NE APOC Conference 09
Conference Times/Locations
With our wonderful friends in blue (the cops) visiting the MOVE Organization’s house in West Philadelphia early in July trying to instigate conflict with and find out more information about the 2009 Northeast Anarchist/Anti-Authoritarian/Autonomous People of Color Conference in Philadelphia we’re gonna keep the suspense going.
That’s right Civil Affairs Unit of the Philadelphia Police Department, we’re calling for a vegan-friendly game of spot the cop. Try not to make it too easy for us. Here’s our non-competitive game for you Civil Affairs Unit, can you spot Michael Jackson at the conference?!?!
It’s a vegan treasure hunt!
The locations for each day of the conference will only be discovered once you pick up our top secret treasure maps that will be found at the meet up points. The meet up points will be fairly close to the conference location but not close enough for our friends in blue and in white to find the treasure too early. The meet up points will be announced four days before the conference (Monday, August1) at www.illvox.org
Start and End times of the Conference:
Thursday, August 6 – 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Friday, August 7 – 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Saturday, August 8 – 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Sunday, August 9 – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
The first two days of the conference will be going down in the northern part of West Philadelphia. The second two days of the conference will be going down in the upper part of North Philadelphia.
2009 Northeast APOC Conference Mission Statement
No doubt in the days since we last gathered together as APOC (Autonomous / Anarchist / Anti-Authoritarian People of Color), much has changed for each of us. We’ve each experienced new joys and grieves, up and downs. Across the vastness of this metropolitan wasteland, new bonds have been built, old bonds strengthened. In surviving, even thriving against the transgressions perpetrated by those who would see us torn apart, we’ve developed both as individuals and as a movement.
Still problems persist. Despite our best efforts, our most spirited resistance, we remain oppressed. Native land remains occupied, its people marginalized, their culture appropriated and left to die. Zionists, backed by other Western powers, continue their genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people. Gentrification continues to invade our neighborhoods. Police, ever vigilant in their protection of the ruling class, remain a brutal force separating us from our freedom. The rich still control the means of production, while the rest are exploited, forced into wage-slavery, prisons, and graves. The all-pervasive system of patriarchy still looms over and surrounds womyn, while their bodies remain battle grounds. Queers and transfolk still face violence, bashings and murders in a world hostile to all but the established norms. Billions of animals remain enslaved in chains, tanks, cages, and barns, subject to all manner of exploitation. This year, as before, the struggle continues.
Revolution, if it is to succeed, requires a coordinated, comprehensive network of dedicated revolutionaries. Of course, APOC has existed for some time now. However, we have not thus far been able to create and maintain a form suitable to our needs. Many times have we converged, many times have we expressed a desire for something more consistent. It is clear to many that what we need is an autonomous organization of sorts, perhaps many. Our intention is to make this happen.
This August, we converge upon Philadelphia, the disgusting home to the bombing of the MOVE Organization, the framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the capture of Russell Shoatz, the framing of the MOVE 9, and the murder of Erica Keels. As we share our stories, our experiences, our ideas, our visions, we will come to understand and respect each other as individuals and make build our community as a whole. Let our resolve and our rage give rise to not just a tendency but a united force with which to cast off the chains that bind us all.
Love and Liberation,
APOC Philly
The 2009 Northeast APOC Conference will be held in Philadelphia, PA from Thursday, August 6 – Sunday, August 9.
For more details and updates on the conference please visit www.illvox.org or email APOC-Philly[at]riseup[dot]net
2009 NE APOC Conference Revolutionary Principles of Unity
All attendees of the 2009 Northeast APOC Conference in Philadelphia, PA must agree to and respect the Revolutionary Principles of Unity.
Revolutionary Principles of Unity
1. We call for a social revolution to erect a new society entirely.
2. We want decent housing, food, clothing and other essentials for all, not just the rich.
3. We oppose all forms of colonialism and imperialism in the Third and Fourth Worlds and support the struggles of all oppressed peoples in the West.
4. We oppose nation-state wars and the building of a fascist police state based on hysteria over “terrorism.”
5. We oppose any form of white supremacy, white cultural chauvinism, whiteness or internalized racism in the Anarchist movement, and call for unity and recognition of our right to autonomy.
6. We strive and fight to dismantle, deconstruct and unlearn (in no particular order but all at once) white supremacy, patriarchy, ableism, heterosexism, speciesism, transphobia, queerphobia, environmental racism, ageism, classism and authoritarianism.
7. We oppose the oppression of womyn, queers, transfolk, two spirits, youth, genderqueers, differently able-bodied people, people with mental health complexities, animals and all that are oppressed.
