4/6: Meeting for Unconventional Action - Rochester

<b>What</b>: Meeting for Unconventional Action - Rochester <b>When</b>: Sunday, April 6th, 5PM <b>Where</b>: Antiwar Storefront Crisis Center &#8212; 658 Monroe Ave. <b>Join our mailing list</b>: lists.rocus.org/listinfo/unconventional-action-rochester <b>More Information</b>: UnconventionalAction.org or www.myspace.com/UpstateUnconventional <b>Current agenda items are</b>: *Affinity Groups *Rochester IMC coverage of events/indymedia role and other media aspects Have agenda items? Email Ted at Knight0440@yahoo.com <b>What is unconventional action?</b> Unconventional Action is an emerging network aiming to complement the work of local organizers in Denver and the Twin Cities with regional organizing throughout the rest of the country. Our goal is to build a horizontal, inclusive framework for protests that will disrupt the upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventions. <b>Why Protest the Conventions?</b> The Democratic and Republican National Conventions present a tremendous opportunity for anarchists and other opponents of war and oppression. If the increasingly unpopular occupation of Iraq is still in effect by summer of 2008, it will be obvious that neither docile street marches nor electoral campaigns are effective means of opposing it; it will likewise be clear that the Democratic opposition is either not capable of or not interested in following through on their promises of ending the war, let alone solving all the additional problems capitalism poses. <b>Why Organize in Advance?</b> Everyone need not fall in line behind a single strategy, but there must be an easy way for people to plug into and contribute to something larger than themselves. Even explicitly autonomous actions are more effective in the context of broadly coordinated activity. A strategy is not the same as a unified plan of action; it is simply a framework within which different plans and approaches can complement one another. A good strategy works whether or not the authorities are aware of it: it enables individual groups to retain their privacy in planning how to play their part, and takes into account the responses that can be expected from the police. The past years of experience have shown that not having a plan ourselves, simply so the police will not catch wind of our plan, is not effective. The strategies for these demonstrations will have to take into account the local context of the host cities and the current political situation. It will also be useful to draw on the lessons of more recent mass actions such as the previous RNC in New York, the G8 summits in Scotland and Germany, and the anti-war protests of 2003. <b>Points of Unity</b>: The name Unconventional Action is available to all whom: * Reject all forms of hierarchy including capitalism, party communism, patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism, and so-called representational politics * Organize on a non-hierarchical, consensus-based basis that promotes autonomy, solidarity, grass-roots involvement, and the agency of those most affected by each decision * Embrace a diversity of tactics * Do not condemn any action on the grounds that it is illegal alone <b>Why Diversity of Tactics</b>? Accepting a diversity of tactics provides for the broad diversity of real human beings. A movement that employs a diversity of tactics is able to adapt to changing contexts. Different tactics, applied in conjunction, can complement one another. Honoring a diversity of tactics means refraining from attacking those whose chosen approaches seem to you to be ineffective, and instead focusing on what missing elements you can add to make their efforts effective. The importance of a diversity of tactics doesn't apply only when it is convenient for you. Accepting the legitimacy of a diversity of tactics means moving from a competitive mindset in which there is only one right way of doing things to a more inclusive and nuanced way of thinking. This contests hierarchies of value as well as of power, and undermines rigid abstractions such as 'violence' and 'morality'. Respect for diverse tactics enables disparate groups to build durable solidarity. Such solidarity must be founded on a commitment to coexisting and collaborating in harmony, rather than on limiting demands for unity.

