All Events in

Sponsored links

TAKE BACK DEMOCRACY!

A Conference for Education, Solidarity and Action

WHEN: June 1-3, 2012

WHERE: Ottawa, Canada – unceded Algonquin territory

http://tbd.occupiedottawa.org/

Democracy is in crisis! With chronic government corruption, the exclusion of dissent and a total lack of political accountability, to speak of democracy in today's world is becoming increasingly meaningless. The basic democratic principles of fairness, freedom, inclusiveness, participation, transparency and equality are absent from the political systems that control our lives. We invite you to join us in reclaiming democracy and re-imagining what it is and what it could be.

The purpose of this conference is to learn from our organizing experiences, share knowledge with one another, grow our communities and develop strategies and practices for creating a better world. We hold this conference in solidarity with the Occupations, General Assemblies, unions, student movements, groups and individuals whose struggle for social justice is gaining momentum around the world, and we invite all people who are interested in lasting social justice to join us.

Featuring: Activist workshops, academic panels, DIY free school, and featured speaker Yves Engler.Friday, June 1st

11:00am - General Assembly and Conference Orientation at Confederation Park

2:00pm - Working Group Networking and Strategizing Sessions: members of the Occupy movement and other interested individuals will meet to share their knowledge and experiences, and discuss strategies. Working groups with facilitated discussions will be: media, outreach, safety, facilitation, camp logistics, safe(r) spaces, legal, arts and culture, direct action and fundraising/donations.

4:00pm - DIY Free School: workshops on silk-screening, bicycle repair, internet security, and more!Saturday, June 2nd:

10am – 5pm: Activist workshops on the following subjects:

-Direct Action Planning

-Gender and Activism

-Direct Action in the Workplace

-Food Justice and Food Sovereignty

-Anti-Authoritarian Approaches to Leadership

-Media Strategy

-Organizing Your Workplace

-Indigenous Solidarity for Settlers

Evening: Open mic night, featuring local musicians and slam poets.Sunday June 3rd:

10am – 5pm: Activist workshops and academic panel sessions.

Workshop topics:

-Independent Media

-Group Decision Making

-Community Organizing

Academic Panels:

1. Occupy Everything: How was the Occupy movement sparked, what does it mean in today's political, economic and cultural environment, what's new (or not) about it, and where is it going?

2. Neoliberalism and the Erosion of Democracy: What is the relationship between democracy and neoliberal economics? What has democracy come to mean in the neoliberal agenda and what types of democracy are rendered impossible by it?

7pm: Closing session with speakers, including Yves Engler. Dubbed "Canada's version of Noam Chomsky" (Georgia Straight), “one of the most important voices on the Canadian Left today” (Briarpatch), “in the mould of I. F. Stone” (Globe and Mail),"ever-insightful" (rabble.ca) and a "Leftist gadfly" (Ottawa Citizen), Yves Engler’s six books have been praised by Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, William Blum, Rick Salutin and many others.Please join us, and help spread the word! If you or your local community is interested in helping out with the conference, please contact us at occucon@occupiedottawa.org. More information on scheduling and locations is coming soon.

Sincerely,

The Occupied Ottawa Conference Working Group

**************Second call-out***********************************

TAKE BACK DEMOCRACY!

A Conference for Education, Solidarity and Action

WHEN: June 1-3, 2012

WHERE: Ottawa, Canada – unceded Algonquin territory

Democracy is in crisis! With Canada's recent robocall scandal, chronic government corruption, the exclusion of dissent and a total lack of political accountability, to speak of democracy in today's world is becoming increasingly meaningless. The basic democratic principles of fairness, freedom, inclusiveness, participation, transparency and equality are absent from the political systems that control our lives. We invite you to join us in reclaiming democracy and re-imagining what it is and what it could be.

The purpose of this conference is to learn from our organizing experiences, share knowledge with one another, grow our communities and develop strategies and practices for creating a better world. We hold this conference in solidarity with the Occupations, General Assemblies, unions, student movements, groups and individuals whose struggle for social justice is gaining momentum around the world, and we invite all people who are interested in lasting social justice to join us.

The agenda of the conference includes:

General Assemblies:

We will use the general assembly format to make collective decisions.

Working Group Sessions:

This is an opportunity for members of the Occupy movement and other interested individuals to meet members of working groups (media, safety, direct action, food, facilitation, medic, outreach, etc.) from other cities, to network, share their knowledge and experiences, discuss strategies, etc.

Workshops:

These sessions will help us to build the skills and knowledge needed for creating sustainable change. Workshops topics include: direct action, food security, independent media, building consensus, organizing your workplace, de-colonizing activism and community outreach.

