Building a Student Climate Movement

Letter from Frontlines ....
1
Transportation, Internet, and Ground Rules 2
Contact Information 3
About the Convergence ..... 4
Our Organizing Principles .... 6
Map of Buildings and Spaces ...... 7
Convergence Schedule ...... 8
Training Descriptions/Location .. 10
Environmental Justice Day of Action ... 15
Storytellers Team ... 16
Mentorship Track ... 17
The Divestment Student Network .. 18
Thank Yous ......... 19
TABLE OF CONTENTS
www.studentsdivest.org fb.com/divestfossilfuels twitter.com/studentsdivest
February 2013
Dear Students,

We write to you from the front lines. Some of our communities have been fighting the fossil fuel empire
for generations. Others have only recently joined this struggle. We send our support and gratitude for
leading this fossil fuel divestment campaign. This is a mighty cause you are joining: challenging some of
the biggest threats humans have ever seen and committing to what must become a global movement.

We support your mission to hold your universities accountable. Institutions of learning must challenge
systems that endanger the future of younger generations. We believe that colleges and universities
divesting from fossil fuels and reinvesting in clean energy will deliver a powerful political message. And
yet, weas frontline and indigenous leadersencourage you to dig deeper. We encourage you to
understand your campaigns as part of a much longer struggle, one that has been going on for
generations, for justice and health, and the environment.

The corporations you are targeting have pushed our people up against the edge of survival. We live in
the land coal companies have stolen and destroyed. We live in the land the oil, fracking, and uranium
industries have poisoned. As the climate crisis worsens, it is frontline and indigenous communities who
are hit hardest. When you demand that your colleges cut financial ties to ExxonMobil or Peabody Coals
latest projects to pillage the earth it s our land and communities youre acting in solidarity with. Our
work is deeply tied together.

Please join us. From the indigenous peoples, to the coal fields, fracking wells, refineries, and
communities facing all manners of extreme energy production. Fight the fossil fuel industry on campus,
but not only on campus. Join us in our communities and our fights and bind your struggle to ours.

We welcome you to this movement with open arms. Together we can defeat the dirty energy industry
and build a healthy, sustainable, and just world.

In solidarity,

Robert J Thompson, REDOIL (Kaktovik, AK)
Kirby Spangler, Castle Mountain Coalition (Palmer, AK)
Veronica Coptis, Center for Coalfield Justice (Greene County, PA)
Janene Yazzie, Sixth World Solutions
Chief Gary Harrison, Chickaloon Tribe Alaska
Dustin White, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (Southern West Virginia)
Iris Marie Bloom, Protecting Our Waters (Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Region)
Blas Espinosa, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (Houston, TX)
Victoria Corona, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (Houston, TX)
Liana Lopez, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (Houston, TX)
Theresa Dardar, Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (Louisiana)
Meagan Dochuk, 1st Nations Aamjiwnaang
Ron Plain, 1st Nations Aamjiwnaang
Elandria Williams, Highlander Center (Knoxville, TN)
This letter first appeared in the program for last years PowerUp! Divest Fossil Fuels Convergence at Swarthmore College.
Fossil Fuel Divestment Convergence 2014 1
TRANSPORTATION
In order to create a productive and safe space for learning and building together, please follow
the community norms we will set together on the first night of the convergence. Your participation is
dependent on your adherence to the following conditions. Note: Hate speech, sexual harassment or
sexual assault will not be tolerated.

Ground Rules for University Property:

The University of San Francisco (SFSU) has been cooperative in letting us use their space for programming.
Please treat the facilities, students, and staff with respect and follow the ground rules outlined below:

Vandalism and theft will not be tolerated.
Please refrain from the use of drugs on campus.
Please do not drink alcohol on campus unless within the areas in which it is allowed (The Pub, The Depot,
and the Gallery).
SFSU is a smoke free campus, so please do not smoke on campus ($50 fine) except in the official
Designated Smoking Areas (DSAs) or the unofficial DSA on Holloway Ave between the Library and the
Creative Arts Building.
Do not ride a bicycle, scooter (motorized or not), or skateboard of any kind on the grounds of the SFSU
campus at any time, except on a designated bike path.
Only bike racks provided by the campus and designed to secure bicycles/scooters should be used to
secure bicycles/scooters.
GROUND RULES FOR SPACES
Open a new window or tab and you will be redirected to the SFSU internet log in page. Log in with:

SF State ID: fossil@sfsuguest
SF State Password: c0nvergence
INTERNET ACCESS
The MUNI bus system is a complex system that covers most of San Francisco and stretches across most districts.
Buses run through the day and part of the evening at varying rates, and do include the OWL night service. The cost
to ride the bus/lightrail is $2.00 and the transfers are given with a minimum of 90 minutes. Hold on to your transfer
at all times and make sure it isnt expired when riding the bus, as fare checking is common ($100+ fine). If stopped
by MUNI police for a fare check on the bus or lightrail, please be polite and respectful when showing them your
proof of payment.

Buses near SFSU: The 29-Sunset, The 28-19th Avenue, The 17-Park Merced Loop, and The 18-46th Avenue.
Light rail near SFSU: The M-Ocean View (campus to downtown), K-Ingleside, N-Judah and L-Taraval.

BART: The Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) connects different cities in the Bay Area via light rail. You can
easily get from SF to East Bay or further south down the peninsula by taking BART.