<p><b>What</b>: Meeting for Unconventional Action - Rochester<br /> <b>When</b>: Sunday, April 6th, 5PM<br /> <b>Where</b>: Antiwar Storefront Crisis Center — 658 Monroe<br /> Ave.<br /> <b>Join our mailing list</b>:<br /> lists.rocus.org/listinfo/unconventional-action-rochester<br /> <b>More Information</b>: UnconventionalAction.org or<br /> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/UpstateUnconventional">www.myspace.com/UpstateUnconventional</a></p> <p><b>Current agenda items are</b>:</p> <p>*Affinity Groups<br /> *Rochester IMC coverage of events/indymedia role and<br /> other media aspects</p> <p>Have agenda items? Email Ted at <a href="mailto:Knight0440@yahoo.com">Knight0440@yahoo.com</a></p> <p><b>What is unconventional action?</b></p> <p>Unconventional Action is an emerging network aiming to<br /> complement the work of local organizers in Denver and<br /> the Twin Cities with regional organizing throughout<br /> the rest of the country. Our goal is to build a<br /> horizontal, inclusive framework for protests that will<br /> disrupt the upcoming Democratic and Republican<br /> National Conventions.</p> <p><b>Why Protest the Conventions?</b></p> <p>The Democratic and Republican National Conventions<br /> present a tremendous opportunity for anarchists and<br /> other opponents of war and oppression. If the<br /> increasingly unpopular occupation of Iraq is still in<br /> effect by summer of 2008, it will be obvious that<br /> neither docile street marches nor electoral campaigns<br /> are effective means of opposing it; it will likewise<br /> be clear that the Democratic opposition is either not<br /> capable of or not interested in following through on<br /> their promises of ending the war, let alone solving<br /> all the additional problems capitalism poses.</p> <p><b>Why Organize in Advance?</b></p> <p>Everyone need not fall in line behind a single<br /> strategy, but there must be an easy way for people to<br /> plug into and contribute to something larger than<br /> themselves. Even explicitly autonomous actions are<br /> more effective in the context of broadly coordinated<br /> activity. A strategy is not the same as a unified plan<br /> of action; it is simply a framework within which<br /> different plans and approaches can complement one<br /> another. A good strategy works whether or not the<br /> authorities are aware of it: it enables individual<br /> groups to retain their privacy in planning how to play<br /> their part, and takes into account the responses that<br /> can be expected from the police. The past years of<br /> experience have shown that not having a plan<br /> ourselves, simply so the police will not catch wind of<br /> our plan, is not effective.</p> <p>The strategies for these demonstrations will have to<br /> take into account the local context of the host cities<br /> and the current political situation. It will also be<br /> useful to draw on the lessons of more recent mass<br /> actions such as the previous RNC in New York, the G8<br /> summits in Scotland and Germany, and the anti-war<br /> protests of 2003.</p> <p><b>Points of Unity</b>:</p> <p>The name Unconventional Action is available to all<br /> whom:</p> <p> * Reject all forms of hierarchy including<br /> capitalism, party communism, patriarchy, white<br /> supremacy, colonialism, and so-called representational<br /> politics<br /> * Organize on a non-hierarchical, consensus-based<br /> basis that promotes autonomy, solidarity, grass-roots<br /> involvement, and the agency of those most affected by<br /> each decision<br /> * Embrace a diversity of tactics<br /> * Do not condemn any action on the grounds that it<br /> is illegal alone</p> <p><b>Why Diversity of Tactics</b>?</p> <p>Accepting a diversity of tactics provides for the<br /> broad diversity of real human beings. A movement that<br /> employs a diversity of tactics is able to adapt to<br /> changing contexts. Different tactics, applied in<br /> conjunction, can complement one another. Honoring a<br /> diversity of tactics means refraining from attacking<br /> those whose chosen approaches seem to you to be<br /> ineffective, and instead focusing on what missing<br /> elements you can add to make their efforts effective.<br /> The importance of a diversity of tactics doesn't apply<br /> only when it is convenient for you. Accepting the<br /> legitimacy of a diversity of tactics means moving from<br /> a competitive mindset in which there is only one right<br /> way of doing things to a more inclusive and nuanced<br /> way of thinking. This contests hierarchies of value as<br /> well as of power, and undermines rigid abstractions<br /> such as 'violence' and 'morality'. Respect for diverse<br /> tactics enables disparate groups to build durable<br /> solidarity. Such solidarity must be founded on a<br /> commitment to coexisting and collaborating in harmony,<br /> rather than on limiting demands for unity.</p>