Click here to learn about our 2008 Deep Democracy Retreats.

DEMOCRACY UNLIMITED SKILLSHARE

Workshop Schedule (subject to last minute changes)

Click HERE to Download Workshop Schedule in MS Word Format

SESSION ONE – 10AM to 11AM

*Biodiesel & Straight Veggie Oil Power Basics (Nico Kastrup)
Biodiesel/Straight Veggie Oil pros and cons.

Nico has 7 years experience in the automotive industry. His father is a mechanic and his stepfather is a mechanic so it runs in the blood. He is ASE (automotive service excellence) certified in automotive advanced performance and diesel technology which means he has met standards set by the industry to work as a automotive technician in these areas. He brings passions to his work and compassion for all and has a strong desire to see more alternatively powered vehicles on our roads.

*Making Exfoliating Body Scrub and Solid Lotion Bars at Home (Jessica McGuint)
Participants will learn how to make a simple body scrub (from salt, sugar, oils and fragrance) and a solid lotion bar (beeswax, shea butter, etc.) in their kitchen with a few simple ingredients.

Jessica McGuinty, owner of local hair care company Jessicurl, has been making home-made pampering items for about 5 years now. Dubbed "The Hippie Martha Stewart" by her husband and business partner, Jess is passionate about natural body care.

*Know Your Legal Rights (David Cobb)
This will be a basic introduction to criminal procedure and will cover how to interact with the police.

David practiced law for 10 years in Texas.

*Learn How to Fix Your Bike Forever (Aaron Waxman)
Learn to fix and maintain your bike so that it can last forever. Participants will learn how to adjust their gears and brakes, how to change a tire and most other basic repairs. (Requests welcome!) Bring your own bike so you can get hands on experience.

Aaron worked in a bike shop doing sales and repair and hasn’t had to buy a new bike since 1991 (and rides the one he has all the time).

*Do It Yourself Tailoring (Brenna Sahatjian)
Learn to tailor your own clothes and make them fit like they were made for your body! More information on this workshop will be out soon - check back!

SESSION TWO – 11AM to NOON

*Automotive Basics & Preventative Maintenance (Nico Kastrup)
This workshop covers basic mechanics of your automobile. Learn how to change a flat tire, Change your own oil and filter, check filters, hoses, belts, tire pressure, replace light bulbs, determine and optimize fuel consumption. Become more in tune with your automobile and how it operates.
Hands-on opportunity to get dirty and bond with your car. Question and Answer.

Nico has 7 years experience in the automotive industry. His father is a mechanic and his step father is a mechanic so it runs in the blood. He is ASE (automotive service excellence) certified in automotive advanced performance and diesel technology which means he has met standards set by the industry to work as a automotive technician in these areas. He brings passions to his work and compassion for all and has a strong desire to see more alternatively powered vehicles on our roads.

*Do-It-Yourself Healthcare (Dr. Fran Day)
Dr. Day will recommend some simple and not well-enough known remedies and preventive strategies. Contributions from the audience will also be welcome. Questions will be answered in plain English, from the perspective of an open-minded Western physician.

Dr. Day is a Western-trained General Practice doctor who graduated from UCSF in 1988 and has worked at various places on the west coast since then.

*Basic Electronics for the Household (Bill Timms)
Learn the basics of household electricity and appliances and how to do simple checks before you call an expert.

Bill has been a self-employed handyman for 20 years.

*Power Over Poverty: The nuts and bolts of signing up for college! (Michael Smith)
Learn about your rights to a higher education. Meet students who want to help you go to school and stay in school. Receive information on HSU's Equal Opportunity Program. Student and community advocates interested in helping current and former welfare recipients are welcome to attend.

Michael is an Equal Opportunity Program student at HSU and editor of www.FairChance.Us.

*Gettin’ A Website on the Ol’ Internet... Yeehaw! (Heather Ault)
This skillshare session covers the basics of building a website, registering a Domain Name (ie, your address), and choosing an Internet, Service Provider to host your website. We'll also discuss how to optimize your website’s visibility on the Internet. Bring questions, the address to your exisiting website address, or an idea for a project.

Heather teaches classes in web design, desktop publishing and computer literacy at College of the Redwoods, Eureka Adult School and The Ink People Center for the Arts. She also builds websites, and works on community projects fostering local democracy. Check out her website at: www.heatherault.org.

