[Infoshop News]: Full Preview of Workshops for Athens, OH CrimethInc. Convergence Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:55:26 -0500 (CDT) Full Preview of Workshops for Athens, OH CrimethInc. Convergence Thursday, July 19 2007 The opening circle for the 2007 CrimethInc. Convergence will take place in the evening of July 25, in scarcely six days. This is our final announcement, including an outline of the schedule, information on the "stations" that will be running at the campsite, and an up-to-the-minute list of workshops. SCHEDULE For maximum flexibility and inclusiveness, the details of the schedule will be established once everyone has arrived, and posted for all to see. The general plan is for workshops to take place throughout Thursday and Friday, and game-oriented activities to be centered on Saturday. There will be a circle every morning and evening at which people will make announcements, including announcements of the daysb events. The workshop schedule will be established by the circle Thursday morning, and additions will be made as needed over the following days. There will be a show at the Wire Saturday night featuring a variety of musicians. Prisoner Support Station: Throughout the convergence, this space will offer information about current political prisoners and defendants and stationery for writing them. Please stop by and show those held hostage by the state that you care. Library: A space in which to lay out and pick up free literature. Offer what you can, take what you need, and reproduce what you take to share with others elsewhere! Mental Health Space and Medic Station: If you are injured or need space to heal, there are resources available and people ready to help. Child Care Station: If you care to trust your children to anarchist maniacsbto allow them to be raised by wolves, as it werebyoubll have the opportunity here. Arts & Crafts Station: Materials will be available here should you get the itch to make, repair, design, or decorate something. Kitchen: Meals will be prepared and consumed collectively throughout the convergence. Dishwashing Station: To quote Emmabif you canbt wash, itbs not a revolution! Brad Will Memorial: Preserving the memory of Brad Will, a longtime anarchist and independent media cameraman who was murdered by representatives of the Mexican government in Oaxaca shortly after participating in last summerbs convergence. Displays: In addition to the memorial, there are other displays for your entertainment, edification, and participation. Please make one of your own! Ride Board: Since practically everyone here will be trying to go somewhere else next, and some of you donbt know how youbre getting there. Workshops Although all who attend will be encouraged to present workshops, facilitate discussions, perform puppet shows, etc. on the spot, we can now present the complete "preview" list of workshops that have been confirmed in advance. bDirect Action Fast Trackb Workshops! Earlier this year, at the National Conference on Organized Resistance, the Institute for Anarchist Studies presented bfast trackb workshops dealing with anarchist theory. Accordingly, this yearbs CrimethInc. convergence features two bfast trackb workshops on direct action tactics for those already familiar with the basics of safe, responsible direct action. These focus on honing the skills necessary to play specific roles in affinity group action: Direct Action Fast Track I: Communications Systems and Technology With an eye toward upcoming mass demonstrations, this workshop provides participants with a working understanding of communications technology and tactical applications thereof. The class begins with a cursory overview and explanation of different technologies available to activists, before progressing to a discussion of which tactics might be most appropriate for a comms team to utilize. The workshop concludes with a fun, hands-on exercise in which participants can practice some of the things webve discussed. Direct Action Fast Track II: Scouting and Tactical Planning Complementing the communications technology workshop, this workshop focuses on scouting, planning carefully, stealth, achieving surprise, moving into and out of an area quickly, and thinking on your feet. It concludes with a fun exercise pitting participants against the comms workshop to utilize their skills. And More Workshops! Stealing Your Education: Going To College For Free And Building A Network Of Education Thieves What if education were free? Wait, it is! This workshop offers a hands-on skillshare on taking classes for free from universities that would normally charge you serious Benjamins. From picking interesting classes to approaching incredulous professors to starting an autonomous study group, this workshop covers all the bases and prepares you to learn without all the bullshit of actually enrolling. Anyone who has done this already is strongly encouraged to attend and share knowledge and experiences. If folks are so inclined, we will also discuss building a network or resource of some kind for people stealing classes, so that techniques and insider info on specific universities can be easily sharedbhopefully leading to the creation of a giant, unstoppable hobo army of education thieves decommodifying education while they decolonize their minds. Talking In Circles: Recollective and Improvisational Anarchist Storytelling from Beginner to Advanced Discuss the history of oral traditions like Judeo-mythology and the epic of Gilgamesh, and the collective memories and myths of prison work songs like that of Casey Jones and John Henry. Learn to develop characters that listeners can relate to and effectively draw captivating story arcs. Webll conclude by exploring the mechanics of a memorable story and the art of documenting events and actions within legendary storytelling. Pessimism, Activism, and Urgency Beginning a critical dialogue about waiting, starting with personal reflections on my own activity and other theory in the first person. The Outsourcing Of Coercion: Private Security Contractors And Their Implications For Anarchist Organizing Outsourcing is nothing new. But what if instead of outsourcing call centers and textile manufacturing, you could outsource coercion? Webve actually seen that before; corporations have used Pinkertons and paramilitaries to bust up unions for over a century. But now governments are getting in on the fun and hiring private security contractors to do their dirty work all around the world. Since 9/11, the market for private security contractors has boomed. Governments (as well as corporations) can now hire private armies that operate outside of the typical rules of engagement and are loyal only to those willing to pick up the tab. Corporate armies such as Blackwater International and Triple Canopy have been deployed in New Orleans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and many other conflict zones, and anyone organizing against war, the state, corporations, or in disaster areas will have to deal with them in the future. This workshop will consist of an explanation of the private security industry followed by a discussion/brainstorming session dealing with the practical implications of the outsourcing of coercion. Herbal Medicine Making An