FOR Flyer

Here’s the flyer for the conference, in PDF format.

(OK, so for some reason the PDF’s not working. Until we figure that out, here’s a link to a jpeg.)

Only 5 Days to FOR!

The FOR conference is coming up soon! Here’s the press release we sent out about what you can expect:

The 3rd annual Finding Our Roots, an anarchist conference on praxis and organizing, will be held at Roosevelt University (430 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago’s Loop), from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26, 2009.

Speakers and participants from across the Midwest and the country, as well as a diverse cross-section of Chicago’s own radical community, will come together for two days of workshops, panel discussions, networking and strategy sessions on the past, present, and future of anarchist work and life.

The theme of this year’s conference is SPACE. Why and how is space important to the theory and practice of anarchism; what is “anarchist space”? How are anarchists involved in struggles around space, both within and beyond our community? How is space central to the struggles of oppressed and marginalized groups? How does space operate within the social landscape and machinations of capitalism, as well as within resistance to capitalism? Topics to be explored in workshops include gentrification, Queer space, collective living, community organizing, demilitarization, radical education, and many more.

Featured speakers include veteran activist and former Black Panther Lorenzo Ervin, author of Anarchism and the Black Revolution. In his presentation on “Prison as Liberated Space,” Ervin will speak about his own experiences in the radical prison movement of the 1970s, including his work with the prisoner-support organization Anarchist Black Cross. “There are more people in prison today in the USA alone than in the entire anarchist movement worldwide,” says Ervin. “We cannot ignore the role of prison as a repressive tool of the state and structural racism, and more importantly, cannot ignore the history of struggles against it.” Ervin will also lead a workshop on neighborhood organizing within poor communities of color.

Other featured presenters include members of Bash Back Chicago, and longtime Chicago activist Darrell Gordon, both of whom will give workshops on radical Queer space.

The conference will close with a panel discussion on “The History of Anarchist Spaces in Chicago,” featuring founding members of the Autonomous Zone, and other veterans of the struggle for anarchist space in Chicago.

Taking place the same weekend will be our “sister event,” the 9th Annual Chicago Anarchist Film Festival. The Festival features new film and video, as well as rediscovered classics, from filmmakers engaged in social change with an anarchist vision. Screenings begin at 7:00, each evening April 24-26, at Jane Addams Hull House Museum, 800 S. Halsted St. on the UIC campus.

Chicago Anarchist Film Fest

The 9th Annual Chicago Anarchist Film

Friday April 24 – Sunday April 26, 7-10pm.

at Jane Addams Hull House 800 S. Halsted
(on UIC Campus just south of Jane Addams museum; off blue line UIC/Harrison stop)

Anarchists, anti-authoritarians, the anarcho-friendly and the
anarcho-curious to view this year’s features, shorts, documentaries, animation, and found footage. Join us as anarchy takes center stage through humor, drama and suspense and emerges from the cracks of mass media in this weekend volley of images and stories that reveal and invigorate a rich anarchist presence in society.

A sliding scale donation of $5-10 per festival day is requested with no one turned away for lack of funds.

For more information email CAFF or visit the CAFF website.

Workshops and Schedule

Hello everyone. We’ve just posted the complete schedule and workshop details for the conference, so take a look and start planning out which ones you want to attend!

Call for Workshop Proposals

3rd Annual Finding Our Roots
CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS
April 24-26 2009, Chicago
At Roosevelt University

The theme of this year’s conference is SPACE.

Why and how is space important to anarchists, and so often central to our struggles? What do we mean when we talk about “anarchist space”? What different spaces have anarchists created and struggled to keep and maintain; how have these spaces functioned and thrived, or failed to do so? What kinds of anarchist spaces exist currently, and how are they serving anarchist community as well as contributing to larger struggles for liberation and against capitalism? Examples could include infoshops, multiuse spaces, housing collectives, squats, farms, gardens, parks, free schools, workers’ collectives, or any other space dedicated to radical purpose and used by anarchists as a focal point or staging ground of struggle.

How are anarchists involved in struggles around space, both within and beyond our community? What kinds of spaces exist (or attempt to) within larger radical spaces: Why, for instance, are queer space, women’s space, or space by and for people of color important; how do these and other marginalized/oppressed groups use space as part of their struggles and organizing?

How does space operate within the social landscape and the machinations of capitalism? How can anarchists support and join poor and disenfranchised peoples’ struggles around space, such as fights against gentrification and displacement?

Potential workshop topics include but are not limited to: Gentrification and anti-gentrification struggles, squatting, community, Europe’s autonomous radical communities and their role in popular uprisings (ie, the recent events in Greece), self-sustainability in urban or rural environments, decolonization and resisting the police state, the relationship of anarchists to anti-imperialist/nationalist struggles for autonomy, Queer space, safe space, space as a human right, the use of autonomous spaces by oppressed groups, “spiritual space” – anarchism and non-hierarchical spirituality, the history and practice of anarchist spaces, problems of unity vs. fragmentation within anarchist space, collective living, workers’ collectives and non-hierarchical workplaces, reclaiming the commons, democratizing/infiltrating media space, the “infoshop movement,” reclaiming corporate and governmental spaces, “anarchist space” and its intersection with other spaces of resistance.

Proposals should be NO MORE THAN ONE PAGE in length and should include:
Proposal deadline: March 15

Submit proposals to: findingourroots (at) riseup (dot) net

1. Workshop title
2. Your name and contact info (and those of workshop presenter(s) if this isn’t you – though please make sure you have confirmed with all presenters BEFORE you volunteer them)
3. Detailed workshop description, including an explanation of how your workshop fits into the conference theme
4. Questions to be posed/answered in the workshop
5. Main workshop goals
6. Workshop format (Will it be an open discussion? Panel/roundtable? Lecture followed by Q&A?)
7. BRIEF reading list [optional]
8. Any special materials or equipment (ex: audiovisual) you will need

Workshops are one hour and fifteen minutes (75 minutes) long. If you feel you need more time for your workshop, please explain why, and we will consider allotting a longer slot.

Prefigurative Politics Event

This isn’t related to FOR per se, but it’s an interesting event that people should check out:

THE PREFIGURATIVE ORGANIZATION
A Presentation by Norwegian Anarchist Kim Keyser

WHEN: Saturday, July 26th at 8:00PM

WHERE: UE & IWW Union Hall
37 S. Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60607

Kim Keyser is an activist from the emerging anarchist movement
in Norway, the so-called “social democratic paradise.” He will address
the question “How can we reflect the future we want in our present work?”
The presentation will touch upon subjects such as direct democracy,
direct action, workers councils, anarchist organizing, and involvement
in social movements.

For more information, please contact: chicago-ac@riseup.net

This event is co-sponsored by the Four Star Anarchist Organization and Chicago IWW.

PDF Flyer

Wrap Up

The 2008 FOR conference was a success! We had a god turnout, some good discussions, and hopefully there will be some new organizing projects growing out from these efforts.

This was the 2nd of 3 FOR conferences we’ve been planning, so mark up your calendar for the third one next year. Also, we’re looking for feedback on how this year’s conference went, so if you attended, please drop us a quick note on what rocked and what didn’t on the Feedback page.

Volunteer Reminder

Just a quick note that we can still use volunteers to help out with various tasks during he conference. Check out our call for volunteers and sign up when you register for the conference!

Open Mic at BFBT

There are still open performance slots for the Black Flag Black Tie event this Saturday. Anarchists with talent to share can sign up at the CAFF table during Finding Our Roots or at the door at BFBT. First come first serve…

Conference Location

If you need directions to the conference site — Roosevelt University at 430 S. Michigan — you can find them here.