Occupy Central Vermont

Intro:

Facilitators: Cecile and Jeremy

Notes: Er!c & Yeshua

This is a semi-structured discussion group – inspired by Open Spaces Technology – as an alternative to our typical General Assembly (GA).

Agenda:

• Overview/Intro/Consent on Agenda
• Announcements
• Discussion Group Intro
• Define Topics
• Discussion Groups
• Summary / Review
• Working Group Break Outs

Announcements:

• Leah: Petition about Citizen’s United – Montpelier
• Eroc/David: This coming Monday @ 4pm in support of our legislation front of State House to shut down Vermont Yankee –convergence of people and state legislature against a rogue corporation. Decommissioning Alliance meeting afterwards – Feb 5^th non-violent direct action training 10-6
• Yeshua: finance working group is in the process of compiling our financial information – as this takes time, and we want to ensure transparency, we have written a Statement of Purpose & Intention in an attempt to share our current perspective with the General Assembly and show our commitment to transparency and open discussion. Please comment & share your thoughts.
• Jay: West Coast shut down banks, occupy abandoned hotel, and East Coast (DC) courts – big stuff still rolling
• ???: movie: End of America, w/ Namoi Wolf – Wednesday Jan 25 @ 7pm – anyone know where?
• John: Obama administration trying to push for settlement against banks and not investigating – call Vermont Attorney General Sorrel – We need contact info! Please lookup and post in comments!
• Brian: Saturday 28^th 5pm Labor Hall on Granite St in Barre – debut of new film about Irene in Vermont – “Strength of the Storm”
• Jeremy: SOPA/PIPA off the table for now (Stop Online Piracy Act / Protect IP Act)
• Coffee hour at REACH afterwards (5pm today) – pass hat for coffee – $8.68 collected
• “This changes everything” occupy wall street and the 99% movement – yesmagazine.org/owsbook
• facilitation will ensure we have a topic for the next discussion, by this coming Saturday (1/28), our next General Assembly

 On into our Discussion.. 

• Todays Theme: Why do you participate, why are you here?
• Ideas: post your idea, note the format of the idea/discussion
• Reporter: summarize, in 1 minute, the discussion
• Law of the Two-Feet: use your two feet when you either are not learning or not contributing

Ideas:

1. Discussion: What’s working and what’s not about our General Assembly: CecileIssues with hard to hear – Leah may be spokesperson, but others are are affected

   Annunciation and speed are difficult

   Maybe at beginning of meeting, Facilitation can ask for hearing buddies for those who need it?

   What works? Action, we’re starting to move and build momentum – people being involved helps

   announcements very helpful each week – connecting people – providing convergence of different peoples / backgrounds / interests

   reach out to other groups regarding direct action (even beyond Occupy)

   “I have 30 minutes to donate each week, I don’t really care what the action is, I’ll participate in all of them, but I need to be told what to do and where to go” – help me have a way to participate

   could be notified via: site to look at with direct action listed, urgent highlighted; call at announcements; post to blog; announcements; txt– scheduled 1 week ahead of time

   proposal process – needs to be quick and light. Things break down after discussion. Call on down hands to find out what they are against or have an issue with – then reintegrate into new proposal (updated) – consensus check and amend until we are set

   we have a lot of programming to over come, in regards to making consensus work
   even the idea that consensus is something we are inherently unable to attain – wouldn’t even this thought keep us from reaching consensus? how does our own thinking keep us from achieving that feeling of bliss when the group is able to come to a solid agreement on an issue, particularly after a lively debate or participatory action.

   it is easy to get tripped up and caught up with the battle mentality, how to undermine this and ensure we stay focused on improving the proposal over going to war over it.

   ————————————

   Long-run – occupy serving as an open ended catalyst for us to change – develop as we need – this is for the long haul – discussed corporate power has been globalized, taken over the local governments, need to re-enliven – we want a new kind of economic development. more action needed

   ————————————

   Relationships between local, state, regional, national, and international struggles:

   Liason to other Occupy groups around the state – there are ~6 in Vermont?

2. Discussion: Whats the relationship between local, State, Regional, National, International Struggles in Occupy? How do these things integrate- Tunisia, Arab Spring, London, Occupy Wall Street, West Coast? (Jay/Brian)Economic analysis – seeing the global effects of capitalism- globalization these struggles integrate through this focus on economics

   Economic order is supported by Military order social justice, nukes, economics all part of a movement but the basis is the military

   Nonviolent aspect is attractive to folks. Builds the relationship between movements. Intention for peace and the action speaks. People to people conectivity.

   Process of Direct Democracy has depth that other movements have lacked. Listening to each other and the commitment to a deep systemic analysis

   Movement of Movements more than just a response to immediate surcumstance- focus on General Assembly, Direct Action, embodies longer range revolution!

   How do we bring the energy of other encampments to this community? Public actions build the movement!! how do we get outa the basement?

   You have to do this in your country! We all have to do it! All out in the streets

   An idea thats time has come – economics-justice-direct democracy

   Doing the best we can to change the world for the better

   More meetings, more people, more meetings in more places, public and private

   Town meetings only better

   Better Media NOT corporate media!! work on personal contacts

3. Discussion: Long-Run Goal: formation of a popular from alliance against the reigning corporate duopoly (Democrat/Republican) – JohnNo notes
4. Discussion: Direct Democracy into our representative democracy – Jeremy (step back, go to working group time instead)

Proposal from David: take Working Group breakout to discuss how to handle the Direct Action Working Group for our occupy?

Or a second proposal: use the Working Group break out time to discuss this (win)

(Working Group Break Outs)

Direct Action Breakout:

sense of a lack of targets around the area…

People’s Mic theatre group at First Night,

More Street Theatre Actions

Occupations of store fronts or abandon buildings

May Day convergence on the State House lawn for an emcampment coming from Burlington GA..

Support for General Assembly crosspolinating delegates, blog reading, centralized General Assemblies.

Question for Tech working group “is there links between General Assemblies in Vermont on the blog?”

Endorse Struggle against Entergy and to Close Vermont Yankee