Resilience Cafe

Build up your strength & safety with workshops on self-defense, conflict resolution, cyber security, first aid, go bags, and more!

Welcome to the Resilience Cafe! Thrift 2 Fight is partnering with Bard Center for Civic Engagement to create their first ever cafe event, inspired by the Repair Cafe of the Hudson Valley.

What: a full day of hands-on learning, skill-sharing, and preparedness for a variety of crises. You can choose from four different workshops, or join for the entire day. When you RSVP, we will send you a workshop sign-up form with locations, details on what to bring (if you choose Cyber Security) and how to dress (if you choose Self-Defense).

SCHEDULE

12:30 – 4:00
Community Tabling, Crafting, Go Bags & Stay bags, zine-making, and more

1:00 – 2:50
Conflict 101 with local activist and musician Callie Mackenzie

2:00 – 3:00 Hands-Only CPR and Be Red Cross Ready
Mathew Nedin on “What goes into a go bag? What should I know if an emergency happens? How can I be helpful in an emergency?”

3:00 – 5:00 Self-Defense 101 with Vince Torres

4:00 – 5:00 Cyber Security with Chris Ahmed: “What does my phone know about me?”, followed by free computer work time with assistance from Bard’s IT specialists

While all activities are FREE to attend, we encourage you to donate anywhere between $5 and $100 – especially if you plan to attend multiple workshops. This helps us recover personal expenses, pay for time off, and create more events in the future.

INSTRUCTORS

callie mackenzie (she/they) is a Kingston, NY based social change worker, musician and multidisciplinary artist. Living at the intersections of art & social justice, she uses the practice of creating art as medicine, and works to create liberatory and joyful spaces for growth and healing rooted in love. callie mackenzie holds a Master’s Degree in Human Services. She has an Embodied Social Justice Certificate from Transformative Programs, Art of Leadership Certificate from Rockwood Leadership Institute. callie is a trained conflict mediator completing courses with Vision Change Win and Project Nia and is a forever student of non-violent communication and conflict mediation.

Chris Ahmed has been working in Bard College IT as a Systems Administrator since 2015 and an Information Security Analyst since 2021.