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Build It From Below: A Collective APOC Statement
* Posted by apoc
* July 2, 2008
This is a call to all Autonomous / Anti-authoritarian / Anarchist People Of Color across North America to begin assembling APOC formations in your hoods, communities and regions!
A small but nationwide listserv is in the early stages of planning a national APOC gathering in the coming year. APOCistas on the conference list are encouraged by APOC gatherings that have taken place recently at anarchist bookfairs, conferences and convergences across the country, which have been spurred in part by conversations occurring on a national level.
For APOC to grow and thrive as a viable force for folks of color in the so-called United States, more base-building needs to take place. More input from people across the country is needed to shape what APOC movement will look like, and what it will achieve in the coming years.
Folks on the conference listserv encourage you to start bringing together APOC formations in your hoods, communities and regions, and to develop sustained APOC projects that will help contribute to broad radical struggle, and a national APOC conference too.
These projects could be anything, really. For instance:
* An APOC listserv in your area, if there isn’t one already
* A virtual collective, e.g. print and editorial groups producing and distributing APOC content
* A regular APOC social gathering in your area, at which APOCers can come together, make connections, and spin off projects and ideas
* A specifically APOC collective, meeting regularly in your city/town and developing its own actions
* A community space or social center managed by and for folks of color
The possibilities are really endless. We strongly encourage all Autonomous / Anti-authoritarian / Anarchist People of Color to build from the connections and conversations taking place at APOC gatherings across the country, and develop more sustained APOC movement in their areas. Here are a few gatherings that are coming up in the next few months:
APOC Caucuses at Earth First! Round River Rendezvous
Athens, OH, July 4th at 12pm, July 5th at lunch
www.roundriverrondy.info
Northeast APOC Regional Gathering
Philadelphia, PA, August 8th-9th
northeastapoc@yahoo.com
Northwest APOC Regional Gathering
Portland, OR, August 16-17th
northwestapoc@yahoo.com
Southwest APOC Regional Gathering
Los Angeles, CA, Dates TBA
All Power Through The People!
APOC Conference List
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APOC Northeast Gathering
* Posted by apoc
* July 9, 2008
August 8th-9th in Philadelphia, PA
“La gente fuerte no necesita un lider, ellos por si mismos son lideres” - Emiliano Zapata
Autonomous/ Anti-Authoritarian/ Anarchist People Of Color from across the Northeast (and beyond) are gathering in Philly this summer to build a new vision for the future, and a new plan of action for today. We want to expand our understanding of race, class, gender, autonomy, and freedom - while attacking white supremacy, imperialism, colonialism, and ALL borders, boundaries, and barriers.
Please join us Friday and Saturday, August 8th-9th for the APOC Northeast Regional Conference in Philadelphia!
WHAT: APOC Northeast Regional Conference
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, August 8th-9th
WHERE: The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA
Friday evening will feature films related to APOC movement.
Saturday will feature a full day of talks, panels, and workshops.
Saturday night will culminate with an APOC Rocks! hip hop, punk rock, and poetry concert.
There will also be free (and cheap) food available as well as APOC ‘zines, books, t-Shirts y mas for the masses.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY EVENING, AUG 8TH • 6PM – 12AM
Film screenings all night (at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St)
Born In Flames • 1983 (6:30PM): Documentary-style feminist science fiction film by anarchist of color Lizzie Borden, that explores racism, classism, sexism and heterosexism in an alternative United States Socialist Democracy.
Notes on A Paper Plane! • 2008 (8:15PM): Short fictional film about a black girl from Harlem who tries to sell an anarchist newspaper in the ‘hood.
Frame Up • 1974 (8:45PM): A documentary examining the case of Afro Rican anarchist/activist and book store owner Martin Sostre, framed on drug possession charges and unjustly imprisoned for nearly a decade.
MACHETERO • 2007 (9:30PM): A French journalist interviews a so called Puerto Rican “terrorist” about his decision to use violence as a means of liberation. A Q&A with vagabond the writer and director of MACHETERO will take place after the screening.
SCREENINGS ARE OPEN TO ALLIES OF ANY COLOR
MOVE DOCUMENTARY @ 7PM
Also screening on the same evening at 7PM (at Clark Park, 43rd & 45th Sts, Between Chester & Woodland Ave) will be MOVE: A documentary on the MOVE Organization and the ongoing repression suffered at the hands of the Philadelphia police department and the US justice system
***SATURDAY, AUG 9TH •10AM – 8PM***
A day of talks/ panels/ discussions related to APOC movement and people of color.
THESE APOC TALKS/WORKSHOPS/PANELS
ARE RESERVED FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR
10AM - 10:45AM
APOC-ALYPSE NOW… AND LATER
What were the trials and tribulations facing APOC regionally following the 2003 conference in Detroit? What lessons have people learned about APOC organizing since then, and what can this tell us about moving forward?
