Early Spring Newsletter! (fwd)

[megan <megan@tao.ca>]

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    TAO.CA Newsletter - Spring, 2000    ->    http://tao.ca
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* This newsletter was written and compiled by the Vancouver local of TAO.
We can be reached at http://vancouver.tao.ca - vancouver@tao.ca

items included in this message:
_______________________________
= Preface
= An appeal for funds
= TAO-West Regional Meeting March 17-19
= TAO-Vancouver Fundraiser March 18
= The New Improved TAO-Van Web page!
= The Cookbook Project
= TWAT: The Resurrection!
= Security.tao.ca
= Seattle: What you got to say?


= Preface

You are receiving this announcement because you are either a TAO member,
or someone who has expressed interest in our activities. If you help
organize a list on tao.ca, please consider forwarding this notice to that
list. 

This newsletter is intended to keep you informed about some of our many
activities as an organization so that you may be able to better choose
your involvement and contribution to the TAO project. We would like to
take this opportunity to remind all of you folks out there that TAO is not
an internet service provider, though we do provide some network facilities
for activist use. TAO is a federation of groups, locals and individuals
looking for your activism and support. 

For help getting involved in TAO on the ground in your area, please email
tao-org@tao.ca and we will try to assist you in whichever way is possible.

= An Appeal for Funds

*** As always we need help with fundraising. ***

The simple reality is that living in a capitalist system, and without
alternative social support, we need money to continue our operations. 
Back in the summer we committed to paying labour, a commitment we have
been unable to fulfil because of the lack of financial support coming from
you out there. Commitments that we can not miss fulfilling are our monthly
rent and (now) bandwidth charges as well. As we continue to organize, we
will also need to free up travel subsidies so that we can facilitate
exchanges between different locals, work areas, and fields of interest.

In asking for funds, we are not simply asking you, the reader, to send us
money. Instead, what would be best is if you could contribute to us the
bit of labour involved in actual fundraising. Locals are expected to
collectivize the process of fundraising to ensure that there is
consistently money being put back into the TAO project.
____________________________________________________________________
Please continue to send your contributions to:
TAO Communications - P.O. Box 108 Station P Toronto Ont M5S 2S8 Canada
If you are already a member of a local - please contribute funds to your
local as well.
_____________________________________________________________________


= TAO-West Regional Meeting March 17-19

The first TAO Western Regional meeting ever is happening this month
(March) between the 17th and the 19th in Vancouver, BC. TAO folks from
Vancouver, Edmonton, Olympia and Victoria are expected to attend for the
first regional gathering of TAO in western North Amerika. All folks
involved in or interested in TAO are welcome to attend this event. If you
need more information about locations, billeting or travel, please email
vancouver@tao.ca and we will help you out. 

The tentative schedule for the three day event is as follows:

Friday Evening (17th)
* To kick off the weekend of events, we will be hosting one of our regular
ge-free potlucks starting at 7 pm. This is an informal opportunity for
people to discuss various tao projects as well as eat some really yummy
food!

Saturday (18th)
* Saturday is our full meeting day. We would like to cover as much ground
as possible and discuss our conceptions of the TAO project, strategies for
formalizing the tao structure both local and federation wide, and other
issues that have arisen in our collective work to date.

9:00-10:50
* introductory go-round
* who are you, what do you do w TAO...
* Open discussion
* what is TAO?

11:00-12:30
* Workshop: Gender and TAO

12:30-13:30
Communal Lunch

13:30-14:50
* Workshop: local decision-making and consensus

15:00-17:00
* Open Discussion
* Federation and accountability

17:00-20:00
Break, Dinner and Set-Up for Fundraiser... (more on the fundraiser to
follow)

20:00
Fundraiser at WISE

Sunday

Party and Demo in Grandview Park, possibly including
silk screening
anarchist marching band
mural project
guerilla gardening
busk-in
picnic/FNB
(we are still working out the details on this)

To stay involved in the TAO-West project, and be informed of any upcoming
events in the region - please subscribe to the TAO-West list by emailing
lists@tao.ca with the words <subscribe tao-west> in the body of the
message. For further information, please email vancouver@tao.ca.


