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)

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 

WHAT information is needed to submit a workshop?

Please submit the following information in an email or attachment to 

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

 

This is a post from the information committee.