LABORATORY OF ACTIVIST RESEARCH

The annual meeting of the American Association of Anthropology that brings together thousands of anthropologists was scheduled for November 17-19 in San Francisco. Given the workers' strike at SF Hilton hotel since September for better labor conditions, anthropologists rejected the idea of crossing the picket line.The board of the AAA has cancelled the meeting in SF, which could add pressure on the Hilton.

A lot of anthropologists are calling for autonomous meetings in SF in different locations (small hotels, union halls, etc) during the very same dates, to share their work and especially to get involved in the struggle of UNITE/HERE workers.

LABORATORY OF ACTIVIST RESEARCH

Informal roundtable on challenges and possibilities of engaged academic practices:

SPACE FOR REFLECTION & EXPERIMENTATION ON RESEARCH PRACTICES AS TOOLS FOR and WITHIN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS.

Process: Participatory discussion around a commonly agreed agenda. Bring ideas for agenda items!

Materials: Bring concrete examples of your engaged work (papers, flyers, stories, objects, works in progress, performances, etc)

Goals: Continue building a network for communication, skills sharing, and collective projects among activist anthropologists

WHERE: UFCW Union Hall at 16th and Mission (accessible by BART-16th St. stop, between Civic Center & 24th)

WHEN: Friday Nov. 19. at 3pm (after the solidarity action with the workers).

WHO: This is an open invitation to the participants in the autonomous AAA meetings, to UNITE/HERE workers, and the grassroots communities of SF in general.

CALLED BY: members of the Social Movement Working Group at UNC-Chapel Hill, NC

As part of all the efforts to convene autonomous meetings in SF outside of the Hilton, and in solidarity with UNITE/HERE workers, we are holding an informal workshop to address the challenges and possibilities of more engaged academic practices.

Using what has transpired with the AAA meetings this year as an opportunity, this is a call to get together as activist anthropologists and think together about our work and our tactics.

This is a self-organized encounter that needs everybody's participation. We will start with an agenda put together by those present at the workshop (if you can not make it you can send your proposal for discussion to the email contact foxg@email.unc.edu). We will volunteers to facilitate, take notes and keep time.