introduction to herbal medicineblearn how to work with and prepare different medicinal plants for personal therapeutic use. The workshop will focus on how to make and apply infusions, decoctions, tinctures, oils, salves, and poultices. We will also talk about how to identify and use local and easily acquired herbs that you can start turning into medicines for you, your friends, and your family. We will also discuss how to interpret and treat general health problems. The presenter has been studying western herbs for past six years and is in her third year of studying traditional Chinese medicine. Info-Workshop: CrimentalbWhatbs Happening with CrimethInc. Down South? This discussion will expose people to what some of the Spanish speakers and locals in Latin America are doing related with CrimethInc. Additionally, it should establish connections between people working on those projects in North and South America, and preview the projects, Crimental and otherwise, that people are preparing for the next months in Latin America. Anarchy and Magic Tricks A short lecture on what magic and anarchy have in commonband why theybre just so damn fun!bfollowed by lessons on how to perform a few magic tricks, some sleight of hand, and basic technique. Presented by a part-time professional magician and full-time anarchist. How to Throw Your Own Really Really Free Market Pick it up by the heels, spin it around, increasing momentum gradually until you canbt hold it any longer, then let it fly in the general direction of the windows of the nearest Town Hall building! No, seriously, the Really Really Free Market model is one of the most successful demonstrations of gift economics in recent North American history. This workshop will cover the successes and challenges faced by some of the Really Really Free Markets around the US over the past four years, to equip participants to organize their own. Presentation from Unconventional Action on the Democratic National Convention, 2008 No offense to animal liberationists, but itbs time to kick the donkey in the ass! By 2008 the Democratic Party will have failed to stop the huge disaster of the Iraq war, making the Democratic National Convention the perfect time and place to disrupt their political machinations and popularize radical ideas among an increasingly disillusioned American public. Thus Unconventional Action brings to you this information-sharing presentation and strategy session on anarchistsb role in the b08 DNC in Denver, CO. This presentation will cover all the basics including a brief radical history of Denver police brutality, news and plans from local organizers in Denver, extensive city maps, strategy updates from folks around the country, and time for our own strategy and logistics discussions. RNC Welcoming Committee, Twin Cities, MN The RNC Welcoming Committee is an anarchist organizing body preparing for the Republican National Convention descending on our home, the Twin Cities, in 2008. We will be discussing what sort of infrastructure will be in place for the RNC, some of our thoughts on the RNC and its potential for decentralized action, and the pReNC convergence this Labor Day weekend. Most importantly, we want to get a sense of what folks need from us (maps, addresses for top Fortune 500 corporations here, etc.) to make this a delightfully disrupted event. Our website, updated frequently with relevant information, is www.nornc.org.Our email is rnc08@riseup.net. Discussion: Kicking Back in the Age of Media A discussion on corporate media, its influence and power over society, culture, mass and personal psychology, and even the state itself; more importantly, on how to dismantle the corporate mediabs power and why that must be accomplished before a radical new future can be born. Also including a proposal for a new and encompassing campaign and movement. Magonismo Yesterday and Today b&highlighting Ricardo Flores Magon and other Mexican, American, and Indigenous anarchists during the Mexican Revolutionband their legacy today. Sexual Abuse Survivor Discussion Group A safe and welcoming discussion group specifically for both men and women survivors of sexual abuse. We will be sharing stories, tactics, and support dealing with being sexually abused. How to Support a Survivor of Sexual Abuse Workshop This workshop will examine the importance of honest communication, consent, and listening when dealing with a family, friend, or lover who has been sexually abused. This is for survivors and allies alike. I will explain how being sexually abused has affected me and how I support my friends and family who have also been sexually abused, and how they support me. I will also explain how I confronted and forgave the person who sexually abused me. Discussion Group about Depression A place to talk about how the radical community deals with depression, bipolar disorder, etc. We will discuss how people cope with the disease, with medication, and with lovers and family trying to understand how to support them. It will also be a safe place to talk about recovering from suicide attempts and addiction to self-mutilation. Social Detox Social Detox is a project addressing issues of masculinity and gender oppression in the anarchist movement. In this workshop we will brainstorm a radical masculinity that is sex-positive, accountable, anti-sexist, and revolutionary in the most intimate and subjective ways. http://socialdetox.wordpress.com Insurrectionary Mutual Aid: The Climate Will Change and So Must our Resistance Members from NYCbs Aftershock Action Alliance and the Curious George Brigade will look at how anarchists can use disasters/crises to strengthen our resistance while building bridges to other radical communities. Katrina and 9/11 were not the first and they will not be the last. We will be discussing the lessons learned from the 1930bs Dustbowl to Common Ground. Insurrectionary mutual aid seeks to make the planet and our resistance more sustainable. Reclaim The Pastures: a puppet show A fable that plays out security culture, consent, radical mental health, queer/trans awareness, and more. The puppet show leads into a discussion about these topics. The No Borders Camp This workshop will present the background to the upcoming No Borders Camp, a week-long cross-border encampment near Calexico and Mexicali from November 6-11, 2007. A general discussion of the goals and logistics of the encampment will be followed by a strategy session of the participants. The overall goal is to expand the network of individuals and collectives participating in the mobilization and raise awareness of how borders impact us in our daily lives, regardless of where we live. Because once we recognize them, we can begin to tear them down. Emma (excerpt): A Play A selection from Howard Zinnbs play dramatizing the life of Emma Goldman. For more information: http://www.crimethinc.com/convergence/ http://crimethinc.com/blog/2007/07/04/2007-crimethinc-convergence-looms-ever-closer/#more-112 email crimethincbooking@yahoo.com with questions. ######################################### Infoshop News (news.infoshop.org) Serving the radical left since 1995 Over 10,000 daily readers Join our news list: http://www.infoshop.org/mailman/listinfo/infoshop-news =========================================