Occupy Portland Intern Fair Introduction and Invitation

[Shiva Markandeya]

Dear Occupy Portland,

The Outreach Committee is holding a special event and we need the participation of,(and i use the term loosely), representatives from each committee! Let me explain..

 There has been a considerable amount of work and toil accomplished in our organization. Many have expressed the need of getting more help and support in this work. I have never before engaged in this type of detailed organization nor activism in my life and i have feel the burden of responsibility quite often, but i somehow  continue to agree to take on more tasks because of the dire need for our movement to work for the good of all. I'm sure others are very familiar with this tendency to fill in the spots that require extra attention. Our volunteering system, frankly, is lacking and underdeveloped.  And there is a quaint flow of new people eager to help. But we can do a lot better, and accomplish our multitudes of tasks, and feel less burdened if our responsibility were smartly shared.
   Well,  we have thought of a way to to get more assistance through volunteering, AND, handsomely rewarding those who happen to be a student of colleges and universities. We have decided to accept inquiring students to become interns for Occupy Portland. Students who volunteer with us can get college credit for helping us organize and perform needful tasks. This is a wonderful way to bring the fire of Occupy to the education system and infiltrate the curriculum. Students will learn our values with first hand experience and turn around and teach and influence their peers, co workers and those careers. This is a beautiful outreach method. After we accept a team of these interns to help organize and facilitate our affairs we will be more productive, more unified, less stressed and advancing this revolution in countless ways.
   How does this work?
  Well, lets use an example of a Media major. The student would want to make a filming project and he decides to ask OP for help. He comes to our Intern Fair and finds the OP Media team welcoming him to their table. He is told he must fill out an application and that's when he has the opportunity to construct or create his own filming  project based of the advice and counsel of the Media team. The student, lets call him Shiva, says he wants to focus his filming on the art and culture of OP.  The Media team consults with him further on the possibilities and potential of a good and hearty OP Culture film/documentary, stressing stuff like being cautious about filming certain individuals who may wish to remain anonymous. Most of the kinks are weened out and we have a new project.
   After the project thesis is prepared, Shiva will talk this over with his Media professor asking her/him to be a sponsor who will give the final grade and credits upon the success of the work. After the sponsor signs on to it, Shiva could be let loose on the adventure of filming the art and culture of our occupy society.
   I cant think of a situation where this cant be applied to any academic or artistic major. I could say the same for the many departments, committees and working groups that we presently have in our OP organization.
   Lets say Shiva is a sociology major and wants to do research on the accessibility of social programs to the ethnic minorities involved with OP. The same process applies as before mentioned. Shiva wants to be an accountant now.  He can join the finance committee and work on sustaining our current method of financial affairs. He might also decide to create a new subcommittee because he points out something that the committee desperately needs. He creates it and organizes it making the financial work less burdensome or more practical, etc, etc. I personally cant wait to get a sign language intern to appear at our meetings making the deaf community a strong pillar in our Spokes Counsel, or even make a deaf neighborhood assembly! How awesome would that be?!
  Theres one more thing i have to mention.
  We have collectively decided that the current systems in our society is stifling and broken. Unfortunately, not everyone understands that what we as OP is trying to accomplish concerning the use of less hierarchical ways of doing things. So we have to remember to express the importance of an across the board equality and the value of  true team work in word and deed. We choose not to have leaders and people supervising or commanding other people and this principle will be no different when we accept interns. No one is above the other. We work side by side and in solidarity with each other. We are bringing the sacred concept of autonomy to the education system and I'm sure they will be thrilled to experience this and wish we'd implemented this method way sooner in history.
  There will be committee members who will be acting as, what the rest of society calls, a mentor. These hierarchical  titles mean nothing to us and we should not think for a second that these intern  must "do as we say". That is not the case. We really have to be careful about this because, depending on the evaluation of the "mentor", the professor or sponsor will reward the grade or credit to the student. We have a part to play in the success of their education and we cannot see this as "leverage" and then use that leverage to manipulate or take advantage of these interns. We must proceed with tremendous care and utmost prudence.  I have faith in all of us but this must be mentioned. I'd rather not have the slightest resemblance of hierarchy and allow for this to ruin our image, our organization and unity and our movement.


Now, the invitation.
  Don't worry if you do not understand in full how this works right now. Im sure a one on one, or an organic conversation would clear things right up. And if you are interested in welcoming our new interns in to this sacred labor, this opportunity will provide you with better understanding. Like a funny story, its better if you were there to experience it for yourself..
   As mentioned before we need representatives from as many committees, as we can get stuffed in these two days, to come and advise these new volunteers on the necessities and the missing elements of your working group and committees. There is a very wide and deep desire for this project to be implemented right away. We invite you to the first major Occupy Portland Intern Fair where qualified volunteers will be climbing over each other to reach your mentorship. Doesn't that sound sweeet!

Occupy Portland Intern Fair
Wednesday, January 11th  AND
Thursday, January 12th
Psu's Food for Though Cafe
in the basement of Smith Building, rm 26
Starts: 5:30 till 7:30 or 8pm if needed

 There will be plenty of space for us to set up tables with tempting (preferably homemade) committee signs that will lure the roaming students unto your reach. It is wise to be prepared with a list of needs, tasks or full positions form your cmmttee to have present to discuss how mentor and intern will collaborate in the near future. Remember, if the student would like to tweek your presented tasks, or would like to create a full position, we should compromise with plenty of flexibility. There should be so much flexibility that they should mistake us for Occupy rubber bands.  ( Ok, its very late...)
  So i will end it here and offer to give me a call if you have any questions and i will do my best to answer or find the answer for you, it would be my pleasure, no joke!
To be organized the best way i can, i would like a confirmation of your attendance for one or both days so that i can prepare a space and table for you. And so that i can keep track of all the committees or working groups who will be participating. You may respond to this email or call me anytime. If you yourself cannot attend one or both days, please strongly consider sending another team member to represent your working group or committee.

  I am extremely proud of our very abled minds, talents and abilities. Inspiration runs through me when i see all of the activity that we have done and imagine the splendor of what we can do. Thanx to OWS and all of you, i feel specialas i work with all of you, as if i have always belonged. Many, many thanx!

In Solidarity forever,

-Shiva Markandeya
Outreach Cmmttee
opdx...@gmail.com
503 477 3512

BIG PS: If you are getting this and you are a student or will be, this applies to you as well. Come and get college credit for all the super organizing work you do!!
little ps: please correct me if im wrong on anything mentioned above....   including spelling.