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Hi!
You are invited to attend the Occupy (Inter)National Gathering 2013 being held Aug. 21-25 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We look forward to seeing you there!
Please Share with your Networks!
NGWG2013
Occupy (Inter)National Gathering 2013 Press Release
MEDIA ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2013
PRESS RELEASE FOR THE OCCUPY (INTER)NATIONAL GATHERING AUGUST 21-25
KALAMAZOO MICHIGAN
Who/What
OCCUPY (Inter)National Gathering 2013
Attendance encouraged by all Occupiers and
interested parties. Occupy Kalamazoo will be hosting the second round of
Occupy National conferences, August 21-25, 2013, following the wildly successful Occupy National Gathering that took place in Philadelphia, PA, July 2012.
We, the National Gathering Working Group
2013 (NGWG2013), propose a National Gathering of the Occupy Movement,
and peoples’ movements worldwide, in Kalamazoo Michigan, to collectively
assemble and embrace our different ideologies and perspectives; to find
our common visions; to share our strategies and actions; and to leave
this gathering with steps we can all take in both agreement and
diversity; for ourselves, our communities, our nations, and for all of
us all over the world.
We further propose that our convergence begin on Aug. 21
and continue for five days of Community and Movement building exercises
including speakers, teach-ins, and free-flowing open discussion at a
location to be determined by the Occupy Kalamazoo General Assembly
(UpJohn Park is being negotiated). We believe it’s time the people of
the world spoke to each other about how to make a better world. We ask
you to converge with us, to bring your ideas, your struggles, and your
voice and come to Kalamazoo! There will be a special focus on
indigenous peoples, race, gender and class throughout the convergences.
Occupy National Gathering working group
(NGWG2013) is a coalition of Occupy movements from cities around the
world, uniting in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and with Occupy and
peoples' movements worldwide.
Where
Many people ask why Kalamazoo? Bill Moyer
said it best on a planning call, that Michigan is a hotbed of activist
activity at this moment in history. Environmental issues plague the
state and the Great Lakes; the political situation rallied tens of
thousands as Rick Snyder eroded the state's unions; there are Drones
bases and a solid anti-war base, and Kalamazoo has a reputation for
being the sixth-meanest city in the country towards its homeless
population. A homeless Bill of Rights is being worked on by Occupy
Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo is a Pottawatomie word that is
said to mean "the Land of Boiling Water". On July 25th, 2010, the
Kalamazoo River was destroyed as over 1 million gallons (a publicly
stated figure) of Tar Sand Oil, along with 40% of that volume in
Benzene, was pumped into our river at high pressure for more than 17
consecutive hours, killing everything in the river for almost 40 miles.
The Tar Sand Oil (literally the most harmful kind of oil possible) is
so dense that it sank to the bottom of the river. There most of it now
sits, loosely covered by sand in the bed of the Kalamazoo. More than 60
people and countless animals and plants are dead because the Oil
Company Enbridge found a cover-up
to be more cost efficient than addressing their mess. Whereas Enbridge
employees were covered in protective gear and would be sent home the
spill breached a 500-yard perimeter, trailer parks and homes within 500
yards were told to simply shut their windows. During Christmas Week
2011 alone, 5 trailer-park residents died as a result of health
complications controversially linked to the Tar Sands Oil spill..
Why/Theme
The focus of the Occupy National Gathering
will be leadership building and people powered training, education, and
actions. To empower people with trainings to take back to their
community and spread positive and effective change in their communities.
Aug 21st: Renew Kalamazoo and your community.
Aug 22nd: Making and Supporting Free, Unfettered Media
Aug 23rd: Fixing Fossil Fuels and Creating an Environmentally Sustainable Future.
Aug 24th: Economic and Trade Justice, Equal Access and Ending Corporate “Personhood”, Asserting the People’s Sovereignty.
Aug 25th: Ending War and Our Police State, Building Peace and Cooperation.
A global conversation
A multi-month building action which many countries may participate in, including a massive digital conference taking place August 22nd-24th.
Each day will also have a global component and conversation based on
the needs and issues of the global community, roughly paralleling, but
by no means restricted to, the daily themes. The Global work, like
NatGat2 itself, is a work in progress and will be developed by
participating groups. Please join our global partner, Via22, for
monthly mumble meetings 22nd of each month on the occupytalk.org server, Via22 room. More info on facebook and the Via22 website and Hub on InterOccupy.
