Radical Encuentro
2002 encuentro event: at Wolf Farm, owned by John L. Wolf, aka "Johnny Wolf", a set designer, Quaker, and co-founder with Hadi Jawad (see below) of the Coalition in Solidarity with the People of Iraq. Wolf's wife Vicki is a yoga instructor in Dallas.
Description: Radical training camp organization putting on occasional events using all-volunteer labor with activities located on private property, then proceeding to perform at orchestrated protest demonstrations in urban areas.
May 2002 session program, from their website:
Themes include past & present struggles, future issues, and hands on training for taking action to make change happen. Each workshop will be 2 hours long.
Past & Present Struggles
Women in the Zapatista Struggle (Melissa, Monkeywrench Collective)
Animal Rights & Ecology (Dr. Steve Best, Associate Professor of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Texas El Paso)
Women in the Black Panther Movement (Althea Francois, former leader in New Orleans chapter of the Black Panther Party, later key member of Central Committee in Oakland, CA)
Exposing Corporate Greed (David Cobb, Texas Green Party; P.O.C.L.A.D., former corporate lawyer)
Indigenous Rights (Nelly Ramirez, La Raza Unida; Reuben, Mexika Eagle Society)
Political Prisoners (Chris Plummer, recently released Anarchist political prisoner; Reckless, Austin Anarchist Black Cross; chickpea)
Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement (Gloria Rubac and Njeri Shakur)
Iraq: the sanctions & oil (Hadi Jawad, secretary of the American Muslim Alliance; Coalition in Solidarity with the People of Iraq)
ExxonMobil teach-in (impacted community representatives, PressurePoint, GreenPeace, Human Rights Campaign, and more)
Non-Violence: History and Tactics (Lisa Fithian)
Future Issues Anti-oppression and anti-racism (Cathy Berry, Satya, Ruckus Society)
Media Activism (Tish Stringer, Houston Indymedia Center)
Green Party: Keeping it Radical & Diversifying (Karla Aguilar & Joleen Garcia, Campus Greens)
Anarchist Movement Building (Ernesto Aguilar, Houston ABC)
Indigenous Rights (panel discussion: Tristan, American Indian Movement Houston chapter and more)
Vision and how we might get there (Anne Tagonist, Khalil)
Hands on Training Basic Climbing (Tracy Hayes, Texas Drug Policy Reform Movement; Cesar Maxit, UPROAR; Satya, Ruckus Society)
Conflict Resolution (Theresa, Austin Copwatch)
Consensus-based Decision Making/Facilitation (TBA)
Media Training (TBA)
Art & Puppets (Cesar Maxit, Uproar; Gabriel Delgado, Houston Art Car Museum; Rhizome Collective)
Silk-Screening T-shirts (Chicano/a)
Permaculture/Sustainable Revolution (Skotty & Vicki, Rhyzome Collective)
Direct Action (Cathie Berrey, Satya, Ruckus Society)
These topics are subject to change as planning for the camp continues.
Our invited keynote speakers are: Dr. Rania Masri with Peace Action and Southern Exposure speaking on "Middle East: womens' struggles, militariziation, and oil" and Susanna Almanza with PODER (People Organized in Defense of Earths Resources / Pueblo Organizado en Defensa de la Tierra y sus Recursos) speaking on "corporate power vs. people in low income neighborhoods."
Some of the groups we have contacted to facilitate workshops, participate or speak so far are: North Texas Independent Media Center, POCLAD, UPROAR, Chicano/a, Campus Greens, Houston Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), Dallas ABC, Austin ABC, Coalition to Free the Angola 3,PODER, Rhyzome Collective, I.W.W., Biosquat, Houston American Indian Movement, African United Front, Mexia Eagle Society, Human Rights Campaign, Dallas Gay Lesbian Alliance, Monkeywrench collective, Pressure Point, Ruckus Society, Human Rights Campaign, former members of the Black Panther Party, Peace Action.