Oakland, CA
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The Bay Area Direct Action Skill Share (BADASS) is a collaboration between many organizers in the movement ecosystem with the goal of strengthening the use of direct action in our movements through building connections and people power.
BADASS is an in-depth direct action training camp for new and experienced organizers to gain new skills and delve deeper into specific areas of interest. There are many types of direct actions from blockade sit-ins and banner drops to kayak protests and street murals, each requiring planning, strategy, specialized techniques and the contributions of many people with varied skill sets. At BADASS, you will have the opportunity to learn the skills of your choice from experienced activists.
The training series will begin with a general nonviolent direct action (NVDA) training including the history of NVDA, how to use it strategically, and success stories. We (the organizers) feel strongly that understanding the history of direct actions is critical – we have much to learn from the successes and failures of past movements as well as knowing that when we utilize direct action to catalyze change we are building on the hard work and sacrifices of many others who came before us. After the NVDA training, everyone will sign up for up to two training tracks to follow for the next four days. It is okay to change your mind and choose individual trainings based on your interest!
NonViolent Direct Action is a form of protest used to achieve social change through blockades, sit-ins, strikes, art and many other tactics rather than negotiation or discussion. To define something as nonviolent, you need a working definition of violence. This is a complex topic with no clear consensus, even within movements that use NVDA as a tactic. We define violence as the act of intentionally causing harm to people, animals, or the planet. We act in opposition to systems that utilize violence.
Historically, nonviolent responses to state/capitalist violence have effectively achieved long term change. NVDA puts pressure on the targeted corporation, industry, or political group by elevating public awareness of an issue, damaging their public image, and challenging the status quo. Nonviolent direct actions explicitly highlight and oppose the violence of the activity being protested through dramatic contrast. NVDA also serves to push forward progressive ideas by making the formerly “radical” views seem reasonable to the average person in comparison. Thus, this training camp we are going to share skills with an emphasis on NVDA.
The Bay Area Direct Action Skill Share will be taking place on Muwekma Ohlone land. The Present-day Muwekma Ohlone Tribe is comprised of all of the known surviving American Indian lineages aboriginal to the San Francisco Bay region who trace their ancestry through the Missions Dolores, Santa Clara, and San Jose; and who were also members of the historic Federally Recognized Verona Band of Alameda County. The aboriginal homeland of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe includes the following counties: San Francisco, San Mateo, most of Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and portions of Napa, Santa Cruz, Solano and crosscuts aboriginal linguistic and tribal boundaries, fell under the sphere of influence of the aforementioned three missions between 1776 and 1836. The missionization policies deployed by the Catholic Church and militarily supported by the Hispanic Empire, brought many distantly related, and in some cases, already inter-married tribal groups together at the missions.
Go to http://www.muwekma.org/index.html to learn more and support the Ohlone people in their struggle to regain federal recognition and stolen ancestral land by signing their letter.
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The deadline to submit your application for B.A.D.A.S.S. is March 1st, 2023. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, first come first serve!