Financial Crisis Audiovisual Night Tues June 30th

From LAVA site.

A one night documentary series on the financial crisis

7 p.m. Tues June 30th
LAVA Space
LAVA Space 4134 Lancaster
Available on #10 Trolley

Come stare at a screen and learn about the financial crisis...you don't event have to read! We'll be watching a 12 minute documentary entitled 'The Credit Crisis Explained' followed by a longer AV presentation called 'An Anarchist Analysis of the Credit Crunch'

Come hungry for information....and popcorn!

For more information check out the Philly Economic Crisis Reading Group blog

Proposal for Video Night, 30 Jun

I think it would be cool to try to meet next next Tuesday (30 Jun) and watch two videos on the current credit crisis. I think we said we were going to meet the first and third Tuesday of the month, so it might make since to do a video with no readings and get back to readings on 7 Jul. We should invite other people and make popcorn two!

The first is called 'The Crisis of Credit Visualized' and is an animated short that explains the workings on the credit crisis. 12min. (Thanks to Jason for finding this!)

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

The second is a from a member of Ireland's Worker Solidarity Movement, an anarchist organization. From October 2008. 65min

Next time we meet?

Hi Everyone

Since last night's meeting did not really happen i was wondering if people still wanted to meet two weeks from now or would want to meet next week say on Monday, or any other suggestions?

:-)

Eric

The End of Gold Standard

Wikipedia seems to have comprehensive overviews of the end of the Bretton Woods system and Nixon's 1971 decision to delink the dollar from gold, humorously dubbed 'The Nixon Shock.'

"The Late Bretton Woods System"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system#Late_Bretton_Woods_System

"The Nixon Shock"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_Shock

5 May Planning Meeting Notes

These are the notes from the initial meeting where we planned out what we wanted to get out of the reading group

What we want to learn in this study group

• Causes of the Financial Crisis
• Progression/stages of capitalism
• Banks/credit unions
• “Stress tests”
• Credit card debt
• consumer credit
• What is: 1)hyperinflation 2)deflation 3)stagflation
• Wages and the crisis
• City budget/social services
• Taxes/types of taxes
• Fiscal policy/The Federal Reserve
• Immigration/US-mexico relations
• Informal economy
• Privatization
• Regulation of the financial system
• What is money?

Why study the economic crisis?

• Develop a critique of capitalism
• Envision alternatives/other systems
• Personal empowerment
• New perspectives/ability to talk to people
• Better Organizing
• Preserving and expanding social services
• Fighting to win/strategies/vulnerabilities
• The role of the gov't in the financial system

Potential projects once we learn about economics

• Philly property market
• Teach-in
• Zine on unemployment and immigration
• Population shifts in philly / displacement
• City budget / taxes
• Study of what kind of businesses operate in Center City?

Logistics

• Blog
• readings
• Speeches by Obama
• Multimedia

Center for Popular Economics 2009 Summer Institute

Thanks to Jade for finding this.

After the Economic Meltdown: Building a Solidarity Economy

World Fellowship Center, Conway, N.H.
July 12-17, 2009

CPE’s Summer Institute CPE’s Summer Institute is a week-long intensive training in economics for activists, educators, and anyone who wants a better understanding of economics. We focus on how economic systems impact our lives and work every day. Our trainings are highly participatory and build on the knowledge and experience of our participants.
No background in economics is required.

Core Classrooms At the heart of the Summer Institute program are two core courses, one on the U.S. Economy, one on the International Economy. All participants must choose one core course. The core classes meet each day in the mornings. Below is a sample of topics.

More info here.