Intro:
20 folk present, no one identifying as media, elected officials or law enforcement. No new participants. A concerned raised about the practice of facilitation asking media, elected officials etc to identifying themselves… concern was an interpratation that this meant OCVT was anti-media presence etc. Folks clearly articulate a consensus reached that the goal is to just know if those are present and that they are welcome. It is about disclosure as it may change how folk express themselves during GA.
Agenda Review:
Consent to agenda and facilitation (Cecile, Jeremy, E-rock (notes), Kelly(Welcomer))
- WG report-backs
- facilitation WG
- vision WG
- election WG
Working Group Breakouts:
Election, Facilitation, Art, Education and Empowerment, Vision
WG report-backs:
Education and Empowerment
Reminder Feb 4 and 11 Fred Magdoff will be presenting on Economics tba 1-3pm. Started a discussion list for the alternating discussion focused GA’s
Tech/Media
Wants to meet up with point people to offer tech assistance- blog posting, email disc. List, etc. Going to be asking for stories for a new aspect on web, like a letters to Shumlin thread. Brian T. will help Yeshua with getting word out about GA’s.
Arts/Theatre/Outreach
Met with Leah, who wants outreach to join with theatre. Flyers being circulated about corporate personhood funeral in Barre, March in Washington. MLK rally on Monday, reading people’s mic style of MLK speeches.
Finance
Paid bills through last year, acounts are on website for public viewing, $200 in debt. Current expenses to date- buttons, space, tech under $400. Working to get all details of who what where money goes or comes from to be transparent via web. WG charged with collection and disbursal of money.
Miscellaneous
Where’s Direct Action WG? Steven wants to be removed as point person from website.
What WG’s do what? Still a question to work on .
Facilitation
Cecile is new point person, intrerested in helping out join weekly conference call thursdays 8-9- Email facilitators@occupycentralvt.com
Facilitation Proposal on discussion format
Handout provided at GA
Questions: can this fit into a format similar to this GA with WG breakouts (30 min)-GA(1 hr)-WG breakouts (30 min). Confusion if there was consensus on this structure from last week. We have no vision for GA, no structure. Lack of clarity on how decisions are being made. What happens to proposals.
Sub-Proposal: That all proposals made and consented to at GA be clearly restated at GA and then written down and put in the notes.
Discussion on what was the decision around structure last week.
New Proposal on Structure of Alternating GA’s: Starting next week, 15 min. intro/anouncments, 75min Discussion in openspace format.(first 15 for setup, middle 45min for disc. Blocks, last 15min closure of ), 30min WG Breakouts.
Consensus on this!
Further discussion about meat of the open spaces format. Kinks will be worked out as to exactly how the open spaces process will work. Idea put forth that disc. topics be focused to larger theme of each week. Lots of support to try this out next week and see how it goes.
Consensus sought for OpenSpace Format: consensus! with one concern that more info needed but willingness to try it out.
Vibe check sought on theme for next week disc: What do participants concieve OCVT to be and what do they want to get from it.
Much support for this proposal/idea..Facilitation calls it consensus.
Vision WG Proposal:
Met a month ago, formed draft of vision statement formed from words gathered at GA in December. It’s on the blog, posted yesterday. Vision statement got a lil mixed up with mission statement style wording so when reading replace “must” with “will”.
Goals of vision statement: To guide, and to outreach. Can it be used to guide us? Can it be used to get others involved?
Vision passes out statement to be read.
Discussion:
We need language to describe Occupy as a movement to transform society rather than a community. Social justice is redundant focus rather on political and env. Justice. Civil rights, privacy and judicial type things arent represented, police state “anti-terror” etc, wants more specific language than humyn rights. Focus on possibilities as in could or can rather than will. Vision statements are meant to be visionary as what could be. No statements on violence or militarism seen within. Not all want to be leaders some want to be followers! Not leaders. Focus on opportunities and not any obligatory language. Governance paragraph- wants more perspectives represented than just get money out of it. Vision is a process not a single doc. Looking forward to the process… whats it gonna be? How do we keep it alive? Aim will get us there. Vision is trying to use active verbs in statement to portray the process and not just put out an image (or vision if you will) And lots of thanks for Vision WG and the work put in!
Election WG Proposal:
Election asks for 10min time out of WG breakout. Consensus!
Addressing an amendment proposed by Peter Galbrathe in the Legislature concerning a change that would give Gov, Lieut. Gov and Treasurer’s victory in a race with a simple plurality.
News article about amendment
Election’s proposal
Proposal:
Seeking GA approval and backing of recommendation that calls for the legislature to oppose this amendment.
Discussion:
Seeking clarification on proposal. Tabled til next week. More info asked for concerning the use of an approval of such a proposal. Does OCVT want to involve with this or take more radical approach.
WG breakouts: for remainder 7min.
Anouncements:
Barre Labor Hall 5pm. Saturday 1/ Strength of the Storm Film people organizing after Irene
Tuesday Creek room at State House
VYDA Action Potluck Friday 1/20 at Christ Episcopal Church
Remember Fukushima walk from Seabrook Nuke to VY nuke 3/2-3/21
Tuesday at 6:30 pm at Savoy film showing Miss Representation with panelist
Thursday Healthcare reform event at UU church look for posters.
Rise up America DC Rally see OCVT website
Corporate Personhood Funeral March February 21st
Village Building Convergence seeks Occupy representation at the 6/22-24th gathering (info will be sent to education and empowerment)
March called as month of action targeting Entergy to close Vt Yankee.
Direct action WG where is it? Discussion erupts…
How do proposals come through a somewhat defunct group.
Thought that art group takes it on.
Point person for DAWG still needed. Art group is a split off from DAWG shouldn’t merge back.
GA should be DAWG.
Proposal: For now individuals can announce proposals concerning DA at beginning of GA before WG breakouts and if there’s interest a group can form and meet during that time.
