The econ study group for Catalyzers, Feb 2012

Here is the brief description, taken from the email announcement, of the study group:

On Jan 16, 2012, at 5:02 PM, Julian Marszalek wrote:
The Catalyst Project invites you to a three-part series on the current economic crisis.

The economic situation impacts our communities, our families and our anti-racist organizing. This study group, for volunteers, mentors and interns with Catalyst Project, on the current economic crisis will look at the immediate roots of the financial crash, at the bailouts and the sellouts, and the chances of a repeat. Building on the last discussion group on Race, Class and the 1%, we will look at the international, class, race, and gender impacts of the cutbacks, job losses, foreclosures, dispossessions and land grabs as well as examples of alternatives. And we will frame all of this in terms of the economic environment in which we are organizing, sharing our experiences as political actors. This study group is intended to help us be smarter, stronger, and more visionary in our work for racial and economic justice.

What do we know about the economy beyond the daily ups and downs of the Dow-Jones?
How will this economic crisis evolve?
Are we in a recession, a depression, a mancession, a recovery – or just ordinary neoliberalism?
What does all this mean for anti-racist organizing efforts?
Discuss these questions and more with other anti-racist organizers.

Logistics for those who would like to attend:
Starting in February, this study group will meet for three sessions from 6:00-8:30pm at 522 Valencia Street, San Francisco. [Feb 2, Feb 16, Mar 1] ...

We ask that people commit to coming to a minimum of two of the sessions to help build a learning community and container for this study.

We will draw from mainstream and progressive news sources, analytical articles, and we may watch a video. There will be a couple dozen pages of required reading for each session, with the option to read further from additional recommended sources.

These discussions will be facilitated by Rob McBride, a long-time anti-imperialist, a Catalyst support and mentor in the Anne Braden Program. He is an alum of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Prairie Fire and studied economics (when not running in the streets) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 1967-71. He has taught at the San Francisco Liberation School, local colleges, and UCSC's Community Studies program. ...

Julian Marszalek, Catalyst Project Intern