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Programme
Workshop Descriptions
Welcome Letter
Daily programme
Everyday
9.30 - 10.00 Morning Assembly
2.00 - 4.30 Lunch, Siesta and Film screanings
6.30 - 7.00 Break
9.00 Dinner
Thursday
10 - 12 Welcome workshop
12 - 2
* History of feminist struggles
* Examinations of 16th and 17th European witch trials
* How to create safer spaces in mixed environments
4.30 - 6.30
* Bike maintenance
* Active listening
* Popular Education
* MassDebate: Exclusive Spaces? How to work with men, or not?
7 - 9
* Prisoner support
* History of feminist health and DIY gynecology
* Self defense
* Women´s experiences in social movements
Evening Pub quiz
Friday
10 - 12
* Women´s solidarity
* Advanced capitalism and global class struggle
* Basic building skills
* Introduction to permaculture
12 - 2
* Introduction to participatory video
* How to support women´s struggles internationally
* 30 years of feminist organizing: personal experiences
4.30 - 6.30
* Trauma and Recovery
* Consent and personal boundaries
* MassDebate:
Patriarchy ><Capitalism 2006?
7 - 9
* Climate change, ecological collapse, peak oil and impending crisis
* Self defence
* Female ejaculation
Evening Open Mic night
Saturday
10 - 12
* Idea & skillshare: alternative media and self-publishing
* Herbal medicine
* Different types of relationships
12 - 2
* Sexual violence and gender justice
* Reproductive rights and autonomy
* Sustainable building
* Idea & skillshare: facilitating self- defense workshops
4.30 - 6.30
* Myth of love
* MassDebate: Migration – strategies for support and uniting struggles
* Herbal Medicine
7 - 9
* Idea & skillshare: antiracism and immigration work
* Caressing workshop
* Self defence
Evening Screenings
Sunday
10 - 12
* Homework workshop
* Sexwork, prostitution, trafficking
* Staying power & Coalition building
12 - 2
* Idea & skillshare: direct action tactics
* Post porno
* Radical Midwifery
4.30 - 6.30
* Conclusions & plans & all else that comes up
Evening Bootycamp 2006: Fiesta
Film programme
Thursday, 21 September
1500-1640
"María Serrano"
Llevaré un documental sobre la vida de una mujer que luchó
en la guerrilla contra los militares durante el conflicto armado de El
Salvador, sus razones para participar en dicha guerrilla, su vida día
a día, la relación con su compañero y sus hijas,
la muerte, la lucha.
Friday, 22 September
1500- 1637
"Unveiled"
Fariba, presecuted in Iran because of her love for another woman, assumes
the identity of a man to gain temporary asylum in Germany.
She takes an illegal factory job where fellow worker Anne takes an interest
in the strange foreigner.
Saturday, 23 September
1500-1625
"Princecas"
Ésta es la historia de dos mujeres, de dos putas, de dos princesas.
Una de ellas se llama Caye, tiene casi treinta años, el flequillo
de peluquería y un atractivo discutible, de barrio. Zulema es una
princesa desterrada, dulce y oscura, que vive a diario el exilio forzoso
de la desesperación.
Sunday, 24 September
1500-1648
"Born into Brothels"
A portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light
district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski,
a New York-based photographer, gives each of the children a camera and
teaches them to look at the world with new eyes.
And for the Shorts Film Night
Womyn Make Films! Mujeres Hace Pelis!:
A film by the International Coalition on the Internation Criminal Court
A film that explores solidarity strategies with women in conflict zones.
Castellano with English subtitles.
"Chunks of Kill"
(03:55) By Gnomes IRL
Inspired by a children's felt animal set, this piece is very loosely based
on the novel "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. Using the felt
animals in order
to keep the action (and in turn the story) quite simple, it is an
understated exploration of revenge, where the animals are mistreated and
eventually revolt. Hope arises from an absence of any form of authority.
English, no subtitles
"Luta do Liharinhos"
Linharinhos, Espirito Santo, Brasil (12min)
This film shows an inspiring action of a Quilombola (descendents of slaves)
community who take back their ancestral burial ground that was covered
in eucalyptus plantations. Portuguese with English subtitles.
"Dogs run free"
(33 mins)
-"The political construction of Europe is also a construction to
divide
us..." A informative and analytical glance over the building of Fortress
Europe through migration management, regulation, and control.
Shot in Sevilla (church and university occupations), 2002; the Strasbourg
No
Border Camp, 2002; and around the G8 in Geneva 2003, including Indymedia
footage from the monstrous police raid of the convergence centre, the
Genevan Social Centre l'Usine. English.
