10am – 2pm
Saturday 17 Jan 2015
Justice Place
5 Abingdon Street
Woolongabba
“Who owns this land?” “They do!”
“Who stole this land?” “We did!”
Have you ever experienced the irony of being on the wrong side of this chant?
It’s not quite that simple of course, all of us have different backgrounds and stories. Yet it IS that simple: all of us, whatever our background, do, now, live and exist on stolen Aboriginal land. And all of us, each year, are surrounded by the “celebration” of the origin of land theft and genocide that is “Australia day”.
So… moving forward, what are we going to do about it?
In this workshop we will discuss questions like:
What is solidarity? What is NOT solidarity?
What is solidarity in the context of Invasion/ Survival/ Australia Day? What does opposition to Australia Day look like? What does support of Invasion/ Survival day look like?
What are the possibilities for action and are we prepared to do them? If not, why not?
How about solidarity the rest of the year?
This is a workshop specifically for non-First Nations people* to talk with each other about these questions. But it will also be a place where we go beyond talking, a place where we actually organise and plan together different ways of supporting Invasion/ Survival Day, and different ways of engaging with Australia Day.
What it will Look Like
This will be a structured and facilitated workshop. This is so that everyone (who wants to) can contribute. There will be pair, small and whole group discussions, groups will be created by the facilitator, with consent. Ideas about (possible) actions will come from the floor and participation in any “actions” will be voluntary. The facilitator does not presume to be an expert, the role of the facilitator is to help voices be heard, ideas shared, and to encourage organising.
It is assumed that participants are already opposed to Australia Day, and in support of Invasion/ Survival Day activities.
Children and Disability Access
Let us know if you need childcare and/or the creation of a child friendly space. We would like to accommodate children and their carers.
The venue is wheelchair user accessible however there are no appropriate toilet facilities. We will endeavour to provide more information about this in the upcoming days.
Lunch and Cost
Bring something to eat to share with the group, this will be our lunch.
$5-$10 donation to go towards Invasion/ Survival Day activities, and to contribute to the venue.
No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
*First Nations people are welcome to attend and/or input ideas before the workshop as they/ you see fit.
Hosted by Brisbane Solidarity Network [BSN]
