At last year’s Social Justice Camp, the über talented and funny @lostonroute66 shared some insightful reflections on defining social justice using kanji (the Chinese characters used in the modern Japanese writing system)…
Check out his 5 minute talk “Found in Translation: Social Justice”…
The one and only @lostonroute66 is on this year’s Ignite roster so come check him out Friday!
We’re very excited by all the interesting and talented folks registered for the event, and we’re looking forward to a day of networking, sharing ideas, and learning from each other.
The library opens at 9:30am. We originally posted the start time as 9am, but you won’t be able to enter the building until 9:30. Take the stairs or the elevator to the basement, level A. We’ll have coffee and bagels. Feel free to bring your own travel mug and water bottle to help reduce waste. Bring business cards, smartphones, laptops, extention cords, notebooks, pens, snacks, anything you’ll need to get the most out of the day.
We’ll be breaking for lunch at 12:30 – 1:30. You’re welcome to bring your own lunch, or there are a lot of options in Chinatown. Please use public transportation as much as possible. Parking is very limited and pricey.
We encourage you start thinking about what you’d like to discuss and what you’d like to get out of the event… What issues do you want to explore with others who live and/or work in our nation’s capital? What projects are you most looking forward to sharing with everyone? What conversations are you most interested in having?
At the start of Saturday’s camp, all participants are invited to propose sessions for the day’s agenda. There is no official agenda until everyone shows up to the camp; we’re only going to talk about what we’re interested in.
We look forward to seeing you! And if you know anyone who might be interested in attending Social Justice Camp DC, there’s still time to spread the word!
I wanted to send a big thanks to Meg Biallas for her help spreading the word about Social Justice Camp 2011, which is coming up this weekend. (Be sure to register if you haven’t already!)
Meg’s been kind enough to share her thoughts about Social Justice Camp on her Capital Comment blog as well as a very interesting site called The Blue Vine Collective (“a diverse community seeking to engage in significant life and faith questions in order to foster transformative action”).
I think January is the ideal month to hold Social Justice Camp. January is a fresh slate for projects, advocacy work and goal-setting. It’s also tied to the MLK Day Of Service, which gets at the very heart of the camp. The camp, or “unconference” takes place over the MLK holiday weekend, as a testament to the power of organizing for justice.
Social Justice Camp brings together anyone passionate about pursuing social justice in Washington, D.C. through art, technology and collaboration.
Come and join us for Social Justice Camp 2011 and meet folks like Meg who are passionate about what they do and want to build a community that can help make DC a more just and creative place to be.
On MLK weekend 2010, a community of activists, artists, idealists and technologists gathered in the collaborative pursuit of social justice. It was Social Justice Camp DC. It was never about creating an annual event, but we’ve been hearing the question “Is SoJuCa happening again on MLK weekend 2011?” all year. So finally, we’re excited to announce:
You can also invite anyone who you think might be interested. Follow us on Twitter @SocJustCampDCand use the hashtag #sojuca.
We know you’re doing great work. We know you need something, and we know you have something to offer. Maybe you have an idea and you need help. Maybe you have a problem and you need to brainstorm with some new people who can offer fresh input. Maybe you’re burned out and you need encouragement. Maybe you have an answer that someone else has been looking for. We’re not here to tell you what you need, but we want to offer a place and a time where you can say what you need and meet people who have the resources you’re looking for.
At the first event in Jan 2010, we had a broad theme of social justice, technology and the arts, bringing together people working in theatre, visual arts, homeless activism, AIDS awareness, just to name a few. Technology and the arts were themes that everyone could relate to their work–from thinking about how to make your cause by telling a better story to how to improve your website or use social media.
This time we want to start out with the same wide-open event, with the first day being dedicated as a full-day unconference, just like the all-day Saturday unconference in Jan 2010. We’ll be at a new location, MLK Library in Chinatown. It’s across the street from the Gallery Place Metro, there’s plenty of room, and we’ll have free wifi.
But for 2011, we’re also excited to be adding a couple of related events. The next day, Sunday, Jan 16, we’ll be back at MLK Library for an afternoon of workshop style sessions in order to focus on projects that can continue throughout the year.
Then the next weekend, we’re having another two-day event, spearheaded by the amazing Regina Holliday (who you’ll remember from last time). This event will take place at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church near the Van Ness Metro. This second weekend will focus on bringing together the two circles of social justice activism & health/information technology/patients’ rights. We’ll use the hastag #sojuca2 specifically related to this weekend. Friday evening, Jan 21, we’ll have Ignite presentations (the same format as last year’s Ignite event). Saturday, Jan 22, will be a full-day unconference, again focused on social justice & healhcare.
All of the when & where specifics are on the Eventbrite sites. Please email us at socjustcampdc@gmail.com if you have any questions, ideas, or want to volunteer or sponsor these events.
Big thanks to Alex Priest (@alexpriest) for letting us cross-post his writeup on #chispadc, an event organized by Potomac Group, LLC and Spark Creativity.
Chispa is an opportunity for cultural creatives to connect with each other and share what they love both in and outside of their own circles – theater, organization development, community organizing, etc.
Chispa is the spanish word for “spark” and rest assured, there was nothing but sparks flying at the Fridge in DC tonight. The Fridge is a bar/art gallery/event space in D.C. and by far one of the coolest that I’ve seen since I’ve lived here.
Passion poured out in the form of ten completely different presentations, all united around a single purpose: to share what they’re thinking, dreaming and doing. This was Chispa D.C.
