We will be guiding a World Cafe over Zoom for our first year Puksta Scholars

The topic of our World Cafe is grassroots organizing. This zoom would be on February 20th from 4pm-5:30pm.

During the world cafe, the scholars will rotate between 4 tables/breakout rooms where a host will facilitate discussion around one of these activists' organizing strategies and how the scholars relate to/are influenced by their civic engagement efforts. 

1. Introduction 

1. What is grassroots organizing?

2. Approaches

1. Emergent Strategy - adrienne maree brown:

1.  Emergent Strategy is an examination of where our movements have been and an offering of a framework for resistance that is rooted in the miracles of nature, decentralized, collective leadership, and personal, relational, organizational, and movement-wide transformation.

2. Mutual Aid - Dean Spade- brief summary of mutual aid here: 

1. ONE. Mutual aid projects work to meet survival needs and build a shared understanding about why people do not have what they need (p. 15). 
2. TWO. Mutual aid projects mobilize people, expand solidarity, and build movements. 
3. THREE. Mutual aid projects are participatory, solving problems through collective action rather than waiting for saviors.

3. Disability justice - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha- brief summary of disability justice here

1. “Disability Justice is the cross-disability (sensory, intellectual, mental health/psychiatric, neurodiversity, physical/mobility, learning, etc.) framework that values access, self-determination and an expectation of difference. An expectation of difference means that we expect difference in disability, identity and culture. To be included and part of society is about being able to be our “whole self” (all of our identities together). Disability Justice includes space for self-care, reflection and hard discussions.”

4. Rest as resistance - Tricia Hersey:

1.  Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. We are enough. The systems cannot have us. Rest Is Resistance is rooted in spiritual energy and centered in Black liberation, womanism, somatics, and Afrofuturism.

5. Ecological Consciousness - Robin Wall Kimmerer: 

1. Ecological consciousness requires a deep respect for the natural world and all things within it. It's generally understood to be a term which reflects the psyche of an individual in relationship to and with Nature.

1. How the session will Work: 

1. During the world cafe, the scholars will rotate between 4 tables/breakout rooms where a host will facilitate discussion around one of these activists' organizing strategies and how the scholars relate to/are influenced by their civic engagement efforts. 

1. Hosts will facilitate conversation with 3 groups for about 15-20 minutes each, with the support of coordinators who are also in the breakout room. Hosts will begin by sharing a bit about themselves and how that particular activist has influenced their own work or organizing, and then enthusiastically guide conversation about students' questions/insights and how they may be able to implement this strategy into their own Puksta project.

1. You will choose 3 rooms to join! You can choose which ones you will join. We ask that you be attentive to the numbers of students in each group so that we have close to an even number in each group.The goal is to have around 5 students in each group. (22 students total)

1. There is a link to the Jamboard! Please write main points from the conversation or your own reflections on post its and add to the jam board. The goal is to have this as a resource for you all afterwards!

    

    Alumni breakout groups: 

   Group 1: Shannon Coffey CU Boulder '05

   Group 2: Ari Gibson - MSU '22

   Group 3: Marco Dorado - CU Boulder '14

   Group 4: Aminta Menjivar - DU '14

    

   Session 1: 4:15-4:30

   Session 2: 4:30-4:45

   Session 3: 4:45-5

    

   Jam Board link: https://jamboard.google.com/d/1nK45doc2S3etiFxmKa7bW-yfB679uOwg4aXx0pyUh4U/viewer?f=0

    

1. Closing: What next?

1. Assignments:

    

   i.One to ones

   ii.Research- articles, talk to family, friends, look into organizations, activists

1. Next session will focus on Putting it all into action and possibly integrating a specific approach: April 17th

   If you are an alumni wanting to help host a table, please contact NiChel  - 303-915-6979 or ncmulstay@gmail.com