A REMARKABLE two-day teach-in happens the weekend of Feb. 7-8, courtesy of the local group Your Space Collective.

“Every year we try to do some kind of educational component like this,” says Laila Abdallah, director of Your Space. “Most of the time many people don’t necessarily know the complexity of the dynamics that are playing out to get us to where we are now.”

For example, Abdallah says “We will discuss the important of housing policy change and how that might affect developers who build in Savannah. We’ll be talking about the situation in Yamacraw Village, which has ramifications even for those who aren’t residents there.”

A key aspect of discussion will be about the various healthcare gaps which exist both in the country at large and in Savannah in particular.

“There’s a huge coverage gap in the healthcare system here. Georgia did not accept the Medicaid expansion. That affects as many as 400,000 people in this state,” she says. “Many either make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, or too little to be able to access other services.”

Abdallah mentions the low-income barrier to healthcare access, whereby “people only go to the emergency room, and then only in the worst-case scenario.”

A key component of Your Space’s efforts go into harm reduction, which will also be a topic of discussion. Your Space provides “many services, no questions asked,” Abdallah says, such as free showers and laundry, and free fentanyl overdose medication.

One way Your Space Collective practices public health framework is though their Day Center every Monday morning, which provides free hot food, coffee, clothes, harm reduction products such as Narcan, and more.

Topics surrounding immigration will be a major part of the workshop, both for non-citizens and citizens alike.

“We’ll be talking about how people can legally protect themselves from ICE, both businesses and individuals, and about helping people understand their rights,” she says.

Day Two will feature a deep dive into fighting the effects of U.S. imperialism, including a spotlight on the Trump administration’s extraordinary ongoing efforts to deport Mahmoud Kahlil, an activist who has spoken out for Palestinian rights.

“We’ll be talking about the value of striking, and what a general strike can do and what does that look like,” Abdallah says.

While the workshop was planned before the twin murders by ICE of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the topic is unavoidable.

 “At the end of the day it is an unacceptable use of law enforcement. They are covering their faces, and not following due process. The bottom line is we don’t need ICE in Minneapolis, or Savannah, or any other city. We already have a system of checks and balances for immigration. There’s no need for ICE to be allowed to remain unchecked, spreading fear and harm,” Abdallah says of the tragedies, pointing out what she calls the “self-instigating” reality of ICE presence leading to violence.

RSVP by Feb. 1 here to attend the free two-day workshop. Meals are available for an extra $10.