Pittsburgh: POG G20 lead-up training schedule released
In the lead-up to the G20 summit Pittsburgh Organizing Group’s Tactical Training Initiative will hold 11 events on the following topics: participating in an action, working the media (for anarchists), an intro to global and political economic frameworks, corporate research, and lockboxes and lockdown devices. A prelimanary schedule of trainings offered by Pittsburgh Organizing Group’s (POG) Tactical Training Initiative (TTI) For the latest location information on these workshops and other G20 related events see www.organizepittsburgh.org and www.resistg20.org
On September 24 and 25 the leaders of the world’s largest economies will be descending on Pittsburgh to expand and promote their neoliberal agendas of corporate globalization and economic imperialism. Across Pittsburgh and across the world people are coming together to make plans to resist the G-20’s planned spectacle. To help get ready locally, POG is offering a series of workshops on a myriad of political and theoretical topics.
These workshops are part of POG’s long standing Tactical Training Initiative which offers a series of workshops for collectives and community groups across the country. Some workshops are focused on building specific skill sets and helping us stay safe and be effective in the streets, other workshops focus on sharpening our analysis and critiques of the current political frameworks. Our approach is one that is suggestive, not dogmatic. We’re hoping to share some of our experiences and learn from the experiences of workshop participants. We don’t want to try to provide cookie cutter right-and wrong formulas for organizing
.All trainings listed here are free and open to the community.
If you would like to schedule one of the trainings we offer for your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us at pog@mutualaid.org
Global Political and Economic Frameworks: An Introduction to the G-20, the IMF and Economic CrisisMonday, July 13—7:00 pm—Thomas Merton Center, 5125 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA
Wednesday, August 12—7:30 pm—Location TBA
Thursday, September 3—7:00 pm—Thomas Merton Center, 5125Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA
Thursday, September 10—7:00 pm—Thomas Merton Center, 5125 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA
Saturday, September 19—2:00 pm—Location TBA
This workshop provides a brief but relatively comprehensive introduction to some of the major transnational economic, political, and military super structures that the elites from powerful nation-states use to dominate the globe. We take a look at the history and structure of international financial institutions like the IMF World Bank Group, global political structures like the United Nations, and transnational military alliances like NATO. The workshop will examine all of these structures against the backdrop of the current financial crisis and the upcoming G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh. Additionally the workshop will introduce participants to the ideological frameworks that fuel this brand of corporate globalization and some of the debates that are taking place between the political elite.
Participating in a Mass Action: 101Wednesday, July 15—7:30 pm—Location TBA
Friday, September 18—7:00 pm—Thomas Merton Center, 5125 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA
Sunday, September 20—2:00 pm—Location TBA
This workshop geared towards activists preparing to participate in a mass action. We’ll talk about several different types of action frameworks you might run into and introduce common organizational structures that you’re likely to see including affinity groups, clusters, and blocs. Additionally we’ll offer suggestions for mental preparation and a rundown of basic legal and health and safety questions.
Beyond the Boardroom: A Workshop on Strategic Corporate Research (Financial Meltdown Version)Monday, August 10—7:00 pm—Thomas Merton Center, 5125 Penn Ave Pittsburgh PA
Today 51 of world's largest 100 economies are multinational corporations. These corporations are playing an increasing role in our everyday lives. They sell us the water we drink and the food we eat; they operate many of the hospitals we go to when we're sick and the schools our children attend; prisons, police and the military are not even insulated from this increasing trend toward privatization and corporatization. Despite their rapid rise in influence and power, information on these mammoth institutions is kept strikingly out of the popular dialogue. Who runs them? How are they connected? And perhaps most importantly: how can all of us have a say in how these corporations operate? We'll take a look at several publicly available (but well hidden) sources for information on companies including annual reports, SEC filings (primarily 10K and Proxy statements), IRS 990, and other FEC and IRS documents. Additionally we'll talk about how to analyze all of this information to zero in on the company's decision-making processes, profit centers, growth plans, and key relationships. And finally we'll look at how NGO's, labor unions, and community organizations have turned this research into strategy to confront corporate power and demand accountability. In this very special financial meltdown version of this corporate research, we will spend some time specifically examining some of the financial institutions that contributed to the current financial collapse and some of the major local institutions that are profiting from the neoliberal policies of the G-20 leaders.
Working the Media (for Anarchists)Monday, July 27—7:00 pm—Thomas Merton Center—5125 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA
Want to learn how to use media effectively to complement a social justice campaign? This workshop will cover the basics of doing media work/outreach to complement strategic campaigns for social justice. Some of the things we will cover include writing press releases, media wrangling, relationship-building, creating media packets, the difference between press conferences and action media work, the importance of role rotation and other collective and radical philosophies that have worked for POG over the years. We will use role-playing and discussion, and provide helpful materials for participants to take back to their campaigns.
Lockboxes and Lockdown DevicesWednesday, July 29—7:30 pm—Location TBA
This training, by POG's tactical training initiative, is an introduction to the use of 'lockboxes' and other lockdown devices in protest situations. For decades, activists have been using handcuffs, chains, pvc piping, steel tubing, and all sorts of other devices to help secure space in a protest situation. First made popular to North American activists during the anti-nuclear movement, these tactics were further developed and defined during forest defense campaigns in the Pacific Northwest through the 80's and 90's. By the late 1990's sophisticated lockdown devices made it out of the woods and back into the streets as global justice activists confronted trade summits and corporate targets. Today, lockdowns remain an important and effective tactic, employed by a myriad of social justice organizations around the world.
This training will concentrate on the logistical and safety issues involved in planning actions and supporting our friends who are locking down, but will also provide participants with an opportunity to 'try out' a few popular lockdown.
Many of the skills we will explore are applicable in all sorts of lockdown and other protest situations.