[OccupySheffield] [Occupy London] My vision for the Occupy movement in 2012

[Mark Barrett]

Dear Occupy London, Occupy UK and Squares International :)

John Sinha has set out at
http://www.occupylondon.info/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=834#p3149 ( and
below this mail ) his vision for 2012.

I broadly agree with John's thinking below, but also I think this kind
of strategy needs to be linked to full mobilisation for days of action
that are being called for the Spring, notably March and May by the
movement. There are various ideas for what forms these days should
take developing, ranging from strikes to moving your money
(transition) to much more. Note that at the same time as the January
Sheffield meeting there is an international Frankfurt one about huge
days of pan-European Spring action in May, and also a May action day
focused precisely on the Troika (IMF, ECB, EC) in Frankfurt. Also the
Euro pact is due in March and there are calls for European wide days
of action then which could be springboards for May. Ideally we as a
transnational movement will come up with common symbols and slogans
that unite us worldwide on these days. [Some suggest white flags. Or
maybe blank flags of many colours?].

But also i believe we need to focus on strategic build up, and follow
through from these days. So, ideally perhaps coming out of the
national Sheffield meeting we need to be working on literature for and
should make approaches on all fronts to encourage Assemblies in
neighbourhoods, workplaces, universities and other organisations.

The following Toolkit, which is brilliant if you haven't already seen,
should IMO form the basis of the literarture:
PDF http://www.auerfeld.com/images/occupyEWleaflet.pdf
GOOGLE DOC http://occupylsx.org/?p=2320%20/%20https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1CHLh--faoPmUWsoKRQ0YhUSjXlTOyZSnVQnU8nGPRidDG89CaD5oavYAKOxY&hl=en_US

For increasing public participation and info sharing would be SO great
to have a much shortened version ( say 10 page max booklet) based on
the same idea but with a
clearer, more realistic big mobilisation purpose ( ie longer term )
than the attempt at big day of action on Dec15.

IE How to Occupy Everywhere in the UK, say in the run up to March
and/or May days of action. With more political content about the need
for the 99% to create its own political voice, and institutions . And
in the same beautiful style! Especially useful I think are 1. why the
movement ie a bit more political content, 2. @How to Hold a People's
Assembly@ and 3. national / international platforms (suitably updated)

[ Lots of pages would need removin, all the stuff about different
occupations should be removed but with clear links
 to the websites with all the most up to date content for example]

And then I'd suggest it should include clear call outs for March and /or May
actions as they evolve into more clarity, so that, effectively
pamphlet becomes inspiring, informational and a mobilising tool too.

But also I think that with March and May in the pipeline, the idea of a call
for assemblies across the country  as both an educational process and
a means of mobilising people
for actions in March-May could work brilliantly. We need a national
and international conversation in order to discover our collective
souuld and to decide what kind of society we want. It's commonsense
that the only way people can fix it is if people get together to help
one another understand it better and to discuss the way forward for
all  - in terms of  politics and economy in the light of the economic,
social,
environmental and political / constitutional crises of UK, Europe, and
the whole world. And of course the need to take care of one another
and all of God's creations which is our proper role :)

So I'd like to suggest that coming out of Sheffield we promote the
development of Assemblies everywhere ( hence Occupy Everywhere toolkit
being a great resource ) and have a strategy of a national outreach
team,  with different sub-groups approaching all the diffferent
potential partners : unions, churches and other relig establishements,
student and other campaign groups, schools and universities with a
view to getting them on board in co-facilitating with us people's
assemblies to develop our shared understanding, genuine democratic
voice and representation, and ideally a path towards new civic
institutions. If we are saying a new europe, a really democratic one,
or a new uk and ireland, we need to set in train the establishment of
permanent or potentially permanent structures with which to transform
and /or seize power ( depending on your point of view )  And if we can
persuade them ( such well resourced potential partners) to donate eg
their building spaces, money, help with promotion or whatever they
have access too, would really make the movement's power and reach
extend and we can stop being 99% in abition but effectively 1% in
numbers ;) which is why I am suggesting this.

