Community Organizing for Deep Democracy Retreats

2008 Dates:

*August 7-11 (optional day trips and excursions into local nature if you arrive Thursday and stay on Monday), in Humboldt County, CA

*October 10-12 in Occidental at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center.

—› Click here to download a registration form!

WHO: You are invited to join us for an empowering weekend retreat: “Community Organizing for Deep Democracy.”

These events will be tailored to meet the needs of the participants based on pre-event feedback. This event is open to participants from all over the country.

WHAT: These full weekend workshops will help participants effectively organize in their own communities to reclaim citizen sovereignty and will offer tangible strategies for actions that we can collectively take to get our democracy back from corporations. These three-day intensive workshops will challenge the deep assumptions that we all hold about what it means to live in a democracy and what the proper role of the corporation is. We will draw on history as well as current events to illustrate the changing role of the corporation over time and how seriously our past people’s struggles have taken the concept of democracy.

Deep Democracy Retreats are right for you if you are:

• An activist, leader, organizer, or trainer engaged in issues of economic, environmental or social justice in your community;
• An educator, activist, organizer, or trainer seeking to improve your understanding of the history of corporate power and more effective strategies for resistance.

By the end of the weekend workshop participants will have a background on how corporate leaders and current judicial interpretations of the law are preventing us from defining our own communities. Emphasis of this weekend will be on giving participants the history, analysis, networks, and legal and educational strategies to more successfully organize for local democracy in their communities.

WHERE: We are offering two Deep Democracy Retreats this year, in two locations.

*August 7-11 ~ This three day retreat will be hosted at the Democracy Unlimited Headquarters in Eureka, CA.

Eureka is situated on the Redwood Coast of Northern California. The city is very near the largest and tallest stands of the world’s tallest trees, the coastal redwoods; the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in the continental United States, the Lost Coast; and six of California’s most scenic rivers. This retreat offers optional day trips on either end (Thursday and Monday) for participants to explore the Pacific Ocean and redwood forest and the surrounding scenic beauty.

Participants will also have the opportunity to visit with the local community and volunteers who are spearheading the cutting-edge democracy organizing that has been taking place in Humboldt County for the past decade.

Sleeping accomodations are provided in host housing in nearby homes in Eureka, or participants can choose to pay for hotel accomodations. Vegetarian meals are prepared using local organic foods.

The drive to Eureka is approximately 6 hours from San Francisco or the East Bay. The trip from Sacramento to Eureka is about 5 hours. Carpooling is encouraged and we can help facilitate driving with others from the Bay Area. If you are not driving distance from nearby in California, you can fly to the Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento airports and get a ride or public transportation to the Retreat. You can also fly into Eureka directly (our airport code is ACV). The retreat location is approximately 20 minutes from the local airport.

*October 10-12 ~ This three day retreat will be hosted at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center in Sonoma County, CA.

OAEC is a nonprofit organizing and education center and organic farm on 80 acres that encompasses wildlands of meadows and mixed oak, fir and redwood forests in Western Sonoma County.

OAEC offers many opportunities for guests to stroll in our organic vegetable, herb and flower gardens, and to hike in our 70 acres of wildlands. The backcountry has many quiet places for reflection and meditation, and a large swimming pond.

Sleeping accomodations are two yurt dormitories or,participants can choose to bring a tent and camp. The yurts house eight people each in bunk beds (we provide the bedding) with wood floors and French doors that open onto decks with sweeping views of OAEC's North Garden. Vegetarian meals are prepared using local organic foods.

Located 65 miles north of San Francisco, OAEC is easily accessible from the Bay Area.

WHEN: On-site sign-in for the Retreats begins on Friday from 2:00-3:00 pm; the program begins at 4:00pm Friday and concludes at 3:30pm on Sunday. Sessions will be conducted in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Breaks will be provided during the day to allow participants to take advantage of recreational attractions available at the retreat sites, and to allow participants to network.

It is important that participants plan to attend the full weekend Retreat in order to get the maximum benefit of the training.

At the Humboldt Retreat, participants are invited to arrive Thursday evening to join us for a hike Friday morning and/or to stay for a day-trip on Monday. This retreat will also feature a potluck on Saturday evening for particpants and core Democracy Unlimited volunteers from the local community.

