Planning the Training for the Gathering.

@oswgwhe - When you say "The ultimatum comes from Sacramento which will welcome our Gathering if we do this training right. If we don’t, our Gathering will be fraught with difficulty", to whom in Sacramento are you referring?

IMO, while it's a good thing that the training will be happening, and organizers, GA facilitators, etc., the training is not the main thing that this whole gathering hinges on. There is a lot more to the gathering than the training. And no one can demand that anyone come to the training. (That didn't work last year and it didn't work this year.)

Many white folks don't see themselves as having privilege, because they are economically or socially disadvantaged. A good anti-racism training helps white people realize that the power differential comes because of the color of their skin, essentially unearned privilege.

The question is how to attract/entice folks to attend this training, given that (a) they may not see themselves as privileged, and (b) for most white people (and even more so for most white men), the subject itself is unpleasant.

Thanks Cal. I think your comment is very useful and insightful. Much more of this kind of discussion will make our Gathering a success.

The 99 Rise said nothing about privilege - it was about corporate personhood. I don't see how @oswgwhe connects the dots. The training already has facilitators and presumably an organized program, If we can get a hold of their materials we'd be able to promote it from facts and not fancy.

I think the dates of July 31-Aug 3, were decided before the ever speeding up changes, and before we knew 99Rise would arrive. I think the gathering is starting on July 30. That's what needs to be discussed.

We've been promoting July 31-Aug 3rd for months and it was decided the training would be before the gathering.

Please think things through before you post.

The Training must set the tone for the Gathering. But if we scramble for July 31-Aug3, the Training will have less good effect on the Gathering.

What you refer to as my "lack of thought", is the confusion of the changes, which are hidden, but which we must respond to anyway.

No one said it was going to be easy.

"The question is how to attract/entice folks to attend this training, given that (a) they may not see themselves as privileged, and (b) for most white people (and even more so for most white men), the subject itself is unpleasant."

How do we get them there, Cal?
If we can't get them there, do we proceed as though it didn't matter that they didn't show up?

There were not changes; the dates were either Aug 7 to 10 or July 31 to Aug 3 and we settled on the latter. The training was always—even as planned last year—was something to happen before the gathering; having it the day before allows many people to start out a day earlier and do both. It is definitely an asset, helpful, and something to publicize—which I believe we have been doing, though not as a change of dates from those that were agreed to on the call, to “July 30 to August 3” as you seem to want.
We proceed by encouraging folks to attend, maybe doing a report back during one of the GAs or otherwise sharing with the folks who did not get there, and continuing to plan for Thurs. to Sun., trusting that those who have agreed to make the training happen (mainly Delphine, I believe) will do so. Those of us who find it valuable will likely recommend it, or a similar program to their home Occupys and other groups—and, bit by bit, we become more enlightened.

"Bit by bit, we become more enlightened" is a major way patriarchy reinforces itself. Bit by Bit, instead of "end patriarchy now".

I fear that last year's decision (and this year's) to have the Training before the Gathering, was a result of patriarchs (consciously or unconsciously) hoping that it wouldn't be too big an event. And the argument that people want to do other things supports that view. The patriarchy isn't going away. Its colored our reception of 99Rise.

I couldn't find the "Sociology of Ethnic ... " discussion. It was partially dominated by "patriarchal" discussions which purported to be talking in a way to ease patriarchy, but whose effect was to enforce patriarchy.

99Rise happened in Sacramento. Few, really active NatGat planners are in Sacramento. The National Group doesn't know what happened. What happened is hard to explain. it was a change in consciousness.

Patriarchy, sustained in the NatGat planning process, mostly by Cal, needs to be our priority. Women need to be assigning tasks to men, without men having an obscure (or hidden) voice influencing the women. Cal is hurting the Occupy 99% movement.

Ok, You, @oswgwhe are assigned to work on making sure there's fresh food available on August 30th. A nice spread with lots of cooling foods and beverages.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/1999/10/14/eating-together-fuels-togetherness-among-baliese.html

I guess you mean July 30. I'll try my best.

I posted the wrong link
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/47tnp8rd9780252037634.html

It can really help people feel altogether and egalitarian. If you can't cook, Local restaurants might like to help out, you never know.
Thanks!!

Sea, I also asked you to do something to help Jackie and I on another discussion. It is not about which gender assigns which other gender tasks—and I see you as being pretty binary in your comments to Tricia—but about how we all work together. I agree that I would prefer much more than “bit by bit”—but if that is all we get, then I will take that and keep pushing.

DISPEL THIS MYTH
"I fear that last year’s decision (and this year’s) to have the Training before the Gathering, was a result of patriarchs (consciously or unconsciously) hoping that it wouldn’t be too big an event"

As a matter of fact, the training was requested by (the later boycott team) to be BEFORE THE GATHERING so that organizers would receive the training, making them more capable and sensitive during natgat. It was not only requested to be before natgat, but refused to be part of the natgat, so that it would be it's own stand alone event, and not consumed as just another part of natgat.

#COMMSFLOW #Fact

Just had a good call with William Underbaggage from the Indigenous Nations Network. He's prepared to do the opening ceremony. He's got support within Pine Ridge Reservation and may possibly bring their security team with him. Here's his presentation from last year in Kalamazoo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1dqwLngThU

Thanks for the good news, Tricia.

And just to be clear, the people who wanted the training to be a separate standalone thing before the start of NatGat were people of color.

Thanks for participating in this discussion, Cal. Your voice can help make the training successful, and can help get everyone to participate, even though its on Wed July 30.

Yes, I saw your request Sally, to get a theatre to show movies in, right? I'll try, only after the "NatGat Flow" (the schedule) is more clear.

Cal, I'd like to soften my tone toward you. I do think Donna needs to be defended. She is so beautiful and creative and energetic!! We are all trying our best, I know. I don't feel I have to defend my attitude toward the "patriarchy" I see. However all people have a little male and little female in them. Thanks for your hard work with Jackie and Sally and others so that we have IO and Loomio, and our "5th Estate" that we can now approach. I am a very critical sociologist. I learned this in women's studies courses and in reading and in experience. Again thanks. I hope everyone can be part of the Training.