AMC 2008

Presenters: Felix Cruz, New Immigrant Community Empowerment; Johanna Pajueb, City-As-School Manhattan; Joshua Breitbart, People's Production House; Kristofer Rios, People's Production House; Amy Sharp

Have you always wanted to take on the Internet policy wonks, the geeks, the paid consultants, the corporate lobbyists, and the politicians, but felt like you lacked the know-how? This workshop will decolonize Internet policy, giving you the critical tools to understand why the Internet is the way it is. We will discuss the US-centric and corporate-controlled network architecture, the domain name system as a form of 21st century imperialism, and the racism, sexism, and classism of online social dynamics. At the same time, you'll see how you can use fun games and media-making to organize and educate your community to shape the Internet's future. Discussion will continue into "The Internet, Part II: How We Would Like It To Be."

Presenters: Josué Guillén, The Praxis Project; Jamie McClelland, Mayfirst/PeopleLink; Joshua Breitbart, People's Production House

Building on "The Internet, Part I: What It Is," we will formulate a shared vision for the Internet we would like to see. We will examine what the Internet means for us and our movements; how it models the society we are struggling for; and how we as progressive activists can work inside the Internet to broaden its positive impact and protect the gains we and it have made. The focus will be to collaboratively write an Internet Justice Bill of Rights, modeled after similar efforts at the US Social Forum and the New York City Grassroots Media Conference.

Presenters: Malkia Cyril, Center for Media Justice; Edyael Casaperalta, Center for Rural Strategies; Joshua Breitbart, People’s Production House; more TBA

This session is an open conversation about the challenges and opportunities that urban and rural communities face. Our goal is to explore avenues of rural+urban collaboration via dialogue, imagination, and media. In one word, our goal is to UNITE! Our conversation will feature three components: 1) small group discussions about the challenges and opportunities of urban and rural, their differences and similarities, and how media contributes to amplifying challenges and creating opportunities; 2) stories of successful rural+urban collaborations from panelists and the audience; and 3) writing/live-blogging of insights and action steps that emerge from the conversation. Whether you are from a rural or urban community, or somewhere in between, come UNITE and make our efforts stronger for all.

Presenters: DeAnne Cuellar, Texas Media Empowerment Project; Brenna Wolf, Riseup Networks; Chuck Robinson, Texas Media Empowerment Project

Where is the internet going and what does it mean for you and your friends? What does digital security mean for social justice movements? This interactive workshop will address how to use computers safely and securely in activism and organizing. Learn how and why to navigate social networking sites without giving up too much of your personal data (or your soul). Facilitators include tech activists from the Texas Media Empowerment Project and Riseup Networks.