Use resources such as Google Maps or Nextmuni.com to check traffic info and MUNI system times.
In the event of a
medical emergency,
contact any of
the following:
Name Phone Email Team / Affiliation
Marli Diestel (530) 228-5042 mdiest12@gmail.com Co-Coordinator,
Logistics/SFSU
Becca Rast (717) 519-9140 becca@350.org Co-Coordinator,
Logistics/350.org
Jason Schwartz (415) 933-4664 j44son@gmail.com Logistics Coordinator/SFSU
Emily Beaulac (714) 673-0357 emilybeaulac@yahoo.com Logistics/SFSU
Janelle Bowerman (650) 773-9643 jbowerman91@gmail.com Registration/SFSU
Emily Williams (408) 318-4356 emily@sustainabilitycoalition.org Travel Logistics/CSSC
Katie Hoffman (310) 528-2621 katie@sustainabilitycoalition.org Travel Logistics/CSSC
Sara Blazevic (646) 249-9545 sara.blazevic@gmail.com Programming/Swarthmore
Zein Nakhoda (214) 686-9158 zein.nakhoda@gmail.com Listening Team/Maypop
For transportation emergencies (e.g. if you are about to miss a plane), please call :
Katie Hoffman (310)-528-2621 or Shoshanna Howard (303)-968-8710.

If you did not receive a travel scholarship but are in need of a retroactive scholarship,
please contact Emily Williams at emily@sustainabilitycoalition.org.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Convergence core organizing team:
SFSU Campus Safety (24-hour): (415) 338-7200
San Francisco Women Against Rape Hotline (24-hour): (415) 647-7273
This gathering, the second Fossil Fuel Divestment Convergence, brings together young organizers
from across the country to build a thriving student movement for climate justice.

Over the last two years, students on hundreds of campuses have launched fossil fuel divestment campaigns. Were
demanding that our endowments no longer be invested in environmental and human devastation. Were building our
skills, contesting for power, and strengthening ties with other movements. We also know that divestment is one tactic
in the broader movement for climate justice so while we fight the fossil fuel industry with one tactic, we will nurture
relationships with those fighting the same forces in other ways in their own communities.

Our Political Moment
The divestment movement is in a pivotal stage. Some of us have been running our campaigns for a year
or more, some of us just started our campaigns. Some of us have been told No by our administrations, others have
achieved divestment, and others still are being stalled in endless administrative bureaucracy.

Many of us at the Convergence are new to this work, bringing energy, excitement, and new ideas. Others of us are
starting to feel the grind. Were learning that organizing takes time and requires commitment through disappointment
and roadblocks. We have learned lessons about effective organizing and messaging, how to engage with
administrators, and how to escalate.

Meanwhile, the divestment movement is finding its role in the larger climate justice movement. As students fight for
fossil fuel divestment on campus, there are people fighting on the frontlines who experience direct impacts of
environmental destruction. These people are fighting for clean air, clean water, fair wages, jobs that dont make them
sick, land sovereignty, and more. They are fighting in the face of oil spills, deportations, strip mines, mass
incarceration, and refineries.

As we organize, we are constantly negotiating these narratives, relationships, and strategies. We can
organize powerfully if we Dig Deep, Link Up, and Take Action. These three threads weave through the
fabric of the convergence and through the organizing we do to make our movement stronger.
ABOUT THE CONVERGENCE
Dig Deep
Organizing is long, slow, often thankless work. We must dig deep within ourselves and our communities to
develop skills and support one another through hardship. We must dig deep into the history of colonialism,
white supremacy, and capitalism, as well as histories of past social movements. This helps us develop our
visions of transformative change. We must dig deep with one another and truly invest in each others
political development and leadership. We will not achieve climate justice tomorrow, so lets build the
relationships that will last through this fight and grow our movement!

Link Up
As we dig deep into our campus work, we can magnify our power by linking up with other campuses. This
allows to share knowledge and to seek support from other students doing this work. At the same time, we
must link up with frontline communities and others fighting for justice. We have so much to learn from
communities who have been fighting the fossil fuel industry for decades. We have the opportunity to
create a national narrative together that communicates the power of students, and the power of those
fighting for justice in their own communities.
These three threads are always moving and interacting with each other. As we plan that next mass action,
we need to be bringing new people into the movement. As we negotiate with our administrations, we need
to be learning lessons from communities who are most impacted. As we plan an action on our campus,
lets reach out to other campuses who have escalated to learn what worked and what didnt. As these
threads intertwine, our movement can become more dynamic and powerful.

Take Action
As we build relationships and deepen our skills, lets take collective action! Lets escalate our campaigns
strategically to win on divestment. Lets take action with frontline organizers who call for ally support. Lets
put our understandings of oppression, power, and strategy into practice in our organizing work.
Convergence Goals
Strategy and Escalation
While we have seen some phenomenal successes in the divestment campaign over the past year, it is
also clear that we need to start escalating and putting pressure on our administrations and boards.
Escalating strategically is a carefully cultivated skill that can be honed through workshops, mentorship,
and sharing stories. The convergence will be a space for students to do just that. Campuses that have
taken escalated action will share their successes and their lessons learned, students will learn about
creative direct actions that will put pressure on their boards and win on-campus support, and each
campus will be connected long-term with other campuses who are looking to escalate.

Reinvestment and the Just Transition
In order for us to truly confront the climate crisis, we need to not only confront the fossil fuel industry, but
also create community-owned alternatives to a fossil fuel-based economy. At this years convergence, we
will be connecting students with community organizers who are not only fighting the fossil fuel industry in
their backyards, but also working to transition to a local, sustainable, and just economy that empowers
and employs members of their community. Students will have the opportunity to learn by volunteering with
these groups, learning about social justice as it relates to the environment, and in some cases, by pushing
for community reinvestment in local renewable projects. Not only does this sort of collaboration support
essential transition work, but also connects students with work that has longevity and is grounded in long-
term community-building.

