[act-ma] The Radical Organizing Conference Summer Institute – 2009

[Camilo Viveiros]

The Radical Organizing Conference Summer Institute – 2009
(apologies for repeat postings) please spread the word

Supporters of the Radical Organizing Conference (ROC) process are
pleased to announce the ROC Summer Institute. Since 2003, there have
been four ROCs. At each one, participants have talked about how we can
do our work in a way that brings about radical change (gets to the
root causes of problems). In that spirit, the ROC Summer Institute
will offer short courses that allow participants to think even more
deeply about the “big picture” and learn new skills as they continue
their practical work for justice. Please join us for one (or more!) of
these exciting workshops.

Circle the workshops you are interested in. Then fill out the form on
page 5. Keep pages 1-4 for your reference and send page 5 to City
Life, 284 Amory Street, JP, MA 02130. Or send an email to
radicalorganizingconference at gmail.com and tell us which classes you
want to take. Registration is not required (except for the Art Tour),
but we would appreciate hearing from you if possible.

Class and Race
Tuesday, July 14, 6:00 to 8 pm, at CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
Historic movements have arisen in the United States in response to
oppression based on class and race.  What is the basis of these
oppressions?  How have these movements united, how and why have they
been divided?  We will discuss these issues using a few readings,
group interactions, and reflections of participants.
Facilitator: Steve Meacham (Organizer) City Life

Protest Singing
Practices will be July 9 from 6-7 at CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
Karin Parker, an accomplished jazz singer, will organize a group to
practice several protest songs.  The group will perform the songs at
the City Life fundraiser July 11 and perhaps at subsequent events.
Facilitator: Karin Parker kparker at clvu.org

Exploring Youth Liberation
4 Mondays, starting July 13, 20, and 27 from 6-8 at Spontaneous
Celebrations, 45 Danforth St., JP
Join this group of (mostly) young people and youth workers who will be
reading excerpts of The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace
Llewellyn.
Contact: Cynthia Peters cyn.peters at gmail.com 617-524-3693

Economic Refugees - Migration and the Growing Divide
Thursday, July 9, 6-8:30 at CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
What are the facts about immigration? What is pushing workers and
families to leave their homeland and emigrate to the U.S.? What do
foreign-born and domestic workers have in common? What about
immigration “reforms”? Learn about ways to close the political and
social divides that pit workers and communities against each other.
Facilitators: Jeannette Huezo (UFE), with help from Sarah Horsley

Identifying the Local Power Structure
Meets Saturday, July 11, 1-3 at the CLVU office, 284 Amory St. (in the
Brewery), JP
This workshop offers power analysis tools. 1) power mapping: this
process is about building grassroots power as well as doing a power
analysis of targets; and 2) power/political landscaping exercise: a
participatory/collective process that can be used to illustrate and
monitor shifts in power during a campaign/organizing project.
Contact: Camilo, camiloviveiros at yahoo.com, 508-674-7146

Health and Fitness for the struggle /Bike Riding
3 Saturdays -- July 11, 25, and August 1; meet at the CLVU office, 284
Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
Two sessions on nutrition, one on diseases we face as we get older,
one on physical fitness and training programs. The training session
will involve actual exercise.
Facilitator: Paula Taylor, physical trainer, bank tenant

Thirty Years of Resistance in El Salvador
Monday, July 13, from 6-9 [location to be determined; in Spanish and English]
Workshop featuring the past 30 years of struggle and recent election
win in El Salvador. Equipo Maiz will broaden  the discussion beyond El
Salvador, as they focus on capitalism and the economic crisis.
Facilitators: Jeannette Huezo, Carlos Rosales, and Equipo Maiz (a
Salvadoran popular education group)

"Very Young Girls" film screening & discussion
Monday, July 13, Location: TBD
"Very Young Girls" is an expose of human trafficking that follows 13-
and 14-year-old American girls as they are seduced, abused, and sold
on New York’s streets by pimps, and treated as adult criminals by
police. The film identifies hope for these girls in the organization
GEMS (www.gems-girls.org), a recovery center founded and run by Rachel
Lloyd, herself a survivor of sexual exploitation. The film was
co-produced by Lloyd.
Sponsored by: Reflect and Strengthen and Matahari (www.eyeoftheday.org)
Contact: caroljg at gmail.com