= TAO-Vancouver Fundraiser, March 18th

Its time to get ready for Vancouver's first big TAO fundraiser! We have
managed to get the WISE hall donated to us for this event as well as a keg
or two of beer, so we stand a chance of adding to the TAO coffers through
our revolutionary action dance party! 
 
Our plans so far include suggestions/plans so far:
* starting the evening with a film showing of some wto footage from 9-10
* the rest of the night will be a mix of djs and bands (mortal engine,
flying folk army, as well as djs and video mixers)  
* a chill space with photos and art being displayed by local TAO folks 
* an infoshop space for groups to set up tables.  
* a raffle of revolutionary items

It's gonna be a blast so come on out and party with us to raise cash and
awareness about the TAO Federation! 9:00 at the WISE Hall which is in
Vancouver at Adanac and Victoria. Need directions? Please email
vancouver@tao.ca for further information!

 
= The New Improved TAO-Van Website!

Incase you haven't checked lately, TAO-Vancouver's web site has been
updated. You will still find the vancouver email list archive there as
well as info on all the other lists the collective runs. The events
listings found on the pages are changing periodically and are there to let
you know what we are up to, what the community is doing and what's going
on around the planet.

There is all new info which outlines how the Vancouver collective
organizes it's labour, our basis of unity, and the minutes from previous
meetings.

A propaganda section is being compiled by category to give you access to
documents that we have either found useful for organizing or have referred
to at events.

This month, the site features the vegan, anti-GE cookbook project which
was initiated by the local but is being put together by tao members from
across the network.

The site can be found at http://vancouver.tao.ca

Mail vancouver@tao.ca if you have any comments on it.


= The TAO Cookbook Project

TAO-Vancouver has started a new project aimed at involving TAO members,
biotech activists, and other folks who are interested in food security
issues and good vegan cooking!

The working proposal is to create a cookbook that not only provides some
of the best in vegan recipes, but will also double as a handbook for
making the world free of genetically engineered foods and other plants.
The creation of the cook/handbook is meant to take place in the most
creative and collective way possible, allowing a diverse base of recipes,
information, and artwork to make their way in to the finished product. In
Vancouver, we will be holding potlucks one to two times a month, inviting
people from our political community to bring a dish (with recipe) and test
different recipes with us. TAO members in Boston, Toronto, Memphis and
Lousiville have so far expressed interest in holding their own cookbook
potlucks as well.

Some examples of information that have been discussed for inclusion so far
are tips on how to research where biotech testing is going on in different
countries, information about how to avoid animal and ge products in foods,
and strategies for opposing corporate rule in the form of genetic
engineering.

The tentative timeline for the project starts with recipe and information
collection running from January through June, and editing, layout and
printing taking place between July and September. This timeline is
intended to allow as many people as possible to participate over a period
of time long enough to gather and test many recipes and to edit the
amazing amount of information out there that we are already collecting. 

All of the cookbook efforts are now being co-ordinated on a mailing list
set up to trade recipes and information and to share other thoughts about
the structure and process for the process of building this cookbook. To
subscribe to the epicure list - please email lists@tao.ca with the words
<subscribe epicure> in the body of the message (without the <>), or go to
<http://vancouver.tao.ca/cookbook/
cookbook.html> and fill out the subscription form there. This is also
where a working archive of recipes will also eventually appear.

We are hoping that as well as providing important information in a new
format, this project may also help in assisting the formation of TAO
locals in different areas, and bring radicals together in a social,
non-technical setting. 


= TWAT: The Resurrection!

TWAT is a mailing list for radical grrrrls (only).  We invite all
interested wimmin to come in and check it out!

