[Street] [Ideas] proposal to table GA until Friday (in lieu of community forum on immediate problems)

Aria Littlhous aria at littlhous.net
Wed Dec 14 15:07:33 EST 2011


I feel strongly that before "where" proposals regarding a location are
discussed FIRST a decision needs to be made whether we want one or many
locations. In other words, not being able to get what you want is one
thing, not knowing what you want is another.

I'd also suggest that one way to address the need for more informal
discussions is to invite people to come to GA early (30 minutes) for a less
formal "update and check in session". This worked well for another group I
was a part of and can help facilitate the flow of information.

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 2:56 PM, Patricia Downer
<patricia.downer at gmail.com>wrote:

> +1
>
> Patricia Downer
>
> On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 2:25 PM, Allison Nevitt <asnevitt at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> I guess I don't understand why having this Friday meeting means we
>> shouldn't have a GA on Thursday. They are not mutually exclusive.
>>
>> I very much appreciate the desire for some community conversations which
>> are facilitated quite differently from the decision-making process at a GA.
>> GAs are for decision-making in a very large group and that requires
>> careful, methodical consideration and more structure to ensure that people
>> are in the right headset for each section of consideration and that each
>> person knows when they can get their input into the process. Open
>> conversation is for a very different purpose. GAs were never meant for
>> this. Both venues are equally valuable. The demonizing of the GA because it
>> can't be all things has been problematic. Making room for open conversation
>> is exactly why we cut back to 4 GAs per week. We fully expected people to
>> step up and organize topic-centric community conversation evenings. So,
>> let's get that going. I'd love see us go from Cuppa (5-7pm on Mondays) into
>> a community conversation about a predetermined topic.
>>
>> Sounds like this Friday will be about housing the houseless and
>> continuing to think about OB space for meetings and things. That's great.
>> Let's do it.
>>
>> I'd like to see another one on "why we're doing this and what our
>> long-term visions are". Not a conclusive, decision-making process, but a
>> personal outpouring of the issues that sparked this movement and our dreams
>> about what we think a future would look like if we were successful. I think
>> having this be the subject of a community conversation on regular basis
>> would help to keep us connected to our common ground and maintain the
>> foundation for all our decisions, both collective and autonomous.
>>
>> I know there are many hours of meetings about action planning on Sunday.
>> I'd love to have a "why we're here and our visions" conversation before
>> then. That means Saturday. I don't know if we can pull that off. I might
>> have a place to do so, if we'd like to.
>>
>> I don't have an issue with the many creative autonomous actions people
>> are discussing. I like seeing the energy and I haven't seen anything that
>> is counter to our issues: waking US citizens up to the income and justice
>> disparities in our country. I do think we need some very clear
>> communications systems so that if a group has a concrete plan and is moving
>> forward, there is a centralized place where we can all learn about
>> opportunities to join in. And most definitely need to let media know just
>> before or after the fact (if surprise is important to the action) so that
>> we can document all that we're doing.
>>
>> Certainly, if someone has an idea for some kind of action which requires
>> a lot of people or wants to be deemed an "official" Occupy Boston effort,
>> then they need to gather the support for that, plan it out, bring final
>> plans to GA and have the "official" part consented to.
>>
>> From what I can see, there are those who want us to intensely link with
>> existing community organizations as we move forward and those who feel that
>> this would allow those organizations to co-opt our movement. We don't need
>> to reconcile this, per se. Some of us can work with community orgs and
>> others can continue on independent paths. I would not feel comfortable with
>> anything else.
>>
>> That said, coming together periodically for a community-wide meeting
>> which is solely about action planning - whether independent or not - sounds
>> like a great way to keep centered and connected. So, I love the idea of
>> these meetings, as long as we're not going to them to argue about what to
>> do and what not to do. Let people bring up their ideas, update us on how
>> their plans are coming along and ask people who are interested to join
>> them. Members of the community will self-select based on their interests,
>> personalities, time available, etc. If I bring an idea and it resonates,
>> people will sign up for it. If not, I must accept that it didn't resonate.
>> I trust us, as a community, to generate powerful actions, as long as we
>> keep connecting to one another.
>>
>> Given my back, I'm not sure how many meetings I can make in the near
>> future, so I would be very appreciative if someone, or more than one, would
>> convey some of my thoughts here.
