Protests, marches, rallies, leaflettings, civil disobedience, etc.

Regional Networking Sessions

Time for activists to make contacts with others in their region, share strategies and information, and to develop strategies for mutual support and collaboration.

Campaign/Issue/Tactic Networking Sessions

Sessions where activists committed to a specific issue, campaign, or tactic can make contact, share information, insights, strategies and contacts, and, if they so choose develop multi-organizational coordinated campaigns.

Keynote Addresses

Major, long-form addresses held in front of the entire conference, followed by discussion.

Rap Sessions

Open discussions on issues, ideas, perspectives, problems, strategies, visions, etc.

Skills Sharing

Public speaking, research, media outreach, direct action etc.

Caucuses and Alternative Groups

Within many activists movements caucuses serve as a safe spaces for people facing different forms of oppression (e.g. sexism, racism, or heterosexism) to meet and discuss how this oppression effects them in and outside of the movement. Common caucuses may include a womyn’s caucus, queer caucus, people of color caucus, and a working class caucus. In many activists movements national and regional events such as conferences and national counsel meeting have caucus meetings during which people discuss a particular form of oppression and how to end it. Sometimes a plan of action (like a new campaign) will come from a caucus or an alternative group discussion. Caucuses often have their own means of communication, like e-mail lists or columns in group newsletters. Examples of networks that use caucus structure include Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) and United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS). Alternative groups meet during caucus meetings and are composed of people from within the privileged group working to actively combat oppression against those they have privilege over and to take responsibility for their own oppressive tendencies. For example, men’s alternative groups meet during women’s caucuses and white’s alternative groups meet during the people of color caucus. Alternative groups and caucuses meet afterwards to discuss how they can work together to combat oppression within the movement, in the ways the movement deals with the rest of the world and within society as well. Find out more about caucuses and alternative groups.

Plenary

Sessions where all conference goers attend a panel discussion on topics of importance to the entire movement, including time for Q&A and discussion.

Training

These are 2.5-hour in-depth, structured sessions on specific concrete activism skills, often featuring several trainers focusing on different aspects of a related subject

Workshops

Small breakout sessions where people learn about a specific issue or skill, with opportunity for discussion and extensive question and answer session.

Entertainment and Social Events

Music, other entertainment, opportunities for people to socialize and have fun, nighttime events.

In planning the agenda, some of our priorities are:

New Voices

Ethnic diversity, discussion of controversial issues (e.g. abolition vs. reform), gender balance among speakers, open mike sessions (approx. 7 minutes) to allow unknowns to express perspectives before an audience.

Grassroots Focus

Agenda should cater to the realities of grassroots activists, covering topics relevant and useful to low-budget community organizations

Appeal to a Variety of Learning Styles

Tactile (build human sized models to allow people to experience what it would feel like if you were in: restraining chair, battery cages, gestation cage, etc.), interactive.

Contingency Planning for Overtime Sessions

If people are interested in continuing a discussion after the set time allotted for it, rooms should be available for people to continue the discussion as the rest of the agenda proceeds

Meals