COST: Event cost is $250-$400 sliding scale, some scholarships may be available. Includes all meals and lodging (unless you chose to stay in a hotel at the Humboldt Retreat), does not include travel.

Sliding scale means you determine what you can pay based on your income and current financial situation. Below is a suggested model to follow - if you can donate more to help others who need scholarships please do so.

If your income is...under $15,000 -- you pay... $250
If your income is...$15,001-$25,000 -- you pay... $275
If your income is...$25,001-$35,000 -- you pay... $300
If your income is...$35,001-$45,000 -- you pay... $325
If your income is...$45,001-$55,000 -- you pay...$350
If your income is...over $55,000 -- you pay...$400 (and we welcome additional donations to cover scholarships for others).

Are you being sent to the training by your employer? If so, don't use your income to determine the fee -- use the annual budget of the organization. For example, if the organization's annual budget is $38,000, your employer would pay $325 to send you to the retreat.

For more information contact Democracy Unlimited: info@DUHC.org or (707) 269-0984. The Retreat is limited to 20 participants - so register early!

Materials, including a detailed agenda for the Retreat and a background reading packet, will be made available to all registrants prior to the training to help participants prepare for the Retreat.

CANCELLATION POLICY: If we cancel for any reason, your registration fee will be refunded. If you cancel up to four weeks before the Retreat, we will also refund full tuition. From four to two weeks before the Retreat, we will refund the tuition you have paid less a $50 processing fee. Two weeks before the Retreat or later we will not be able to refund tuition unless we have been able to fill your seat and the Retreat is fully enrolled, in which case we will refund tuition less the processing fee, as above.

Click here to download a registration form. Your spot will be secured once we receive the completed form and your payment.

Organizational Information:

Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County (DUHC) educates citizens about the illegitimate seizure of our authority to govern ourselves. We design and implement grassroots strategies that exercise democratic power over corporations and governments. We seek to create a truly democratic society by provoking a non-violent popular uprising against corporate rule in Humboldt County that can serve as a model for other communities across the United States. DUHC has been leading it workshop “First Steps in Dismantling Corporate Rule” in communities across the United States for the last decade.

Community Organizing for Deep Democracy Retreat Convenors:

· David Cobb (DUHC): David Cobb was the Green Party nominee for President of the United States in 2004. He served as the General Counsel for the Green Party until declaring his candidacy in 2003. His entire legal career is dedicated to challenging illegitimate corporate power and to creating democracy. In 2002 he ran for state Attorney General in Texas on a platform to use the office to revoke the charters of corporations that break the law and challenge corporate ability to manipulate the legal system at the expense of the people. David is a member of the DUHC Steering Committee and principal for the Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy and is a Fellow with Liberty Tree: the Foundation for the Democratic Revolution. He has also worked intimately with the Center for Voting and Democracy and ReclaimDemocracy.org.

· Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap (DUHC): Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap is DUHC's Executive Director. In 2004 she was elected to serve on the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water Board, becoming one of the youngest elected officials in California. She has served on the smartMeme STORY board, the leadership team of WILPF's Challenge Corporate Power/Assert the People's Rights campaign, and the Housing Advisory Board of the City of Eureka. She is currently Project Co-coordinator for the Humboldt Exchange Community Currency Project and a principal for the Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy and a Fellow with Liberty Tree: the Foundation for the Democratic Revolution.

· Shannon Tracey (DUHC): Shannon Tracey is a member of the DUHC Steering Committee. Originally from Madison, CT, she came to Humboldt County in the summer of 2004. With a background in community organizing and environmental education, Shannon is delighted to bring her energy and experience to the fight against corporate rule in Humboldt County and beyond. As a volunteer for DUHC, she helped to organize the first Skill Share in July 2005. She also participated in the campaign to pass Measure T in the spring of 2006. In July 2006 she was appointed to serve on the Arcata Committee on Democracy and Corporations. She joined the DUHC Steering Committee in June 2006.

· Jared Wilken (DUHC): Jared Wilken joined the DUHC Steering Committee in 2004. Jared was an organizer for the Humboldt County Peace March in 2005 and has led many workshops and presentations. Jared is also an accomplished musician.