Academic & Activist Panel Discussions:

Panel discussions will provide a forum for critical engagement on two topics.

-Neoliberalism and the Erosion of Democracy: What is the relationship between democracy and neoliberal economics? What has democracy come to mean in the neoliberal agenda and what types of democracy are rendered impossible by it?

-Occupy Everything: How was the Occupy movement sparked, what does it mean in today's political, economic and cultural environment, what's new (or not) about it, and where is it going?

DIY Free School:

Become less reliant on an economic system that exploits people and the environment, by learning how to do a bunch of cool stuff all on your own.

Featuring:

Great speakers, a vendor's fair, evening entertainment, music, slam poetry, and more!

The planning committee invites and encourages your participation. We need workshop facilitators, musicians, equipment, vendors and organizers, as well as volunteers to help with info, set-up, food, media, etc. We are also seeking financial donations. If you or your local community is interested in helping out, please contact us at occu-con@hotmail.com.

Sincerely,

The Occupy Ottawa Conference Working Group

*********** First Call-Out***********************INVITATION / CALL-OUT - OCCU-CONFERENCE

Please share widely

WHEN: June 1-3, 2012

WHERE: Ottawa

In the spirit of the Occupations that spread across the world in the fall of 2011 and continue even now, we call on you to join us! From Centennial Square to the Grand Parade and all points in between, add your voices to ours on Parliament Hill. We are calling for a united people's assembly - larger, louder and more defiant! We do this in the spirit of the On to Ottawa Trek, recognizing those before us who stood up and demanded a society governed in the interest of all, and not just for the benefit of the elite.

We will host a conference to hear and take action on our movement's many concerns. By coming together, we can learn from each other and develop strategies for the future. Together we can hold teach-ins, workshops, seminars, rallies and actions, which will allow us to raise our grievances on a scale larger than ever before. We call for speakers, poets, artists and musicians whose words echo our cause! In our reclamation of public space, we will occupy downtown Ottawa, which holds Parliament, the United States Embassy, the Bank of Canada and many other institutions of oppression.

To hold and organize such an event will require as much participation as possible. As such, we ask that if you or your local community are interested in helping us organize an event, or plan and staff areas such as medical, info, safety, food, media, as well as many others, please send a message to occu-con@hotmail.com by February 10th. Tell us what you would like to help with and when you can come.

Sincerely,

The Occupy Ottawa Occupy Conference Working GroupINVITATION / APPEL À TOU-TE-S - OCCU-CONFÉRENCE

Prière de disséminer largement

QUAND: Du 1er au 3 juin 2012

OÙ: Ottawa

Dans l'esprit des Occupations qui se sont déroulées partout sur la planète en automne 2011 et qui se poursuivent encore aujourd'hui, nous vous invitons à nous rejoindre! De la Parade du centenaire à la Grande parade en passant par tant d'autres, rajoutez votre voix à la nôtre sur la Colline du Parlement. On lance un appel pour une assemblée du peuple uni - plus large, plus sonore et plus défiante que jamais! Nous faisons ceci dans l'esprit de la Marche sur Ottawa, reconnaissant ceux et celles qui avant nous ont pris l'initiative de résister et d'exiger une société gouvernée dans l'intérêt de tou-te-s et non seulement pour le bénéfice de l'élite.

Nous tiendrons une conférence pour amener à la surface et passer à l'action sur les moult préoccupations de notre mouvement. En nous rassemblant, nous pouvons apprendre l'un-e de l'autre ainsi que développer des stratégies pour le futur. Ensemble nous pourrons tenir des groupes de discussion, ateliers, séminaires, rallies et actions pour nous former, ce qui nous permettra de souligner nos revendications sur une échelle plus grande que jamais auparavant. Nous lançons l'appel aux conférencier-ère-s, poètes, artistes et musicien-ne-s dont les mots sont la résonnance de notre cause! Dans notre réclamation de l'espace public, nous occuperons le centre-ville d'Ottawa, où se trouvent le Parlement, l'ambassade étatsunienne, la Banque du Canada et plusieurs autres établissements qui institutionnalisent l'opression.

Afin de tenir et d'organiser un tel événement, la plus grande participation possible est requise. Ceci étant dit,nous demandons que si vous ou votre communauté locale avez un intérêt pour nous aider à organiser un événement, voire vous impliquer dans l'organisation et/ou le personnel (équipe médicale, information, sûreté, nourriture, médias), nous vous invitons à envoyer un message occu-con@hotmail.com d'ici le 10 février. Dites-nous comment vous désirez nous aider et quand vous seriez en mesure de vous joindre å nous à Ottawa.

En vous remerciant,

Le Comité conférence de l'occupation d'Occupy Ottawa