Perhaps people involved with Occupy Research would be interested in holding
a workshop at the National Occupation of Washington, DC Social Forum this
April. The social forum is part of a month long occupation of DC occupiers
from across the country. The social forum is in the first two weeks of
April. Details below.
KZ
http://nowdc.org/content/now-dc-social-forum
NOW DC SOCIAL FORUM
updated as of 29 February 2012
*Call for Workshop Proposals*
*NEW SUBMISSION DEADLINE, Monday, March 12, 2012*
*NOW-DC SOCIAL FORUM, 2012*
*at National Occupation of Washington, D.C. (NOW DC)*
http://nowdc.org/
*Part 1: April 3-5, 2012*
*Part 2: April 10-14, 2012*
*Washington**, DC*
*CONTEXT: *March 30, 2012, people from across the country will gather for
an American Spring in Washington, DC. The National Occupation of
Washington, DC (NOW DC) opposes the corruption of both parties in
conducting U.S. domestic and foreign policies. Our most precious safeguard,
the Bill of Rights, has been effectively destroyed, and the Supreme Court
has allowed the Constitution to be perverted. This cannot be allowed to
stand unopposed. We are uniting against a corporate-controlled government
which has failed abysmally to promote the public well-being, and in doing
so we will demonstrate our commitment to creating a new world where the
people, not the 1%, rule.
NOW DC—education, protest and mobilization—will begin with an
inspiring NOW-DC Social Forum to bring together the experience, knowledge
and thinking of the 99%. Occupiers from across the country will present
workshops on socially relevant areas, including political and policy
issues, strategies for shifting power from the 1% to the 99%, ending wars
and militarization, and the strengths and weaknesses of the Occupy
movement, as well as concrete descriptions of how to organize communities,
hold General Assemblies, live-stream and create your own media and other
practical necessities for successful occupations.
The civil resistance of NOW DC will focus on the power structure in
Washington, DC. The first phase of the Occupy Movement showed that people
acting in solidarity have power and can change the direction of the
country. NOW DC aims to unite occupations in a focused campaign to
demonstrate to elected officials in Washington, DC, and K Street and
corporate interests that the people no longer trust or accept their rule,
that a radical transformation to a participatory democracy operating under
the rule of law is essential.
The reign of money in government has fostered policies that throw people
out of their homes and drive families into bankruptcy, impoverish whole
communities, deny access to medical treatment and wage unending wars
abroad. Worst of all, the policies of greed are literally destroying our
planet. All this must change soon and change dramatically. The political
puppets now occupying public space will not bring about this change. Only a
united, courageous and enlightened public can do this.
*NOW-DC SCHEDULE (provisional):*
*NOW-DC: National Occupation of Washington, DC: March 30-April 30, 2012*
*OCCUPY POWER*
*Provisional Schedule-*Update as of 13 February 2012
*OCCUPY POWER ARRIVAL WEEKEND: March 30 - April 1, 2012*
*Friday March 30 - Travel to Washington and set-up*
*Saturday, March 31 - First NOW-DC General Assembly, Franklin Square Park*
*Sunday, April 1 - Teach-Ins, NOW-DC Actions, possible General Assembly *
*Monday, April 2 - March (s)*
*Tuesday-Thursday, April 3 to 5 - NOW DC Social Forum: Part 1*
*Friday-Monday, April 6-9 - Occupy Faith Weekend*
*OCCUPY POWER WEEK: April 10-17, 2012*
*April 10 to 14 - NOW DC Social Forum: Part 2*
*April 14 and 15 - Celebrate Occupy Power with Music, Arts and Speakers*
*April 16 onward - NOW DC Direct Action(s) - nonviolent marches and civil
resistance*
*April 17: A17 Occupy Congress Mobilization *
*April 29 and 30 - Clean-up and depart*
*May 1 - National Day of Work Stoppage*
*GOALS of the NOW-DC Social Forum, 2012 are to: *
1. Create a space for the Occupy movement to converge, share, learn
and strategize;
2. Advance the Occupy movement(s) agenda for action and transformation;
3. Build strong relationships and collaborations between Occupy
movements in the USA and strengthen solidarity with occupations around the
World;
4. Learn from each other about strategies, tactics, and creating
models for economic and environmental sustainability, and more;
5. Strengthen local capacity to improve social conditions, organizing
and movement building in the metro D.C. area;
6. Examine polices that would shift power from the 1% to the 99%
including creating an economy for the people and a real, participatory
democracy.
*GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING A WORKSHOP PROPOSAL*
The NOW-DC Social Forum, 2012 will be designed by occupiers to meet the
interests and needs of occupiers. Occupiers will submit workshop proposals
in one of the following four tracks or a new track can be proposed.
*Policies and Strategies for Ending Corporate Rule and Shifting power from
the 1% to the 99%: *This track will focus on policies, political
strategies, targets, and tactics for ending corporate rule of the U.S.
government and creating a participatory democracy. This track will also
include workshops on democratizing the economy, media and other
institutions.
*Lessons and the Way Forward for the Occupation of Public Space: *How to
organize communities that are occupying public space, meeting basic needs,
overcoming challenges, negotiating with authorities, holding General
Assemblies, live streaming, getting media coverage, fundraising, creative
expression and use of the arts, preventing foreclosures, occupying
buildings and other practical necessities for successful occupations.
*Direct Action Tactics & Strategies:* This track will focus on lessons
learned and best practices for nonviolent direct action, civil resistance,
and “occupying” targets. How do non-violent movements shift power to the
people? How to get people to participate? How to protect the legal rights
of occupiers? How to get the media to cover the event? This will include
all types of nonviolent strategies and tactics and an exploration of
nonviolence.
*Models for Building Alternative Models and Systems:* As the Occupy
movement is evolving, many physical occupations are forming working groups
and spreading into communities and into homes and buildings. This track
will explore “Occupy” models and systems that work outside of the corporate
structure in sustainable ways to meet human needs for education,
information, housing, food, the environment, health care, jobs, a
democratized economy and more. Knowledge, skills and connections acquired
can be used to develop and expand sustainable systems in urban and rural
settings.
New Tracks that are being developed include:
1. Occupy and Labor
2. Occupy Faith
The NOW-DC Social Forum organizers welcome all occupiers to submit workshop
proposals. This guide will provide information about creating a workshop.
*WHAT is a workshop at the NOW-DC Social Forum, 2012?*
The workshops at the NOW-DC Social Forum are open to the capacity of
occupiers to design, implement, and advocate for effective interventions in
their respective communities. Designers decide what type of space is
required – outdoor or indoor, classroom, gallery, farm, workshop, etc.
Share knowledge, skills, experiences, both successes and failures, which
are relevant to the Occupy Movement. Designers decide what materials are
needed and if there are a maximum or desired number of participants.
Designers decide on the length of the workshop and in what language(s) it
will be offered.
*HOW do I submit a workshop?*
Please submit your workshop ideas by sending an email or attachment to*
workshops@???*
*WHAT information is needed to submit a workshop?*
Please submit the following information in an email or attachment to*
workshops@???*
Workshop Track (and explanation if this is a new track):
- Which track do you think your workshop fits into?
- Or do you recommend a new track?
Workshop Title:
Workshop Proposal (please provide all of this information or as much detail
as possible):
- Learning objectives
- Format
Workshop Facilitator(s):
- First name(s)
- Last name(s)
- Facilitator Experience/Expertise
- Facilitator Contact Details
- Target Audience
- Desired Number of Participants
- Desired location/facility
- Language
- Duration
- Affiliation
WHEN CAN YOU OFFER YOUR WORKSHOP?
- I can offer my workshop in NOW DC Social Forum, Part 1: April 3-5, 2012
- I can offer my workshop in NOW DC Social Forum, Part 2: April 10-13,
2012
- I can offer my workshop multiple times during Phase 1 and Phase 2
Occupation/Institution/ Organization/ University
City
State
Country
Any particular needs