The only things specifically I want to add to this commentary about
2012 are (1) there are plans for a money transfer bank transition
movement late Feb / early March which I think Danni will be coming to
Sheffield to talk about (2) the possibilities of subverting the
diamond jubilee given that thhe biblical meaning of jubilee is slave
release via debt cancellations, land returns and so forth and the need
for regular sabbath or 'spiritual rest' years. March 25th could be
used to launch a jubilee / blank slate debt campaign, which is the
anniversary of the British Parliamentary Abolition of the Slave Trade
aswell as being the anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and falls well
before the queen's celebrations so we could get it into people's
consciousnesss before the royal show (3) the idea of subverting the
Olympics, especially given the Greek connection with democracy and of
course the Euro- crisis.

The need to link everything with a symbol that is potentially global
is very important given the complexity and diversity of the movement.
Given that Iran will probably be the target of a strike at the end of
the year after the US pres campaign is out of the way ( if not before
) a white flag ( linked to a non-violent global campaign for real
democracy now!)  would seem like a good symbol to adopt or, as perhaps
blank flags of many colours.

Anyway, like I said I agree with John with a few additional points and
the tool kit is brilliant stuff and great if it can get adapted into a
really powerful tool for a stategic assembly the European and Global
Spring!

Love and Solidarity

Mark

John Sinha <sinha.john at gmail.com> wrote:
> Please note: you can reply to this post in the forum
> http://www.occupylondon.info/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=834#p3149
>
> ---
>
> As this is the time of year for looking back at what we have achieved
> and to look forward to what we could become in 2012, I couldn't help
> but write this short little missive.
>
> There's no doubt that 2011 has been an extraordinary year of global
> protest. Its highpoint undoubtedly the revolutions in Arab world,
> particularly Tunisia and Egypt in January. The crisis of the Eurozone
> has led to mass protests in Greece and Italy. In May Spain witnessed
> the growth of a mass movement of the Indignados calling for real
> democracy and an end to neoliberal economic dogma. The events in Spain
> and Egypt are a direct inspiration of the Occupy movements both in the
> US and here in the UK. In the UK the Occupy movement is not alone. In
> March half a million trade unionists demonstrated against austerity;
> on 30th June over a million public sectors workers took industrial
> action; in August we had over three days of rioting; on October 15th
> we began our own occupation as part of a global wave of occupations;
> and in November 30th, two and a half million workers took industrial
> action over pensions - protest at which we had our own colourful
> block.
>
> In my view our greatest achievement are not the tents camped out in
> Saint Pauls churchyard, nor the new building we have occupied. But it
> is the networks of trust we have created and the institution we have
> built through our General Assembly.
>
> Through the General Assembly not only have we have created a political
> space where we can organise our occupation, but also a space where we
> come together and discuss solutions to the crisis in our society. I
> don't think many of us realise just what an important institution we
> have created through the General Assembly. It was through the GA that
> we agreed our Common Statement of  initially eight and now ten points.
> This is arguably the most important political document to come out of
> a social movement in this country in the last few decades - and that
> is not to forget the other statements such as on corporations we have
> also agreed. The GA is an institution whose potential we have hardly
> explored
>
> But if our movement is to grow it has to address the concerns of
> ordinary people. This is something we are not always good at as the
> following open letter "From two working class old buggers" in the
> forum makes  clear
>
> http://www.occupylondon.info/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=613&p=2770&hilit=class#p2770
>
> How relevant we are to ordinary people will depend on how effective
> our network is at mobilising the support to defend their interests. I
> think the  action taken by the US occupy movement in occupying
> foreclosed homes to prevent evictions is an excellent  example of the
> approach we should be taking here. I'm informed that in Spain they are
> taking similar action. I do not suggest we necessarily copy them
> because the circumstances here are different.
>
> But what we need to  do is forge the GAs into an institution  where
> the diverse movements of resistance, whether they be the student
> movement, the work place movement or the anti-cuts community organised
> movement  come together, and in doing so, reinforce each other. The
> General Assemblies could act asthe hubs where anti-cuts groups, local
> workplace organisation, student networks and those on the front-line
> of resistance come together to openly and democratically organise
> solidarity and resistance. Such bodies would not only be a forum a
> where alternatives are debated, but also be the spaces were decisions
> are taken and power is exercised.
>
> I hope the Sheffield conference is the place where we can discuss such
> a strategy.
>
>
> John Sinha
>
> --    Friendly reminder: please keep these mailing list discussions to a
> minimum as they reach a lot of people. Instead you can email working groups
> and individuals directly, or use the Occupy London forum at
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