Calendar

9896
Dec
5
Thu
SILVIA FEDERICI: Witches, Witch-Hunting and Women @ St. Johns Presbyterian Church
Dec 5 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

 

Hosted by Sasha Lilley

“Silvia Federici’s new book offers a brilliant analysis and forceful denunciation of the violence directed toward women and their communities. Her focus moves between women criminalized as witches both at the dawn of capitalism and in contemporary globalization.”  —Massimo DeAngelis, Professor of Political Economy, University of East London

We are witnessing a new surge of interpersonal and institutional violence against women, including new witch hunts. This surge of violence has occurred alongside a global expansion of capitalism. In this new work, revisiting some of the main themes of Caliban and the Witch, Silvia Federici examines the root causes of these developments and outlines the consequences for the women affected and their communities. All too like the witch hunts in sixteenth and seventeenth-century Europe and the “New World,” this contemporary war on women is a structural element of various new forms of capitalist accumulation. These processes are founded on the destruction of people’s most basic means of reproduction. What we discover behind today’s violence against women are processes of enclosure, land dispossession, and the remolding of women’s reproductive activities and subjectivity. As well as an investigation into the causes of this new violence, the book is also a feminist call to arms. Federici’s work provides new ways of understanding the methods in which women are resisting victimization. She offers a powerful reminder that reconstructing the memory of the past is crucial for the struggles of the present.

“ It is good to think with Silvia Federici, whose clarity of analysis and passionate vision come through in essays that chronicle enclosure and dispossession, witch-hunting and other assaults against women, in the present no less than the past. It is even better to act armed with her insights.” — Eileen Boris, Professor of Feminist Studies, U.C.S.B.

Silvia Federici is a feminist writer, teacher and militant. In 1972 she was cofounder of the International Feminist Collective that launched the Wages for Housework campaign  internationally. Her previous books include: Wages Against Housework, Revolution at Point Zero: Housework, Reproduction and Feminist Struggle, and Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the Politics of the Commons

Sasha Lilley is the editor of Capital and Its Discontents: Conversations with Radical Thinkers in a Time of Tumult. She is also a contributor to the Turbulence Collective’s What Would it Mean to Win?, and a  co-founder and host of the Pacifica Radio program Against the Grain

advance tickets: $12: brownpapertickets.com :: T: 800-838-3006  or Pegasus Books (3 sites), Books Inc (Berkeley), Moe’s, Walden Pond Bookstore, East Bay Books, Mrs. Dalloway’s Books, $15 door, benefits KPFA Radio 94.1FM

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Dec
6
Fri
Moms 4 Housing – Fight the Eviction Notice!
Dec 6 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Text “Save Moms House” to (510) 800-7810 to join the text alert system so you can throw down! #SaveMomsHouse #EvictTheSpeculators

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Latin America in Rebellion: What’s Next for Chile and Colombia? @ PLACE
Dec 6 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Around the world, people are rising up and mobilizing in record numbers against repressive regimes, for democratic rights, and rebelling against the neoliberal austerity measures implemented during the ongoing crises of capitalism.

The Chilean rebellion began when young people protested against a public transportation fare, which grew into a general strike on October 24th and 25th coalescing all the accumulated grievances against the government, and later into periods of generalized insurrection. These mass demonstrations have been met by brutal repression.

In Colombia on November 21, there was an historic national strike bringing out thousands of people protesting against President Duque’s ‘Paquetazo’ – reforms that increase labor precarity, attack the public pension system, and a series of measures to reduce taxes on employers and increase them for workers.

Join Workers’ Voice at PLACE on Friday, Dec. 6th from 5-8pm for a panel discussion to analyze the causes of the crises, understand the debates in the movements, and identify ways we can express our solidarity from the US! Refreshments will be served.

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Crimethinc Tour in Oakland: Benefit for Oakland IWOC @ Omni Commons
Dec 6 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
crimethinc.jpg Come out to hear from one of the longest running anarchist media collectives in existence.

