Request for Workshop Proposals
Carceral punishment remains a driving force in US society, with devastating consequences for families and communities, in particular Black, Brown, Indigenous, queer, trans, and poor folks. While movements for justice have made some progress in challenging punishment policy, practice, and culture, this has been much more difficult when it comes to issues of interpersonal and community violence. This year’s conference Justice Beyond Punishment, will explore the struggles to challenge carceral punishment while highlighting and advancing non-punitive approaches to interpersonal and community violence that offer us ways out of the punishment paradigm. Changing how we respond to interpersonal and community violence includes challenging and ending the violence of the state while building up community-based and community-specific approaches. It requires reckoning with the historic and current harms of carceral systems, and how the racialized punishment of the carceral state has done more to cause violence than prevent it. It means learning from and with impacted communities including Indigenous, Black, Brown, queer, trans, and poor folks, and building a movement rooted in solidarity, self-determination, and dignity for all peoples.
This year’s conference hopes to strengthen our collective work to challenge carceral punishment and strengthen community-based approaches to violence through focusing on the following questions:
Beyond the Bars 2024 will feature a collection of 75 minute workshops aimed at growing our collective capacity to challenge and dismantle state violence, and to develop and advance non-punitive and community-based approaches to interpersonal and community violence. These workshops should be designed to facilitate learning about issues related to the conference theme, to develop and share practical skills, and to to engage people in organizing and advocacy efforts related to ending violence. It is our intention that the workshops offer a chance for attendees to grow their skills, their community, and their opportunities to engage in the work of justice. We are particularly interested in workshops and trainings that support people in growing their knowledge and skills around concrete non-punitive approaches to interpersonal violence, and in learning about effective campaigns and strategies to end the violence of the state.
In your proposal, please emphasize tangible takeaways for participants and the ways you will facilitate this through active participation and/or gaining a deeper understanding of an issue. Priority will be given to workshops that directly engage with the theme of the conference.
Accepted proposals will be interactive and bridge the gap from analysis to action. We are especially excited about workshops and or trainings that provide the opportunities and/or resources for continued involvement after the conference weekend—either through one’s individual actions or through involvement with a group.
All workshops will be 75-minute blocks and take place on either Saturday April 6th or Sunday, April 7th, 2024 at Columbia University School of Social Work. Because of the number of workshops, we are not able to accommodate requests for day and time preferences.
To submit a proposal, https://forms.gle/hVyePhJQ8ytWkNAx7 by Friday, February 2nd, 2024 at 11:59PM EST.
Direct link to complete form: https://forms.gle/hVyePhJQ8ytWkNAx7
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or comments at: btbnycworkshops@gmail.com
This year’s Beyond the Bars conference hopes to strengthen our collective work to challenge carceral punishment and strengthen community-based approaches to violence.
Register To AttendMore Info