Bay Area Anarchist Salon

The Station 40 Events Committee is pleased to announce the second Bay Area Anarchist Salon, a new monthly facilitated conversation by and for anarchists. Our aim is to encourage critical yet constructive dialogue and comradely debate concerning the difficult strategic questions that we face as we try to engage in social transformation; to develop a culture of reconstruction and vision alongside a culture of resistance; and to build more trust and understanding among the diverse anarchist perspectives. Our hope is that through ongoing discussions related to contemporary organizing dilemmas--discussions that focus on ideas not people, and strive to develop a culture of kindness in how we grapple with key strategic issues--our various projects and organizing efforts, within and outside anarchist circles, will become stronger, smarter, and more effective.

The format each month will be as follows: we'll announce a question for each Bay Area Anarchist Salon in advance. At the salon, we'll do a go-round for people to quickly introduce themselves. Then one or two people, chosen in advance, will kick off the conversation by offering their thoughts on the question for five to ten minutes each. Two moderators will then facilitate a participatory conversation, striving to ensure that the discussion stays on point, and that everyone feels comfortable to speak, no one speaks too much, and all feel heard and respected. Each salon will last two hours, starting promptly at 7:00 p.m., but we encourage people to hang out informally afterward.

Our second Bay Area Anarchist Salon will address the question, "As anarchists, we want to create a society without hierarchy. If we hope to operate hospitals and other high-stakes institutions in nonhierarchical ways in a postrevolutionary future, what anarchist practices now or in the near term might convince people that this is possible?" The conversation will be initiated by Dan Spalding (most recently, Midnight Special Legal Collective) and Emily Macy (high school teacher in Oakland Unified and an East Oakland resident), and will be moderated by Cindy Milstein (Institute for Anarchist Studies) and Loren (UA in the Bay).

$3-5 donation, for the Oakland 100 (no one turned away for lack of funds)

The third Bay Area Anarchist Salon will be on Wednesday, October 6.