can be popularized and spread. And much more. As we move towards the end of the year, people who have taken up and contributed to BA Everywhere across the country need to be seriously developing plans for BA Everywhere to build on what has been accomplished and bust out in a big way throughout society. Write to baeverywhere@gmail.com and revolution.reports@yahoo.com with your thinking.
When people encounter and engage with Revolution—Nothing Less! and BAsics, big questions are posed for people—from all walks of life—who wrestle daily with the state of the world. This engagement changes the discussion and debate. Now is the time to step up our efforts, inspired and spurred on to scale the heights by this great beginning. No one should underestimate what a huge difference this can make in the direction society takes at a moment when millions are awakening and thinking. This can make a huge difference in what people are thinking, and how they are thinking about what kind of society this is—and what kind of society they want to live in.
FUNDRAISING to get BA Everywhere is key to changing the climate and discourse in this society. For this campaign to succeed, a broad range of people need to join in. Individuals with more financial resources and who long for a different world need to be reached and won to step forward in the ways they see fit. Let's go out to people who are being presented with (non) "solutions" like micro-finance and supporting this or that candidate for office and challenge them to really make a difference that will matter: Get BA Everywhere! What if major film showings of Revolution—Nothing Less! in major venues were made possible by substantial contributions to the BA Institute, and came together with efforts to raise funds from people in the neighborhoods, from students and others. There needs to be a real mix and many different avenues into this campaign…all of which not only contribute but react on each other to make a whole greater than its parts.
Fundraising for BA Everywhere allows anybody, anywhere—with whatever their means—to join in this campaign and become a part of and work to expand the community and movement of people coming from all different perspectives who feel we need a different, critical and open discourse and culture in this society. We aim to build a community of people who are actively engaging with the work and vision of BA in different ways. We invite all those who long for change, while they may disagree with some of what BA is fighting for or feel that they need to know much more, to seriously think about what it would take for this voice, this vision and work to be discussed and debated broadly out in society. People can come at making BA Everywhere a question throughout society from many different directions.
The time is now, as we look towards the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, to go all out to raise really big money to project BA's work and vision throughout society.
Let's go!
Donate to the Bob Avakian Institute
The Bob Avakian Institute is a nonprofit institute organized for educational purposes. Its mission is to preserve, project, and promote the works and vision of Bob Avakian with the aim of reaching the broadest possible audience.
For information on how to donate by credit card, check, or money order, go to thebobavakianinstitute.org.
Please be aware that The Bob Avakian Institute is not tax exempt and donations made to it are not tax deductible.
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