Finding Our Roots is a yearly conference held in Chicago to to discuss anarchist theory and action. The first FOR conference was held April 27-29, 2007, and focused on theory. The second was held April 18-20, 2008 with the theme of “Anarchist Organizing in the Midwest.” The next FOR conference will focus on the concept of “space” and will be held April 24-26, 2009.
Location
Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave (Michigan and Congress)
Registration
$5-15 suggested donation, no one turned away
Tabling
Available for groups that are interested. Limited space available, so first come, first serve. Contact us.
For more information, contact findingourroots [at] riseup [dot] net
Reportback on the Finding Our Anarchist Roots Conference, April 24-26, 2009.
Report Back:
Finding Our (Anarchist) Roots Conference
Chicago, IL
April 24-26, 2009
I’ve had the great fortune to participate in the third annual “Finding Our Roots” anarchist conference in Chicago, this year. After having spent several years on the east coast, I’ve been impressed by the commitment and tenacity of Chicago-area anarchists: some as young as two months (Sabina) to as old as over-70 (Lorenzo). There were many kind and familiar faces, the organizers completely ardent in their revolutionary gaiety. The conference was an obvious success and came off without a hitch. It is hoped that other writers will fill-in and complete this report-back.
What was perhaps most astonishing to me, was the sheer number of young people who seemed absolutely new, or at least, young people with whom I’d never had contact. I’d hesitate to guess a figure, but the image of several Roosevelt University classrooms as well as a great hall and foyer full of people, all at the same time, should give some indication – I think there were more people than last year. There was less empty space.
Food, as always, was provided by the gracious, cleverness and skill of ‘Food Not Bombs’ and ‘Comida No Migra’, and seemed plentiful, scrumptious and nutritious. The Lichen Lending Library provided an ample array of radical books, ‘zines and publications. The Chicago Anarchist Film Festival tabled and ran its films from 7-10pm each evening on the UIC campus. There were other tablers, someone please help fill in the blanks.
The workshops themselves held the theme of “anarchist space”, each one capturing a different aspect of libratory orienteering: housing collectives, liberating prison space, public sex, gender-neutral space, demilitarizing common space (et.al.). Having attended only three workshops, it was clearly evident that an enormous amount of preparation and labor went into them. Some were off-shoots of research already in progress, such as a report on the unique contribution of Boeing, Inc. to the militarization of the entire known universe : http://scamuic.wordpress.com/boeing/boeing-and-chicago/.
Others seemed personal and up-close, like oral histories being presented for the first time, for the benefit of someone else. Here, its completely crystal-clear to me how much we’re able to nurture the revolutionary spirit in each other, as if every contribution redoubled the revolutionary affirmation of life in everyone else. All questions of insurrection were saved for a later date – for a different “space”.
The concluding plenary brought together members from the history of Chicago’s anarchist community. Chicago Anarchists, it seemed, have never ‘unified’ but have worked together in loosely-knit federations to accomplish some amazing things (like the A-Zone). I seemed to pick up a common message like: “If we can’t agree on anything else, we use a word called freedom as a guiding beacon, fighting for theoretical and practical spaces of self-organization and celebration.” Something like that. Feel free to disagree or send up your own thoughts. Nice job to all who took part!
fj