 Worried about how the planet is getting trashed? Wanna do something about it?
EF! is about direct action to halt the destruction of the Earth. It's about doing it yourself rather than relying on leaders, governments or industry.
Direct action is at the heart of it, whether you're standing in front if a bulldozer, shutting down an open-cast mine or ripping up a field of GM crops.
We're a loose network of people, groups and campaigns coming together for ecological direct action.
Join us for 5 days of workshops, networking and planning actions. Run without leaders by everyone who comes along the gatheringis also a practical example of low-impact eco-living and non-hierarchical organising.
Earth First! Summer Gathering 2008
Wednesday 27th August - Monday 1 September 2008
The gathering this year will be held at Woolseybridge Farm - a lovely site in Norfolk with lots of trees and a little stream. It's approximately 1.5 miles NNE of Diss which has regular train services
Want to do something to stop our planet from getting trashed?
Earth First! is about direct action to halt the destruction of the Earth. We believe we can make a real difference by doing it ourselves rather than relying on leaders, governments or industry. We're a loose network of people and campaigns coming together for ecological direct action.
Join us for 5 days of workshops, networking and planning actions. The gathering is also a practical example of low-impact eco-living and non-hierarchical organising. It's run without leaders by everyone who comes along, so come prepared to chip in!
The Workshops
Wednesday
12:00
Introduction to Earth First! and the gathering
Dealing with the mainstream media - how to get your message across
Basic electrics - for squats and homes.
Capitalism and climate change - how to make the links visible in actions
Queer networking session
2:30
Self-defence - mixed practise session
Squatting FAQ - sharing tips and tricks
Action Reconnaissance for beginners
Introduction to the root causes of ecological destruction and an exploration of alternatives
Advanced Navigation
4:30
Saving Iceland - Introduction to the campaign
Nuclear waste and nuclear weapons
Consensus Decision-making
Introduction to Ecology
Confronting Abusive Behaviours within our Communities - without the police/prison.
6:00
Library Space: Negotiating Safer Sex: tips on putting the theory into practice, and making your sex life more fun as well as safer!
8:00
Cinema: Talk with video on resisting rainforest destruction in Tasmania
Thursday
10:30
Dealing with Public Order situations - understanding police tactics and how we can deal with to them/turn them to our advantage (runs until lunch)
State and corporate oppression of the Australian Aborigines
Action reconnaissance - advanced skillshare, share your most clever tips and tricks for getting info for actions
Practical plant identification (beginners)
Activist trauma and recovery
Vegan Cake Baking at Veggies Cafe/Bakery
12:00
Saving Iceland - an evaluation of the camp this summer
Security for Activists Part I: Do's and don'ts of organising action, from arranging to meet, planning and what happens after
Arrest support for actions - how to provide support for your affinity group, medium sized actions or mega camps and gatherings.
Introduction to Earth First! and the summer gathering
2:30
Women's self-defence - introductory session
Food and Climate Action: info for action
How to plan an action
Police liaison for actions - what it is, its uses and limitations and how to make it work.
Changing light bulbs or smashing the system. Sharing +/- experiences of working within/outside the system
4:30
Opposing nuclear expansion: planning for action
How to plan and run a successful medium to long-term campaign
Night time skills Part I: introduction (followed by practise session at 8.30pm)
Legal and arrest workshop
Introduction to anarchist history/potted anarchist histories
6:00
Library space: open discussion ?Direct action or publicity stunt??
8:00
Cinema: Seashepherd film and talk
8:30
Night time skills Part II - practice your skills in the field.
Friday
10:30
Blockading tactics
Climate Camp debrief: a critical look at the climate camp, its achievements and politics
Introduction to Earth First! And the summer gathering
Computer Security for the non-technical
Prison Abolition: what's wrong with prison? what do we mean by abolition and how can we make it happen?
Vegan Cake Baking at Veggies Cafe/Bakery
12:00
Food and climate change: action and campaign planning
Self-defence mixed practise session
Squatting to resist - occupations to resist the powers of darkness
History of Earth First!
