Are you interested in furthering your reflections on anti-capitalist and revolutionary ecology, and on collective action in the environmental struggle? That's exactly the goal of this one-day series of workshops we're organizing as part of the Week of Climate Rage!
This teach-in event will be an opportunity to share our activist knowledge and create connections between people who want to bring about real change. The workshops will take various forms, but they will encourage the collective construction of knowledge and critical questioning.
Please write to us if you have any requests for accessibility or accommodation on the day. On site, we'll have tents for sun protection and chairs. We can also provide a babysitting service on request. Whispered translations from French to English will also be available.
Location:
Parc Lafontaine, at the end of rue Calixa-Lavallée from rue Rachel (washrooms nearby).
Café Philanthrope (N-S1100) at UQAM.
In case of rain or bad weather, the event will be moved to UQAM. We will adjust the event accordingly.
Program:
9am: Arrival (coffee and croissants)
9:30am to 12pm:
Block A: Intermediate-advanced anti-capitalist ecology workshop by Première Ligne
Block B: Legal self-defense workshop by CLAC followed with computer security by Louise Cyphre
12pm to 1pm: Lunch break, vegan meal available on site
1pm to 3pm:
Bloc A: Queer ecology and ecofeminism workshop by P!nk Bloc
Block B: Protest safety workshop
3:30 pm to 5:30 pm:
Discussion about direct action and collective action in the environmental struggle by Rage Climatique
AT THE CAFÉ PHILANTHROPE
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Supper break, vegan meal available on site
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm: Workshop on indigenous struggles (to be confirmed)
Teach-in workshop descriptions
Capitalism as a catastrophe: an ecologist critique of political economy
Workshop given by Première Ligne
This workshop will be given in the form of a theoretical seminar. It is intended for an intermediate audience already familiar with anti-capitalist theories.
The entire world has become a catastrophe. The only way to understand the roots of this situation is through a detailed analysis of the connections between the dynamics of capitalism, imperialism and colonialism. Only by understanding the tensions within these dynamics can we know how to act and what goals to aim for. We will then be able to point out the limitations of certain approaches to solving the crisis and propose a framework of analysis that will allow us to imagine a revolutionary political horizon.
Safety culture
Workshop presented by militant comrades
Revolutionary ecology needs tangible means of resisting the current capitalist system and its desire for destruction. This can sometimes lead to actions deceitfully judiciarized by the state, as we are seeing with the injunctions in Atlanta against the Stop cop-city movement. The following two workshops are designed to equip activists to protect themselves against this form of capitalist state repression.
Introduction to legal self-defense:
This workshop will explain what to do in the event of an arrest, how to contest a ticket and the basics of the judicial process in the event of a trial. It will also be an introduction to self-representation in court.
Computer security:
This workshop will introduce the threat model and security culture from a collective viewpoint. A more theoretical segment will be followed by an open Q&A session with participants on all aspects of computer security.
Protest safety
Workshop given by CLAC
The goal of this workshop is to equip activists with the tools they need to develop individual and collective reflexes that will enable them to sustain militant social movements and build a real balance of power in the face of the police. What are the tactics and weapons of repression used by the police? What are the means at our disposal to confront them?
This workshop is a space for intergenerational transmission and the sharing of knowledge and practical skills acquired through the experience of police repression during the 2012 strike and the mobilizations that followed.
The importance of queer environmental movements
Workshop given by P!nk Bloc
This workshop alternates between games, participatory theory with interactive material and guided discussions. It will be divided into two parts. The first part will outline the socio-historical perspectives behind the construction of the concept of nature. This will allow us to consider the possibility of a queer, decolonized and anti-capitalist nature. The second part will be rooted in practical examples of queer resistance in response to environmental disasters. This will then guide a discussion on the importance of queering ecological struggles and how to create solidarities between diverse communities.
Collective discussion on direct action
Workshop given by Rage Climatique
Collective direct action is one of the tools available to us to create a counter-power and achieve concrete gains in the short term. Organizing and taking action collectively - rather than individually - can help lessen the effects of repression and precarity, and give us the empowerment we need to create strong communities and achieve our common goals. Direct action can take many forms, and is not limited to political violence. In this workshop, we'll also look at direct action from the perspective of collective care theories.
The workshop will begin by laying the groundwork for defining the various forms of direct action. Then, a discussion will follow to reflect collectively on the possibilities of collective direct action in our ecological struggles.
Traditional and contemporary Indigenous cultures and ways of life
Workshop given by Wapikoni Mobile
Presented by a representative of Wapikoni Mobile, this awareness-building workshop focuses on traditional and contemporary Indigenous cultures and lifestyles, with references to the climate crisis and to the past and present struggles of land defenders on Turtle Island.