Mentorship and Training: Preparing Students for the Long Haul
The convergence provides the infrastructure for peer-to-peer mentorship within the divestment campaign.
Students can learn from each others stories and skills in building power on campus, working with
university administrations, collaborating with local grassroots organizations, and escalating to win on
divestment. Not only will this lead to a longer-lasting divestment campaign, but it will also train leaders
who will continue to organize after graduating.
Importance of Student Power:
We are grateful for the institutional and organizational support from NGOs and prominent activists, but affirm that
the Fossil Fuel Divestment Convergence is a space created for students by students.
We must build student power in ways that strengthen a national coalition of organizations capable of continuing
struggles for social justice beyond divestment victory. We aim to do this by developing organizational power and
leadership on campuses first and foremost.

Collective Liberation Framework:
As we build a mass movement to fight the oppression of the fossil fuel industry, we must also confront forms of
oppression and hierarchy within our organizations. We must look at how we conduct meetings, organize events,
and communicate with one another and ask the questions: Who is present? Who is absent? How are hierarchical
and oppressive behaviors operating and how can we overcome them?
We must recognize that oppression operates simultaneously on personal, interpersonal, institutional, cultural, and
systemic levels in ways that interlock and reinforce one another. Developing skills to confront oppression at every
level makes our organizations powerful, resilient, and more affirming of diversity.
We must work together to create a space that is accessible to all interested students, including those who identity
as differently-abled, working class, poor, gender non-conforming/variant, queer, and students of color.
We aim to make room for voices that have felt silenced or oppressed in other venues.
We aim to create structures of accountability for everyone attending FFDC. This means we must be accountable
for our words and actions. While embracing and engaging with many emotions and reactions including anger
and sorrow we must aim to hold respect for each other and our shared work.

Environmental/Economic Justice Framework:
Environmental Justice challenges the ways in which the unequal distribution of resources and the ramifications of
climate change disproportionately harm communities on the frontlines of extraction, burning, and climate change,
especially low-income and communities of color.

We must recognize that divestment is only one tool in the toolbox and that it is a form of solidarity organizing a
way to act in alliance with frontline organizations. We must to strive to be active allies by building relationships
with frontline communities, amplifying their stories, and joining them in their struggles.
We must recognize the ways different social movements intersect. Instead of seeing different issues in
competition, we should look for opportunities for synergy and solidarity.
We should recognize and work with the many other movements that are also wielding the power of our
universities to act in solidarity with communities outside of our institutions.
We understand reinvestment as a mechanism for driving positive change and as a principle of the divestment
movement that promotes the advancement of a socially-just sustainable energy economy. We see it as a crucial
follow-up to divestment that can provide schools, cities, and other institutions with a mechanism to combat
localized problems. Through reinvestment, institutions can work to alleviate issues specific to their surrounding
communities and to those most immediately affected by the fossil fuel industry.

Personal Growth/Empowerment and National Movement-Building:
This student convergence should be empowering on an individual level. Our collective strength is built upon the
energy, skills, and wellbeing of our organizers. Each participant is encouraged to speak up, share from their
experience, and take the full opportunity to grow as an organizer in ways that are creative, energizing, and fun.
Additionally, we hope that student participants will take their time at the convergence to think critically about the
growing national divestment movement and the ways in which we can support and encourage each other when we
return home.
OUR ORGANIZING PRINCIPLES
Church Locations:

Lakeside Presbyterian Church
201 Eucalyptus Dr, San Francisco

Contact person:
Anna Vinogradova
(408)-888-6506

Temple Baptist Church
3355 19th Ave, San Francisco

Contact person:
Katie Hoogman
(916)-213-3505
BUILDINGS AND SPACES
For any general questions regarding housing,
contact Jason Schwartz: (415)-933-4664.
All buildings have ramps and are handicapped-accessible. Please reach out to any of the Convergence
organizers with questions about accessibility (contact information can be found on page 3).
SFSU Campus:
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, APRIL 4
TH

3:00 PM Registration Opens
Temple Baptist Chruch, 3355 19th Ave.
5:30 PM 6:30 PM Opening Session
Annex

6:45 PM 7:30 PM Dinner
On your own tonight
/
8:00 PM 9:30 PM Welcoming Plenary
Featuring Melvin Willis, Tim DeChristopher, and SFSU students
Annex

10:00 PM 11:00 PM Open Time/Autonomous Space
Annex
SATURDAY, APRIL 5
TH

7:00 AM 7:50 AM Breakfast
Churches

8:30 AM 10:00 AM Welcome Session
Annex
BLOCK 1: Environmental Justice and Solidarity Organizing
Workshop descriptions and locations begin on page 10.
10:30 AM 11:40 AM Session 1

11:45 AM 12:55 PM Session 2

1:00 PM 2:00 PM Lunch
Annex
BLOCK 2: Building Our Organizing Strength
Workshop descriptions and locations begin on page 12.
2:15 PM 3:25 PM Session 1

3:30 PM 4:40 PM Session 2

BLOCK 3: Narrative Power Training
4:55 PM 6:55 PM All-Convergence Training
With the Center for Story-Based Strategy. Description on pg. 14.
Annex
7:00 PM 7:50 PM Dinner
Annex

8:00 PM 9:30 PM Reinvestment and Resiliency:
Working Towards a Just Transition
Wahleah Johns, Black Mesa Water Coalition
Gopal Dayaneni, Movement Generation
Nile Malloy, Communities for a Better Environment
Annex

10:00 PM 11:00 PM Open Time/Autonomous Space
Annex
SUNDAY, APRIL 6
TH

8:15 AM 9:00 AM Breakfast
BLOCK 4: Next Steps for the Divestment Movement
All sections of Block 4 will take place in the Annex

7:00 AM 7:50 AM Opening Space

8:45 AM 10:15 AM Affinity Group Break-Outs
We will be dividing into 8 campaign affinity groups to network and
strategize. Details and AG descriptions on page 14.
10:30 AM 12:30 PM Next Steps: Spring, Summer, and Fall 2014
With the Divestment Student Network and others!