*Vegetarian Tamale Making (Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap)
Participants will learn how to make tamales from scratch. Starting with the corn masa shell to the yummy veggie filling. After we assemble the tamales we will steam them and eat them for lunch!

Kaitlin grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico and learned to make tamales from her mother.

LUNCH BREAK (Join us for tamales!) – Noon to 1PM

SESSION THREE – 1PM to 2PM

*Green Wood Working (John Konyn)
Demonstration on how to take a fresh tree (green wood) and work it into usable pieces for various projects in daily life such as chairs, spoons, etc. etc.

John studied wood working at College of the Redwoods in Ft. Bragg and has been a professional woodworker for 10 years. He has a shop in Arcata.

*Chi Gong Body Tune Up (Bill Timms)
Clear and balance your own acupuncture channels an easy complete routine consisting of an energizing exercise, a strengthening and aligning exercise, a purification exercise, an energy balancing exercise and a tranquil setting exercise to strengthen intuition.

Bill has studied Chi Gong for 20 years and traveled across the USA and Hong Kong to study self-improvement practices.

*Brewing Mead: An Ancient Beverage for the Present Day (Adam LaBelle)
Learn the basics of brewing a 1 gallon batch of mead, or honey wine. Workshop will cover equipment and ingredients needed, brewing process and a bit of history.

Adam has been brewing meads, wines, and beers for 7 years. He also enjoys woodworking drumming, gardening and studying history.

*Herbal First Aid (Greta Grizz)
Learn how to use botanicals for first aid for injuries and dis-ease. Depending on class experience, we will stick with the widely used "first aid plants" like Arnica, or jump into some more advanced first aid techniques using a variety of traditions and tools.

Greta has been using herbal medicine to support forest defense activists' health since 1990. From running underground herbal hospitals on the front lines in the back woods to professional membership in the American Herbalist's Guild, Greta has shared her understanding of the plant world.

*How-to Press Releases: The Joy of Publicizing Local Events and Other Newsworthy Shenanigans (Cat Sieh)
EASY how-to guidance on how to write a coherent, accurate, brief press release that will get local media attention and get your event in the papers! Quick Associated Press style, format and contact info for all the local papers.

Cat currently writes for the North Coast Journal newspaper as an intern. She has also worked for the Times-Standard and served as an editor for The (well-loved) Lumberjack. She is well versed in all things calendar and will get your press releases looking sharp!

SESSION FOUR – 2PM to 3PM

*Self Defense (Bill Timms)
Learn basic self-defense techniques adapted form Shaolin Kung fu. No physical prowess or prior training needed.

Bill is founder of Nui Shu Kung Fu and has been practicing 20 years.

*Fertility Awareness Method for Birth Control and Family Planning (Ami Brusca)
Learn how to chart your cycle using the natural signals your body gives you. Using your charts you can learn many interesting things about yourself, including when you are and are not fertile!

Ami is a childbirth educator in Arcata. She has studied Midwifery for 8 years and is currently being certified through the Association of Labor and Childbirth Educators. She also has a teaching credential in the state of California.

*Know Your Rights as a Renter (Sarah “Fred” Sherburn-Zimmer)
Learn about basic things you can do to get repairs fixed, your security deposit back, and otherwise protect yourself against your landlord.

Fred helped start and run the Tenants Union of Humboldt County from 2001 to Fall 2004 when it closed.

*How to Access Information on California Government, Understanding the Legislative and Budget Process, and Contacting Your Representative
How do you find out information about current and proposed policies that affect the things you care about? This workshop will show you how to access this information via the web, best ways to contact your representative, and the organizational structure of government with an emphasis on California State government.

Sandy Radic-Oshiro holds a B.A. in Child Development with an emphasis in policy development and the impacts of these decisions on children and families. She has been employed as a Field Representative for State Senator Wesley Chesbro for 5 years.

SESSION FIVE – 3PM to 4PM

*Fermented Raw Beverages - Easy Soft Drinks that Are Good For You, Tasty and Inexpensive too! (Jennifer Novell)
Learn the ancient and easy skill of transforming simple ingredients into delicious beverages that provide many health benefits. Ginger Ale, Kefir Lemonade, Beet Kvass and more!

