Occupied Territory: Of Ballot Boxes and Dreams (May 20-22)

From May 20th - 22nd, we will descend upon the Ventana Wilderness, (http://www.mtycounty.com/pgs-parks/arroyo.html), to discuss, theorize, share, and think about the issues, ideas, and events that are affecting us as revolutionaries and as those trying to understand our role in dismantling the various webs of control and destruction. Occupied Territory 2004 was a large success, drawing people from across the country and the world, and we hope that you will join us in the second installment of the gathering. As with the first gathering, this year will require the pariticpation of all in attendance, both in bringing ideas and workshops to the collective table, but also in the maintance of our temporary autonomous zone.

Far from being a simple traveler kid romp out in the woods, Occupied Territory is an opportunity for anarchists and anti-authoritarians working for change in various tendencies and movements to come together to talk, debate, and share skills. It is also an opportunity for people to engage in the kind of community that they want to exist in, which was beautiful to watch last year. With cooking teams, clean up crews, various work groups forming when needed, and daily general assemblies, anarchy appeared before our eyes.

Listed below is update info on the gathering, and what to bring!

Where: Ventana Wilderness, near Soledad, see above link.

Dates: Arrive Friday, May 20th, conference goes from Friday May 20th - Sunday 22nd. If you have work or school issues, work them out now! The organizing collective will be meeting people in Soledad from 5-7pm on Friday, May 20th, with maps, and also helping to add people into cars that need rides, (although this will depend on mutual aid present, and available cars). However this year, we will be posting information about the actual campsite before hand, so if you are not able to make it to get a map on Friday May 20th, please stay up to date on http://www.occupiedterritory.net. A cell phone number will also be made available for people to call in case they need help with directions. Soledad meeting spot to be announced soon on the website and elsewhere.

Conference Set Up: We will be spending two days, (Saturday and Sunday), doing workshops, skillsharing, and discussion circles. We are also planning on setting aside time for people to have free time to explore their natural world and meet new people.

Cost: Please be prepared to bring $3-5 for parking. The cost of parking is per car, with parking being $5 a night, (cars will receive a ticket when they go in, and then pay as they go out). Everyone needs to bring these several dollars, to the cost of parking does not fall simply on the drivers of the cars.

What to Bring:
1.) Sleeping Bag/Tents/Sleeping Equipment
2.) Biodegradable soaps, and cleaning supplies.
3.) Extra food for yourself/collective. We also ask that you bring any bulks foods/dumpstered goods that you can. Last year the collective kitchen overflowed with food, we can do it again! Also, if you are going to bring food for the whole group, vegan food will best serve all, so that everyone can eat it.
4.) Workshops, discussion ideas, skill shares, etc. Your input helps the conference grow and become better!
5.) Cooking, eating, and living supplies. Bring everything that you need to eat, live, and cook!
6.) Things to help build the infrastructure, water coolers, portable stoves, pots and pans, etc.
7.) Water, and lots of it! A water source will be near by however.
8.) Bathroom supplies! A bathroom will be near by however.
9.) Tarps, banners, blankets, etc, that will help construct camp sites.
10.) Cameras, video equipment, cell phones etc. Be prepared to documents possible police harassment.
11.) A good attitude, a desire to learn, and a willingness to help out!
12.) Gas, car supplies. Be prepared to fix your earth destroyer if need be! Have a person with a cell phone in the car in case you need to call someone.

What Not To Bring:
1.) Drugs.
2.) Beer/Alcohol.
3.) Things that will give the police excuses to go through your car.
4.) Bad security culture.
5.) Oppressive behavior. Manarchists will be fed to bears and primitivists.

Ideas for Workshops, Skillshares, Discussion Circles:

If your workshops, lecture, discussion, etc, is prepared, let us know by emailing us, (see below). We are also looking for collectives to share and do workshops with the group on the local issues that they are working on. From strikes, Earth First! Campaigns, prisoner support, community projects, let the rest of the movement know what you are doing, and what ideas and skills you can share with the rest of us. Primitive skills are also of interest to us, being that we will be out in the forest and in need of some skills to help us in our wild environment. Security Culture workshops, prisoner updates, Anarchism 101, and anti-oppression/patriarchy workshops and discussion are also needed for the gathering, and will also be handy if needed or if desired by people, so consider those as well. Also, if you are handy at showing people various skills, (lockdown techniques, structure building, radical journalism, etc), suggest those as well.

Send all workshop ideas/and or questions to: modanarcho [at] yahoo.com

Peace to the villages - War to the Palaces!