G8:Direct Action Trainers' Workshops

oddsox | 09.12.2004 17:20 | Sheffield

Train to be a direct action trainer and play a vital role in preparing people for action at the G8
*Sheffield: Jan 21st-23rd, 2005*
*Glasgow: Feb 18th-20th, 2005*
*London: March 2005 (to be confirmed)

By the end of a Direct Action Trainers' Workshop you'll be equipped to run
direct action training sessions - stimulating action in your community and
helping other activists prepare for effective action at the Summit.

For more details, please read on or see our website:

http://seedsforchange.org.uk/free/diary#oxlangla

What will happen at the workshops?
---------------------------------------------------------------

The workshops will have an emphasis on learning by doing, so come ready to
participate and share your skills. Sessions will include:

*What makes an effective and participative workshop
*How to deliver useful and dynamic training
*Practising exercises to help groups:
-Build affinity groups & other support systems
-Use their bodies (& some simple equipment) to prolong their protest
-Understand their legal rights
-Make quick group decisions on actions
-Deal with confrontational action situations & stay safe
-Explore concepts of violence & nonviolence

Practicalities...
-------------------------

Workshops will begin at 7pm Friday and finish by 5pm on Sunday. Priority will
be given to people that can make the whole weekend and have a firm intention
of using the skills they learn.

*Booking is essential as places are limited*

The workshop includes basic accommodation and vegan food. The weekend is free
but donations towards costs would be appreciated.

Who are the workshops for?
------------------------------------------------

We're looking for people with experience of participating in direct action or
civil disobedience. Previous experience of facilitating or attending direct
action training isn't necessary. These workshops aren't for the mildly
curious - you'll be coming because you want to stimulate real action at the
G8!

Want to be there? Here's what to do next...

Contact us with your questions or booking:
DATW(at)seedsforchange.org.uk

for arrest & legal workshops, & other training prior to the G8, see:

http://www.skillsharing.org.uk

for more information on training & resources on grassroots activism, see:

http://www.seedsforchange.org.uk

oddsox
e-mail: DATW(at)seedsforchange.org.uk
Homepage: http://www.seedsforchange.org.uk

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Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

A specialist skill?

09.12.2004 22:31

While I'm not doubting the good intentions of the people running this, I can't help wondering if the whole concept isn't just reinforcing the idea that direct action is a specialist skill. Once you learn the specialist skill, you can then be a qualified "activist", and do "actions". Surely direct action means direct (i.e unmediated through politicians or whoever) acts taken (in this context at least) to oppose capital and the state, or at least the G8? This could be typically "activist" type things, or wildact strikes, or squatting or loads of other things that are almost certainly unrelated to workshops and training like these- direct action is something anybody can do, anytime, to reclaim their lives, not a set of skills to be learned...

yes but....

10.12.2004 10:53

Of course you don't have to be trained to do Direct Action but in many case it can help. Like doing a banner drop - i would like to hear peoples experience before i try it my self! Or on a mass action i have found that what ever the importance of spontanious thought i like being in a crowd that understands ways of communication and making quick decissions, all of which are helped by a bit of thinking and training before hand.

pixie

its a numbers game

10.12.2004 17:09

i agree with x. its more important to get as many people to the protests as possible rather than to train an elitists squad. lets face it the police will be kitted out in robo cop type outfits and the poor protesters will not. ya basta failed miserabily in prague when they dressed in their padded outfits inorder to counter act the riot police.

lets not waste time on these elitist workshops, time to get as many people as possible together, young ,old , black white,gay straight, NGO. socialists, trade unionist, religious people,autonomists ect ect

well u probably wont take a blind bit of notice of the above. But if u insists, might i suggest that u take a leaf out of the chartists movement (1840s). then, like today the authorities used mounted police on horses to bash the shit out of the protesters. the protesters response??they threw 1000s of marbles on the ground to de-mount the police horses. also (not for vegertrians) they had no quarms to slit the neck of a police horse with a carving knife. now theres good tactics.

red letter

kneejerk reaction? Surely some mistake...

12.12.2004 12:12

Direct action is not a specialist skill, and I don't think the workshop givers want to encourage it to be seen as a specialism, nor of course as elitist. Direct action means unmediated action as x said, that is direct, ie not asking someone to do something. It's hopefully an instinct in most people, but one that we get taught from day one not to believe in - not to believe in our own power, our own ability to sort our world out ourselves, without asking anyone else to do it for us. With pretty much the whole world giving us this message (never mind the increased ability of the cops to pig us), it's no surprise that it can be hard to carry out direct actions.

That and the other forms of action you mention do all have something to do with this workshop. Whilst I agree with where x is coming from, there are skills that we can learn from each other that help us take direct action - communication, working as a group, making decisions fast and democratically, supporting each other. These and others are being covered by these workshops. In learning these things, we're having to unlearn so much that we were taught as kids (& adults).

Now this workshop, if you read the title, is about direct action trainers. If you've been to workshops or meetings, you'll know that they vary hugely in how well facilitated they are, whether they address the different levels people are at, and use their experience without patronising or pushing, and if they deal with the different ways different people learn. These are some of the things that will be covered too, and why, if you're interested in making our gatherings, workshops, meetings, organising (& our actions) better than they are now, this might be of interest, as a way of sharing your skills & the skills of other people who come along.

activist & trainer

Sheffield Location

16.12.2004 18:13

Can anyone tell us what the location will be of the Sheffield training please. We did offer the use of the Burngreave Ashram building on Spital Hill (which includes New Roots cafe). I have not had a reply though.

Deacon dave