TWAT is a radical wimmin's-only forum that aims to encourage greater
Participation by wimmin in the radical techical community through
fostering a supportive and empowering on-line environment. Specifically,
it is forum for computer/technical discussion and support, as well as
other discussion relating to wimmin, technology and the radical
communities in which we work.

This is also the first project in what (some of us hope) will turn into
part of the TAO wimmin's caucas, and will also be used as a sounding board
in the development of an upcoming web site at wimmin.tao.ca.

To join up with us for discussion, information and other great fun - send
a message to lists@tao.ca with the words <subscribe TWAT> in the body of
the message.. 

Please pass this on to other radical wimmin that you know who may be
interested - this is not just a list for techies - but for all wimmin who
are using new media technologies as activists and who want to learn and
discuss more!

To contact a human in regards to this project, please email megan@tao.ca.


= security.tao.ca

This brief announcement is to let you know that security.tao.ca is now
online for your computer security needs. The main focus of the site
is computer security and activism: how to stay safe in an ever-monitored
world. Topics covered include: maintaining your privacy while searching
the web, email tips and tricks including anonymous emailing and email
privacy, encryption basics, and physical computer security. 

A main motivation behind the creation of this site was the many questions
that get asked on a regular basis by activists who are concerned that they
are being monitored, or who just want to communicate in the most secure
way possible. The security pages are just one component of  work being
done to create a radical and secure space online for activists - Work on
the TAO server is continually being done to make the server environment as
secure as possible. 

The site authors are available for contact through the security pages and
will be happy to answer any questions relating to both computer and
physical security within the radical community. Although this information
is being provided in an attempt to satisfy the many questions that do get
asked - it is important to remember that there are no systems that are
100% secure, nor will there be until the world has been radically altered
through struggle for a society without state repression. 

Now go to http://security.tao.ca


= Seattle :N30 - what YOU got to say?

We are collecting stories from the WTO protest in Seattle to publish in a
large pamphlet/booklet. There was lots of exciting, fresh shit goin' on,
and we think everybody who wasn't there should hear about some of the
stuff that happened.  The goal here is NOT to publish a snotty academic
look at organizing structure, tactics, etc... What we want is for you to
tell your story about what you did and what you saw.  We want to publish
an opitimistic-minded booklet that will inspire, challenge and strengthen
community organizing.  This is a real accessible way for us to pass on
ideas and strategy in which activists all over can learn from both our
victories & mistakes.

WHAT WE'RE AFTER
*how Art & Revolution stuff did/didn't work
*responses to police attacks/intimidation (good & bad)
*conflicts or cooperation with other demonstrators
*affinity group organizing (good & bad)
*personal preparation (equipment, mental state, disguise)
*larger organizing (ie: DAN structure, meetings, etc)
*tales of delegate harassing
*any combination of the above
*anything you think is important, interesting, exciting, funny, whatever
*photos of all of the above
*copies of agitprop (posters, stickers, etc)

THE FINE PRINT
*Submitting anonymously is fine, but if you send us an address we'll send
you the finished product
*Everything will be printed anonymously (why make the cops' work easier,
and why bloat our already huge egos?)  
*We will try to have printing subsidized as much as possible, to keep the
price cheap cheap cheap and to raise more $ for the defence fund (this
means you can send us a donation to help!)
*this project is being worked on by a small group of anarchists from
vancouver (canada) who were at the protests helping to kick the WTO's
sorry ass. We also have the active support of the vancouver local of the
TAO federation (find out more about them at vancouver.tao.ca). They will
help us get this thing on the web when it's done.

SUBMIT
*by email at: vancouver@tao.ca (make sure the subject line has "print
project" in it  
*by surface mail at: Print Project c/o TAO Communcations, #31, 1895
Commercial Drive, Vancouver BC, V5N 4A6




	TAO Communications
	P.O. Box 108 Station P
	Toronto Ont M5S 2S8
	www.tao.ca
	tao@tao.ca


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