>>
>> In solidarity,
>>  - Allison
>> Una at DailyKos <http://www.dailykos.com/user/UnaSpenser><http://bostonlyme.blogspot.com/>
>>
>> <http://kossacksnetworking.ning.com>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Daniel McCarey <
>> daniel.coexistence at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> +1 Aria
>>>
>>> On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 9:54 AM, Aria Littlhous <aria at littlhous.net>wrote:
>>>
>>>> I agree with the sentiment but don't think you will be able to
>>>> successfully cancel Thursday GA on such late notice; whomever shows
>>>> up---and someone will--will feel they have a right to make decisions. Maybe
>>>> start the healing Thursday/ask for input for Friday?
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 7:04 AM, rita sebastian <rita at brandeis.edu>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Thank-you Katie for saying this...I agree!
>>>>> Rita
>>>>> Off to Court
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 1:55 AM, Jennifer Mazer <jmmazer at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>       THANK YOU KATIE (not yelling, emphasis)
>>>>>>         I felt some very bad vibes at tonight's GA.  Enough to make
>>>>>> me fear for OB...
>>>>>>       My birthday is Thursday.  One of my major birthday wishes will
>>>>>> be for
>>>>>>          OB to survive because when we aren't dysfunctional we are
>>>>>> powerful.
>>>>>>           We have the power to change Boston and the world.  Not
>>>>>> being "starry-eyed" here.
>>>>>>            I KNOW we can do it.
>>>>>>             My thoughts.
>>>>>>               In hope, Jen Mazer
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 1:35 AM, Katie Gradowski <
>>>>>> katie.gradowski at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hey all,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm forwarding this email widely because it seems pressing.  The
>>>>>>> past two GAs following eviction have felt very out of place -- I feel like
>>>>>>> we, as a community, have not yet dealt with the eviction from Dewey Square,
>>>>>>> which has resulted in a creeping sense of sprawl and dysfunction.   This
>>>>>>> email is a tentative call for a reset!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *A brief overview of my concerns:  *
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Over the past two days, we have seen hours worth of working group
>>>>>>> announcements, in many cases for working groups whose purpose and identity
>>>>>>> has irrevocably shifted.    We have seen "message" proposals, even as we
>>>>>>> have houseless occupiers who have gone days without a place to stay.    We
>>>>>>> have had a proliferation of hastily planned actions, with no thought or
>>>>>>> coordination of how we, as a community, want to respond to eviction, or of
>>>>>>> coordinated actions between working groups in response to eviction from
>>>>>>> Dewey Square. Reports so far on tonight's GA (contentious issues of
>>>>>>> storage, personal attacks, a proposal to send homeless occupiers to DC?)
>>>>>>> suggests that things are not getting better.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> While this is all happening, there are pressing issues that have not
>>>>>>> yet been resolved.    I feel deeply uncomfortable moving forward in any
>>>>>>> sense until we can take time, as a group, can resolve the question of space
>>>>>>> and housing.   I would like to propose tabling Thursday's GA, and in its
>>>>>>> place scheduling an open community forum this Friday, at St. Paul's
>>>>>>> Cathedral, from 6-8:30 p.m. to find immediate, community-wide solutions to
>>>>>>> the following three concerns:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ******************************************************************************************************************************************
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> IMMEDIATE ISSUES  (to be resolved in the next few days)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *1)   Permanent space for GA + reassessment of working groups *---
>>>>>>> Without a site, we have sprawl on all sides.   Working groups that no
>>>>>>> longer have space, GAs are tentatively planned, lots of options on the
>>>>>>> table for sites but no solid choices, defunct groups consolidating with
>>>>>>> other groups.   We need to sit down and map out the new terrain.   What is
>>>>>>> the new "site" for OB, in the absence of Dewey Square?  (don't outsource
>>>>>>> this to a working group!  let's solve it together)   Do we want a central
>>>>>>> space for everything or several diffuse spaces?   Do we want roving GAs in
>>>>>>> JP, Chinatown, Dorchester, and elsewhere? (and is it important for Gas and
>>>>>>> working groups to be in the same space?)   Do we want to rent or borrow?
>>>>>>> Do we want a food truck and a caravan of tiny houses?   And if so, how do
>>>>>>> we make that happen?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *Between now and Friday, I propose that *everyone* who has an idea
>>>>>>> or plan about permanent space take this week (facilitation, logistics,
>>>>>>> outreach, Eric, Greg, Brian, myself) write it up as a proposal, and bring
>>>>>>> it with actionable items to Friday's community forum*.   In line
>>>>>>> with that, I propose that as many working groups as possible check in with
>>>>>>> updated information about where you are meeting and how you are situated,
>>>>>>> post-eviction. *This is a top priority at the moment*.   Without a
>>>>>>> space to assemble and a concrete proposal for what space we want to
>>>>>>> inhabit, post-Dewey, we will not be able to settle long enough to
>>>>>>> accomplish anything of substance.   We'll split up, peter out, start
>>>>>>> meeting separately, stop checking in, and that will be the end of Occupy
>>>>>>> Boston.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *2)   Long term winter solution for houseless occupiers * --  At
>>>>>>> the moment, we have up to 10 people remaining who are active occupiers who
>>>>>>> need a place to stay.   At least 4 are couples and cannot go into the
>>>>>>> shelter system.   *We cannot rely on occupiers who have stepped up
>>>>>>> to offer short-term housing as a long-term solution to this issue.
