FREE UNIVERSITY of LA: Series I

we WILL have our own schools that are NOT designed to re-produce ignorance, obedience, helpless docility, fear, and hate



Too often we try to reinvent the wheel and too often we have difficulty communicating with one another due to a lack of understanding of the cornerstones of other people’s ideas (e.g. “indigenous sovereignty,” “positive power,” “The Commune”, “internal colonialism”, “praxis”, ‘liberation’ vs. ‘rights,’ “direct democracy”, etc). This series of talks is intended for ALL NON-AUTHORITARIAN people of LA who would like to have a general overview of SOME of the most significant instances, movements, theories, and languages of liberation.

Generally, the topics will be presented by people who use the presented ideas and lessons in their own struggles (praxis!). In addition to being educational, this will also give the presenters and the people of our communities the much-needed opportunity to get to know one another, build links, and fight against the ghettoization of our city.



The point of the university is to provide a space for various non-authoritarian people of LA to teach/explain/share/discuss/etc the roots of their inspirations and then explain how some of those ideas are being applied into their existing ideas and, most importantly - actions.



For example, if it was learning about the Chinese peasant rebellions that initially motivated you to start a community garden project, then it would be great if you could come and talk to us about (1) the Peasant Rebellions that you know about, (2) what you found to be the most inspiring/enlightening elements of it (here you will have a chance to more explicitly express your current way of seeing the world), and (3) how that inspiration is translated into the way in which you go about building the gardens. (This is only an example of one of the ways in which this can be done. The actual presentations are completely up the speakers.)



This way we will get to learn some relevant history and theory, understand where others are coming from, and see how we can help one another.

Currently we are trying to line-up the speakers. By early December we will start promoting the Free University of LA to the greater public of LA.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:



Contact relevant organizations to line up speakers and ask them to help us promote and provide links to other potential speakers. We are trying to get speakers from organizations that are active in the particular field (e.g. Casa De Pueblo, American Indian Youth, Black Cross, etc.).



Each speaker will be asked to provide an outline of their talk 10 days in advance so that it can be shared with other speakers who might be presenting on the same topic.



Each session is going to be run by the speakers of that session!

Since we are very ghettoized and know very little about one another, then it should probably be a broad intro thing, but again, it’s up to the presenters to determine how they would like to run their session. At the end of the session if the people want to get into the topic in any more depth, then, on the spot, they can agree to meet again, hopefully even branching out. The location of the particular talks will be up to the speakers for that week, however, if they don't have a space or don't care, we can provide a space.

CONTACT: FreeUniversityOfLA@yahoo.com (please send us your phone # if you are thinking on presenting on any topics)



check out www.FlorYCanto.org for updates

http://www.florycanto.org/freeuni.htm



DAY TOPIC



1 INTRO TO MARX, HISTORICAL MATERIALISM, SCIENTIFIC SOCIALISM, etc. section 1 1/24/04 at Flor Y Canto (check out FlorYCanto.org)





2 INTRO TO MARX, HISTORICAL MATERIALISM, SCIENTIFIC SOCIALISM, etc. section 2 1/31/04 at Flor Y Canto (check out FlorYCanto.org)





3 Some PRE-20TH CENTURY REVOLUTIONS


1. PEASANT REBELLIONS, 2. LUDDITES, 3. AMERICAN REVOLUTION


4. FRENCH REVOLUTION, 5. etc





4 Some of the FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN ANTI-AUTHORITARIANISM: section 1


1. PROUDON, 2. MAGON, 3. ZAPATA 4. BAKUNIN 5. KROPOTKIN, 6. MALATESTA (roy) 8. etc.








5 Some of the FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN ANTI-AUTHORITARIANISM: section 2


1. PROUDON, 2. MAGON, 3. ZAPATA 4. BAKUNIN 5. KROPOTKIN, 6. GOLDMAN (traci), 7. LUCY PARSONS 8. etc.





6 Some 20th Century Revolutions: section 1


1.RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, 2. SPANISH REVOLUTION, 3. LABOR HISTORY, SYNDICALISM


4. etc








7 Some 20th Century Revolutions: section 2


1. RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, 2. SPANISH REVOLUTION, 3. LABOR HISTORY 4.etc








8 AMERICAN INDIAN RESISTANCE TO GENOCIDE








9 1. AFRICAN RESISTANCE TO SLAVERY 2. “RACE”: PRODUCTION OF “RACES”








10 ANTI/POST COLONIAL RESISTANCE


1. AFRICA 2. CHINA 3. CARIBBEAN: HAITI, CUBA, PUERTO RICO, JAMAICA, etc 4. HUNGARY, POLAND, etc, (AGAINST USSR) 5. IRELAND 6. etc






11 ANTI/POST COLONIAL RESISTANCE


1. AFRICA 2. CHINA 3. CARIBBEAN: HAITI, CUBA, PUERTO RICO, JAMAICA, etc 4. HUNGARY, POLAND, etc, (AGAINST USSR) 5. IRELAND 6. etc





12 1. THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, 2. BLACK POWER MOVEMENT,








13 1. BROWN POWER MOVEMENT 2. ASIAN RADICAL MOVEMENTS 3.GAY LIBERATION 4.etc








14 1. US PRISONS 2. COINTELPRO: THEN AND NOW








15 STIUATIONISTS





16 GLOBALIZATION, CAPITALISM TODAY, PROPAGANDA TODAY





17 HERSTORY AND THEORY: FEMINISMS - RESISTING GENDER HIERARCHY and other forms of OPPRESSION of Women/Womyn





18 The ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN LEFT








19 POST-MODERNISTS: DERRIDA, etc








20 POST-STRUCTURALISTS: FOUCAULT, etc








21 ZAPATIZMO








22 QUESTIONING CIVILIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY, GREEN @





23 RESISTING THE DESTRUCTION OF EARTH AND ANIMALS



If your sources of inspiration come from a place that is not listed above PLEASE contact us as soon as possible and we will try to add that topic somewhere in this listing where it makes some chronological sense.

THANK YOU!

Do they have a football team? Maybe they could get Hooters girls to be cheerleaders.