National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee

“Retooling for the Work Ahead”

National War Tax Resistance Gathering and Coordinating Committee Meeting

Nov. 1–3, 2013 • Maryhouse and Sixth Street Community Center, East Village, New York City

Program

Come for the whole weekend or one session.

Please call NWTRCC with questions: (718) 768‒3420.

Registration Form
PDF with program

With its 30th anniversary in 2012, NWTRCC took time to celebrate and review war tax resistance activities of the past. Now it’s time to get serious about how war tax resistance plays a role in the wider peace and social change movements. Technology has forced us to change the way we do many things; does our style and message need retooling too? Friday evening and Saturday morning will address these questions. Saturday afternoon will include a basic “how to” session for those new to war tax resistance and a counseling and update session for current resisters.

War tax resisters from around the country will attend and join local activists as presenters and facilitators for panels, group discussions, and workshops.

NWTRCC’s Strategy Committee is working on parts of the program. Content and details are developing and remain subject to change. Please check the website or ask us for the latest schedule.

Friday evening, Nov. 1 (Maryhouse, 55 East 3rd Street, near 2nd Avenue, Manhattan)

9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Administrative Committee meeting, War Resisters League offices, 339 Lafayette Street @ Bleecker. If you arrive early you can come here (not far from Catholic Worker).

4:00 p.m. Arrival, registration. NWTRCC/war tax resisters will provide dinner for ourselves and the Catholic Worker community. Contact the NWTRCC office if you can help.

5:15–6:30 p.m. Dinner (If you plan to come for meals, please fill out the registration form.)

7:00 p.m. Welcome, Introductions.

Panel: Economic Disobedience and Strengthening Our Organizing Networks to End War

Activists of various “economic disobedient” types will talk about their activism, how it might intersect with war tax resisters, and how we can better work together to build a stronger movement. Panelists: Andrew Ross, Strike Debt; Joanne Kennedy, Catholic Worker movement; Taleigh Smith, community organizer on youth, housing, education and environmental justice; and Tom Gogan, U.S. Labor Against the War, followed by discussion. Our use of the phrase “economic disobedience” was inspired by actions in Spain. David Gross has written a background paper on this topic.

Saturday, Nov. 2 (Sixth Street Community Center, 638 East 6th Street, between Aves. B & C, Manhattan)

8:00 a.m. Breakfast

9:00–9:30 a.m. Introductions, logistics, agenda review

9:30–10:45 a.m. Small Group Discussions/Brainstorms

Responding to the Friday evening “Economic Disobedience” panel, with particular focus on how it might relate to our war tax resistance outreach and efforts and the theme of “Retooling for the work ahead.” Does the idea of “economic disobedience” resonate in relation to broadening NWTRCC’s outreach. Should NWTRCC/war tax resisters keep on as we are or do we need some new slogans, ideas for literature or style of materials, coordination with allies, etc. Coming up with specific ideas and steps for NWTRCC or local groups would be helpful. For those participating in the business meeting on Sunday (all welcome) do certain proposals intersect with your ideas?

10:45–11:00 a.m. Break

11:00–12:15 p.m. Report back to large group and general discussion; specific suggestions for “Retooling for the work ahead”; Next steps — where do we go from here

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30–2:45 p.m. Concurrent Workshops

  1. Introduction to war tax resistance — English
  2. Pagar Impuestos o No? Una Conversacion de la Resistencia a Pagar Impuestos para la Guerra. Una sesión para hablantes de español.
  3. Counseling and updates for Current war tax resisters (new health care law, frivolous, phone tax, etc.)
  4. Support: How can we better support war tax resisters around the country? Strategy Committee highlighted this issue as an important one for our “retooling” theme.

2:45 p.m. Break

3:00–4:00 p.m. Concurrent Workshops

  1. Fine Tuning Your Actions — Led by Jason Rawn, Maine permacultureist and war tax resister. This session is aimed at helping tax resisters choose tactics and strategies that are in line with their reasons for resisting and desire to promote this form of resistance, this workshop is based on worksheets in the soon-to-be-released book by California writer David Gross, 99 Tactics of Successful Tax Resistance Campaigns.
  2. Aging and War Tax Resistance — Led by Daniel Sicken, longtime war tax resister from Vermont. Aging has special challenges for indivdiuals who have chosen a path that may have involved living on low income and not being able to qualify for Social Security and Medicare or the new health care.

4:15–5:15 p.m. How to Promote and Support NWTRCC on Social Media — Erica Weiland, NWTRCC’s Social Media Consultant

We’ll take a quick look at each of NWTRCC’s social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, blog, etc.). Then we’ll go over how you can support NWTRCC and grow the war tax resistance movement using your own social media accounts.

5:30 p.m. Clean up. Pizza and more discussion at Ed and Ruth’s (and home of NWTRCC) in Brooklyn (or on your own)

Sunday, Nov. 3 (Sixth Street Community Center)

8:00 a.m. Breakfast

9:00 a.m. NWTRCC Business meeting, including strategy committee update, decisions on proposals, consultant review, budget and finance decisions, new objectives, etc. All welcome!

Noon Lunch and good-byes.

Optional: If committees or groups would like to meet in the afternoon, we will hold these meetings at the War Resisters League offices, 339 Lafayette Street @ Bleecker

Registration Form and Info page