The event will benefit the Oakland chapter of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC), who will be serving dinner at 6 PM – a delicious fusion of Puerto Rican and Filipino food.

Currently, CrimethInc. agents are traversing the West Coast of the US, distributing anarchist literature at three book fairs and offering three different presentations in at least ten different cities. This is a crucial moment, with clashes intensifying in various parts of the world; it’s a good time to strengthen our connections, sharpen our analyses, and strategize together for the next round. We’ll be revisiting our book about the last cycle of struggles, From Democracy to Freedom, as it relates to the questions confronting social movements today, and drawing on dialogue with participants in the movements unfolding right now. Come join us!

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From Democracy to Freedom @ Omni Commons
Dec 6 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 

Democracy is the most universal political ideal of our time. From the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Occupy Wall Street and the autonomous region of Rojava, practically every government and popular movement calls itself democratic. Today, the far right has also appropriated the rhetoric of direct democracy, while a wave of populism has swept demagogues like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro into power.

What is democracy, precisely? How does the rhetoric of democracy serve various agendas? Is there a difference between democracy and self-determination? Are there other ways to describe what we are doing together when we make decisions?

Drawing on From Democracy to Freedom, the latest book from the CrimethInc. collective, we will explore these questions and more. Join us for a lively discussion!

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Landless People’s Alliance @ Omni Commons
Dec 6 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

https://www.facebook.com/groups/541837129562482/permalink/797848667294659/

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Without Apology: The Abortion Struggle Now @ East Bay Book Sellers
Dec 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

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Dec
7
Sat
East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Fest 2019 @ Omni Commons
Dec 7 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

The East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Fest is back at the Omni Commons in Oakland for it’s tenth anniversary!

Vendor list and workshops TBA!

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BASTARD (Anarchist) Conference 2019 @ Longhaul
Dec 7 @ 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm

For nearly twenty years participants in the Berkeley Anarchist Study Group have been organizing the BASTARD Conference: afternoons of presentations & conversations about the beautiful idea of anarchy. This year our presenters are:

– Wolfi Landstreicher (Apio Ludd)
– Big Katt
– Jason McQuinn
– Nev Ferox
– John Henri Nolette

Saturday December 7th
3pm-9pm
The Long Haul
3124 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley
Free, though donations for The Long Haul are GREATLY appreciated

No meal break this year, instead we’re hoping to do a potlatch! bring something tasty to share in case folks get hungry.

Come join us for an afternoon of cursed theory, delirious rants, and degenerate discourse with the wild-eyed wretches of the study group. Any questions, email birdsoffire@riseup.net

Study group meets every Tuesday from 7-9pm (note the new time!) at The Long Haul. Readings and other info at sfbay-anarchists.org

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Green Strategy: The Path to Fundamental Transformation. @ Niebyl Proctor Library
Dec 7 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

npml-2019-12-07.pdf_600_.jpg

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Dec
8
Sun
The Sixth Annual Howard Zinn Book Fair – Strike! Discovering Our Power @ City College of San Francisco - Mission Campus
Dec 8 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
sm_zinn_2019.jpg The 6th Annual Howard Zinn Book Fair!
The fair draws upon the legacy of legendary historian and activist Howard Zinn by gathering together over 60 publishers, booksellers, zinesters and community groups and dozens of author readings, panel discussions and workshops, all to explore the ways people can take collective action to build a better future.

The HZBF has become an invaluable annual event for left political culture in the San Francisco Bay Area and this year will feature over 50 author readings and panel discussions (each 90 minutes long!) on a wide range of issues relating to economic and social justice. Speakers will include Silvia Federici, Jane McAlevey, Alice Bag, Bhaskar Sunkara, Nicholas Baham III, Eric Drooker, Shawna Potter, Charlie Anders, Emory Douglas and voices from The Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, The Yellow Vest Movement in France, The Oakland Teachers Strike and more.

