Strategy, Training, and Organizing Resources for Youth

Posted by on September 2, 2005

INCITE/INSIGHT:
Story Telling, Movement Building, and Creating a Culture of Strategy…

A three-day youth strategy retreat in Andover, New Hampshire
September 29-October 3, 2005
http://www.smartMeme.com/story

Incite/Insight — the first gathering convened by smartMeme’s new STORY program (Strategy, Training, and Organizing Resources for Youth) — will focus on power analysis, story-based strategies, and building movements for systemic social change.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Organizers, activists, agitators, community builders, cultural workers, risk takers, communications creatives, critical thinkers, media makers, rabble rousers, story tellers, and change agents age 18-30 years old who are working in social change organizations, networks and movements addressing issues of poverty, racism, globalization, the ecological crisis, war and/or US empire.

If you are a young activist interested in becoming a more effective and reflective social change communicator, leader, message developer, strategist, and story teller, we hope you will join us at INCITE/INSIGHT.

WHEN IS INCITE/INSIGHT?
September 29-October 3, 2005
Thursday, September 29 will be the travel day, and the retreat will begin that evening and run all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Participants will travel home on Monday October 3.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING?
Incite/Insight will be a unique and intimate gathering of young activists working for systemic social change. The retreat will offer a reflective forum for deep discussions on the systems of oppression, our strategies, movement building, and how the stories we tell can reshape our world.

In a rural retreat setting, we will take 3 days to explore narrative power analysis, story-based strategies, creative direct action at the point(s) of assumption, and more!

Sessions will focus on the power of story, the landscape of media, leadership and organization, anti-racist approaches, and identifying Points of intervention to change the story for a more hopeful future.

The autumn leaves will be spectacular. Down time will be open for cultural sharing, community building, listening to the land, and listening to each other?s stories, songs, poems, and strategy ideas.

All participants will receive a resource kit in advance of the retreat, and have an opportunity to help shape the STORY strategy curriculum through participation in the retreat.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Sliding scale, $30-$150, with a request of $100 to cover yummy meals, materials, and lodging.

I NEED A TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP!
No Problem?We are working to ensure that we can help you get to INCITE/INSIGHT in New Hampshire by plane, train, bus, or automobile, even if you/your organization doesn?t have a lot of cash.

Check the box on the application form, and provided your application is
accepted, we will engage in dialogue with you about what you can afford and what we can give. We will do our best to offer you the most generous scholarship that we can after taking all of the scholarship needs into consideration.

HOW DO I APPLY?
Please visit http://www.smartmeme.com/story to learn more about Incite/Insight and apply online before 5 PM EST on August 19.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact smartMeme’s East coast office at 802-860-1155 or email story@smartmeme.com.

WHO IS THE SMARTMEME STRATEGY & TRAINING PROJECT?
SmartMeme is a collective founded in 2003 dedicated to amplifying the voices of peace, justice, democracy, and ecological sanity. SmartMeme has worked with grassroots groups and campaigning organizations from coast to coast and supports movements with strategic social change communications, training, and capacity building partnerships.

STORY is our flagship youth training program, working to build the capacity and magnify the impact of youth-based organizing projects working for a better world. Our STORY program is designed to support youth activism And develop youth organizers with training in strategic media literacy, leadership skills, communications, and strategy?forging links between movements and telling new stories about our generation with strategic, values-based organizing. SmartMeme?s team of social change practitioners has brought tools from the world of grassroots organizing, advertising, media production, ecology, education and campaigning to develop a unique strategy curriculum focused on the power of story and strategic intervention.

SmartMeme has given trainings on story-based strategy in 18 different states and several native nations, and has worked in partnership through the STORY program with youth-based organizations like the Student/Farmworker Alliance, Houston Global Awareness, Democracy Unlimited, National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, and more.

At the core of smartMeme?s philosophy is our belief in the power of story to shape our perceptions of our communities, our world, and our selves. Our work is dedicated to exploring how social change movements can harness the power of story to create a more democratic, just and ecological sane future.

SmartMeme has developed unique tools to apply a ?narrative power analysis? and values-based communications concepts to examine the dominant stories that underlie systemic injustices.

We are working to change the story! Join us Sept 29-Oct 3 2005!