Reclaim the Commons Training Part 1 - Deconstructing Empire

Join us for the unfolding of a new campaign that must unify across progressive movements. The campaign to Reclaim the Commons http://www.reclaimthecommons.net means a
reclaiming of all that is common, food, heath, human rights, housing, democracy, security. All these controlled and exploited by vast powers of
corporate empire and government.
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Day One of Two (April 10 & April 17):
A training in Non-violent Direct Action, Media strategy, Basics of Biotechnology, corporate globalization and Consensus Facilitation.

Reclaim the Commons
http://www.reclaimthecommons.net
Training, Education, Inspiration and Agitation by the Green Bloc of Sonoma County

The Reclaim the Commons mobilization will oppose Bio2004, the biggest national gathering of corporate executives and lobbyists for the biotech
industry. But we want to do more: we want to teach and demonstrate the alternatives: organic food, community gardens, urban transformation, a
gift economy. We hope to build on the great work already being done in Mendocino County around Measure H, which would ban the growing of GMO crops.

This is a gathering to inform, enrage, inspire, and spread the skills and tools we need to make our visions real.

Event is FREE

Globalization and Biotech basics:

Corporate globalization impoverishes our communities, steals our jobs and resources, and erodes our quality of life. The biotech industry is a
blatant example of how corporate control is being extended to our food supply, our medicines, and even our DNA. A window of opportunity is still
open to stop this threat to our health and environment. Learn the facts, the strategies and the talking points.

Direct Democratic Organizing and Decision Making:

Our counter to a top-down system is direct democracy: organizing in small groups to make decisions by consensus, planning our actions and projects through spokescouncils, creating an atmosphere in which every person gifts and perspectives are welcome. We can offer training in consensus basics, meeting facilitation, and advanced facilitation techniques.

Permaculture and Ecological Design:

Small scale, sustainable systems in which people control their own resources and communities meet their own basic needs are part of our vision.
Permaculture is a system of ecological design that can be applied to gardens, buildings, and communities. Learn workshop that will teach the
basic principles and practices, and include a hands-on project. Share skills, prepare for garden actions and plant giveaways, and leave a gift behind for the community.

Direct Action Organizing and Training

Nonviolent direct action directly confronts oppressive power. Learn the theory, strategy, and organizing tools of this potent form of political
action. Role plays and participatory learning help us prepare for street actions: how to stay calm in tense situations, how to de-escalate
violence, how to choose and evaluate tactics. Mobile tactics, legal considerations, basic health and safety, self-protection, affinity group formation,
support, jail solidarity, and aftercare.

Media

Learn how to work with and make use of the Corporate Media to tell our story. How to write a press release, how to talk to the media, and how NOT to talk to them will all be covered.