Politically active citizens gathered on the fourth floor of Gruening last Thursday to attend an evening of workshops with the goal of promoting positive changes in the community through grassroots activism. The event, titled the "Fairbanks Grassroots Gathering," was hosted by the Fairbanks Grassroots Network, the group that has been working to oppose the construction of a new Wal-Mart in town. Workshops explored topics like "Guerilla Street Theatre," "Non Violent Direct Action Training," and "Boycott Coca-Cola: What, why and how."

Heather Koponen gave a talk about her efforts to counter what she says are unethical military recruiting practices at local high schools. Koponen said that the No Child Left Behind Act contains provisions that open schools and confidential student records to recruiters, and she presented materials that showed the dishonest promises that can accompany recruitment efforts. Koponen encouraged listeners to show up at school board meetings and to write letters to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Publisher of local newspaper The Ester Republic, Deidre Helfferich, gave a talk about independent publishing and how new technology like communal"wikis" can assist activists. Helfferich cautioned aspiring writers to balance work with time outside, and said that it's vital to give the eyes a rest from time to time.

UAF thespian Anna Gagne-Hawes led the workshop on "guerilla street theatre," which she said she had experimented with as a high school student in Juneau." We would go downtown when a cruise ship was unloading and make fun of tourists, which wasn't the smartest idea," she said.

Gagne-Hawes said that it's good to create a script that focuses on three key points that you hope to communicate."Ideally, you will heighten awareness without making people feel defensive," she said, adding that it's best to avoid sets and props, in case you have to run from police."The police in Juneau are really nice, though," she said."They'd just tell us to leave."

Members of the Grassroots Network engaged in some guerilla theatre of their own this weekend, according to group member Dan Glass. The group traveled from box store to box store singing politically charged Christmas carols and handing out flyers.

Glass said that he thinks that they entertained some shoppers and perhaps caused a few to think about the issues brought up by the carols. One high point in the adventure came when the manager of Lowe's came over to investigate."We gave him a sheet of the lyrics and he sang along with us for a bit until it hit him," Glass said."Then he kicked us out."

The carols have titles like "Slaving in a Sweatshop Wonderland." The following is a sample of the lyrics, sung to the tune of a song from Rodgers and Hammersein's "The Sound of Music":

"Shirts from Honduras, and Nikes from China; clothes made in sweatshops, in North Carolina; all wrapped in packages, tied up with string; these are a few of my least favorite things. When the sun shines, when the snow melts, when I'm feeling glad; I simply remember my least favorite things, and then I start getting mad."

Glass and his associates got word this weekend that activists in Anchorage have created a new group: The Anchorage Grassroots Network.