11:00 - 11:45AM
THE BALLOT IS A BULLET
A lot of political discussion and mobilization in the U.S. is currently focused on the Obama campaign. How can we make best use of the energy coming up from the grassroots during the 2008 election, with an eye for local action, responsibility and substantive change instead of politicians and party politics?
12PM - 12:45PM
SEIZE THE TIME
This is an OPEN time allotted for networking, exchanging info, and building together.
12:45M - 1:45PM
BREAK FOR LUNCH
2PM - 2:45PM
PLANNING FOR WHEN THE SHIT GOES DOWN:
What you need to do and what you should know.
How is communication in our movements shaped, directed, and in some cases limited by technology? How can we communicate in spite of and beyond technology, and why is this necessary?
3PM - 3:45PM
AT WAR
Let’s take stock of the continuing (500 years and counting) war on blackness. We are at war)!
4PM - 4:45PM
CLASS BARRIERS
Many people currently involved in APOC movement have moved through a university setting at some point, and sometimes this is a significant part of people’s politicization. But while we examine how APOC relates to already-existing movements of people of color, we also ask: how can people relate to APOC movement and plug in if they do not come from an institutionalized educational background?
5PM - 5:45PM
THE CITY IS KILLING ME
Ever wonder why there are so many Mc Donald’s in the ‘hood, but organic milk is like the holy grail? This workshop will look at how city planning and zoning don’t just affect where we live, but how we live. By looking at epidemics that disproportionately affect communities of color, we can see how a complex network of factors, from farming practices to marketing to health insurance, come together to literally make us sick. We’ll also talk some strategy for the revolutionary act of keeping ourselves healthy without relying on the food and medical systems that are designed to keep people of color in check.
6PM - 6:45PM
By / Buy Black
What are some practical steps toward economic freedom—not just improving your credit report, but controlling the conditions of your labor? What fissures in the power structure exist today that folks can exploit to live freer lives, from getting off the grid to forming collective workplaces?
7PM - 7:45PM
Self Defense For APOCs
You have a right to defend yourself. The question is do you know how? This class will focus on basic physical skills at a beginner level. If you’ve never taken a self defense class or want to check out a new style, this is for you. You won’t leave the class a ninja (if you want that, you might want to take the 45 minute “Ninja 101″ class). Come!
THESE APOC TALKS/WORKSHOPS/PANELS
ARE RESERVED FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR
MUMIA TOWN HALL MEETING @ 12 Noon
Also on the same afternoon at 12 noon, the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition will hold a Town hall meeting to Free Mumia at AFSCME 1199 Union Hall, located at 1319 Locust St. (near Juniper). (OPEN TO EVERYONE)
SATURDAY NITE CONCERT • 8PM – LATE
The Mighty Paradocs www.myspace.com/themightyparadocs
X-Vandals www.myspace.com/xvandalsboricuas
Amerikas Least Wanted www.myspace.com/amerikasleastwanted
MUSIC CONCERT IS OPEN TO ALL ALLIES OF ANY COLOR
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Northwest APOC Gathering in August
* Posted by apoc
* July 14, 2008
Something big is in the air! Five years ago 150 Anarchist and anti-authoritarians people of color from all walks of life gathered in Detroit to begin the process of interconnecting struggle and passion towards building a new world empowered from below. Five years on, and many struggles later this movement is being rejuvenated by many old and new comrades internationally!
The one goal of the Northwest APOC Gathering is to build connections in our region and to begin conversations towards building a national anti-authoritarian / autonomous movement of people of color.
The Gathering will be split up into sessions lasting two hours each, with breaks in between. Facilitated discussions will include but are not limited to the following areas:
1. What is APOC? How do we define it? What should an APOC politic encompass?
2. What might an APOC organization look like? Strategy? Structure? Politics?
3. What workshops/discussions would we want to see happen at the 2009 National APOC Conference?
Questions, ideas, suggested pre-gathering readings, expansions of the above questions, additional questions, etc… please get in touch!
Additionally if you can provide or need housing, need any special considerations, can help with facilitation, or can provide rideshares to the Gathering PLEASE GET IN TOUCH ASAP!
Northwest APOC Regional Gathering
Portland, OR, August 16-17th
northwestapoc@yahoo.com
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SouthWest APOC Gathering in Los Angeles in October
We're still hoping to get Feedback from people:
http://diyzine.com/survey
SouthWest Anarchist People of Color Conference 2008 Los Angeles
Name -
Email -
City -
Collective / Orgnization (if any) -
What date in October would you like the Conference to be in -
Proposals for workshops -
What would you like to see at the Conference and
what would you like to get out of it?
How can you help organize for the regional conference?
Would you / collective / organization like to sponsor the -
conference by giving a donation?
Do you need housing? For how many people?
Can you provide housing in L.A. area? For how many people?
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