G8 Direct Action Training
skillsharing | 29.01.2005 18:53
Last weekend saw the first of the G8 Direct Action Trainers' Workshops. These trainings are organised in the run-up to the G8 with the aim to increase the number of activists offering direct action workshops to their groups and networks. The idea is that this will not only stimulate action against the G8, but also help to make actions more effective.
Why have direct action training?
As activists we can be quite bad at passing on experiences and sharing skills with each other, especially outside our own little groups. This means that we're often reinventing the wheel when it comes to for example effective blockading techniques, or how to make small affinity groups work. Sharing skills in workshops can be really useful for getting us to be more inventive and effective. Also new people often find it quite scary to take their first direct action - they don't know what to expect, they aren't familiar with the jargon or the way we organise. Putting on a training session beforehand can help massively.
Training for Trainers
With the G8 mass mobilisations lots of groups are gearing up for action and are looking for training. That's why we need to build up a base of direct action trainers prepared to provide workshops both locally and at convergence centres in July.
The first training for trainers workshop was attended by 10 people and included ways of creating a good and safe learning environment, ways people learn, dealing with problems in groups, different training techniques such as hassle lines and roleplays. People also had chance to plan direct action training sessions and try them out on each other.
We also discussed practicalities of providing direct action training in the run-up to the G8 for both local groups as well as the internationals that will becoming to Scotland
The next workshop is 18-20th February in Glasgow. For more info see
http://www.skillsharing.org.uk/
If you are involved in a group organising for the G8 and are wanting some training to prepape for action, get in touch:
info _at_ skillsharing.org.uk
actiontraining _at_ linuxmail.org
(replace _at_ with @ - we're doing this to avoid spam, ta)
Why have direct action training?
As activists we can be quite bad at passing on experiences and sharing skills with each other, especially outside our own little groups. This means that we're often reinventing the wheel when it comes to for example effective blockading techniques, or how to make small affinity groups work. Sharing skills in workshops can be really useful for getting us to be more inventive and effective. Also new people often find it quite scary to take their first direct action - they don't know what to expect, they aren't familiar with the jargon or the way we organise. Putting on a training session beforehand can help massively.
Training for Trainers
With the G8 mass mobilisations lots of groups are gearing up for action and are looking for training. That's why we need to build up a base of direct action trainers prepared to provide workshops both locally and at convergence centres in July.
The first training for trainers workshop was attended by 10 people and included ways of creating a good and safe learning environment, ways people learn, dealing with problems in groups, different training techniques such as hassle lines and roleplays. People also had chance to plan direct action training sessions and try them out on each other.
We also discussed practicalities of providing direct action training in the run-up to the G8 for both local groups as well as the internationals that will becoming to Scotland
The next workshop is 18-20th February in Glasgow. For more info see
http://www.skillsharing.org.uk/ If you are involved in a group organising for the G8 and are wanting some training to prepape for action, get in touch:
info _at_ skillsharing.org.uk
actiontraining _at_ linuxmail.org
(replace _at_ with @ - we're doing this to avoid spam, ta)
skillsharing
Homepage:
http://www.skillsharing.org.uk