Direct Action Trainers workshop

- 18th-20th March 2005, London
Fri 7pm - Sun 5pm

The G8, a meeting of the eight most influential industrial countries, will take place in Scotland next year. It will be a focus for protest from people opposing war, the destruction of our environment, the abuse of human and animal rights and capitalism. Training is key for effective action - it's one of the things that made the Seattle protests work. This workshop is aimed at people with experience in direct action or civil disobedience willing to organise and run direct action workshops in their own communities and networks to stimulate effective action at the G8!

The Direct Action Trainers workshop will focus on learning by doing.

We'll cover:

* How to plan and run your own direct action workshops
* How people learn
* What makes an interesting and participative workshop
* Direct action training tools
* Skills for facilitation and a chance to practise them
* A space to share ideas and skills with other activists
* Discussing how we can support each other in giving direct action workshops before and at the G8 summit

You'll get a chance to learn and try out exercises for the following:

* Practising action techniques
* Building groups and support systems (such as affinity groups and street teams)
* Exploring concepts of violence and nonviolence
* Understanding personal limits and needs on an action
* Using your bodies (and equipment) to make protests last longer
* Understanding legal rights
* Making decisions quickly and democratically on an action
* Dealing with aggression and confrontation on actions
* Staying safe

Basic accomodation will be arranged and vegan food provided in return for a small donation. The workshops themselves are free!