A new chapter of Students for a Democratic Society has been founded at DU and will begin recruiting members the weekend after next.

The DU chapter of the national organization will focus on issues of tuition increases, transparency of the university, diversity and uniting students and student organizations behind social justice projects, according to co-founder of the DU chapter Ben Waldman.

“We saw SDS as an outlet for students who were concerned about social justice issues so we wanted to bring it to campus to provide that opportunity for students,” Waldman said. The group has already been licensed and funded by AUSA Senate.

The chapter was started by a few active members of the undergraduate student body after a chapter that was started up to organize at the Democratic National Convention last summer fizzled out.

The national organization, aims to lead struggles that “can build and sustain a society of justice-making, solidarity, equality, peace and freedom,” according to the national mission statement.

The organization backed the student occupation of NYU in February that resulted in the suspension of several students.

“We’re not afraid to step up and take action, in a nonviolent manner to make sure that our voices are heard,” Waldman said.

While the founders of the DU chapter take inspiration from the actions and goals of the NYU action, Waldman admits that similar actions will probably never happen at DU and that the organization hopes to work with the university administration to improve the campus, rather than go against them.

The organization was also involved with the Weather Underground, a radical organization that killed two of its own members usin bombs in the 1970s, according to Waldman.Waldman said that SDS separated itself from the group at that time to pursue more peaceful methods of social action.

“SDS was split off from that group and took a non violent approach,” Waldman said.

Waldman said that while the group is officially liberal, it does not actively campaign for one party or the other.

“People see our title and assume that we’re part of the Democratic Party, but that’s not really what we’re about. That’s representative democracy, while [SDS} stands for a full on participatory democracy where everyone’s out taking full part in their governing system,” said Waldman. He said that he hopes the events of the chapter’s recruitment, called “Radical Rush,” beginning later this month, will change that.

The small chapter base will begin that recruitment process on Thursday, April 16 with a vegan and vegetarian barbeque on Campus Green. The event will feature a community art wall and will aim to educate students about the environmental implications of meat consumption.

The following day the group will host a forum on DU’s drug policy featuring speakers from Campus Safety, the faculty, the Health and Counseling Center and a community activist.

On Saturday the group will work in the community garden and will feature a veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan who will speak against war.

“The idea is to get people and organizations working together who weren’t working together before,” Waldman said.