[van-announce] Conference Donation Call Out

[Maryann & Eric]

Hi all,

Please note, we are trying to secure donations for the Envisioning
Peoples' Struggles Conference.  Please circulate the fundraising letter
below:

May 22, 2005


Re:  Envisioning Peoples' Struggles Conference - June 24-26, 2005

We are organizing the Envisioning People's Struggles Conference to bring
together issues and analysis from the many struggles against war,
capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism. The conference will also
explore and discuss the history of resistance movements locally and
around the world to broaden and contextualize our understanding of
current struggles, while emphasizing the need for long-term strategy and
vision through open dialogue that builds solidarity between diverse
organizing communities.

Envisioning Peoples Struggles will bring together those at the forefront
of self-determination struggles, and organizers and activists
participating in active movements for indigenous sovereignty, against
occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Haiti and elsewhere; for
justice for immigrants and refugees; for workers rights; for women's
liberation; against the prison industrial complex; against
capitalist/imperialist globalization; anti-poverty organizing, and more.

It will be a weekend of workshops, panels, film screenings and strategy
sessions. 

The opening panel on Friday will be centered around ongoing resistance
to war and colonialism at home and abroad and aims to highlight the
voices of indigenous people, women, and racialized communities, and all
those resisting war. Our speakers will include a speaker from the Black
Panther Party and two Iraqi journalists who were involved in founding
various independent media projects in 2002 prior to war in Iraq. 

The Workshops on Saturday include:
* Resisting 2010 Olympics
* The Globalization of War & the Assault of Globalization
* Confronting Fortress North America
* Struggles for Indigenous Self-Determination: Fighting Mining &
Forestry Destruction
* Local and International Health
* Creative Political and Legal Strategies
* Anti-Oppression Organizing in an Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Imperialist
Context
* The Possibilities and Limitations of Electoralism
* Rethinking the Labour Movement
* History Matters: Past Resistance

Our program for Sunday includes two highly unique and participatory
events: A Canadian Refugee Camp and A Historical Resistance Walking Tour
of the Downtown Eastside and Chinatown. The Canadian Refugee Camp
involves the collective organization and participation of over a dozen
immigrant and refugee community organizations in Vancouver who have been
engaged in historic and present struggle against exclusionary
immigration policies. The Historical Resistance Walking Tour will
provide a rare insight into the historic neighbourhood of Vancouver
through the many poor, working class, and racialized communities that
have shaped the neighbourhood's culture and resisted gentrification and
displacement. Sunday will also include a full day film festival.

The organizing of this exciting conference comes at an immense cost,
however. In order to provide food, childcare, and travel expenses for
out of town speakers, we are asking our allies to contribute funds to
this project.  The conference is organized completely by volunteer
labour, and we plan to have free to very low cost admission to the
event.

BUDGET:
Travel for out of town speakers: $ 2000
Childcare: $ 500
Food: $ 400
Printing for outreach material: $ 1500
Venue costs, other logistics: $ 200
TOTAL BUDGET $4600

We are requesting a donation of $500 towards the cost of this event.
And, most importantly, we welcome participation from members of your
organization in the conference.  

Cheques can be made out to: Life Without Capitalism
and mailed to Maryann Abbs, 2021 Kitchener, Vancouver V5L 2W6, B.C

For more information, please contact us at:
Email: eps2005 at resist.ca
Website: http://resist.ca/~eps2005


In solidarity,
Harsha Walia for the Envisioning Peoples' Struggles conference
organizers
778-885-0040