HELP BUILD THE RADICAL ECOLOGY MOVEMENT!
Earth First! National Organizers' Conference 2003 February 14-17, 2003
WHY YOU SHOULD COME Got the Winter blahs? Come on down to the 2003
Organizers' Conference and Winter Rendezvous near warm and wild Santa Cruz,
California, on February 14-17. There will be exciting discussions centered
around movement building and strategy, as well as time set aside for skills
sharing and fireside fun. Join with other like minded people in building a
stronger Earth centered movement. If you live far away pool resources and
sent one representative from your local group or bioregion. We need to hear
what's going on in your neck of the movement!
The focus of this year's conference will be "Safety and Effectiveness." We
will focus on direct action safety as well as the strategy and skills our
movement needs to be more effective. With the recent, tragic deaths of two
treesitters, Horehound and Naya, the importance of proper training will be
stressed. Experienced trainers will be onsite to review training
techniques, nonviolence tactics and movement building skills.
It is no secret that the organizing committee, Santa Cruz EF!, has been
dealt heavy blows this year, including Naya's death and the devastation at
Ramsey Gulch. Despite this, and because of this, we welcome the opportunity
to invite folks from different regions and struggles around the world to
our home to discuss many of the important issues facing our movement in
these troubled times.
THE FUTURE OF THE ECOLOGY MOVEMENT Things are stirring as resistance to
American empire Inc. is picking up. Dangers and opportunities abound! Join
us to strategize about magnifying earth-centered resistance and building an
effective ecology movement. What issues do you think the Earth First!ers
and other earth centered radicals should be discussing?
Send your ideas for strategy sessions, group discussion and future planning
to : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
OUR CAMP Home to some of the oldest, grandest and tallest trees, a land of
deserts and the Pacific Ocean coast, California is remarkable in its
diversity. We will be camping at Arroyo Seco, just east of the Ventana
Wilderness. There are trails for hiking, and the brave can swim or raft in
the Arroyo Seco River. The daytime temperatures may get into the 70s with
overnight lows down to slightly below freezing. We will be in a US Forest
Service campground, so water and toilet facilities will be available. The
group campsite can hold 50 people (with a 10 car limit), and there will be
additional campsites with 10 people per site (three cars maximum), a short
walk away.
GRUB, FIRE AND FUN We are working to set up a community kitchen but be
prepared to cook your own food in the event that doesn't work out. You
should also be prepared to keep your food safe from local critters,
including the occasional black bear. The Warrior Poets Society's annual
"Night to Howl" will be on February 16. Poets, singers, musicians,
rabble-rousers and ranters are invited to share their work. Please bring
dry firewood so we can have warm nights around the campfire. Don't bring
weapons, drugs, unruly pets or bad attitudes. There will be rangers driving
around the camp area, so behave yourself or keep well out of sight.
THINGS WE NEED! We are still looking for some things to pull off this
conference. If you can provide them please let us know as soon as possible.
The main things we need are more tarps and tents, $ and climbing gear. We
also need you to spread the word and bring your friends! Whether its
rustling up some of those old EF!ers who haven't been so active recently or
roping in some promising new folks - RECRUIT! The Earth needs more defenders!
DIRECTIONS From San Francisco: Take Highway 101 south to Arroyo Seco Road,
just south of Soledad. Go southwest until you come to the campground and
find the group camping area. From southern California: Take Highway 101
north to Greenfield, then take G16 west to the campground.
CONTACT INFO For more information, rail-hopping directions or ride
coordination, contact EF! OC 2003, POB 344, Santa Cruz, CA 95061; (831)
425-3205; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