12:30 PM 1:00 PM Closing

1:00 PM 2:00 PM Lunch
Annex

2:00 PM 6:00 PM Toxic Tours, Door-Knocking, and Bonding!
See page 15 for details.
Meet in Annex
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Climate and Economic Justice through the
Lens of Coal
Wahleah J ohns (Black Mesa Water Coalition), Paul
Corbit Brown (Keeper of the Mountains), and
Freddy Lozano (Colombian National Union of
Workers in the Coal Industry) In this panel, three
speakers from extraction communities will be sharing their
experiences and understandings of the intersections between
climate and economic justice. With a specific focus on the
coal industry, panelists will share both their on-the-ground
experience and their hopes for future strength and resistance
to the injustice in their communities.
Session 1 | HUM 115

Grassroots Organizing Against Dirty
Energy in the Bay Area
Melvin Willis (Richmond, CA), Lyana Monterrey
(Pittsburg Defense Committee), and Tracy Zhu
(Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaborative) Historically, the
San Francisco Bay Area has had a complex relationship with
dirty energy companies from refineries to export terminals, to
serious diesel emissions from the trucking industry, much of
the Bay Area has been defined by these corporations for
decades. But this has been matched by powerful community
organizing that has prevented some of the worst facilities from
being built and created important standards for the rest of the
country. Join us in this panel to hear from Bay Area community
organizers against resisting dirty energy in the Bay Area.
Session 1 | HUM 109

Divestment as a Solidarity Tactic
Nesbit Crutchfield, Saliem Shehadeh (UC Davis,
Students for J ustice in Palestine), Rachel
Feldman (UC Davis, J ewish Voices for Peace),
J ake Soiffer (Fossil Free UC), and Marcel J ones
(UC Prison Divestment) Across various campaigns,
divestment is used as a tactic to stand in solidarity with those
on the front lines of injustice. It leverages resources that
incorporate an institutional advantage into the struggle for
justice--an advantage to which those on the front lines don't
always have access. Hear how, through on- and off-campus
campaigns, divestment organizers against fossil fuels, the
prison-industrial complex, the occupation of Palestine, and
South African apartheid have stood in solidarity with those who
are directly affected by each issue, and how they've developed
an intersectional analysis to stand in solidarity with each other
to facilitate a move away from broader cultural and economic
paradigms of exploitation and exclusion.
Session 1 | HUM 108

Building an Anti-Fracking Movement in
California
J ennifer Krill (Earthworks), Linda Capato
(350.org), and Wes Adrianson (Students Against
Fracking)This panel will focus on the intersection of
environmental justice and ongoing grassroots organizing to
resist the proliferation of hydraulic fracturing. Featuring local
students, community organizers and national grassroots
campaigners, the panel will explore the social and economic
impacts of fracking in key regions, and how the struggles
communities are currently facing relate to the growing youth
movement for fossil fuel divestment. Panelists will reflect on
the areas in which the fossil fuel divestment campaign can
work in coalition with communities disproportionately impacted
by the natural gas industry and on the growing Americans
Against Fracking Coalition.
Session 2 | HUM 108

Economic Resiliency in the Coalfields and
Shalefields
Deirdre Lally (Shalefield Organizing Committee),
Paul Corbit Brown (Keeper of the Mountains),
Christine Muehlman Gyovai (UVA Institute for
Environmental Negotiation) A movement that only
names what it's against isn't going to win, either on the divest-
ment front or on the frontlines of extraction. Just as important
as knowing what were against is knowing what were for. If
were working to dismantle the fossil fuel economy, what can
BLOCK 1: Environmental Justice and Solidarity Organizing
This block will feature a selection of workshops and panels. Workshops will run twice, during session 1 and
session 2. Panels will be offered either in session 1 or session 2.
we construct in its place? This panel will feature community
organizers from the frontlines of fracking and mountaintop
removal who are tackling these very questions. We will hear
from them about their visions for a future that isn't dependent
on the extraction economy, and how they're working to realize
those visions in their communities.
Session 2 | HUM 115

International Fossil Fuel Divestment
Theo LeQuesne (UK), Flick Monk (UK), Olivia
Linander (Sweden), Charlie Woods (Australia),
and Stephen Thomas (Canada) Fossil Free is now
an international campaign that has reinvigorated the global
climate justice movement. In this panel, we will hear from
international divestment organizers from three continents
about their successes, struggles, and experiences organizing
in their home countries and on an international level.
Session 2 | HUM 109

Working Towards Transnational Climate
Solidarity
Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee Bay area
area activists Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee spent a
year traveling around the world aviation-free to interview
climate activists in a dozen countries so they could share their
stories back home. Learn about their experiment in staying
grounded, critical lessons from climate justice movements
from Bangladesh to the UK, and the #1 message that many
global activists have for their allies in the US.
Both sessions | HUM 113

