All Workshops will be held at 5381 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax
Please bring a raincoat, something to sit on and anything else you may need to be comfortable in the event of a light rain.
Workshop Schedule:
10:30-11:30am Intro to Anarchism with Cid
Anarchy? What does that actually mean? If you’ve ever been interested in what anarchist ideas and practice look like, come to Anarchy 101 where we’ll be discussing the basic principles of anarchism and the ways that we see it lived in daily life, community, and political action. All are welcome to this hour-long workshop.Presentor: Cid, a white queer settler from Montreal.]
11:45-12:45pm Protest, Direct Action and Criminal Law with Asaf Rashid
Legal Rights, Who’s Vulnerable, Consequences & Possibilities
Police discretion and powers for detention and arrest
What happens if arrested and charged (the process).
Some good practices to prepare for demonstrations / actions?
Who is most vulnerable?
Common protest / direct action charges and when do they become more serious?
About the presenter – – Asaf Rashid (he/him) lives in Halifax. He is a lawyer, on a temporary leave from practice while assisting in a union organizing drive. He practiced law in Toronto and represented a number of clients facing protest or direct action related charges. He has also been on the organizing end, having planned and participated in a number of protests, demonstrations and actions that, at times, have tested legal boundaries and has a personal understanding of the criminal justice process. He has drawn on these experiences to put on several presentations for groups of people wanting to understand legal consequences of direct actions and how to better inform themselves in approaching such actions or simply for informational purposes. Disclaimer: This workshop material is for informational purposes only. Nothing stated by the author of this workshop material constitutes legal advice. No one is being told to do or not do anything by the author. Any scenarios presented are hypothetical and for learning purposes. There is no solicitor client relationship created between the author and anyone receiving this. No legal advice will be given at this workshop.
1-2:30pm Transformative Justice with Rachel Zellars
This workshop will provide a characterization of transformative justice, work through a few case examples, and situate TJ in the context of abolition. Participants will leave with immediate skills to begin practicing TJ in their kin, interpersonal, and work relationships.
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Rachel Zellars is an assistant professor at Saint Mary’s University. She is also a mother of three, and co-founder of the Third Eye Collective, a transformative justice collective by and for Black women.
2:45-4:15pm Mutual Aid Assembly with OmiSoore and Ember
Creating networks of mutual aid is a crucial part of struggles and strategies for liberation. Practicing mutual aid increases our resilience, health and well-being, confidence and capacity to organize together. In this assembly, Ember and OmiSoore will present ideas about the roles of mutual aid, care, wellness in social movements, and a discussion will follow that will focus on practical ways to build these networks here in Mi’kma’ki and within the continuing historical communities of African Nova Scotians.
4:30-6 Abolition now: No cops No prisons! with El Jones
The politics of abolition have exploded into popular consciousness this year. More people than ever are curious about what a world without cops and prisons might look like and how we might get there. Join El Jones for a discussion on the movement to defund, disarm, dismantle, and abolish the police and prisons both locally and across Turtle Island.
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El Jones is a spoken word poet, an educator, journalist, and a community activist living in African Nova Scotia. She was the fifth Poet Laureate of Halifax and author of the book Live from the Afrikan Resistance!. In 2016, El was a recipient of the Burnley “Rocky” Jones human rights award for her community work and work in prison justice. She is a co-founder of the Black Power Hour, a live radio show with incarcerated people on CKDU.