Descriptions of workshops
History of Feminist Struggles
A 2-hour workshop aimed to both inspire and inform. First we will
collectively unveil the stories of women’s struggles of the past
150
years, and then share our understanding of the main concepts of
feminist theory. This workshop is based around a few participatory
activities and games.
Examinations of 16th and
17th European Witch Trials
Looking at the Witch trials as a fundamental part of huge social and economic
changes taking place during this period. The changing and consolidating
powers of the church, the universities, the new sciences and the breakdown
of village life all needed the trails. The witches were healers, wise
women, political agitators, village dependants, feminists.
How to create Safer Spaces
This will be a discussion about how we can make the activist spaces we
share safe and comfortable for everyone. There are two of us hosting it,
one who on a protest site in the west of Ireland and one who is involved
with the running of a social centre in Dublin. We will discuss the Safer/Positive
Spaces Policies we have in place in each and how they have worked or failed
to work.
Bike Maintenance
¬Sharing of maintenance skills and setting up the workshop so that
there can be a continuous space.
Active Listening
How we communicate with friends, lovers, companer@s is fundamental to
improve our relationships, self-awareness and promote positive social
change – this communication includes the much-underrated skill of
listening and listening well. This workshop aims to identify the listening
skills required of us and that can then be applied in our day-to-day lives
for the benefit of our inter-personal communication, our struggles and
ourselves.
Popular Education
This workshop explores some of the theories behind popular education methodologies
and aims to open discussion and debate about how we can use participatory
methods of education to develop our campaigns and struggles.
Prisoner Support
What is prisoner support? What groups are involved in supporting prisoners
and how do we effectively show solidarity to our comrades?
History of Feminist Health
This workshops looks at the history of the feminist health movement and
the important issues they organised around. Focusing on the redefinition
of the clitoris, reclaiming knowledge of menstrual cycles and the implications
of this.
Self Defence Skill Share
A session for women involved with teaching or sharing self defence skills
to discuss what they do, how they do it, and why!
Women’s Experiences
of Social Movements
All of us have experienced gender issues and outright sexism within the
movements and groups with which we work. This workshop aims to discuss
certain types of common behaviours, situations and ways of dealing, responding
and acting on our experiences.
Women´s solidarity
and Power Relationships between Women
How can we work against the oppression of women when similar oppressive
relationships exist even amongst us as radical women. Discussion re: recognising
this and talking about ways to overcome this so we can support each other
in our struggles!
Advanced Capitalism and global
class struggle
Capitalism is facing a crisis of profitability and a crisis of legitimacy
and our struggle is the motor that is pushing this. The driving force
behind globalisation of capitalism is the unrest of the exploited and
oppressed. Capital flees from workers organization in the search for low
wages, but the struggle comes up again. The concept of 'inquiry and intervention',
can help us understand and relate to social/ class conflicts and support
self-organised struggles.
Basic Building Skills
Which screws there are, nails, drills, how you put in anchors etc…
Permaculture
Permaculture is a huge and hot topic. This workshop will go through some
of the main principles of permaculture and discuss how this is relevant
to the anti-globalisation movements as well as offering a powerful tool
for restructuring, redesigning and rethinking our communities in a sustainable
way.
Introduction to Participatory
Video
30 years of feminist organizing:
personal experiences
This is a chance for people who have been active in collectives, networks
or organisations over the last few decades up to recent times to share
their experiences.
Trauma and Recovery
what are common reactions to brutality?
what is post traumatic stress "disorder"?
how can you help youself and help others?
what can we do about it in our groups and movements?
personal experiences, theoretic background information and group discussion
Consent and Personal Boundaries
An interactive workshop that is food for thought, allowing you to
explore your own ideas of consent, discovering and negotiating boundaries.
Climate Change, ecological
collapse and impending crisis
Western civilisation based on exploitation of humans and the natural world,
unrestrained use of resources and constant growth is reaching its climax.
We are now living in a time where the climate is changing, ecosystems
are at ther tipping points and the energy
crisis is becoming an economic and political factor. A short presentation
on problems, and a discussion of responses.
Female Ejaculation
An informative workshop inc. history, anatomy, good books & hopefully
lots of discussion & learning. (no demonstrations....)
Alternative Media and Self-publishing
Skill share and discussion about autonomous media from making films to
DIY publishing. What projects are people involved in and what do women
find useful to be ´networked´.