What the Climate Movement Can Learn
from Queer and Trans* Organizing
Lauren Wood (Peaceful Uprising) We recognize
the climate crisis affects us all and is perpetuated by long-
standing colonizing forces that inform many of the ways we
move through the world. Because of this crisis, our society is
having to ask itself some of the hardest questions in how we
treat one another and move towards a more just future in the
face of climate chaos. It is no surprise that the most lucid
voices in this growing climate justice movement are those of
the most impacted and marginalized communities that are
pushing the hardest for substantive change. To truly win, we
must take leadership from the communities who have already
been fighting these same oppressive forces for generations.
This workshop will take a critical look at how the very nature of
queer bodies in this world gives the LGBTQ community a
crucial perspective on how to create bold new ways of
interacting in this world without a road-map to follow. Come
join this conversation about systemic oppression, decolonizing
our gendered minds and the invaluable work of subverting
patriarchy in our fight for a livable future.

Building Local Labor Support for Your
Divestment Campaign
Brooke Anderson (Movement Generation, 350.org)
Do you want to approach local labor unions to support your
divestment campaign, but either don't know where to start or
have already hit obstacles? This multi-media, interactive
workshop and discussion will address the challenges and best
practices for building alliances with unions to advance fossil
fuel divestment campaigns, including: understanding labor's
self-interests, structure and local political landscape; identify-
ing which unions to approach and through which elected
officers and staff; building a strong relationship based on
mutual solidarity; making the ask; and navigating political
obstacles. We'll look at a few case studies of successful labor-
climate alliances, dissect specific challenges you're facing in
your campaign, and send you home with useful tools and
resources.

Climate Justice: Decolonizing Lands,
Minds, and Institutions
Henia Belalia (Peaceful Uprising) To tackle the
root (read: radical) causes of the climate crisis, we must first
acknowledge that environmental degradation exacerbates
existing economic, racial and social injustices an intercon-
nectedness that should define our analysis and actions. To
truly win, land and justice defenders must recognize over-
lapping systems of oppression within this capitalist structure
and take strategic cues from the communities most impacted
by colonization, militarism and poverty. That means building
movements across issues and beyond divides based on race,
class and gender, while elevating the voices that have been
historically marginalized: indigenous peoples, communities of
color, women, LGBTQ people, and the low-income population.
To do so will take a profound decolonization of minds and
professional institutions. This workshop will root its analysis
and conversations on intersectionality, practices of solidarity,
and centering voices within the climate justice movement that
have been historically silenced and marginalized. Come
participate, share and co-create this dialogue.

Strengthening Administrator Engagement
J ohn Avalos (SF Board of Supervisors), Robert
Nava (SFSU Foundation), J ohn Gurnas (SFSU
Foundation), and Phil King (SFSU Foundation)
Who on your university has the power to actually commit to
divesting? For SFSU, that is the University Foundation. This
panel will feature three members of the Foundation who
supported the vote for pursuing divestment. The panel will also
feature San Francisco District Supervisor John Avalos, who
sponsored the movement for divestment of San Francisco City
and spoke at Fossil Free SFSUs Day of Action at SF City Hall
in 2013. Learn how to rally the support of your own university
and city administration to leverage your endowment!
Offered session 1 ONLY | HUM 217

Strengthening Faculty Engagement
Cynthia Kaufman (De Anza Community College),
Glenn Fieldman (SFSU), and Carlos Davidson
(SFSU) Organizing the support of faculty was instrumental
in Fossil Free SFSUs campaign. This panel will feature faculty
from SFSU and from De Anza Community College, the first
community college to commit to divest. Come learn how to
rally the support of your university faculty!
Offered session 2 ONLY | HUM 217

Reinvestment and Community Organizing
Lauren Ressler (Responsible Endowments
Coalition) and Amelia Timbers (As You Sow)
What kind of world do we envision for the future? In this work-
shop we are going to build tools and knowledge for incorpor-
ating a demand for reinvestment into a divestment campaign.
Reinvestment means investing in our communities and in
businesses committed to creating just and equitable solutions
in areas like energy, manufacturing, and technology. We are
going to be talking about both highly-scalable existing financial
mechanisms and community-led investment.
HUM 121

Alumni Organizing
Emily Williams (California Student Sustainability
Coalition) Alumni of your university can be your greatest
allies. They are the ones who donate to the endowment, so
they are the ones who hold the financial keys. They also have
experience with the university and sometimes may know your
administrators. This workshop, featuring students and alumni
from both the University of California and Swarthmore College,
will focus on how to identify ally alumni organizers, how to
work with them, and what strategies to employ to reach your
goals of divestment on campus. Ready, set, grow!
HUM 207

Weaving the Fabric of the Next
Economy Now
Gopal Dayaneni (Movement Generation) To avoid
the real risks of ecological erosion and to return to right
relationship with each other and home, we must invest in the
next economy now to ensure that it serves the interest of our
communities. Thankfully, as the dominant economy under-
mines the very basis of life and its own existence, social
movements are creating a just transition away from this dead-
end proposition and towards economies based on the
restoration of land, labor and life. As we oppose and expose
the forces that are driving climate change, we must also lead
with vision and invest in what we know we need: an economy
which is decentralized, democratized, and diversified, one in
which resource consumption is reduced and wealth is redistri-
buted. Join this workshop to learn about the framework for just
transition developed by the Climate Justice Alliance and the
Our Power Campaign, with a particular emphasis aligning key
strategies, including divest/invest.
HUM 108