Jennifer is a Certified Nutritionist who specializes in Native Nutrition and Traditionally Cultured Foods. She is an avid gardener and cook who has experienced and taught diverse forms of culinary and nutritional healing arts.

*How to Dismantle the Prison System (Jessica Whatcott)
Participants in this workshop will walk away with tools for challenging the United States state and federal incarceration system, the largest prison system in the world. Materials provided will be a list of prisoners who are looking for pen pals, resource guides to send to loved ones in prison, information about local projects that divert people out of the incarceration system, and more.

Jessica has been a volunteer with Bar None -- a local prisoner support, community outreach and prison abolition group -- for almost 2 years. She currently works for a mentoring program that provides mentors for children with an incarcerated parent.

*Vermiculture: Learn to Compost With Worms! (Kevin Cunningham)
Learn how to turn your kitchen compost into garden fertilizer using a worm box. Participants will learn how to set up and maintain worm boxes suitable for household waste.

Kevin is an organic farmer managing the Arcata Educational Farm/Community Supported Agriculture.

*Birth Control: Past, Present, and Future (Heather Ault)
Do you want to know what sea salt, onions, cedar oil, lemons, sea sponges, and walrus ribs have to do with birth control? In this skillshare, we’ll cover about four thousand years of ancient societies exercising their right to reproductive control and then relate this amazing history to our modern techniques (some not available in the United States.) You’ll learn the origins of the condom, IUD, sponge, spermacide, cervical caps, and more and find out who really invented birth control.

Heather has been obsessed with this topic since first learning that abortion used to be legal in the United States in the mid 1800s, and then finding a website maintained by Sister Zeus providing ancient herbal birth control methods. She has presented this material at HSU, and is excited to share what she's learned with you.

*Stencil Silkscreening (Bella Barclay)
(This session will be from 3pm – 6pm and is limited to 8 participants)
Learn how to silkscreen using the stencil method. Silkscreening is a fun way to make signs or custom made clothing or patches. This is a wonderful art form to incorporate info activism.

Bella has been messing around with silkscreening for a good while and loves it. Most of her clothes are covered with original designs and she recently began wholesaling her work.

SESSION SIX – 4PM to 5PM

*How to Darn Your Socks - or the Socks of Others (Sarah “Fred” Sherburn-Zimmer)
Learn to repair wool socks or sweaters. Bring a sock to learn on!

Fred is an activist who can often be found in winter months darning socks while watching movies and in meetings.

*Electric Cars (Roger & Kevin)
More information on this workshop will be out soon - check back later!

*How to Make Community Currency Work For You (Ryan Emenaker)
Learn about the Humboldt Exchange - Humboldt County's local currency project and how you can participate. Focus will be on how participants can use the project to advertise their skills to others and make money from their knowledge while supporting our local economy.

Ryan is a local community organizer. He has worked on the Humboldt Exchange since May 2004 when Democracy Unlimited began hosting the project.

*Adobe Photoshop for Fun and Sedition (Rob Ash)
Participants will learn the basic skills of Adobe Photoshop. Including importing, exporting, toolbars, basic photo editing, layering and maybe a few cool tricks too! Photoshop is very dense and complex program and there is no way to give a comprehensive overview in an hour but this workshop will show you the basics and talk about what is possible with this program.

Rob has been a Humboldt county resident since 1997. He enjoys art, boxing, writing, activism, landscape architecture and upsetting the established order.

SESSION SEVEN – 5PM to 6PM

*Solar Electric Systems (Roger)
More information on this workshop will be out soon - check back later!

*Nonviolence Training (Mike Avocallie)
This workshop will provide information for how to perform nonviolent civil disobedience, including how to interact with the police and what to do if you get arrested.

Mike has been an activist for many years and has exercised his right to civil disobedience a number of times.

*Yoga For Every Day (Shannon Tracy)
Yoga and stretching are fun and simple ways to improve your health and well-being - whether at a class, with friends, or at home. This workshop will highlight basic stretches, poses, and breathing that you can do whenever. Bring your own favorites to share as well! Provided the weather's nice, we'll take it outside. Wear comfortable clothing, mats optional.

Shannon has been practicing yoga for about a year with friends and at home. Her form may not be perfect but her balance, posture, flexibility, and relaxation are much improved.

Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County is a project of the California Center for Community Democracy