Workshop Descriptions:
“Solidarity Beyond Rhetoric” (TBD) In the US, solidarity has often been expressed as proclamations, wall writings, and banner drops. While this is all of great value, that those practices of solidarity seldom venture beyond symbolic gestures is deeply problematic. This facilitated discussion builds on the discourse surrounding a more strategic practice of solidarity.
“Strategy in Anarchist Organizing”
This facilitated discussion begins with a presentation on strategy, praxis, and a particular project designed to develop both. It proceeds with a collective exploration of this and other models of strategic organizing. The hope is to spread the conversation on building better paradigms for anarchist organizing.
“Trickle up Oppression : the Perception of ‘Newness’ “
This workshop briefly explores the international and domestic historical precedents to the current mobilization against global capitalism and political imperialism and asks: How is the historical moment in which current resistance movement(s) takes place “new”? What are the conditions of its possibilities? We will utilize popular education games, film, and group discussion to develop a conceptual framework for how to think and reflect on’ trickle up oppression’ — the idea that the conditions that have long oppressed wage laborers, people of color, and women, are being felt by those who, in recent history, have been insulated from its effects.
“Blockades and other non violent tactics for resistance in the streets”—
Come learn some basic non violent direct action skills as well as learn the best techniques for using your body to build blockades
“Rad Mental Health: Rising up without Burning out”—
Discussion on the different ways to prepare for and process police and state repression. Skills and tactics for preventing mental health deterioration after state violence and recognizing the signs and symptoms of long term effects of trauma such as post traumatic stress, major depression, vigilance, and anxiety.
“Herbal medicine: Application and healing” –
Common herbal applications and basic herb materia medica. Topics include herbs for anxiety, insomnia, immunity, lung health, detox, and reproductive health.
“The Rainbow is Enuf: The Importance of Women of Color in Movement and the Struggle”—
The workshop will explore how a new and necessary approach to building of social movements and revolutionary struggle will come from those who are most affected by oppression: Women of Color. ‘The Rainbow is Enuf’ will explore how empowerment, healing, the uses of anger, etc will be the key to promoting WOC led movements and struggles.
Anarchist People Of Color, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Organizing 4 Occupation, Books through Bars and does support for US-held PPs / POWs as the NYC Anarchist Black Cross Lone Wolf.
“Self-defense and street combat for anarchists.”
This workshop will provide a basic overview of tactics and strategies when dealing with recalcitrant fascists and / or aggressors. We will deal with holds, strikes, traps, among other self defense tactics. No prior martial arts experience is necessary. The techniques are simple and effective, derived from the Yip family Wing Chun lineage (invented by a womyn, for wimmin and slight-bodied people). Anyone with experience, ideas and techniques of their own are welcome and encouraged to share! Come prepared to move, and preferably with someone you trust to work with. I try to make this as fun and non-triggering as possible!
“Confronting White Privilege & Supremacy: Solidarity with Oppressed peoples vs. Recreating the Systems’ Sick Power dynamics” : The scourge of white supremacy / white chauvinism haunts our movement. A critical discussion and analysis is needed of what it truly means to be an anti-racist ally for someone socialized as the oppressor. Using ARA / Antifa, ELF / ALF soldiers and the Traveler / Squatter / Gentrifier lifestyles, I want to open dialogue around the effects of these phenomena on the struggles of oppressed people for self-determination, and how adventurism and reactionary capitalist impulses / conditioning can undermine the best of intentions. Basically, let’s do some work on processing the privileges and parasitism of the activist children of the bourgeoisie.
“Education & Resistance”—
This workshop will discuss the history of education and its role as a means to indoctrinate and to discuss the denial of education as a means of control. It will start out as a short but comprehensive lecture on the education and move into a brainstorm and discussion in break out groups on these dynamics and control. We will also discuss the importance of education and how to make it better through student walk outs, teacher strikes, and other forms of resistance to education cuts.
Cleveland 5 Workshop:
A workshop focusing on the events leading up to the arrests of the Cleveland 5 and how folks can support them. The workshop will also cover security culture as well as police and FBI tactics of entrapment.
“Violence, Nonviolence, and Diversity of Tactics”—
A lecture-based workshop exploring the myth of nonviolence and the increasing importance of employing a diversity of tactics in modern day radical movements.
“The Dangers of Homonationalism”
This workshop seeks to explain the concept of homonationalism, and what is so dangerous about it despite surface progressivism. The goal of the talk is to get a better grasp of the way in which gay rights can intersect with racism and colonialism and to project some idea of what a better queer politics might look like.
“Labor and Union organizing.”
Labor and Union Organizing This workshop seeks to explain how unions look at labor and laborers, as well as to provide insight into what organizing your workplace may mean, why organized labor is important and different types of organization within the labor community. This workshop will contain interactive elements in order provide a more concrete example of the break down of economic power imbalance that has led to not only the collapse of the economy but the decline of organized labor as a whole. It will also provide critiques of views and assumptions of labor unions and the labor movement.
Puerto Rican Anti-Colonialism and Repression from 1898 to Today
This slideshow presentation will be a snapshot of the anti-colonial history
in Puerto Rico against the United States, starting from the July 25, 1898
invasion of the island. It will cover various highlights in labor history,
anarchist figures, nationalist underground militias, anti-military
movements, etc. (ex. Macheteros, Vieques, Luisa Capetillo, the 2010 UPR
strike, and others) and how they have been tied, explicitly or implicitly,
to the overall opposition to the extraction of labor, land and resources
that continues today. It will also try to cover the various attempts by the
US and Puerto Rican governments to either repress these struggles outright
or try to absorb them through elections, concessions, and other methods. It
is meant to be taken as a lesson for anarchists and radicals in the US on
the ways this government has already tried to protect its interests for
centuries and also taken as a showcase of a history that is within our
technical borders but still feels so foreign to people in the US. By Luis
Oyola from Virginia.