Social Media for the Grassroots
Alysse Heartwell (350.org) Using online platforms to
tell your campaign's story, get the word out, and grow your
impact. We'll talk about how to think about social media, the
basic mechanics of Facebook and Twitter, tactics and best
practices for each platform, how to make a good meme, why
not to over-think your hashtags, and more. There will be time
for questions and discussion, so be ready to workshop your
campaign's challenges & share your successes!
HUM 126

Strategy for Creative Campus Escalation
Todd Zimmer (Rainforest Action Coalition)
Is your campus campaign hitting a wall? It might be time to
escalate! As campaigners, we must continually increase the
pressure until our demands are met, but knowing when and
BLOCK 2: Building Our Organizing Strength
how to escalate can be difficult and scary. Come for an inter-
active discussion of when, how, and why to escalate campus
campaigns. Well talk about the potential risks and benefits of
turning up the heat on campus, examine case studies, and
idea-storm tactics and strategies for escalation on campus.
HUM 115

Building a Strong Team
Hannah J ones (REC, Maypop Collective) and
J onny Behrens (University of Chicago) For our
campaigns to have longevity and our movement to grow, we
have to build strong organizing teams. This means creating
groups whose members are committed to deepening each
others skills, supporting each other through hard times,
training new leaders, and seeing campaigns through to a win.
This interactive workshop will help you learn how to build an
organizing team with lasting power, that can be resilient
through the inevitable pitfalls and challenges of running a
divestment campaign, and that can continue to support each
other in the movement even after graduation,
HUM 212

Facilitation for Strategy Retreats
J enny Marineau (350.org) and Alli Welton
(Harvard University) Great organizing starts with great
strategizing. In our commitment to rise to the scale of the
climate crisis, occasionally we need to pause to make sure our
work is moving us closer to our goals, and perhaps to
determine whether our goals are true to what needs to be
done. Strategy retreats are one way to take these questions
head-on. This workshop will give you tools for participatory
decision-making to break up and organize long meetings, and
encouragement to deeply consider your vision before digging
into strategy.
HUM 109

Making Our Voices Heard: Using the Media
as a Megaphone
Whit J ones (Energy Action Coalition) A critical
part of any campaign is getting into the media so that more
people can learn about your campaign and your target can feel
the heat in the public eye. In this participatory workshop, we'll
run through the fundamentals of getting media, share best
practices from divestment campaigns across the country, and
actually get to work prepping media materials for our
campaigns and the convergence!
HUM 127

Creative Recruitment
Erin Smith (University of Denver) and YJ Cho
(350.org) If we aren't recruiting, then we're shrinking. That
means outreach should always be a priority, which is
awesome because recruitment can be one of the most fun
aspect of running your campaign. We'll discuss reasons
students get involved and think through some creative ways
we can share our story, build power, and be the most badass
group on campus. Ready, set, grow!
HUM 202

Negotiating with Power
J ess Grady-Benson (Pitzer College) and J ay
Carmona (350.org) Come learn how to make the most
of meetings with decision-makers by collecting information,
demonstrating power, and winning victories. Well brainstorm
how to refute common arguments from decision-makers to
stay afloat in negotiation. Well also practice prepping for
meetings and strategizing within larger campaign goals. Join
us to collectively share knowledge about sticky situations in
negotiation, and what works and what doesn't.
HUM 111

Practices for Building Strong Coalitions
Patty OKeefe (350 MN) and Maria Langholz
(Macalester College) To address climate change at
the appropriate, scale we need to develop relationships with
others to present a stronger, more unified voice. For this
reason, building coalitions is a central part of our work as
campus organizers. But how do we build coalitions that are not
transactional, but relational? How do we go about developing
those relationships? These are the kinds of questions we'll
explore in this session. We'll also think through pros and cons
of coalition work, as well as discussing types and principles of
coalition building. Please come ready to share experiences
and best practices!.
HUM 111

Self-Care and Staying Grounded
J oshua Gorman and Mary Shindler (Generation
Waking Up) How does your group work to cultivate a
group culture of self-care? We will discuss methods for staying
grounded in the face of ecological crisis, preventing burnout,
fostering a supportive group culture, and supporting organizers
for the long haul.
HUM 113
Winning the Battle of the Story for Climate Justice, with Christine Cordero
The power of stories shapes our understanding of the world around us but when it comes to climate, all
too often these stories come from politicians and industry and ignore negative impacts to communities,
environmental destruction, and threat to future generations. Understanding how to win the "Battle of the
Story" for public opinion is critical to all of our efforts as organizers, advocates and communicators to
make positive change. The Center for Story-Based Strategy (www.storybasedstrategy.org) will cover the
fundamentals of communications strategy: framing and narrative power analysis, with an eye to breaking
down and challenging the dominant assumptions about the student divestment fight.
BLOCK 3: Narrative Power Analysis Training
In this block, we will come together for an all-convergence training from the Center for Story-Based Strategy.

BLOCK 4: Next Steps for the Divestment Movement
For part of this block, we will be dividing into affinity groups to network and strategize, with the goal of
laying foundations for long-lasting networked relationships between campaigns and organizers. To make
sure these breakouts are truly spaces for cross-campus strategizing, we encourage school groups to split
up and attend different sessions and to start thinking early in the weekend about which affinity group
conversation fits best for you and/or the your campaign.

