1959 Highlander Way · New Market, TN 37820 · phone: (865) 933-3443 · fax: (865) 933-3424
e-mail: hrec@highlandercenter.org

Highlander Workshops
at the US Social Forum

• Why Don't They Play by the Rules - The Story Behind Immigration
• Hanging In There: Intergenerational Organizing
• Building an Immigrant Rights Movement in the South
• Unearthing Seeds of Fire: 75 Years of Social Change through the Story of the Highlander Center

Join Highlander staff and Board members at the US Social Forum, June 27-July 1, in Atlanta, GA, where they will be facilitating four workshops Highlander's work and history.

Why Don't They Play by the Rules - The Story Behind Immigration
June 28, 2007 - 1:00pm
International E; Westin Peachtree Plaza

This is a popular education workshop for non-immigrants, to learn more about the difficulties that immigrants face in the U.S. We will cover several areas:

• The "push" factors that make people have to move, particularly including the role of the U.S. and its policies, along with global institutions and how that affects people economically
• how immigration policy is racialized, to discourage peopel of color from coming to the U.S. and receiving any legal status
• The difficulties of achieving legal status as an immigrant
• How immigration is one of the wedges used to divide people and communities
• Follow-up conversation about how are people working as allies and in alliance with immigrants

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Hanging In There: Intergenerational Organizing
June 30, 2007 - 10:30am
Atlanta Ballroom D; Westin Peachtree Plaza

Ever wanted to run screaming because of wack dynamics between people of different generations doing movement work? Ever felt like ageism is eating up our greatest potential?

Let's get together and strategize how to build sustainable, healthy intergenerational partnerships to strengthen our organizations and our movement. We'll play with intergenerational tensions and how we talk them out on our staff, our boards, our membership, and throughout the work we do. This workshop is popular education style, with games, theater, discussion and laughter- so bring your experience, your body, & your thoughts.

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Building an Immigrant Rights Movement in the South
June 30, 2007 - 1:00pm
Atlanta Ballroom D; Westin Peachtree Plaza

This session will provide a space for immigrant and refugee organizers based in the South to share stories about their experiences organizing in their communities, identify the specific challenges and opportunities in organizing immigrant and refugee communities in the region, and discuss strategies for building a grassroots immigrant and refugee rights movement in the South that is tied to the global movement to justice, that is based on the principles of human rights, economic and social justice and that is informed by an analysis of the intersections of oppressions and is committed to dismantling them.

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Unearthing Seeds of Fire: 75 Years of Social Change through the Story of the Highlander Center
June 30, 2007 - 3:30pm
Atlanta Ballroom D; Westin Peachtree Plaza

The Highlander Center in east Tennessee celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Highlander began in 1932 during the depression in one of the poorest counties in the country, and its history is also the history of social justice organizing in the South and Appalachia, including labor organizing in the 1930s and 40s, Civil Rights in the 50s and 60s, environmental justice in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and immigrant rights today.

Founded on the simple but radical premise that those most directly affected by social and economic problems should take the lead in addressing these problems, Highlander was red-baited and shut down by the state of Tennessee during the Civil Rights movement. But it persevered to become a world-renowned organizing and leadership development center for grassroots activists, particularly young activists and activists of color.

This workshop will explore how the lessons and continued work of this 75-year-old organization give us practical knowledge, hope and inspiration for the challenging work we all face today. Workshop includes stories, film clips, photos, timeline and discussion.

With Helen Lewis, former Highlander staff and founder of Appalachian Studies; Hollis Watkins, Highlander board member emeritus and a founder of Southern Echo; Pam McMichael, Director; and members of Highlander's intergenerational, multi-cultural staff and board.

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