MINUTES 15 June 2004

PRESENT: Chris B., Ruta, Dwayne, John, Possum, Alan, Catherine, Rob, Chris S.

AGENDA:

1. Update on courses
2. course proposals
3. Retreat Planning
4. Promotion--Flyer
5. Email
6. Disseminating Anarchist U
7. Ped Mob info

1. Chris B. reported that his class has been a great experience. There are about 12-16 people who show up regularly. They meet at the Animal Alliance on Broadview. CBC came one night to do some filming for part of the Sunday Report that are talking to young activists about the upcoming election to get dissenting opinions.

Kathleen's course on Visions of Progress will start July 8 and meet Thursdays 7-9pm in a private home in the Queen West/Bathurst area. (see website for more details).

Dwayne course on Queer History will start JULY 13 (Tuesdays from 7-9pm) and will be meeting at Cawthra Park (Church street north of Wellesley) with rain location to be at his place of work near by.

2. COURSE PROPOSALS

Ruta presented a proposal to re-offer the Radical Perspectives on Sexuality course for the Fall 2004. There may be some changes to the outline and she has yet to meet with her co-facilitators, Paula and Louise to hammer down details. The group thought this was a great idea in principle but ask that Ruta present more details about the course outline next meeting in July.

Catherine proposed a reading and discussion group that focuses on the complete text of James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. She proposed that the reading group together decide on forming questions and pursuing various reading guides that are available for this difficult novel. Course was approved and Catherine was asked to write a short description of her course for the upcoming brochure for the Fall.

Chris B. proposed to re-offer his course on the Social History of Class--The Ruling Elites. His course has been very popular and well received. The group suggested that Chris might include some information on forms of resistance and opposition to hierarchies and oppression as well.

The question of how structured the courses are at the Anarchist U was briefly discussed. Alan met some people in Buffalo during a presentation of AnarchistU idea and our structured approach was mentioned. We talked about the relative merits or not of offering structured courses, i.e. setting down texts and readings every week, etc. Alan mentioned that at least one person he knows felt alientated by the structure that was expected from them when offering a course.

3. RETREAT

AnarchistU is planning a retreat/camping trip for the weekend of JULY 30 to AUGUST 2 (Fri-Mon). This will be at Dragonfly farm which is an intentional community or commune near Peterborough. Teams have been formed to plan out various aspects of the trip: transportation (car pooling), workshop ideas, food, entertainment, etc. It's not too late to join the organizing group!

4. PROMOTION

Rob mentioned that we need to start thinking about planning an event for the launch of the Fall term in September. We need to build some momentum and interest in the school by promoting it and not let this fall by the wayside. Rob to contact Luis to make a flyer. We need to do media spots, plan a picnic or event, write articles in local presses and get our courses in the free community listings like NOW Magazine or EYE.

5. EMAIL

The group recognized that Dwayne has been doing a great job keeping up with email. Dwayne said he could keep on with the AnarchistU email till September, then Rob offered to do it for awhile. Email coordination are taken on by people for 3 month intervals.

6. DISSEMINATING ANARCHISTU

The anarchist U idea has been catching on in other towns like a thought virus! There is interest to set up similar schools in Boston, Vancouver and Montreal. (Do I have the towns right?)

7. THE PEDESTRIAN MOB

Chris S. introduced the group to this Situationist inspired project of his. A description of Ped Mob in Chris' own words is as follows:

THE PEDESTRIAN MOB:

An Experiment with Crowds, Play, Bodies, Traffic, Intervention and the Infrastructure of Urban Order that is explicitly designed and intended to mobilize, incite and inspire perfect, random strangers to engage in silly and subversive, disruptive and dissenting behavior, with the hope of (individually and collectively) actualizing a critical/creative, political/ poetic, revolutionary relationship to the systems and structures that govern and guide the day-to-day dreariness and drudgery of urban existence and inhabitation in the contemporary (hyper-)capitalist cityscape.

WANTED: 10-15 interested bodies to participate in a series of Situationist-inspired, performance-based experiments in political-poetic urban intervention

For more information, contact:

pedestrianmob@graffiti.net

HEY THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE: SUNDAY 18 JULY 2004. TIME: TBA

WE WANT YOU THERE!! COME OUT AND BE THE ANARCHIST U!!