Affinity Groups and Facilitators:
New Campaigns
For campaigns that are just getting started to talk about
jumping into this dynamic movement.
YJ Cho (350.org), University of Denver students

National Escalation Strategy Team (NEST)
NEST schools have received Nos but are responding
with #rejectiondenied. If youre in this position, come
plug into the NEST coalition!
Jenny Marineau (350.org), Whitman College students, and others!

State Network Schools
Strategy for state schools with comingled endowments.
Fossil Free UC, Fossil Free CSU, and friends

Community Colleges
Strategy, tactics, and networking for community college
campaigns, led by students from the first community
college to commit to divestment.
Katie Hoffman (CSSC) and De Anza College students

Pushing Towards a Yes
Think you might be close to a win, but your admins need
another push? Stuck in committees and dont know how
to move forward? Come talk strategy for escalation or
moving your campaign to the next stage.
Lauren Ressler (REC), Jess Grady-Benson (Pitzer College),
and Jasmine Ruddy (UNC-Chapel Hill)

Reinvestment Campaigns
Students working on reinvestment-focused campaigns
will talk visioning, strategies, and how pushing for
reinvestment looks different than for divestment.
Sally Bunner (Earlham REInvestment) Ophir Bruck (U.C.
Berkeley, CSSC), and Kara Colovich (University of Montana)

Recent and Soon-To-Be Alumni
For alums and students who are about to graduate, to
discuss the role of alums in supporting the movement
and on ways to stay plugged into climate justice work in
the post-college world.
Maypop Collective for Climate and Economic Justice

We know that the Divestment movement is more than about endowments: its about shifting
resources away from exploitative industries towards a just and life-sustaining economy. Richmond,
California is right in the backyard of this years Power Up Convergence, and is a community that has been
on the front lines of the climate justice and environmental justice movement for decades. Home to toxic
refineries, coal export terminals, crude-by-rail facilities, and other heavy industries, Richmond boasts some
of the regions worst asthma and cancer rates.

But Richmond also has a rich and powerful history of resistance. Led by organizations such as the
Richmond Progressive Alliance and Communities for a Better Environment, Richmonds progressive
movement has kept corporate power at bay despite overwhelming odds. Richmond is pioneering
progressive measures to fight foreclosures, raise minimum wage, protect workers, and hold polluters
accountable for their public health and safety violations.

Today, Richmond is once again under assault by Chevron, a company that is polluting Richmonds air
through toxic refinery emissions and polluting Richmonds democracy by pouring millions of dollars into
political races and community propaganda. In August 2012, the Chevron Richmond refinery exploded,
sending 15,000 people to the hospital. Now, less than two years later, Chevron is attempting to modernize
its refinery to process heavier, dirtier, more corrosive and toxic crude from Canadas tar sands. The
community is being bombarded by Chevron propaganda, and its time for the people to spread the truth.

Thats where we come in.

On Sunday, April 6th, join ForestEthics, Communities for a Better Environment, and the California Student
Sustainability Coalition for a day of action for environmental justice in Richmond. Well visit the
Richmond Progressive Alliance office in downtown Richmond to learn about whats happening in the
community and get trained up as canvassers. Then, well hit the streets and spread the word to the
Richmond community about upcoming opportunities to fight back against Chevrons expansion plans.
Finally, well meet outside the Chevron Richmond Refinery for a brief wrap-up rally and celebration. A bus
will leave SFSU at 1pm and return to SFSU at 6pm.

What: Community Canvass and Toxics Tour in Richmond, CA
When: Sunday, April 6th, 1:00 PM 6:00 PM
Depart: Leave SFSU at 1:00 PM, meet in the Annex
Return: Well be back at SFSU by 6:00 PM

This day of action is for everyone!
Students and community members not attending the Divestment Convergence are encouraged to attend,
and can meet us directly at the Bobby Bowens Center in Richmond (1021 MacDonald Ave) at 1:45pm.

Questions? Contact Ashlyn Ruga at (801) 232-8759 or ashlynruga@mac.com.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DAY OF ACTION
The Storytellers Team is a team of social media storytellers who will help spotlight the people and
conversations that are building and evolving the divestment movement. We will be tweeting, taking photos and
video, instagramming, blogging, and meme-making to help tell the story of our movement during the
Convergence. Well be getting together every day of the weekend to hang out and tell these amazing stories.
Joining this team is a great way to meet fellow divestment activists. No skills needed, just passion! If you're
interested, come drop by our room or contact Mary Schellentrager at (440) 478-0728 or
mschellentrager@gmail.com.

The Storyteller/Media room will be: Friday , 2:00 PM 10:00 PM HSS 259
Saturday, 8:00 AM 8:00 PM HUM 118
STORYTELLERS TEAM
Best Practices for Media-Making at the Convergence

Get consent. Before recording video/audio or taking photos of others, ask for their permission. Tell them why
you are filming/photographing and what you hope to do with the content afterward. If you are documenting a
group space or training, make an announcement - check in with a trainer or facilitator of the space about
filming/photographing. Everyone has the right to ask not to be filmed or photographed and its our job as media-
makers to respect that.

Ask who is being represented. Our media will feature a host of characters spokespeople, storytellers,
visionaries, ambassadors, and many others. Sometimes, our media doesnt fairly represent the diversity within our
movement - gender, race, and class privileges (among many others) influence who is likely to appear in front of a
camera or be interviewed for an article. We also bring diverse analyses and understandings of fossil fuel
divestment to the convergence. It can be helpful to ask yourself: who is being portrayed in my video/photos? Are
there voices or perspectives being left out? Have I only interviewed white men for my documentary (for example)?