2:30
The Earth First! Action Update and website: feedback and getting involved
Resisting agrofuels - update on the situation and action planning
Sea Shepherd - an intro to its campaigns and how to support/get involved.
Grow your own food - share you skills and experience
Queer Activist Forum: Radical queers organise for the future!
4:30
Queer Self-Defence: an intro to basic self-defence skills (verbal and physical)
Setting up new direct action groups
Saving Iceland ? planning actions for the coming year
Techno-fixes and climate change ? report by Corporate Watch
Urban self-reliance and self-sufficiency
7:30
Library: Prisoner Support - An informal get together to discuss the state of prisoner support in our movements, find out news and get advice on writing to prisoners, as well as making and writing cards to send to prisoners.
8:00
Cinema: A talk and film by a tribal activist from Orissa opposing mining
Saturday
10:30
Campaigns and Actions Round-up: UK and international news (no other workshops except:)
Vegan Cake Baking at Veggies Cafe/Bakery
12:00
Women's self-defence practise session plus running alongside - introduction to women's self-defence
Stopping GM test fields - discussion on future campaign/actions
Research and destroy - how to research corporations
Future models of society - finding a path to sustainable living
Introduction to Earth First! and the summer gathering
Using tripods for blockading
2:30
Leave it in the ground - building resistance to new coal mining and power stations
Facilitation of meetings
Activist Security Part III: doing actions without leaving traces
Restoration Ecology
Creating safer spaces
Visit to Burston Strike School
4:30
Regional meetings and action planning (no other workshops)
6:00
Library Space: Working without leaders - discussion about core values of anarchism
8:00
Cinema: Smash Edo film and talk
Sunday
11:00
Self defence mixed practice session
Sorting out ways of communication within EF!
Using radios on actions
Introduction to Earth First! And the summer gathering
Fences: getting over them/taking them down
Vegan Cake Baking at Veggies Cafe/Bakery
12:15
The summer gathering: feedback on this year's and getting involved in organising the next one
2:30
Condoms, capitalism and climate change
Smash Edo
Introduction to navigation
What's new in the world of law?
Feminist Health
Climbing trees, lamp posts and anything else
4:30
Radical politics in the age of collapse
The Royal Bank of Scotland and Fossil Fuel Financing
Getting your electricity from solar power and wind
Radical Parenting
Looking after our mental health - sharing ideas and experiences
8:00
Cinema: films - climate camp footage, ready steady skip etc
Monday
Take-down: please stay for a day or two to help take down the site. If you've got access to a vehicle/van, it'd be great if you could help transporting marquees, recycling etc to the places they need to go. Cheers!
2008 Gathering Website: http://www.earthfirstgathering.org.uk/2008/front.html.
 Veggies will be at this event - Sign Up to join our crew.
If you'd like us to bring you any of our foods, literature or campaign goods, some of which are on our online shop please contact us with details
  Whenever possible Veggies feature the publications of the Movement for Compassionate Living, which we print and distribute to promote simple living and vegan self-reliance as a remedy to the exploitation of humans, animals and the Earth. We also support our nominated charity, Vegfam, ‘Feeding the hungry without exploiting animals’. If you can help us with either of these projects at this event, whilst we are busy with Veggies catering, please email pat@veggies.org.uk.
Map: http://www.earthfirstgathering.org.uk/2008/where.html
Other mapping wesites: http://www.multimap.com . http://www.streetmap.co.uk . http://maps.google.co.uk
Note: Maps are based on postcodes which can cover a wide area, especially for rural locations. Public Transport details may be available from http://www.traveline.org.uk/
Concerned about carbon emmisions? click here |
The 2008 Earth First! Summer Gathering will be in Norfolk.
Brighton's Anarchist Teapot are providing main meals and Nottingham-based Veggies Catering Campaign will be co-ordinating the d-i-y cafe & 'tuck shop' and Vegan Cake Baking Workshops at 10.30am daily.