Workshops

1:00 - 2:30 - What is Patriarchy?
1:30 - 2:45 - Women's Resistance to Illegal Occupations
3:00 - 4:30 - Agents Of Oppression: Illegal Detentions, Racial Profiling & the New Wave of Security Culture
4:45 - 6:00 - The Empire Strikes: Coups, Embargoes & Imperialist Interventions
6:15 - 7:30 - Revolution Starts With Community: Connecting Talk With Action/ Dreams With Reality
12:45- 8:45 - Hearth Post Workshop Discussion Space

1:00-2:30
What is Patriarchy? ...at the Hearth Space

The "What is patriarchy" workshop will explore and expand ideas of how patriarchy affects all people. Through this highly participatory workshop we will examine behaviors within ourselves and in the world that enable the continuation of oppression. We strive to have active participation in creation and expansion of language, concepts, and alternative methods of organizing to greater empower each other to challenge inequitable realities.

The Against Patriarchy Project (Anti Patti Project) is an affiliation of individuals struggling against oppression and patriarchy. We are committed to change how we relate to ourselves, our circles of family and friends, communities and to the world; utilizing all means necessary. To explore the issue of violence and patriarchy, we develop and create short videos, hold panel discussions, facilitate workshops on boundaries and communication, on what is patriarchy?, creative resistance, and provide mediation and peer support for survivors, perpetrators and their communities.

Janice Billy
Janice Billy is a Secwepemc activist and educator, and is the spokesperson for the Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center. She is actively in involved in protecting and restoring the Secwepemc culture, language, and land rights. She, along with traditional land users, Elders, and youth, are working on a campaign to stop the Sun Peaks Ski Resort (Kamloops, B.C). This resort is having devastating effects on the traditional way of life of the Secwepemc and on the environment in the high mountain alpine area. This area known as Skwelkwekwelt by the Secwepemc was, and still is an important traditional use area – hunting, medicine gathering, and spiritual quests. The resort expansion brings thousands of people into this mountain area, not only in winter, but on a year round basis.

The Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center is establishing coalitions with many groups who are willing to help in their fight, and they look forward to help from all people in protecting their way of life and the environment.

Johanna Mazur
Johanna Mazur is a founding coordinating member of the International Solidarity Movement à Vancouver (I.S.M.-Vancouver), formed in December 2002. She volunteered as an I.S.M. activist in Occupied Palestine in the fall of 2003 in the Jenin region of the West Bank. She is also currently active in Vancouver with the Coalition for Land, Freedom and Decolonization, supporting immigrant and refugee rights, indigenous sovereignty and Native self-determination.

Harsha Walia
Harsha Walia is a writer and activist with No One is Illegal and Native Solidarity Network. She started organizing in India with the Narmada Bachao Andolan, one of the largest grassroots movements against corporate globalization. In Canada, she has been involved in the fight for the rights of immigrants and refugees, particularly in the post 9/11 climate, along with supporting various sovereignty struggles.

Kira Koshelanyk
Kira Koshelanyk is Co-Chair and a founding member of Vancouver's anti war, anti occupation coalition, Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO). She has done extensive organizing work against the occupation of Afghanistan, and is also the Co-ordinator of Youth-Third World Alliance, a united youth and third world group organizing with young people on and off campuses across the Lower Mainland against war and for self-determination.

Facilitator: Claudia Medina

3:00-4:30
Agents Of Oppression: Illegal Detentions, Racial Profiling & the New Wave of Security Culture

Ward Churchill
Ward Churchill (Keetoowah Band Cherokee) is one of the most outspoken Native American activists and scholars in North America. In his lectures and numerous published works, he explores the themes of genocide in the Americas, historical and legal (re)interpretation of conquest and colonization, literary and cinematic criticism, and indigenist alternatives to the status quo. He is Professor of Ethnic Studies and Coordinator of American Indian Studies at the University of Colorado/ Boulder. He is also co-director of the Colorado chapter of the American Indian Movement, vice chair of the American Indian Anti-Defamation Council and a past national spokesperson for the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. See full bio...

International Solidarity Movement
The International Solidarity Movement is a Palestinian-led movement of Palestinian and International activists working to raise awareness of the struggle for Palestinian freedom and an end to the Israeli occupation. We utilize non-violent, direct-action methods of resistance to confront and challenge illegal Israeli occupation forces and policies. ISM Vancouver acts as a local support group for ISM Palestine by training and sending volunteers and sponsoring educational events. For more information visit www.palsolidarity.org, www.ism-vancouver.org or contact: info@ism-vancouver.org

No-One Is Illegal / Refugees Against Racial Profiling
No One is Illegal is part of a movement that fights for the rights and self-determination of immigrants/ refugees and indigenous peoples as part of broader fight that honours the freedom of movement and struggles for justice of colonizied communities, particularly in the increasingly repressive climate since 9/11.

