Proposed article for general publication "What Next for the 99%?"
Stephen Marshall
MY ASK #1: DO YOU FUNDAMENTALLY DISAGREE WITH ANY OF THE PRINCIPLES I
HAVE ARTICULATED HERE? WHY?
MY ASK #2: TWEAKS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
THANKS, Stephen
What Next for the 99%?
The Occupy movement in Vermont has felt widespread support from the
community. But it has not been adept in including those supporters in
its process. How can folks who identify with the Occupy Wall Street
movement be part of the movement? Surely not by attending a General
Assembly! There would never be enough room for everyone!
Folks active in the movement and folks who are not, I think, have this
common interest: To find a meaningful way for every Vermonter who is
sympathetic to the concerns of the Occupy movement to participate and
propel the change we want to see. From down here on the ground, "How can
we extend our sense of empowerment to the full diversity of the 99%?".
There are deep questions about what those concerns actually are, and
what the values are that drive those concerns, but answers to the
question might be simpler than expected, and more interesting, for
supporters of the movement.
Many of the values and methods of the Occupy movement come out of
Anarchist thought. Like the Trojan horse and liberal democracy, it
carries within it the seeds of its own destruction, and the seeds of
profound creativity. These seeds invite anyone to participate, to define
a purpose and a goal, and pursue it. In an interesting coincidence, it
distills to the state motto of Vermont: Freedom and Unity, That our
personal freedom is protected by our unity, that our unity is lost if we
exercise our freedom to the detriment of those around us. It is a
profound paradox, and the ignition point of potentially profound
creativity.
Which means that the answer to the question "What are the goals of the
Occupy movement?" is probably held within you. YOU know exactly what
those goals are, because you help to define them and express them. When
you act on them, you participate in creating the world we all want to
live in.
But how do I (or anyone) know I am part of the movement? How do I know I
will be accepted as contributing, and how do I gain some control over
what other people are doing? If there is no authority, no hierarchy, no
precise definition of the ideals of the movement, "How do I find the
boundaries of what is possible?". Who will hold me accountable for my
actions?
As I understand it, the Occupy movement is fundamentally about building
a culture and building community based on that culture. It relies on
mutual accountability. We are accountable to each other because we are
all equal in our authority. This is the root of our freedom and our
unity. We can do what we want to, but expect others to sometimes
disagree, and tell us as much. Since there are no police, no priests and
no judges, we can keep doing what we want to, with whatever support we
might or might not get from the rest of the community. It is commitment
to prosperous coexistence which holds us together. It is the
understanding that "I must make the world safe for you so that you will
want to make it safe for me.", which compels mutual accountability and
doing the right thing.
As a person accustomed to the hierarchy of American society, emerging
into equality has been a profound experience for me. By itself, I don't
think this vision is sufficient for managing the affairs of the world,
or even of a small state like Vermont, but it is a culture, an evolving
organic cluster of possibilities, not a rigid set of rules. We all get
to participate in creating the world we want to see.
Once you know that you identify with the Occupy movement, all that
anyone needs to do to participate, then, is form a group - two typical
forms are working groups and affinity (or trust) groups* - develop a
plan, and take action. This openness might seem utterly cavernous. There
are numerous ways to get grounded.
The first is the most natural in a new, uncontrolled environment: To ask
"Why am I here?". Your sense of connection to the Occupy movement is
your reason for participating. Another good question is "What do I want
for myself and the world that connects me to the Occupy movement?". And,
"How can I put force behind the change that I and the Occupy movement
advocates?". Answering these questions leads you to specific actions
that you might want to take.
If you are already active, in an anti-war group, in domestic violence
education, in promoting community solidarity, in feeding people, if you
are doing these things to empower people, to build a culture of mutual
care, you are already involved. Now you need to call it your occupation.
Other ways include reading the blogs, "friending" or "liking" the
Facebook pages, picking up some of the new books about the Occupy
movement, surfing the internet for news and discussion, and generally
engaging in self education. One place to start is our web page,
occupyburlington.org/mediawiki/index.php/Main_Page. Probably the best
way is to connect with people who are active in the movement. The
General Assembly is a logical starting point for meeting folks, but not
necessarily the most friendly. They are business meetings and do not
conduce to conversation. A new person would attend to find out what the
current business is, and to be there at the end to meet other people.
Beyond these actions, I would have to ask you, "What do we who are
active in the movement need to do to connect with you and assist your
organizing?". What are the natural channels of communication where you
would expect to see us and you do not? How can we help you in ways that
we are not? What needs doing that we are not doing, so you can connect?
In recent conversation, some of us have come to see movement development
not as recruitment, but as communication and empowerment. Our job is not
to tell you or anyone what is right or how to get there, our job is to
establish those lines of communication, to empower people to act in
accord with conscience, and fuse these diverse interests into a unified
effort. My goal, I think the goal of many others, is not to recruit, it
is to connect, and to build the community that becomes the world we want
to see.
This is what the Occupy movement is about for me. The other issues, such
as the decay of democracy, profligate consumerism, pathological
corporate greed, are expressions of the way our society has failed to
achieve our goals. Along side of the destruction of a corrupt, bankrupt
system, we have a vision of a new world which is really the only world
that is sustainable. Any thing you can do to help us get there is part
of the plan.
(* Foot note: A "working group" is a committee. It is defined as being
open to anyone, and as operating by consensus. An "affinity group" - aka
"trust group" - is a small cluster of people who work and train
together, and because membership is by agreement of the members, bond
and develop trust that is not possible in a working group. Other groups
using other definitions are also possible, at the discretion of the
participants. The key is that the participants decide how to implement
their values, with an expectation of mutual accountability.)
Stephen Marshall
11 Hungerford Terrace
Burlington Vermont 05401
Dispolemic.Blogspot.Com
802-922-1446
--
This reply email has been trimmed to reduce the
volume of all following replies, and to make
reading it easier.
Stephen Marshall
11 Hungerford Terrace
Burlington Vermont 05401
Dispolemic.Blogspot.Com
802-922-1446