The theme of this year’s book fair is “Strike! Discovering Our Power.” We selected this theme to celebrate the ways in which everyday people discover their ability to work together. Inspired by the wave of strikes across the United States in the past year, the massive General Strikes in India, and the recent uprisings in Algeria, Sudan, Lebanon and Chile, we expand the idea of the strike to include all of the ways people can take collective action to preserve their homes, protect life on earth, respect indigeneity, shut down the machinery that produces racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and inequality, and build movements that are strong enough to last. The Strike! is not only about withdrawing our labor, but about redirecting it to create a better world.

Building on Zinn’s legacy, the mission of the HZBF is to showcase authors and organizations which chronicle the often overlooked experiences of oppressed people and their struggle for justice. Since its founding, the HZBF has been held annually as a free, volunteer-run, one-day event in the Mission District of San Francisco, drawing around 2000 attendees each year. We recognize the stories of the ways that everyday people have risen to propose a world beyond empires big and small. The Howard Zinn Book Fair is a non-sectarian left event that welcomes a wide variety of political left traditions where discussion can flow freely; where differences can be articulated, heard, and debated; and where people can connect with each other and talk about creating a better world.

Please join us!

For our program of speakers and exhibitors and for more info visit our website at:
https://howardzinnbookfair.com/
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Bitcoin and crypto currencies @ Niebyl Proctor Library
Dec 8 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library

Bitcoin and crypto currencies

Bitcoin showed the world that there can be a decentralized alternative to existing nation-state fiat currencies. People anywhere in the world can send and receive any amount of money, nearly for free, with no middlemen that can censor their transactions. Come learn about the history of crypto currencies, the differences in eToro vs Coinbase and the benefits they offer to society compared to the systems we have today. This talk is geared towards those new to crypto currencies who are interested in the separation of money and state. Lets dream together about a peer to peer future, and how wecan bring financial services to the 2 billion people who are not served today. One of our new members, Josh Elitthorse, a staff software engineer at Coinbase, the biggest exchange in the United States, will lead our discussion.

FREE — but we will pass the hat to support ICSS — FREE

About Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library
A weekly discussion series inspired by our respect for the work of Karl Marx and our belief that his work will remain as important for the class struggles of the future as they have been for the past.

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Sunflower Alliance @ Bobby Bowens Progressive Center
Dec 8 @ 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Sunflower Alliance Meeting

Please join us for our regular Sunday meeting of the Sunflower Alliance. We welcome newcomers, old friends, and regulars to hear updates on current campaigns and discuss future plans. We need your participation and your voice! Come early to hang out and enjoy a potluck lunch

12:30 PM potluck lunch
1 – 3 PM meeting

 

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East Bay DSA General Meeting @ Omni Commons
Dec 8 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

East Bay DSA’s bimonthly general meetings (GMs) include deliberation and voting on member-submitted resolutions, member announcements, reports from our committees, and more.

Volunteering at the GM is lively, easy, and low-commitment, and hugely benefits the meetings and thus our internal democracy. If you intend to come and would like to volunteer, let us know here. Use this form, too, if you have child supervision or accessibility needs, including the need for an ASL interpreter.

With our new regular schedule, member-submitted resolutions will be accepted on a rolling basis. Please email them to resolutions@eastbaydsa.org. The submissions deadline for each meeting is three weeks before the meeting.

General meetings are run by the Meetings Committee. For questions or comments, or if you are interested in joining the committee, write us at meetings@eastbaydsa.org!

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Occupy Oakland General Assembly @ Oscar Grant Plaza
Dec 8 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 3 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall.  If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph.  If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 3:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland.  (Note: we meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months,  once Daylight Savings Time springs forward we tend to assemble at 4 PM).