Refugees Against Racial Profiling is a recently formed self-organizing committee of refugees, non-status peoples and other migrants facing deportation. In the face of increasing deportations and detentions and the consolidation of Fortress North America, RARP is fighting back against Citizenship and Immigrant Canada to demand justice for their families and communities. The demands of RARP are:
1) An end to all racism in the Refugee Determination System that results in inhumane and unjust detentions and deportations
2) Regularized status for all aslyum- seekers in Canada
To contact No One is Illegal or RARP: email noii-van@resist.ca or call 778-552-2099

Natsu Saito
Natsu Saito is an associate professor at Colorado University's Ethnic Studies Department, and is a professor (on leave) from Georgia State University's College of Law, where she teaches International Human Rights Law, Immigration, Criminal Procedure, and Race, Ethnicity and the Law. Professor Saito's scholarship has addressed the function of the "foreignness" in the construction of Asian American racial identity; redress for Japanese Americans interned by the U.S. during WWII; the relationship of the Japanese American internment to the contemporary treatment of Arab Americans; the Supreme Court's "plenary power" doctrine as applied to immigrants, American Indian nations and colonies such as Puerto Rico; and the 2001 USA Patriot Act and other post-9/11 developments. She is currently the co-director of the Human Rights Research Fund and on the board of directors of the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless.

Facilitators: Sharai & Sasha

4:45-6:00
The Empire Strikes: Coups, Embargoes & Imperialist Interventions

Riadh Muslih
Riadh Muslih was born in Iraq a country he returned to only recently after 38 years. He says it was a very emotional reunion with family and friends, but was very distressed to see the results of 12 years of economic sanctions and the invasion and occupation. Riadh is involved in the local Arab community, and for almost 12 years published the only newspaper serving the community in B.C. He speaks passionately about Palestinian and Iraqi sufferings and has been interviewed many times by the local media. The CTV recently produced a documentary about his visit to Iraq.

The Vancouver International Boliviarian Circle
The Vancouver International Boliviarian Circle has come together to counteract the campaign of distorted views consistently expressed through the mainstream media re: the current government in Venezuela and the Boliviarian project for national liberation.We seek to promote greater understanding of the positive and democratic activities occurring in Venezuela under President Hugo Chavez,to generate direct support for the Bolivarian Revolution and to counteract the attacks on these by the US government.

Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba
Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba is a coalition of groups and individuals who came together in response to the escalation of attacks on Cuba by the United States government, and as part of a huge wave of renewed international solidarity with the Cuban people and their revolutionary government. We seek to build as part of an active and consistent movement in solidarity with the Cuban people against imperialism and for a better world.

Junie Desil
Originally from MontrÈal, Junie DÈsil calls Vancouver home. Junie has developed a passion for feminist activism, community and global issues. Junie facilitates anti-oppression workshops and has been trained in basic facilitation at Kinex. In her spare time Junie writes poetry. She is currently enjoying Life After The BA.

Facilitator: Claudia Medina

6:15-7:30
Revolution Starts With Community: Connecting Talk With Action/ Dreams With Reality. An Open Facilitated Discussion For Youth and Allies

An open facilitated discussion for youth and their allies on what it means to really live in community. Discussion will be centred around questions such as how do we help each other get our voices heard when we are marginalized within the "activist" movement; how can we build a healthy movement if we can't sit next to each other?; Can activism be fun? How can we challenge homophobia, transphobia, sexism, racism, ableism, etc?

Participants will share ideas around building safer, mutually supportive relationships with peers, allies and community members. Reps from local youth groups, including Dusk To Dawn and Purple Thistle, will be on hand to connect talking with action/dreaming with reality around ideas, solutions and priorities and to provide resource information.

General discussion notes will be compiled and sent to all groups and organizations signed up for the Info Fair, the Under the Volcano organizing collective and any other groups identified through the discussion.

Organized and hosted by a self-identified women's collective in participation with The Anti Patti Project.
Through the use of effective boundary negotiation, self care, interactive feedback, self determined participation and explosive creativity, we will facilitate a respect filled space. We invite you to continue any discussions that may need more time after a workshop has finished. Post Workshop discussions will begin 15 minutes after the end of each workshop.