The Resist! Collective in Vancouver, BC is putting out this draft conference call to gather interested parties and supporters together to plan an Activist Security Conference for May, 2003.
What we would like you to do is read the preliminary ideas we have put together (with help from friends from other organizations), and let us know if you are interested in helping us organize this conference, speaking at it, providing training or anything else. We are also looking for progressive groups to endorse, or co-sponsor this event.
We will be setting up an organizing mailing list this week, and having our first face-to-face meeting of local organizers to discuss local logistics. Please let us know if you are interested in organizing locally or just interested in helping to shape the conference and develop curricula via the email list. Individuals who wish to be on the mailing list must be vouched for by an organization or individual who is familiar to us in order to cut down on disruption attempts by outside parties. Please email secure@resist.ca if you wish to be added to the mailing list or have suggestions, ideas, or comments.
The Resist! Collective is committed to organizing the local logistics of such a conference but we need YOU! to make the content of such an event. Please respond to this soon so we can start to organize with as many people involved as possible.
WHAT: Activist Security - A Conference (to be given a better name shortly)
WHEN: May 9-11th, 2003
WHERE: Vancouver, British Columbia
WHO: Security trainers (tech and non-tech), system administrators, legal collectives, copwatch and anti-police brutality groups, and activists interested in training and getting trained in these areas.
WHY: As far as we know, there has never been an activist conference focussing on security for our movements. In the past two years, our world has rapidly changed for the worse, and security issues have become more important to activist communities as the long arm of the state continues to grow. An activist security conference would provide an opportunity for progressive security trainers, and activists from across North America to meet and skill-share as well as discuss issues and ideas on these themes.
POTENTIAL STRUCTURE: We see that there are three very strong areas that we would like to develop workshops, discussions, training and skill sharing around:
* TECHNOLOGY: Secure system-administration, Communications security, Electronics, Encryption, Viruses & Attacks, Echelon & Carnivore, Bugs and taps etc.
* ACTIVIST TRAINING: User-end security. How to communicate securely, security culture, securing our communities (copwatch etc), law-enforcement bodies and operations.
* LEGAL: The Patriot Act (US) and Bill C-36 (Canada) and other relevant legal changes, how evolving laws are affecting activism, the world post-911 and our rights, the pros and cons of court challenges, Homeland Security and Total Information Awareness.
This is *not* an exhaustive list of topics, but simply a place to start the discussions of the conference from. Please help us by letting us know what workshop/skillshare you would be interested in doing and what resources you need to be able to do it.
SOME LOGISTICAL ISSUES: It is unlikely we will be able to do much fundraising to put this conference together but we will try. If you know of any potential funding sources, please put us in touch. Generally we will try to do this on the cheap, asking for a registration fee to cover costs on location - and trying to billet people with local activists. We are currently looking into space possibilities and costs in Vancouver.
For further information, discussion, to be added to the mailing list or anything else, please contact: secure@resist.ca
Thanks! We want to get the ball rolling on this ASAP so please reply soon.
In solidarity and struggle,
Megan and Ron
of The Resist! Collective
