Workshop Schedule:
Timeslot 1: 10:30-12:15
1) Little Black Flags: A Discussion for Anarchist Parents
This is a facilitated discussion for anarchists who are parents, thinking about becoming parents, caregivers, co-parents, or who otherwise have significant relationships with children in their lives.
We want to open up a conversational space where we can be both parents and anarchists, where we can be honest about how those things do and do not intersect. We seek to bring together people who have chosen to step into the deep responsibility of caring for a child to discuss how that choice has shaped our relationship to power, to each other, and to the world around us. How has becoming a parent made you feel more or less connected to your community? How has it changed the way you think about strategy or risk or time? How has it opened or closed your heart? We want to talk about the hope and the hopelessness and the commitment to struggle that brought us all to anarchism in the first place. We aren’t interested in narratives that push us out of struggle or politics that create communities unwelcome of children. We want to talk about how opening up our lives and our homes to children has changed us and how the joys and the hardships of parenting feed the fires of anarchism within our hearts.
The facilitators of this workshop are two long-time Hamilton anarchists who have recently become parents.
2) Anarchist Reflections on Artificial Intelligence
This is a workshop to demystify some of the inner workings of artificial intelligence, while situating it in its social and economic environment. We’ll start by thinking about what data is, the scale it exists on today, and offer an intuition for how machines learn. Then we’ll think through some of the implications of this technology existing in late capitalism, and offer an opinion on whether we’re on the verge of Skynet or what it means for chatGPT to replace you as an employee.
Timeslot 2: 12:30-2:00
1) Black Flag, Black Life
What is Black anarchism? Why “Black,” instead of just anarchism? Is this about identity–as in, being an anarchist who happens to be Black? And / or is there something more to consider about the links between Black life, Black radical thought, and anarchist politics and ways of being? This participatory session responds to these questions with a brief presentation about Black anarchism, and an invitation for conversation among folx interested in strengthening our collective capacities for radical coalition building.
2) Practical Abolition: Organizing with Prisoners to Destroy Prison
Prison is one of the backbones of authoritarian society, propping up all other forms of oppression. It is a factory for reproducing misery and exclusion, and prisoners are the lowest of the low, totally exploited and silenced. However, the first step towards a world without prison is likely to be taken inside the walls by the prisoners themselves.
The Barton Prisoner Solidarity Project is an anarchist collective based in Hamilton that works with prisoners in the Barton Jail to try to meet some of their needs for support and solidarity. In this workshop, members of BPSP will make the case that the most fundamental transformation in power is between prisons and the institution itself and that supporting prisoners in struggle is a key ingredient in the struggle against prison.
Over the past four years, BPSP has maintained a phone line and PO box to be in touch with prisoners and support long-term organizing that has led to repeated mass actions involving hundreds of prisoners. Presenters will describe describe BPSP’s philosophy and practice, including how a mass action like a hunger strike is organized.
This workshop will include practical ideas for how to do prisoner solidarity organizing in effective, ethical, and safe ways, as well as a broader discussion on prison’s role in society and why undermining its power inside the walls makes us all more free.
Timeslot 3: 2:15-3:45
1) Anarchism 101
Anarchism as a social movement, political orientation, and theoretical tradition is incredibly rich and diverse. Anarchist ideas have inspired struggles in the workplace, the home, and beyond; incited riots, rebellions, and revolutions; and provided the impetus for the creation of societal alternatives and supportive community projects. Arguably one of the most misunderstood political philosophies, anarchism includes elements of destruction, creation, and much in-between. This workshop will introduce participants to the basic tenets of anarchist theory, practice, and history. It will provide an overview of different approaches to understanding anarchism; outline its key tenants and values; discuss the role of anarchists and anarchist ideas in social movements of the past and present; consider the role of anarchism in shaping everyday life; and look at concrete examples of anarchist projects.
Tammy is a longtime anarchist organizer and theory nerd. She’s been involved in lots of different anarchist projects, done many anarchism 101 workshops and talks, and loves introducing people to the beautiful world of anarchy.
2) Going on the Offensive: On the Anarchist Logic of Attack
In this period of capitalist dominance, techno-surveillance and rising right-wing reaction, many of us have gotten used to playing defence. Whether it’s scrambling to mobilize for a counter-demo, coordinating anti-repression and prisoner support, protesting the latest government cuts to living standards, going on strike to keep up with inflation, fighting evictions and encampment raids, or setting up mutual aid networks to help our struggling neighbours… there’s no shortage of urgent work to be done. But constantly playing defence is not only exhausting – it’s also a losing strategy. As the old saying goes, sometimes the best defence is a strong offence.
With this in mind, this workshop will explore the anarchist concept of attack, and the strategic benefits that come from moving from a defensive to an offensive posture. It will draw from various anarchist thinkers and tendencies, as well as state military and counterinsurgency tacticians to demonstrate how these principles, and the mindset they describe, can be applied to anarchists’ everyday organizing efforts.
Timeslot 4: 4:00-6:00
1) Understanding the Current Constitutional Challenge: Sex Workers Bash Back
Presented by an individual directly involved in the current federal constitutional challenge lawsuit to decriminalize sex work in Canada, this workshop will examine and explain the Canadian context which brought us to this moment in our organizing and mobilization for sex workers rights. This workshop will also include some education about local, Hamilton-specific sex work histories, and resistance.
2) Anarchist Ecology: Discussing Re-Enchantment and the Long Game (starts at 4:15)
This workshop, facilitated by one of the former Knowing the Land is Resistance collective members, will focus in on the art of re-enchantment. A necessary skill under capitalism— which erodes our connection with nature— let’s skill share around reconnecting to the land without shame or guilt. Here’s to deepening patterns of always coming back to what matters, as we hang in there for the long game.