Anonymous Comrade writes:

"Envisioning Peoples' Struggles" Conference

Vancouver, 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 June 24 will be centered around ongoing resistance to war and colonialism at home and abroad. One of our
keynote speakers is Waleed Rabia. Waleed is a founder of Al Muajaha ('The Witness" or alternatively, "Confrontation"); Iraq's first independent media project that was initiated one week after the war began, and associated with the IndyMedia Center. He was an embedded journalist with the Iraqi resistance forces from Northern to Southern Iraq, subproducer for the BBC, and liaison with internationals in Iraq such as Voices of Conscience, Iraq Solidarity Project, Big Noise Films, Naomi Klein, and others.

The Workshops on Saturday June 25 include:
* Resisting 2010 Olympics

* The Globalization of War & the Assault of Globalization

* Confronting Fortress North America

* Struggles for Indigenous Self-Determination

* Health under Capitalism

* Creative Political and Legal Strategies

* Anti-Oppression Organizing in an Anti-Capitalist Context

* The Possibilities and Limitations of Electoralism

* Rethinking the Labour Movement

* History Matters: Past Resistance

Some of our confirmed speakers include Arthur Manuel who is a Secwepemc defender, Sid Shniad of the Stopwar Coordinating committee, Nazilla
Bettata who is an Algerian physician on womens health and health under occupation, Gene McGuckin of Prepare the General Strike Committee, Megan Oleson who is a recent recipient of a Human Rights Award for her work in the Downtown Eastside, Hari Sharma who is the President of South Asian Network for Secularism and Demoracy, community activists involved with the historic Red Power movement, author Anthony Fenton, Erika Fuchs of a Mexican migrant workers support group, Don Pedro who is a leader of the Mayan peoples movement in Guatemala against Canadian corporations, Marysol Torres of the Vancouver Bolivarian Circle, activists from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, speakers from the Haida Nation, and many others.

Our program for Sunday includes two highly unique and participatory events: A Canadian Refugee Camp and A Historical Resistance Walk 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 Walk of the Downtown Eastside will be guided by community activists and residents of the neighbourhood, who will relay the history of 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 conference is by donation (10-20$ including food- no one turned away). Childcare and translation is available. Most of the conference will be at SFU Habour Center, 515 West Hastings.

More information on the conference is at http://resist.ca/~eps2005

SUPPORTING THE CONFERENCE:

* There are several organizations that are supporting and endorsing the conference. We hope you will too. If you are able to endorse, please
email or call us at eps2005@resist.ca or call 778-552-2099.

* We also hope you will able to help us publicize this conference through your networks, for example through an email annoucement list or a quick programmed fax to your contacts.

Thank you for your support and we are looking forward to your participation in the conference!

For more information, please contact us at:
Email: eps2005@resist.ca

Website: http://resist.ca/~eps2005"