>>>>>>> * Those of us who have offered space are already stretched thin and
>>>>>>> are trying hard to fill in the gaps.   Many of these people have stuck it
>>>>>>> out after eviction,  helping to coordinate space logistics and
>>>>>>> participating in GAs and working groups, in spite of the very real
>>>>>>> possibility of spending the night in a bus station.The occupiers who remain
>>>>>>> are part of our community, and we need a community solution to this issue.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *We need an immediate solution to the question fo where they will
>>>>>>> be housed. *  Possible short term solutions: rotating couch space,
>>>>>>> church space, others?  long-term solution:  outreach to places that will
>>>>>>> allow us to pitch tents (not a good option over winter)?  large indoor
>>>>>>> spaces with housing?   renting an apartment for houseless occupiers over
>>>>>>> winter?   Sending people to other occupations is not an option -- nor is
>>>>>>> farming this out to a working group or a dedicated set of individuals.   If
>>>>>>> we are truly a community, we need a community solution to this issue.
>>>>>>> Most of these people have arrangements that are expiring by the end of the
>>>>>>> week.  This issue must be dealt with, before any broader questions of
>>>>>>> message and direction are considered.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *3)  OB actions this week, next week, and moving forward.  * I had
>>>>>>> a conversation with some folks in media a few days ago about message, and
>>>>>>> someone remarked (quite rightly) that the way we make statements now is not
>>>>>>> with words, but with actions.   There are a number of very exciting actions
>>>>>>> coming out of the community organization meetings, as well as a
>>>>>>> proliferation of exciting, small-scale actions (tiny tents, anyone?) that
>>>>>>> are in progress.   Let's coordinate TOGETHER, plan across working groups,
>>>>>>> and approach these actions in a really intentional way!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This week has seen more sprawl than usual, with a proliferation of
>>>>>>> actions, many reactionary, quickly planned with little coordination or
>>>>>>> thought of execution.  Autonomous action is fine, but too easily becomes an
>>>>>>> excuse to throw things together at the last minute -- let's NOT use GA
>>>>>>> announcements as a place to plan actions in the hopes that people will just
>>>>>>> show up -- let's actually sit down and plan them together!   *There
>>>>>>> are two meetings taking place this weekend -- an OB action summit (Sunday
>>>>>>> at 1) and a community-wide spokescouncil meeting to plan for a mass day of
>>>>>>> action sometime in January or February.*   Let's prioritize these
>>>>>>> meetings, and use that space as a jumping-off point for a larger discussion
>>>>>>> of what we, as a community, want to prioritize going forward.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *********************************************************************************************************
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> WIDER POST-EVICTION THOUGHTS - on GA, facilitation, and the need for
>>>>>>> open community spaces
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> (this is less urgent - feel free to skip it if you like -- they deal
>>>>>>> with my broader concerns about GA, and how we can move forward as a
>>>>>>> community in the wake of eviction from Dewey Square
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *Reclaiming GAs as a public space* -- the past two GAs have felt
>>>>>>> very closed at a time when they need to be radically open -- they have
>>>>>>> carried on with "business as usual," instead of reclaiming GAs as an open
>>>>>>> forum (which they initially were).   In the wake of eviction, we need SOME
>>>>>>> spaces for "loose" facilitation, for town hall stye forum, similar to what
>>>>>>> we had in the beginning --->  perhaps reviving the PROPOSAL FOR COMMUNITY
>>>>>>> NIGHTS?   how to deal with the sprawl of announcements??   replacing WG
>>>>>>> announcements with print copies to circulate -- info desk at GA? -- all of
>>>>>>> these and more. now, more than ever, we need to make it a radically open
>>>>>>> space, and be proactive about inviting new people in
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In the days and weeks leading up to eviction, many people remarked
>>>>>>> privately to me that they felt OB becoming a closed community, with people
>>>>>>> onsite "taking care of their own," and offsite working groups operating in
>>>>>>> total isolation of each other.   Post-eviction, we have followed "business
>>>>>>> as usual" -- continuing meetings, highly procedural GAs, prioritizing an
>>>>>>> hour of working group announcements, and dragging on for hours.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We need to respond to GA specifically -- but we also need to
>>>>>>> actively create spaces for people to meet and socialize, building in time
>>>>>>> for social events, community forums  (like the one I'm proposing right
>>>>>>> now), discussion meetings, teach-ins, and debate -- planning them in
>>>>>>> advance and publicizing them widely, so that people outside the mailing
>>>>>>> lists will know about them and can come.    In line with this, we need to
>>>>>>> actively make use of the website, wiki, facebook, and twitter make sure we
>>>>>>> are publicizing our events, keeping people up to date, and coordinating
>>>>>>> within Occupy Boston in order to get the word out in a timely manner.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *Taking care of our own*.   When occupied, Dewey Square was in a
>>>>>>> constant state of crisis.   It was impossible to respond, react, or slow
>>>>>>> down long enough to deal with the myriad issues  -- chief among them, the
>>>>>>> marginalization of houseless occupiers and people of color.  Their needs
>>>>>>> need to be addressed and put front and center in any discussion of how we
>>>>>>> as a community move forward as a community  (whether they be clothing,
>>>>>>> shelter, living assistance, a place to take showers, etc)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *Prioritizing people over process:*   David made a proposal at
>>>>>>> Saturday's facilitation meeting to go back to loose process and allow
>>>>>>> people to speak openly at the post-eviction GA.   This didn't happen, and
>>>>>>> to date, no space for this kind of open conversation has been made.