Amplify frontline stories. Frontline activists are those whose communities are most immediately impacted by
the fossil fuel industry. As a divestment movement, we must become active allies to those already affected by
fossil fuel extraction and burning. Only by organizing across our different positions within the fossil fuel economy
can we build a powerful social movement for climate justice. Frontline activists have been telling their powerful
stories for decades - as a media-maker, one way to show solidarity is to build relationships with frontline activists
and amplify their stories of struggle.
#fossilfree
#divestment
#divestnow
#divest
#fracking
#stopmtr
#tarsands
@studentsdivest
@gofossilfree
@energyaction
@endowmentethics
@earthisland
@350

The official hashtag well be using for the Convergence is #FFDC2014. Below is a list of other hashtags
that are frequently used and could be applicable. Also feel free to tweet @ the following handles:
Social Media
Coordinated by the Mentorship working group of the Divestment Student Network (DSN).

These are two things we know: (1) Divestment is hard, and (2) It's easier when we work together. That's why a core
function of the Divestment Student Network is connecting students to each other. The Mentorship Track is a training
program for 25-35 divestment students who want to become peer mentors to their fellow activists. Participants will
meet for 7 hours during the convergence to learn and practice essential peer mentorship skills. These sessions will
overlap with some convergence programming, but we've made sure not to conflict with plenaries or strategy blocks.

The Mentorship Track is open to all Convergence attendees willing to commit to the
full 7 hours of training. If youd like to be a part of it, just come to the first session!

After the convergence, participants in the mentorship track will become official peer mentors with the Divestment
Student Network. DSN peer mentors will intentionally build relationships with other students in their region, and be a
resource to help those students with tricky campaign questions.
MENTORSHIP TRACK
Part 1: Introduction and Orientation
What is mentorship? Why is it important for our movement?
Time: Friday, 9:45 PM 10:45 PM
Location: Meet on top of the Student Health Center

Part 2: Nuts and Bolts of Mentorship
How do we become good mentors? Facilitators Belinda Rodriguez, Kate Aronoff, and Caitlin Piserchia will
lead an in-depth training, honing key skills of mentor and practicing those skills in 1-on-1s. Following the
training, peer mentors will have an active listening assignment to fulfil during the day.
Time: Saturday, 11:45 AM 3:25 PM
Location: HUM 114

Part 3: Mentoring in Practice: Lessons Learned
After practicing some of the skills taught in Part 2, student mentors come back together to debrief, address
questions, and solidify lessons learned.
Time: Saturday, 9:45 PM 11:00PM
Location: Meet on top of the Student Health Center

Part 4: Next Steps and Celebration!
After skill-building and practice, well be ready to spread across the country and form a strong network of
student-led mentorship. But how do we maintain that network and stay accountable? This is a place to
discuss next steps and to celebrate our commitment to strong student leadership!
Time: Sunday, 2:00 PM 3:00 PM
Location: HUM 109
The Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network brings together student divestment organizers from across the country to
build a powerful movement for climate justice. The Network is both a place to build connections and share knowledge
among campaigns, and a structure for collaboration on shared projects and strategies. When we work together, our
movement becomes more than the sum of its parts. When we're in touch with each other, we build a more skilled and
strategic movement over time. When we share vision and take action together, we embolden our power.

At the Convergence, we're working to Dig Deep, Link Up, and Take Action in our campaigns and as a movement,
uniting around the divestment tactic across campuses and across regions. But this work doesn't stop at the
Convergence! The Network aims to facilitate ongoing work of growing our movement, building off the relationships,
projects, and visions developed at the Convergence.

The Network is organized into three main parts. The DSN Assembly is a biweekly conference call discussion and
strategy session where campus representatives meet to share information and analysis and workshop ongoing
projects and actions. Working Groups grow out of the Assembly and take on projects of the network like producing
a national publication, planning direct actions, and developing toolkits. The Vision Council is a facilitating body that
helps coordinate and bring together moving pieces of the network.

Open Call for Participation!

The Divestment Student Network is recent alumni- and student-led, with an understanding that student voice and
leadership is central to building a powerful divestment movement. The Network becomes more powerful as more
campaigns participate! If your campus isn't yet plugged in to the Network, find out how at www.studentsdivest.org.

THE DIVESTMENT STUDENT NETWORK (DSN)
Building Beyond the Convergence: Upcoming Assembly Calls

Join the next Assembly Calls to take action on ideas and projects generated at the convergence. Call in yourself, or
find someone in your campaign to rep your campus. These are exciting spaces to continue the movement building
work we're doing at the convergence. Call-in information will be posted to www.studentsdivest.org. The times and
dates for the next calls are:

Tuesday, April 15, 6:00-7:30PM PST / 9:00-10:30PM EST
Tuesday, April 29, 6:00-7:30PM PST / 9:00-10:30PM EST

Questions? Contact at diveststudentnetwork@gmail.com.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
our wonderful fiscal sponsor!
Andronicos Community Market
Arizmendi Bakery
House of Bagels
Niles Pies
Noahs Bagels
Rainbow Grocery
Safeway

Staff Of Life Natural Foods
Market
Starbucks Coffee
Thoms Natural Foods
Trader Joes
Whole Foods
Food Donors:
and World Centric for the compostable eating ware.
and to all the supporters of our Indiegogo campaign.
A very special thank you to the donor who gave an anonymous gift
in memory of a beloved brother.
New Economy Coalition
The SF State Environmental
Studies Department

Building a Student Climate Movement

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