Political posters for public spaces
Tuesday, July 14, 6:00-8 at CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
Creating images and word phrases to bring political issues into public
spaces.  We’ll talk about issues that affect us and issues of justice
and how to present them visually.  We’ll look at examples of existing
public posters.  We will create our own posters, take them out and put
them up!
Facilitators: Katherine Mallory and Denise Baudet, Amherst artists

Street Law Clinic: Stop and Search
Wed., July 15, 6:00-9 at CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
This workshop gives participants a better understanding of their
constitutional rights when they have been stopped by the police.
Participants discuss how they can respond to police searches and what
they can do when their rights have been violated. This clinic will be
conducted by an attorney from the MA Chapter of the National Lawyers
Guild.
Learn what to do if the police stop you on the street and want to
search you. What are your rights?
Contact: Robert at presspull at graffiti.net

Screening of Documentary “At Home in Utopia”
Thursday, July 16; reception with food, 6-8 at Connolly branch
library, 433 Centre St., JP
“At Home in Utopia brings back to life a lost world of American
radicalism. Through the history of a cooperative housing project
founded by New York Jewish communists, it reconstructs two generations
of political activists who sought not only to build a new society but
to live out their ideals then and there.”
Facilitator: The director Michal Goldman will be present to lead a
panel discussion following the screening.

Radical Organizing Methods
3 Sundays, 5-7, July 19, July 26, and August 2, at CAAS in Somerville,
66-70 Union Square #104, Somerville
We will look at what makes a radical organizing method by examining
winnability, strategy/tactics, coalitions, spirituality, building a
majority movement, role of political education, and the effectiveness
of well known organizing methods such as 1-1’s, story-telling,
relationship-building.  The format will be group discussion.
Factilitator: Steve Meacham, CLVU; host Rachel Beddick, CAAS

Go Green! Green jobs & the greening of our economy: What does it mean for us?
Thursdays, July 23 and 30 and August 6 from 6-8 at ACE office, 2181
Washington St. in Dudley Sq.
Facilitated by Mela and REEP youth organizers with support from ACE staff
Contact: Adam Machson Carter amachson at gmail.com

Financial Literacy.
Thursday, July 28, 6:00-8 at CLVU, 284 Amory St., and then one Saturday TBD
Grass roots activists from City Life will present this two-part
training in financial literacy issues with a radical spin.
Facilitator: Melonie Griffiths, former bank tenant and City Life
tenant organizer

"Who you calling a b*tch?"
Date & time in July, TBA; Tentative location: Spontaneous Celebrations
Open Mic on language, sexism, & homophobia
Sponsored by: Reflect & Strengthen and Anti-Violence Against Women
Planning Group
Contact: radicalorganizingconference at gmail.com

Stopping a New War, Cutting the Military Budget and Funding Our Communities
Wednesday, August 5, 6:00-8 at CLVU, 284 Amory St.,JP
The conflict in Afghanistan/Pakistan continues to worsen. The U.S. has
sent more troops; there is increased fighting, violence, death and
destruction; and a major new war may be coming.  We must organize to
stop this war, end militarism, and put the priority on funding social
justice and improving the quality of life in our communities. This
participatory workshop will present some basic information about the
war in Afghanistan/Pakistan and cutting the military budget.  We will
discuss things we can do to help set things right.
Facilitator: Duncan McFarland, United for Justice with Peace,
mcfarland13 at gmail.com

