Have you ever wondered why protest marches feel great but politically achieve very little? If so then this reasoning workshop is for you. Together we will explore ideas from Pan African history that were successful in challenging state sanctioned political violence. How can we adapt them to work in a modern Britain so obsessed with fighting terrorism that it instigates it through unjust legislation? Malcolm X taught that there were times when civil disobedience must be considered a progressive act of self-defence. When passive methods of direct action become ineffective, more assertive alternatives must take their place.

We will discuss some non-violent modes of radical civil disobedience like the Occupy Movement and the election of the Syriza movement in Greece and ask why did they fail? When author Harold Zinn defined the source of most global problems as civil obedience he advocated the re-emergence of a spirit of resistance to “illegitimate authority and to forces that deprive people of their life and liberty”. Likewise Martin Luther King Jr argued that we all have “a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”.

What does this really mean? Come join us and as Thomas Sankara suggests “dare to invent the future”.

Toyin Agbetu is a community educator, film maker, artist-activist, and founder of Ligali, a pan African human rights based organisation that challenges media misrepresentation of African people, culture and history. He is the author of Ukweli – A Political and Spiritual Basis for Pan Africanism and promotes a collaborative approach to community development.
As an avowed anti-capitalist he is a staunch supporter of anti-patriarchal, socialist based liberation movements. Whilst not an Anarchist he has one foot based in chaos theory. His latest film, the award winning BEAUTY IS… (2014) explores the politics of beauty through his lens as an African-centred philosopher.

www.ligali.org
www.facebook.com/agbetu?ref=tn_tnmn
@ligaliorg

Book via eventbrite

Inspired by the 1968 Anti-University of East London, the Antiuniversity Now! festival was set up to challenge academic hierarchy and authority by inviting people to teach any subject, in any form, anywhere. The festival offers over 60 sessions taking place all over the country – from talks about Black Power to Urban Mining workshops, DIY Feminist Practice to three-sided football, The Principles of Uselessness to a guided walk around a nuclear facility.

Everyone’s a teacher, everyone’s a student, everyone’s welcome!

Various locations including OSE. For more information click here. The full programme will be available here from 2 November.