** ANNOUNCEMENT! **

THE SMARTMEME STRATEGY & TRAINING PROJECT COMES TO CHICAGO!!!

WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE STORY:

JOIN US FOR AN ILLUMINATING, MULTI-MEDIA DISCUSSION ON ACTIVIST STRATEGIES, STORY-TELLING, AND DIRECT ACTION !

Sunday, May 1st 2005 -- 5:30pm -- Chicago, USA
Zhou B. Center
1029 W. 35th St. (35th/Morgan) -- (One mile west of US Cellular Field)
Free parking in rear of the building

$10 donation (for full day of activities)
For training only: $5 - no one turned away

smartMeme (www.smartmeme.com) is a non-profit collective of long-term organizers, strategists, and media makers dedicated to amplifying the voices of social change movements through capacity building trainings and partnerships, savvy communications work, and harnessing the power of stories...

The power of stories shapes our understanding of the world around us. The stories of the dominant culture, the stories told by the politicians, the stories told by the media...

In order to make change, social movements must tell new stories that challenge status quo assumptions and shape new possibilities for action and change. This "Battle of the Story" between grassroots movements and power holders connects our organizing struggles with the ethereal world of culture, media and "idea space."

Our smartMeme 101 training, "Winning the Battle of the Story," helps activists develop strategic media literacy, sound strategy, and integrate messaging and story-telling into grassroots campaigns. We unpack and explore the "control mythology" of corporate advertising and the "war on terror," and explore how to effect change in the arena of ideas.

Using a provocative multi-media presentation, smartMeme trainers will share strategy models for applying the power of narrative, image, and meme campaigning to successful social change work.

All 4 smartMeme core collective members will be onsite, so it will be quite a show! Join James John Bell, J Cookson, Doyle Canning, & Patrick Reinsborough for this unique event at VERSION>05 (www.versionfest.org)

For more information, please visit www.smartmeme.com or email : story (at) smartmeme.com

See you there!