>>>>>>> Post-eviction, we need to reintroduce a sense of radical openness to GA,
>>>>>>> even if it slows things down or breaks process.  *We need spaces
>>>>>>> for loose facilitation, even at the expense of efficiency, both to take
>>>>>>> into account (and deal with) our radically changed circumstances, and to
>>>>>>> make space for new people to have a place in the dialogue.*
>>>>>>> Strong facilitation is comforting to some and profoundly alienating to
>>>>>>> others -- at this juncture, I feel pretty strongly that we need spaces for
>>>>>>> both strong facilitation and open, spontaneous dialogue -- and that if this
>>>>>>> isn't currently happening in GA, we need to make it so.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *Collaboration across working groups.  * For anyone who was at last
>>>>>>> night's community orgs meeting, it was an amazing example of coordination
>>>>>>> across groups -- we had four solid proposals on the table for upcoming
>>>>>>> actions (from January through March) and left with actionable items on each
>>>>>>> one.   For the first time in the history of that meeting, there were
>>>>>>> representatives from media,outreach, facilitation, and community
>>>>>>> organizations from across Boston.   At the facilitation meeting last
>>>>>>> Saturday,likewise,  there were representatives from almost all of the major
>>>>>>> working groups.    It felt amazing, to see and begin to plan large-scale
>>>>>>> collaborative actions as a group, with thoughtful, intentional buy-in from
>>>>>>> everyone in the room.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Too often, we farm out difficult decisions to working groups or
>>>>>>> create new ones on the spot, rather than do the workto have these
>>>>>>> conversations.   We need to create spaces where we can collaborate TOGETHER
>>>>>>> to solve pressing issues across working groups, marshal our existing
>>>>>>> resources and work together, across working groups, to plan actions,
>>>>>>> solutions, discussions, and next steps.     More conversations like this =
>>>>>>> more work that can immediately get done (and can get done together!), which
>>>>>>> is what's going to keep us together in the long run.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *********************************************************************************************************************************
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Everything that's outlined above is hard.   We need to be
>>>>>>> thoughtful, intentional, and have the courage to take things slowly rather
>>>>>>> than rush to keep up with press coverage and the post-eviction spotlight.
>>>>>>> We also need to try, as best we can, not to trash each other by email as we
>>>>>>> work through these difficult issues.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Without a space -- and in particular, without concrete
>>>>>>> accommodations made for our most marginalized members -- I feel it will be
>>>>>>> very hard to move forward on any of the rest of it in a meaningful way.   I
>>>>>>> propose that we start this conversation Friday at 6 p.m. at St. Paul's
>>>>>>> Cathedral.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Those are my thoughts!   Please let me know yours.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> All best,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Katie
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Ideas mailing list
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Rita Monestersky- Sebastian
>>>>> Brandeis, MA SID' 2009
>>>>>
>>>>> "If you cannot change yourself, how can you change the world?"
>>>>> Gandhi
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> 'A coalition is not a family. It's not where you feel comfortable or
>>>> where you go to see people you like; it's where your boundaries are tested.
>>>> It's where you get work done." Barbara Smith, African American feminist
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
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-- 
'A coalition is not a family. It's not where you feel comfortable or where
you go to see people you like; it's where your boundaries are tested. It's
where you get work done." Barbara Smith, African American feminist
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