LET OUR MOTTO BE RESISTANCE: BOSTON ART TOUR
Saturday, August 8, 11:00 am.  Meet at the Boston Common, across
street from the State House
Enjoy a 2 hour narrated trolley tour that will highlight major works
of art that feature the monumental ideas of protest and existence from
the 19th through the 21st Centuries. The tour will travel through
Beacon Hill, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain and will include sculptures
and murals that document the history of resistance. Rich with history,
the tour will offer the understanding of the role of public art and
its power for community engagement. The trolley will accommodate 40
people. Registration required.
Facilitator: L’Merchie Frazier, Museum of Af. Am. History and bank
tenant; to register, call: 617-524-3541 ext. 310

Spirituality and Social Justice
Tuesday, August 11, 6:00-8 at CLVU office, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
Explore with other activists the role of spirituality in our social
justice work.
Facilitator: Mary Wright City Life tenant organizer

Just Food
Saturday, August 15, 10-12, Location: CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
Talk about where people get their food and what are some ways that
fresh, healthy food access needs to be and can be improved in our
community. Then try out some gardening at ReVision Urban Farm in
Dorchester or possibly at one of the community gardens that the BWA
has recently been involved in (pending me contacting those folks and
seeing what they think might be possible).
Contact: Jolie Olivetti, jlolivetti at gmail.com, 617 851 9356


CHANGE 101: Political Leadership and Changing America, The Shirley
Chisholm Factor
Thursday, August 20, 6:00-8:30 at CLVU office, 284 Amory St. (in the
Brewery), JP
Shirley Chisholm revolutionized America and became a revolutionary
woman known around the world for bringing change to America and one of
the top 10 most important women in the world/history. She constructed
the foundation for a renewed and revolutionized American society.
TODAY….Today Barack Obama has been accepted/adopted and popularized by
American media and society far ahead of getting any concrete facts and
information of is presidential run. Leaders of the past, present and
our future will be discussed and documented. This is a Landmark
Documentary/Film Review & Political Discussion Event.
Facilitator: Joseph Edgecombe, FACTS, Urban History Scholar,
Black-History at live.com 617-905-9218

Diving into the Solidarity Economy: a Just and Sustainable Alternative
Thursday August 13, 6-9pm at CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
We will start with an interactive exercise to help us answer the
question: what is solidarity economy? Then we will hear about real
life solidarity economy efforts from right here in Boston and around
the world.  We will also break into small groups to envision and
discuss what we want Solidarity Economy to look like in Boston.
Panelists & Facilitators: Sarah Horsley, CLVU and Boston Area
Solidarity Economy Network (BASEN); Orion Kriegman (PUEBLO land trust
and BASEN); Julie Matthaei (U.S. Solidarity Economy Network and
BASEN); Germai Medhanie (Guramylay: Growing the Green Economy and
BASEN).

Writing a Letter to Get Results
August 25, 6:00-8 at CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
Learn about how to write an effective letter to the editor, to your
mortgage company, to an elected official, or to the judge in your
case. Bring drafts of letters you are working on. Or just come and
learn from the experience.
Facilitator: Cynthia Peters

Spreading the Word: Using Web 2.0. Filmmaking, and Photography
Date and time TBA. Location: CLVU, 284 Amory St. (in the Brewery), JP
This course will offer hands-on training around electronic media, Web
2.0, still shot photography, and movie making.  How can these crafts
be used to visually document and build the movement? At our first
meeting, we will set dates for getting together to learn, do field
work, and create a final product.
Facilitators: Karin Parker (Web 2.0), KC Bailey (photography), Ernesto
Morales (film), both bank tenants – SPACE LIMITED; contact Karin
Parker to register 617-524-3541 kparker at clvu.org

Multi-lingual Justice
Saturday, August 29th, 1-5pm at the Chelsea Collaborative offices (300
Broadway, Chelsea, MA)
Hosted by the City-wide Tenants Association (CTA) of the Chelsea
Collaborative in conjunction with the Boston Interpreter's Collective
(BIC), the first half of this workshop will focus on the theory around
creating multilingual spaces for doing community work; the 2nd half
will be an introductory training in interpretation skills.
Facilitators: Rachel English (CTA), TJ Hellmann (BIC), and Corry
Banton (BIC); for more information, contact rachele at chelseacollab.org