Tour of the Kalamazoo River
Home of the Enbridge Oil spill in 2010 "The Largest inland oil spill in U.S. History"
Occupy Summer Support Tour for #OpOK
The Occupy Caravan type Summer Tour for Change has been re-directed to
supply much needed support in Oklahoma. The Occupy Summer Support Tour
will begin June 8th
in solidarity with UTW’s GLobal “UnFuck the World” Concerts happening
in LA, Brisbane, London and others. Maike Both of UTW has been working
with National Gathering 2013 here in Kalamazoo. Local community
empowerment with media and training, holding teach-ins, art and
education, potential direct actions, and also donation and fundraising
for the Occupy Sandy relief effort.
Join the Summer Support Tour for #OpOK!
Find a ride/housing to volunteer
To plan a June 8th benefit event
The Occupy National Gathering, like all
Occupy events, strives to be free and provide Mutual Aid for essentials
like food, water, sanitation, housing, transport, media and support. All
services are provided free by volunteer teams and participants. Donations to defray unavoidable costs accepted through our fiscal sponsor, AfGJ. Please select Occupy National Gathering under Cause.
At the Gathering:
Housing/Transport
We hope to be offering multiple housing and recreational spaces. Sign up if you need or have housing or a ride to offer. We encourage Occupys, individuals and organizations to self-organize Occupy Caravans from your city or region to Kalamazoo. Join the Team to help with organizing Housing and Transport.
Food
We are donating time on Co-op farms, and outreaching with local
business and farmers, gathering natural and healthy food to provide
during the event. Food and Support teams forming! Join the team!
Entertainment
There will be nightly entertainment, including featured artists, poets,
musicians, and djs, as well as a campfire and drum circles. Also
planning a benefit concert, and encourage artists of all mediums to
inquire for space for expression.
Watch the conference on Livestream:
OccupyDetroitOfficialChannel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupy-detroit
Occupy Kalamazoo: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupykalamazoo
Join Our Weekly Planning Conference Call
Every Wednesday at 8pm EDT until the Occupy(Inter)NatGat2013
Help Plan Events and Activities, Offer to Speak, Teach, Run a Workshop. Join the Team to help with one of the many aspects of Support.
Participants/Endorsements So Far:
InterOccupy | Occupy Bergen County (NJ) | Occupy
Buffalo | Occupy Enbridge | Occupy the Environment |
Occupy Homes | Occupy Love | Occupy Racism | Occupy
Raleigh | Occupy Sandy NJ
| Occupy Sandy NYC | #OpOK | Strike Debt | Via
22 | Air Occupy | Global Revolution Media | Occupy
Global Media (GOM) | The A9 Network | The Media
Consortium | Unfuck The World, Featuring the Summer Support/Love
Takeover Tour | David Cobb and Move to Amend | Public
Citizen Global Trade Watch: Stop the TransPacific
Partnership | Bill Moyer and the Back Bone Campaign | Idle
No More Michigan | Dr.
Ott | Alliance for Global Justice | Battle Creek Oil
Spill | Code Black | Dept. of Peace | Food and Water
Watch | Earth First | Louisiana Shrimp Alliance |
Kalamazoo City
of Compassion | Kalamazoo Non-Violent Opponents of War (KNOW)
| March against Drones | Michigan Ban Fracking | Michigan
Home Defense | Michigan Tar Sands | Mutual Aid Dcats
| National Homeless Coalition | National Law Center on
Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) | New York Against Fracking
| The Poor Peoples Campaign | People United for Sustainable
Housing ( P.U.S.H Kalamazoo) | Road to USSF 3 | Shut Down
Palisades | United States Social Forum | Wesleyan Peace
Center
More Info:
Websites:
http://occupynationalgathering.net/
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2/
Social:
Occupy National Gathering on Facebook
National Gathering 2013 in Kalamazoo Facebook Planning Group
@Ng2Kzoo
@NATGAT2013
RebelMouse
#NatGat2 #natgat2 #NatGat2013 #natgat2013#Ng2Kzoo #OccupyKalamazoo
Email:
Join the email lists for discussion and planning:
Contact:
Chris Whamoff, OccupyNatGat2, Occupy Kalamazoo
Email: Natga...@gmail.com
Phone:269-929-5339
Lisa Leggio, OccupyNatgat2, Occupy Kalamazoo, Occupy Sandy, Unfuck the World
Email: geetarc...@yahoo.com
Phone: 616-928-8483
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