~ WE SEIZE! STRATEGIC CONFERENCE ~



**WATCH THE STREAM AND INTERVENE**

- -> 9th & 10th December 9.30 'til 17.00 GMT
- -> @ Le Theatre de l'Usine, Geneva, Switzerland
- -> & LiveStream // IRC
- -> & live-logged at

* WHAT IS S-CONF? *

Part of the WSIS? WE SEIZE! events and actions taking place around the World Summit On Information Society , S-CONF is two days of open discussions involving local Genevans, WSIS delegates, NGO members, info-activists and diverse net participants. The conference is intended to allow exploration of the key issues involved in information
politics - including those excluded or removed from the official WSIS agenda. S-CONF invites and accepts short in-person presentations and interventions from those wishing to give them; some programmed presenters are listed below.

* WHERE IS S-CONF?*

As well as the physical space (see below), S-CONF will use an open, (b)logged IRC channel to allow a second, parallel layer of discussion with participants from all over the world. The discussions will be streamed and viewers/listeners will be able to use the IRC channel to intervene and take part. Conversation on the s-conf IRC channel will be projected in the room, so that questions and interventions can be fed into the live proceedings taking place there.

* PROGRAMME *
[All scheduled times are published in GMT and are subject to change. Check  http://geneva03.net/moin.cgi/StrategicConference for the latest. ]

Dec 8th

Open preparatory day on the 8th December. Pre-discussion of the topics and sub-topics that should be tabled for debate within the S-CONF. Get your ideas tabled. Studio, 4th floor, Usine & IRC:
#s-conf.

Dec 9th S-CONF DAY ONE

- -> 9.30 GMT

INFORMATION POLITICS 101: What are the major issues in the emerging information politics movement? Catch-up time for those who want to get up to date with the issues with a variety of 'expert' speakers and a good long question and answer session. No controversy: just for people to inform themselves.

With: Benjamin Mako Hill (Debian), James Stevens (Consume), Christine Treguier (la FIL and BBA France) and others.

~ ->13.30 GMT

IP LAW: USE, REFUSE, ABUSE. While developing our understanding of the inequities of IP policymaking and law, should we also develop a strategy and attitude for dealing with it? Are other circuits 'outside' the jurisdiction of the lawmakers developing in, for example, peer to peer and wireless network communities?

With: James Love (CPTech), Alan Toner (Autonomedia) and others.

- -> 14.00 GMT

WORKING WITH OPENNESS. How can openness help us in research, organisation and practice? Are there problems associated with open organisation? What are the major benefits? Can truly open practice still be radical? How does open practice work with secret or closed organisation?

With: bio-informatics.org, SECTOR, G-I-G.

- -> 17.00 CONCLUDING DISCUSSIONS

Dec 10th S-CONF DAY TWO

- -> 10.30 GMT

INFOWAR: REPORTS FROM THE FRONT Experiences at the recent FTAA Miami protests suggest an escalation in brutal military suppression and infowar tactics at anti neoliberalisation protests. This session will include appraisals of the events in Miami and offer an opportunity to discuss responses and tactics.

With: Sasha Costanza-Chock, Bureau D'Etudes (simultaneous translation.)
See:  http://ftaaimc.org

- -> 12.30 GMT

HACK_IT! Hacklabs & intervening in information/media regimes with tools, technologies and skills. What are hacklabs, and what are their possibilities for redistributing information power?
See:  http://info.interactivist.net/article.pl?sid=02/07/23/1218226&mode=nested&tid=12

With: hackitectura.net

- -> 14.00 GMT

IN/OUT? What approach should we take to confronting issues like media concentration, patent and copyright inequities and the role of labour? Should we be working autonomously or within existing 'policy' structures?

With: Communications Rights In Information Society (CRIS), Christine Treguier (speaking on patents.)

- -> 16.00 GMT

AUTONOMOUS MEDIA What is the state of the art in autonomous media infrastructures? What are our successes and failures? What form should independent or autonomous media take? Should we be aiming to 'become the media'? What should this media look like?

With: DeeDee Halleck, Zeljko Blace

- -> 18:00 CONCLUDING DISCUSSIONS & INTERVENTIONS