Springfield, MO, November 10 – 12, 2017

WORKSHOPS

Friday

Creating a Welcoming Group 9 a.m.
You can plan the events, but to get people in the seats, they have to feel they belong.This workshop will walk you through making your group a welcoming one.
Mandisa Thomas

Organizing a Lobby Day 10 a.m.
We’ve clicked on action alerts, sent faxes, emails and texts. We have even called our elected officials, mostly to end up in voice mail. What’s the next step? Why not go visit them in person? Why not take your friends, too!
Monette Richards

Designing a Successful Campaign 11 a.m.
Have you led a campaign that seemed to fail? Or one that was wildly successful? Let’s deconstruct and discuss what works and what doesn’t.
Debbie Goddard

Making Ourselves Relevant in the Resistance 12 p.m.
On paper, organized atheism and skepticism should have a major role in the current resistance movements in the US. Do we? If not, why not? In places where we do, what helps make that happen? What do we have to contribute to these movements? And what can we do — on the individual, local, and national levels — to improve our presence in the resistance and make more of a contribution?
Greta Christina & Debbie Goddard

Deescalation 1 p.m.
With every direct action, there is a chance the situation will get out of control. Explore ways to deescalate before things get bad.
Rebecca Hensler

Creating a Self-Care Plan 2 p.m.
We often talk about the importance of self-care. But do we know how to actually put it into practice?
Hiba Bint Zeinab

Imposter Syndrome 3 p.m.
Impostor syndrome is that feeling that you’re just faking what you do and are going to be found out any minute. It keeps us from fully appreciating our own work and from tackling new, ambitious projects that need to be done. Come gather tips and exercises to combat this problem and be a more effective, secure activist.
Jessica Xiao, Monette Richards & Stephanie Zvan

Consent 4 p.m.
Have questions about consent? Find answers as you work through this workshop.
Eli Heina Dadabhoy

Saturday

Start Your Own Podcast 10 a.m.
So, you wanna start a podcast. What should you know? What should you decide?
Maddy Love & Marissa Alexa McCool

Lessons from AIDS Activism 11 a.m.
Learn Direct Action from activists who have been there and done it. These members of ActUP will go over the lessons they learned during AIDS activism.
Ingrid Nelson, Laura Thomas & Rebecca Hensler

Sunday

Finding Your Way Around Moose 2 p.m.
Ex-Muslim issues can be really complicated for never-Muslims to parse. Frequently, never-Muslims fall prey to overcorrection, saviorism, or just plain silence. This workshop has been designed to educate never-Muslims on the intersections that tend to be involved where ex-Muslims are concerned, and how to work with and for those issues, in order to create substantive change.
Sam Farooqui

How to Do a Workshop 3 p.m.
Do you want to put on a workshop, but aren’t sure how to design an effective one? Learn how to use the interactive nature of workshops to build confidence while conveying useful information.
Stephanie Zvan