8. We oppose any forms of capitalism and class oppression and support the liberation of the poor and the workers.
9. We call for an immediate moratorium of the death penalty and the dismantling of the prison industrial complex.
10. We demand an immediate end to all violence against womyn (sexual, domestic or otherwise). We fully support survivors’ (of sexual assault and rape) autonomy. We demand all perpetrators adhere and cooperate to the fullest extent the procedures and demands of the survivors and the communities.
Build It From Below,
APOC Philly
The 2009 Northeast APOC Conference will be held in Philadelphia, PA from Thursday, August 6 – Sunday, August 9.
For more details and updates on the conference please visit www.illvox.org or email APOC-Philly [at] riseup [dot] net
Facilitators for Caucuses & Auxiliaries Needed!
[The] Summer 2009 Northeast APOC Conference is a little over a month away! This is a shout-out to find facilitators/bottom-liners for caucuses and auxiliaries. We are hoping to have at least two people for each caucus and auxiliary group.
If you are interested please email APOC-Philly@riseup.net
We’d prefer Northeast APOC bottom-line caucuses and auxiliaries but all APOC that attend the conference are strongly encouraged to be at these sessions.
Caucuses:
Womyn’s Caucus
Queer Caucus
Trans Caucus
Genderqueer/Gender Non-Conforming Caucus
Youth Caucus (bottom-liners under 18 please)
Differently Able-bodied Caucus
Poor Peoples Caucus
At both the Womyn’s and Trans caucuses there will also be a Genderqueer/Gender Non-Corming caucus as well. No other caucuses will overlap.
Auxiliary Groups:
Male Privilege Auxiliary
Hetero Auxiliary
Cisgendered Auxiliary
Adult Auxiliary
Able-bodied Auxiliary
Middle & Upper Class Auxiliary
*** These caucuses and auxiliaries are a must for the conference so PLEASE volunteer to bottom-line these. ***
Caucus & Auxiliary description (stolen):
Caucuses and Auxiliary are one way of engaging in anti-oppression within the organization. A caucus is a group of people who face a common institutional oppression in our society, such as white supremacy,
patriarchy or transphobia. A caucus is a space to address the oppression of minority and marginalized groups within society and often even within social movements. Caucuses meet to talk about how they are experiencing oppression in social movements, whether it be in their communities, at events, or general movements. It is a safer space for oppressed people to confide and name the problems they face. Caucuses are empowered to make demands of their auxiliary groups. Auxiliary groups are people who do not
face the specific oppression of a caucus. Auxiliaries meet whenever caucuses meet. Auxiliary groups do not have the same rights as Caucuses.
They cannot suspend a function or meeting in order to meet. Rather, they
meet in response to a Caucus. It is the responsibility of auxiliary
members to take in active role in not practicing oppressive behavior as
well as actively supporting the leadership of caucus members. It is
important that Auxiliary groups take themselves seriously and not treat
their meetings as an opportunity to socialize or relax.
The agenda of a Caucus or Auxiliary meeting depends, in a large part, on
its context. If they are meeting in response to a particular event or
incident, discussion should focus on that. Members could decide to meet
and talk about a campaign or event they want to endorse or a project that they would like to undertake. They may design presentations or information to make available to the wider movement. The structure, scope, and agenda
of Caucuses and Alternative Groups are ultimately decided by the APOCistas
who are part of these groups.
Transportation
Unlike the white anarchist gatherings, we don’t expect or anticipate dozens of radical people of color to be hopping trains and hitchhiking to get to this conference. While Greyhound may seem to be the only option for some without other means of travel, there exist several known alternatives:
A ride board has been established at GoLoco. Rides can be setup on that site, Craigslist Rideshare, Share Your Ride, eRideShare, the newly established Illvox Forum, or by any other means.
Other options:
New Century Travel Chinatown buses has buses from Baltimore, Boston, NYC, DC, and Richmond to Philadelphia.
Apex Bus Chinatown buses has buses from Syracuse, Rochest, Buffalo, Baltimore, Boston, NYC, DC and Richmond to Philadelphia.
Chinatown buses are relatively inexpensive, you can bring you bikes, and owner and operated by people of color.
Megabus buses are all equipped with free (READ: included) wi-fi, are relatively accommodating to differenty-abled persons, serve a significant portion of the northeast, and are pretty cheap.
Peter Pan buses are equipped with wi-fi and they’re reasonably priced.
Bolt Bus has wi-fi, power outlets, travels between Boston, NYC, Cherry Hill, Philly, Baltimore, and DC, and is pretty cheap. All of their buses are also equipped to accommodate differently-abled persons and recommend advanced reservation.