Herbal Medicine
This will be an introduction to the medicinal herb garden and practical
workshop on how to make medicinal tinctures.
Different Types of Relationships
A talk shop to explore different sorts of relationships, definitions,
boundaries, safety, communication.
Sexual Violence and gender
justice
Challenging the silence: media against sexual violence. During the presentation
we will analyse the use of sexual violence as a war weapon, the gender
justice options existing, included the International Criminal Court, the
post-conflict reconciliation processes and how we can support from Europe
the struggle of gender justice on women in conflict zones.
Sustainable Building
Examples of different sustainable building techniques, such as haybale
houses, cob houses etc. Skillsharing and practical knowledge.
Staying Power and Coalition
Building
As a long term feminist activist I would like to lead a discussion about
what can help us stay involved and not give up when the going gets tough.
Myth of Love
DIY Gynaecology
Have you ever wondered why you get or should get smear tests (cervical
exams) done? A discussion about cervical health, abnormal
smears, and vaginal infections: what the doctors don't tell you and
what *you* can do about it.
Anti-racism and Immigration
Workshop
Swop shop for people involved in various projects around Europe and for
people who are interested.
Caressing Workshop
See description later
Homework Workshop
Talking about gender issues in our collectives and groups can be
incredibly difficult. This workshop will offer a perfect excuse for it.
We will device a workshop together, with activities, debate starters,
fact sheets etc. that all of us take home with us and do with our
respective groups.
Sexwork, prostitution and
trafficking.
What are the issues behind the red curtains? What groups are involved
and how?
Direct Action: Ideas and
Skillshare
We want to share skills and ideas of tactics and actions. This is a place
to discuss our ideas around ´militancy and ´radicalism´.
Post porno
See description later
Radical Midwifery
Led by an independent midwife. The workshop will examine and reflect on
our own beliefs surrounding pregnancy, birth and motherhood, learning
simple, practical ways to reclaim maternity.
MASS DEBATES
We have chosen these three topics as we think that they are important
issues that we would like to debate thoroughly and widely. The sessions
will be facilitated debates with short presentations and provocations
at the beginning and then splitting inot smaller groups to discuss.
Debate One: Exclusive Spaces? How to work with
men, or not?
Debate Two: Patriarchy and Capitalism
Debate Three: Migration – strategies for
support and uniting struggles
Welcome to the Radical Gathering of Women!
..or Bootycamp 2006, as we lovingly call it. We
hope that these four days of mingling, debating, sharing, learning, gossiping,
imagining and creating with 80 women from all over the place will become
a unique experience for all of us. Judging by the excitement all of you
have responded to the invitation with, an opportunity to gather to share
ideas and inspire each other was really needed. The state of feminist
struggles in Europe is not much to boast about nowadays and we surely
won’t fix it in four days. But we hope the next days can be a beginning
of something.
We hope that something is not just a new e-mail list
or another one of those networks. Network we already are: we got together
as some women from Brighton Women’s Health Collective and some from
Escanda, and invited the interesting women we have met in the past decade
in most diverse circumstances. And they invited the interesting women
they knew. That is a network in action.
This gathering has quite an obvious gender bias. We want
to be inspired by the struggles of women in history, as we want to push
those same debates further, fitting them into our context right here right
now. But we also want to talk and share and strategize about everything
else we are involved in. Reproductive rights, gender violence and drag
kings are women’s issues, but so are racist immigration policies,
repression of social movements, capitalism and bicycle maintenance. The
programme is rammed with over 30 workshops and debates about a huge range
of issues, but we hope that some common threads will arise from this eclectic
pick n´mix.
We need those common threads to knit us stronger together
whilst the state and the market continue their onslaught to penetrate
our communities and humanity. We need those common threads to build true
solidarity, not patronizing charity, with the women struggling against
oppression all over our globalized world, near and far, in circumstances
that us most of us can hardly imagine.
We don´t have the answers, we are not sure if we
have been able to even set the questions right. This gathering belongs
to you all, take it, break it, use it and abuse it, there should be enough
open space for all of your ideas.
The fact there won’t be any penises around, is
no guarantee of absence of inequality and power structures. Even though
patriarchy didn’t feature on the “what to bring with you”
list, we all still carry it around. Women do play power games and we have
to be conscious of this, challenging our own behaviors making sure we
are trying to create truly ´radical´ and inclusive spaces.
Let´s remember, there are no stupid questions. There are no experts
and no servants. And for the next four days, there are no men either.
We hope you will all have a wonderful time,
Your bootycamp team!!
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