Mountain Justice Summer Mission Statement

Mountain Justice Summer (MJS) seeks to add to the growing anti-MTR citizens movement. Specifically MJS demands an abolition of MTR, steep slope strip mining and all other forms of surface mining for coal. We want to protect the cultural and natural heritage of the Appalachia coal fields. We want to contribute with grassroots organizing, public education, nonviolent civil disobedience and other forms of citizen action.

Historically coal companies have engaged in violence and property destruction when faced with citizen opposition to their activities. MJS is committed to nonviolence and will not be engaged in property destruction.

Goals of Mountain Justice Summer:

*Raise world-wide awareness of Mountain Top Removal mining and its effects.
*Escalate resistance to Mountain Top Removal from a regional to a national level.
*Build our support base for the campaign.
*Unify and strengthen regional groups fighting Mountain Top Removal.
*Mobilize coordinated days of action using tactics ranging from public outreach to civil resistance.
*Maintain safety as a high priority throughout the summer.
*Debunk the myth of "clean coal" and "jobs versus the environment".
*Encourage conservation, efficiency, solar and wind energy as alternatives to Mountain Top Removal and all forms of surface mining.

KFTC's Steering Committee decision made in 2005 regarding MJS:
"KFTC supports the goals of Mountain Justice Summer.  We do not support monkeywrenching.  We do not support civil disobedience that has not been authorized by KFTC.  We invite Mountain Justice Summer participants to come to KFTC’s community led events.  KFTC members are encouraged to participate in Mountain Justice Summer activities."

MJS Training 2008 Camp Schedule at Blanton Forest in Harlan County

Concurrent workshops are designated by a slash

Saturday May 17

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Morning circle & Welcome to Mountain Justice Summer!

10:30 MTR 101 - Vernon Haltom/ Conflict Resolution /Legal - Chris Irwin

12:00 Lunch

1:00 MTR 101 - Vernon Haltom (repeat) / Community Organizing

2:30 "Coal Bucket Outlaw" - Roy Crawford / Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative - Sadie Heck

4:00 Free time / Shadow Theater - Matt L.

6:00 Dinner - Speaker: Dr. Tom Barnes slide show "Pine Mountain" (not confirmed)

7:00 Live Music

9:00 Film "Harlan County USA" introduced by Dr. Linda Ann Ewen, author of "Which Side Are You On? The Brookside Mine Strike in Harlan County KY"

11:00 Quiet Time

Sunday May 18

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Morning Circle - Welcome to Harlan County - Teri Blanton, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth

10:30 Dayhoit walking tour w/Teri Blanton/ Church Service - Sage Russo/ Appalachian Cultural Sensitivity - Dr. Linda Ann Ewen

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Media - Hilary Hosta, Viv Stockman, Dana Kuhnline, Vernon Haltom/ Art & Activism - Rosemary Mincey

2:30 Deep Ecology & Bioregionalism - john johnson/ Water Testing/ Climate Justice

4:00 Free Time/ Making Kim Che - Patty D and Erin M.

6:00 Dinner

7:00 Live Music

9:00 Film "Coal Miners Daughter"

11:00 Quiet Time

Monday May 19

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Morning Circle

10:30 Coal Mining 101 - with Harlan County miners TBD/ Active Listening - Matt L.

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Hiking Blanton Forest - Kyle Napier, Ky State Nature Preserves Commission / Puppet Making - Sarah Haltom / Beehive Collective presentation

2:30 Listening Projects / Field Water testing / MTR site tour

4:00 Free Time

6:00 Dinner - Speaker: Larry Gibson, Kayford Mountain Keeper

7:00 Live Music

9:00 Film Kentucky Premiere! "Burning the Future: Coal in America"

11:00 Quiet Time

Tuesday May 20

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Morning Circle

10:30 Non Violent Direct Action - Hilary Hosta / Anti-Oppression - speaker TBD

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Kentucky author Silas House ("Clays Quilt", "The Coal Tattoo")/ Butch Turk skills training

2:30 History of Opposition to Surface Mining - Dr. Chad Montrie, Univ. of Mass-Lowell ("To Save the Land and People") / Beehive Collective workshop

4:00 Free Time

 6:00 Dinner - Speaker: Ed Wiley (invited)

7:00 Live Music - Public Outcry (hopefully)

9:00 Film "Mountaintop Removal" w/ filmmaker Mike O' Connell (winner of Reel Current Award, Nashville Film Festival awarded by Vice President Al Gore)

11:00 Quiet Time

Wednesday May 21

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Benham, KY Coal Mining Museum field trip w/ Harlan County miners/ theater performances- Steph Pistello

10:30 Composting toilets/ Music of Coal - folksingers Michael and Carrie Kline/ Archery / DIY workshops

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Water testing - Dick Shore/ De-escalation Techniques - Doc / Primitive Skills - Kris D. / Tree Climbing - Hilary and Chris Irwin/ Other DIY workshops

2:30 SMCRA and Citizens Rights - Matt L. / Appalachian Community Economics - Randal / Belly Dancing - Sarah Haltom / DIY workshops

4:00 Free Time

6:00 Dinner - Dick Shore as John Muir

7:00 Live Music

9:00 Films Appalshops' "Stranger With a Camera" and "Thoughts in the Presence of Fear"

11:00 Quiet Time

Thursday May 22

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Morning Circle & State Breakouts

10:30 Nukes Are Not the Answer - Mary Olson, NIRS / Environmental Philosophy - Charlee Tidrick

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Bank of America/Citi Campaign - Scott Parkin, Rainforest Action Network and Hilary Hosta / Legal Workshop (repeat)- Chris Irwin / Hiking/ Forest Ecology and Plant Identification - john johnson

2:30 Campus Organizing

4:00 Free Time

6:00 Dinner - Speaker: Kentucky Author Bruce Hopkins "Sacred Ground"

7:00 Music - Poetry night - Talent Show

9:00 Films Appalshops "Its Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song" (Hazel Dickens) and "Dreadful Memories" (Sara Ogan Gunning)

11:00 Quiet Time

Friday May 23

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Closing Circle

10:30 Meeting

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Take down and head to Heartwood Forest Council in Ohio!

Please register now at
http://www.mountainjusticesummer.org