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at Mondragon, $15 to $20 sliding scale, proceeds to A-Zone Co-op Fund

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Details, workshops, participants, book fair, and other schedule info can be found on the Spirited Anarchy website at http://www.festival.a-zone.org

The basic description of the festival, as posted there, is as follows:

“2008 is the birth year of the Spirited Anarchy Festival. It is a celebration of the anarchist and radical community in Manitoba, across “canada” and around the globe. The festival serves as a means for anarchists to come together and; discuss philosophy, tactics, projects, to socialize and have fun, re-energize and dance. Most importantly it is to educate the wider public on what anarchism means to each one of us and to try to dispel myths surrounding anarchism. The festival is organized by a consensus-based collective. To become involved please contact us.”

Most events will be held in Old Market Square, Mondragon Bookstore & Coffee House, as well as the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre — including a building-wide fund-raising party on Saturday night (May 10th).

“Autumn Harvest” Fundraising Dinner (in benefit of the Winnipeg A-Zone).

Come Join Us — the members, workers, friends and supporters within and beyond 91 Albert street — as we celebrate the contributions of the A-Zone to the radical community of this city (as well as the delicious arrival of the autumn harvest.)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28th, 2007 @ MONDRAGON

Seating at 5pm, Dinner served at 6pm.

TICKETS: $35 or $60/pair (to be purchased in advance at Mondragon — limited seating!)

Prepare for a five-course vegan meal, including complimentary alcoholic beverage, dessert, live entertainment, and a presentation on the past, present, and future of the A-Zone.

For more info, call Mondragon at 946-5241 or check out the A-Zone website at: http://www.a-zone.org

If so, then please submit your resumé and a cover letter (outlining what the A-Zone means to you, and why you wish to get involved) to the A-Zone office by October 1, 2007.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Position entails learning and performing all tasks related to the day-to-day maintenance of the building at 91 Albert Street: including but not limited to rent collections and bill payments, to book-keeping, building upkeep, oversight of building-wide maintenance and repairs, to day-to-day trouble-shooting, fund-raising, applying for grants, and conflict resolution.

SKILLS:

• Computer (basic word processing, familiarity with Excel, and accounting programs such as Quickbooks or Mind Your Own Business).
• Literacy skills (good writing skills are required, and experience with public-speaking an asset).
• Excellent “people skills” and experience dealing with conflict resolution are assets (particularly for dealing with diverse A-Zone tenants and grievances, as well as meetings and negotiations with contractors, City officials, or the Exchange District BIZ, and so on).
• One or more “trade skills” (construction, plumbing, electrical, or furnace repair) is a definite bonus, but not required.
• A willingness to learn and perform both “managerial” and “empowering” tasks on the one hand, and more rote and menial tasks on the other.

HOURS & MONTHLY PAY:

Work hours vary but amount to “part-time” overall. Some weeks this will be less, and some more, depending on circumstances and emergencies (such as repairs). With respect to emergencies (such as frozen pipes, furnace or A/C repair, leaking roof, etc.) the position is “on call” as needed. Under normal circumstances, the position is relatively self-directed so long as the work gets done within agreed-upon parameters. Because of this up-and-down work, the position is salaried by month, not hours worked. At the moment, the A-Zone is only able to offer $500 per month for flexible part-time work.

Simultaneously, the City Planning Dept., members of the BIZ Exchange, as well as City Councilor Pagtakhan, have been renewing their pressure on the building to consent to a zero-tolerance policy on graffiti. Pagtakhan (who also sits on the BIZ board) had previously launched a personal media campaign to single out 91 Albert, and he has apparently renewed his efforts, no doubt at the behest of the BIZ and those businesses which have an exclusively upscale vision of what the Exchange District ought to be.

Along with ongoing efforts to crack down on panhandlers and homeless people in the area, these recent actions related to garbage collection and graffiti suggest an intensified effort is underway to gentrify the Exchange District. The twin goals of cutting back on social services, and doing the bidding of the private sector, have led to a situation in which there is no longer an essential public service in the area. It has also led to a campaign to “whitewash” the area (both in terms of getting rid of graffiti and “unsightly” garbage, but also in terms of pushing out panhandlers and homeless people) to meet the aesthetic tastes of a vocal and upscale business community that believes it alone has the right to determine the future of the Old Market district.