The PowerShift: Young and Rising program is a dynamic mixture of panels, workshops, information sessions, caucuses and action!
Below is a birds eye view of the weekend and details of the six different programming streams. Specific workshop descriptions and facilitator and speaker profiles coming soon!
Organizing + Mobilizing
What to learn about building political power Indigenous Rights, climate action, and social justice? Sessions in this stream will cover topics like how to design a campaign and how to build and grow to take action on an issue that matters to your community, mobilizing the masses people during whirlwind moments, using elections as a tool to shift what’s politically possible, and so much more.
Climate Justice Edmonton is just one of the many organizations who will be sharing skills and lessons learned in this section.
Non-violent Direct Action
This stream will be grounded in non-violent direct action theory and history of social movements of the past. It’ll explore tactics like civil disobedience and frontline land defence. Sessions will prepare participants to deploy direct actions by coaching people on action design, legal and security considerations, and more.
Tactics explored will include everything from birddogging to highly technical actions like blockades and climbing.
Organizations like Greenpeace will be supporting these trainings and future action.
Storytelling, Digital + Media
If you are, or aspire to be, an effective storyteller, this content is for you. We’ll have workshops on how to tell your personal narrative to motivate others to take action, how to win the ‘Battle of the Story’, the latest social media tips and tricks, digital organizing, and how to write press releases and talk to media.
There will also be an intensive training for BIPOC participants on Nang K’uulas (Patrick Shannon), an artist and storyteller of Haida ancestry, specializing in filmmaking, photography and design to celebrate, empower, and tackle important indigenous topics both urban and rural. There will be more information soon about signing up to work with Patrick!
Intersectional Movement Building
How do we build strong, dynamic movements that can tackle the challenge we face from a position of strength and intersectionality?
This stream will dig into the transition to 100% renewable energy and what that really means for workers and the economically vulnerable, as well as communities on the frontlines of fossil fuel extraction. Participants will explore anti-capitalist frameworks and food sovereignty, learn about colonial histories and Indigenous solidarity, healthy masculinities, global south perspectives on climate impacts, anti-racism and climate justice, and spiritual responses to climate change. If you want to talk personal and community level revolutions, join our Intersectional Movement Building track!
Indigenous Perspectives
This stream will offer spaces for Indigenous participants to learn from each other about colonial histories, language revitalization, and violence against women and the land. Participants will grow their understanding of climate change from Indigenous perspectives and histories, and how Indigenous communities are leading the way in transitioning to 100% renewable energy.
Settlers will only be permitted entry when specifically invited, at the discretion of those leading sessions.
Movement Art
Throughout the convergence we will have an art space running where participants can learn art skills like screen printing, writing protest music, banner making, and building giant puppets.
Trainers include Christi Belcourt and Isaac Murdoch, well known Indigenous artists, David Solnit, a Bay-area movement artist and facilitator, and Socialist Hip Hop, a performer and activists from Toronto.