2019 Conference

Schedule | Talks | Registration | Site 

Our 2019 party conference was Saturday, September 21st at Encuentro 5 in Boston.  The conference focused on planning, expanding our platform and organizing how-tos. We held lightning talks and a small number of panels. The conference started at 10am and ended around 5:30pm.

Schedule

TimeSession
9:00am-10:00amBreakfast, Meet & Greet
10:00am-10:30amYear in Review / Where We Stand as a Party?
10:30am-11:15amMassMesh: Building a People’s Internet
11:15am-noonBuilding a Just Economy: Universal Basic Income, Job Guarantee and Other Alternatives
noon-1:00pmLunch & Crypto How-To
1:00pm-1:45pmSurveillance in Our Neighborhoods: RING DOORBELLS – What Can We Do?
1:45pm-3:00pmPlatform Development, Part 1
3:00pm-3:30pmLightning Talks
3:30pm-4:45pmPlatform Development, Part 2
4:45pm-5:30pmWhat Should be Our Plan for 2020?
5:30pm-6:00pmCleanup

Talks

Talks

MassMesh: Building a People’s Internet – James Vorderbruggen of MassMesh

MassMesh is building a community-controlled, democratic Internet Service Provider that protects your privacy and treats all bits equally. Find out about their progress and how you can help.

Building a Just Economy: Universal Basic Income, Job Guarantee and Other Alternatives – Desmond Ravenstone and others

Our economy is increasingly concentrated in the hands of the very rich, resulting in lower incomes for most and declining life expectancy. Discuss different policies Pirates have proposed to make the economy work for everyone.

Surveillance in Our Neighborhoods: RING DOORBELLS – What Can We Do? – Micky Metts of agaric.coop

Ring sells a very particular message: while you shouldn’t trust your neighbors, you can trust Amazon to help police them. When police partner with Ring, Amazon’s home surveillance camera company, they get access to the “Law Enforcement Neighborhood Portal,” an interactive map that allows officers to request footage directly from camera owners. Police don’t need a warrant to request this footage, but they do need permission from camera owners. Neighbors functions as a fear and peer pressure-driven advertisement for a fancy, Amazon-owned camera system. But in practice, Neighbors reinforces the racist biases of its users, and actively puts people of color at risk in communities where the app is being used.

Registration

Registration was $10. Youth under 18 and anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident were free due to campaign finance rules.

Site

Encuentro 5 was at 9A Hamilton Place, Boston, MA 02108-4701. It is was in downtown Boston near the State House and easily accessible by public transit.

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