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 2 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

ooGAOO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over five years! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

  1. Welcome & Introductions
  2. Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
  3. Announcements
  4. (Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

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Emory Douglas and Jeff Haas: Honoring Fred Hampton
Dec 8 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Join Jeff Haas & Emory Douglas and the Freedom Archives for this Howard Zinn Book Fair event!

50 years ago Chicago police with FBI support raided Black Panther Fred Hampton’s Chicago apartment assassinating him and Mark Clark and injuring 4 others. Attorney Jeff Haas exposes the conspiracy behind the execution in this updated book. Emory Douglas, then Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party, will also join us.

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Slingshot new volunteer meeting / article brainstorm for issue #131 @ Longhaul
Dec 8 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Kick-off meeting to create Slingshot issue #131. Slingshot is an independent radical newspaper published in Berkeley since 1988.

* Brainstorm articles for next issue
* Discussion forum for your article ideas
* Orientation on how you can submit articles, art, photographs
* Help us discuss our audience and themes for the next issue
* Discuss fundraising and distribution
* Your chance to comment on Slingshot

Everyone is welcome.
Issue #131 is due out in early 2020
Deadline for Issue #131 is January 1, 2020

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Dec
9
Mon
Oakland Tenants Union monthly meeting @ Madison Park Apartments, community room
Dec 9 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

OTU’s Mission

The Oakland Tenants Union is an organization of housing activists dedicated to protecting tenant rights and interests. OTU does this by working directly with tenants in their struggle with landlords, impacting legislation and public policy about housing, community education, and working with other organizations committed to furthering renters’ rights. The Oakland Tenants Union is open to anyone who shares our core values and who believes that tenants themselves have the primary responsibility to work on their own behalf.

Monthly Meetings

The Oakland Tenants Union meets regularly at 7:00 pm on the second Monday evening of each month. Our monthly meetings are held in the Community Room of the Madison Park Apartments, 100 – 9th Street (at Oak Street, across from the Lake Merritt BART Station). To enter, gently knock on the window of the room to the right of the main entrance to the building. At the meetings, first we focus on general issues affecting renters city-wide and then second we offer advice to renters regarding their individual concerns.

If you have an issue, a question, or need advice about a tenant/landlord issue, please call us at (510) 704-5276. Leave a message with your name and phone number and someone will get back to you.

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Socialist Feminist Panel: Silvia Federici, Jenny Brown, and Dani Burlison @ Moe's Bookstore
Dec 9 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

East Bay DSA is proud to co-sponsor this panel discussion featuring some of the leading socialist-feminists of our time. Silvia Federici is a feminist activist, writer, and teacher well known for her works “Wages Against Housework” and Caliban and the Witch. Jenny Brown is a National Women’s Liberation organizer, former editor of Labor Notes, and author of Without Apology: The Abortion Struggle Now. Dani Burlison is the author of Some Places Worth Leaving (Tolsun Books, 2019), Dendrophilia and Other Social Taboos: True Stories.

Silvia Federici – Witches, Witch-Hunting, and Women and Re-Enchanting the World
Jenny Brown – Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight over Women’s Work
Dani Burlison – All of Me: Stories of Love, Anger, and the Female Body

This event is free and wheelchair accessible. PM Press is a fellow co-sponsor.

Accessibility Information

This event is wheelchair accessible via elevator to event room

 

 

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Dec
10
Tue
Beyond Climate Denial: Countering Fossil Fuel Industry Tactics @ Children's Creativity Museum
Dec 10 @ 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Climate scientist Mike Mann, community organizer Andres Soto, and investigative journalist Antonia Juhasz will discuss ways of countering the fossil fuel industry’s shifting tactics to block a just and equitable transition off dirty fossil fuel production.

The panel will be moderated by climate attorney Kassie Siegel and followed by a mixer with food and drinks.

Hosted by the Center for Biological Diversity and the 11th Hour Project, co-sponsored by Sunflower Alliance and the Children’s Creativity Museum.

Free. RSVP

 

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