At first, I was on the fence about attending. I’ve got lots of schoolwork, I’m clearly behind on my blogging, I’ve got enough reading to do to keep me engrossed for 48 hours straight… but this was well worth it. Never again will I question going to an event in D.C. like this–these don’t happen every day, and each one is another chance to learn and to grow. Check below the cut for a quick summary and some of the photos I shot tonight.
The event kicked off with Jared Ball, presenting his views on “mixtape radio, emancipatory journalism and anti-colonial media.” Was it a bit radical? Of course–he argued that capitalism is equal to commoditization, and that we’re witnessing neoslavery in the prison system of the United States. My views certainly differ from his in many ways, but it’s always fascinating to hear different viewpoints, no matter how “radical” they may seem to some.
The first half of the event was mostly speaking presentations. But boy were they good.
Regina Holliday was fired up as always!
We heard from Kristy Li Puma Herrera about her fascinating life bouncing back and forth between living in the U.S. and visiting her family back in Lima, Peru. ”Packing a suitcase is like an act of subversion,” she said, saying that really, the different parts of the world aren’t as backwards, as different, or as far apart as they may seem.
Adam Eig showed us some absolutely incredible photographs of his cross-country motorcycle trip and spoke about the lessons he learned along the way.
“Sometimes you have to drive on the wrong side of the road… to get a good shot,” he said.
“This is a journey you can have walking down the street.”
“There’s a lot of reasons to smile,” said Adam, as we go about the world we live in.
All incredibly valuable lessons. Most importantly though, he wrapped up with some of the best advice I think I’ve ever heard: “Live, smile, enjoy, appreciate.” Love it.
Loryn Wilson told us about why “black girls rule the Twitter world.” Charlie Seashore gave us an awesome presentation relating the challenge of diversity to a wide variety of chickens. “Being adult is hard work,” he said, “It involves speaking out and pushing back.” We should look at being adult as a moment in time, not a stage of life. You can choose to “act like an adult” or let our your childish side–that’s ok too.
The second half of the event kicked off with a bang after a quick intermission. Tiik with G.U.T.S., a local indie band,kicked off the fun with three of their songs. Binahkaye Joy followed them up with a lesson in “booty” that ended up with the entire room on their feet, dancing around and shaking their booties. “A liberated booty is a liberated being,” was her mantra.
“The Holy Grail Gone Wild” was Zaccai Free’s wild presentation that, I’m pretty sure, just about blew everyone’s mind. Relating sex and religion in some no doubt controversial ways, it was fascinating to watch and certainly an attention-getter. The HollabackDC crew gave an awesome presentation with the brilliant Regina Hollidayand Josef Palermo of CHarts, the Columbia Heights Arts Foundation.
And finally, the event wrapped up with a great presentation by the Potomac Group, LLC, about “The Dream and the Drama”–power, conflict and structure within social justice organizations, possibly the more incredibly relevant and important topic of the night for all us activists in the room.
For more info on the presenters tonight, check out their bios on the ChispaDC blog.
I could literally talk for hours about how much fun the event was, how great it was to see friends, meet new people, and hear new and fascinating ideas. But I’ll stop here and instead ask you: why weren’t you there? Follow me on Twitter and rest assured I’ll let you know when the next ChispaDC is coming up. I dare you, come out and see what all the fuss is about–it was well worth it.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out my photos from the event on Flickr here, or just by scrolling through the slideshow below.
Social Justice Camper & blogger/tweeter/photographer extraordinaire Alex Priest blogged about last night’s Chispa event. Read his review & see his photos here.
Congrats & thanks to Ann & Jess for putting on a fantastic & inspiring event!
It was great, as always, to see several sojuca campers! Were you there? Tell us about your Chispa experience — comment here, on Alex’s blog, on the Chispa blog, or all three!
Two presentations last night were given by sojuca campers. Be sure & check out Loryn Wilson’s blog. Regina Holliday & Holla Back DC talked about meeting at Social Justice Camp & joining forces.
Alex & Allison presented about HubDC at the Friday night Ignite event for Social Justice Camp. This Sunday, they’re hosting a meeting for anyone interested in getting involved in the project. Here’s the email with all the details:
Hi everyone,
After speaking with many of you individually about Hub DC, we’re excited to invite you all to the first Hub DC community meeting this Sunday!
What is Hub DC?
Hub DC will be a space for people who want to change our world for the better. It will provide a platform for social innovators to meet, collaborate, and scale their ideas for maximum impact, whether they’re working on green energy initiatives, healthcare systems in developing countries or anywhere in between. Hub DC will do this by serving as a co-working space and social business incubator, by hosting events, and by facilitating collaborations between people and organizations. While many member projects will have a national or international focus, Hub DC as an organization will remain committed to channeling that creativity towards addressing the most serious problems affecting DC residents and communities.
Who is Hub DC?
Hub DC is a part of the global Hub network, a web of 24 spaces (with 60 more in development!) that all share a mission of social justice, grassroots innovation and collaboration. As a member of a Hub, you’re connected to a community that extends from Toronto to Johannesburg.
Community Meeting
The central concept behind Hub DC is that it’s driven by the community – it provides the resources that members need to have their greatest impact. Because of this, we want to reach out to each of you to join us in the co-creation of Hub DC.
At the first community meeting, it’s our chance to think big … how can Hub DC incubate social innovation, strengthen the local economy, and unify segmented groups? How can we build a culture and a momentum that encourages others to join? What do we want the space to look like?
Sunday, March 14th
3:30pm – 5:00pm
St. Stephen’s Church Dining Room
1525 Newton St. NW
Please RSVP by Friday by sending me an email: alex.denny@the-hub.net. Also, please feel free to invite anyone else who you think would be interested in co-creating Hub DC.
