Highlander Center -- Mapping Our Futures Economics and Governance Online Workshop for Virginia and East Tennessee Organizers -- Information and Application
This seven-part, participatory, popular education workshop series for organizers in Virginia and East Tennessee will cover the fundamental forces of the current economic and governance systems, visions of a democratic, just, and sustainable future, and strategies toward building the new solidarity economy we all deserve. Apply using the form at the bottom of this page.
Organizers in East Tennessee and Virginia who are already organizing to build solidarity economy, economic justice, or alternative community-oriented forms of economy and governance. Priority will be given for people directly impacted by white supremacy, capitalism, ableism, heteropatriarchy, and other forms of oppression. Black, Indigenous, poor, disabled, trans, gender non-conforming and working class folx and other directly-impacted people are encouraged to apply.
This series provides an introduction to Highlander’s Mapping Our Futures curriculum and lifts up innovative strategies from across the globe that are advancing new economies and shifting the ways groups organize themselves, govern their work together, resist capitalism’s structurally designed inequities, and transform people’s lives and conditions. This curriculum is designed for community groups to build analysis and strategy and we hope that people can take this home and share these processes locally.
The series starts February 20, 2021 and runs through May. Dates are still subject to change depending on availability of the facilitation and tech support teams. The series consists of seven 3-hour workshops, some community work between sessions.
Jan 11 — Application Opens
Feb 1 — Application due
Feb 20, 3:00 – 6:00 PM EST– Session 1: Where are we: Setting the Stage and Community Mapping
Feb 27, 3:00 – 6:00 PM EST — Session 2: How did we get here: Capitalism and the Solidarity Economy
March 6, 3:00 – 6:00 PM EST — Session 3: Beautiful Solutions: Examples of Solidarity Economy
March 7-26 — Meet with your pod, group, community. 3 weeks reflection time
March 27, 3:00 – 6:00 PM EST — Session 4: Labor and Ownership: What’s Capitalism and What’s Not?
April 10, 3:00 – 6:00 PM EST — Session 5: Wealth, Ownership and Control: History and Today
April 24, 3:00 – 6:00 PM EST — Session 6: Globalization and Value Chains
May 8, 3:00 – 6:00 PM EST — Session 7: The Way Forward, Series Reflection & Next Steps
All of our facilitators are experienced organizers and popular educators who participated in the Highlander 2020 Mapping Our Futures Training of Trainers program.
Facilitation Team Coach: David Ferris is on the Highlander Center Education Team and leads Highlander’s Economics and Governance program and lives in Knoxville, TN.
Tech Support: Matthew Slaats has recently organized for participatory budgeting and solidarity economy in Virginia, is pursuing a PhD, and lives outside Charlottesville, VA.
*These sessions all build on each other. There will be outside work between the sessions to deepen the understanding of how to apply learning and changes in your community.
*Our workshops are participatory. Your participation is an important part of the community learning process, so please join us for the live workshop.
*Choose a location with a strong internet connection, where you are able to speak and listen comfortably. You’ll need a laptop or desktop computer, ideally with a webcam, and headphones.
*If you need help securing equipment to join the workshop, or if you require training on how to use your equipment and the zoom software to join, please contact your local organization leader (Victoria or Matthew) and note that in your registration form.
Learn more about the Economics and Governance program and Mapping Our Futures curriculum here.
1959 Highlander Way
New Market, TN 37820
(865) 933-3443
hrec@highlandercenter.org
