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    I strongly support both Eli's amendments and the issues Katie
    raised. <br>
    <br>
    Also point of information Rachel is planning another key forum on
    just this topic on Saturday. <br>
    <br>
    This does bring up the dangers of only using community gatherings
    like GA as strictly governing body's who only make oceans of
    announcements and decisions making and have zero space for community
    dialogue. such an idiotic system is called the united states
    congress. and we have all seen how well that has worked for our
    nation. <br>
       <br>
    lets do both: Thursday GA AND Friday forum. or switch them.  <font
      color="#ff0000"><big><big><u><b>PLEASE!</b></u></big></big></font><br>
    <br>
    cheers <br>
    <br>
    martin <br>
    <br>
    <br>
    On 12/14/11 11:39 AM, Ben Janos wrote:
    <blockquote
cite="mid:CAAEHvgPKX6=+a3-5bHG=_-yQGv9GQw-_gz+ArWpmjFYNpJw6YQ@mail.gmail.com"
      type="cite">
      <div>+1 to Eli.</div>
      <div> </div>
      <div>While I agree that there are serious issues we need to deal
        with as a community, we don't need to cancel GA Thursday to do
        it. I strongly support the friendly ammendment to have the forum
        on Friday, while keeping Thursday's GA time and place the same
        as was decided at yesterday's GA.</div>
      <div> </div>
      <div>in solidarity</div>
      <div>Ben<br>
        <br>
      </div>
      <div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 10:34 AM, Elias
        Feghali <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="mailto:efeghali@gmail.com">efeghali@gmail.com</a>></span>
        wrote:<br>
        <blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);
          margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"
          class="gmail_quote">Katie,
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>I strongly agree with your analysis of our current
            situation. I appreciate you articulating them so succinctly
            and with such vision. </div>
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>I would like to amend your proposal to cancel GA, by
            moving that we continue with GA on Thursday at Emmanuel from
            7-11, but also hold the forum on Friday at St. Paul's from
            6-830 to have a focused discussion on finding a community
            solution to our most pressing problems. There is hardly
            enough consensus that cancelling GA is the right thing to
            do, and I fear it might cause tension and anxiety for the
            group. </div>
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>I would also urge the facilitation group to take your
            stated concerns into serious consideration. I trust the
            group to figure out how can we adjust the process to meet
            our needs at the moment. One suggestion I have is to require
            all announcements by noon the day of a GA, to be compiled,
            and printed out for distribution at GA -- saving us over an
            hour for time to discuss proposals and perhaps even create
            space to have strategy focused discussions.</div>
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>Thanks again Katie,</div>
          <div>Eli</div>
          <div class="HOEnZb">
            <div class="h5">
              <div><br>
                <div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 10:08
                  AM, Elizabeth Holmes <span dir="ltr"><<a
                      moz-do-not-send="true"
                      href="mailto:sherlock@mit.edu" target="_blank">sherlock@mit.edu</a>></span>
                  wrote:<br>
                  <blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204,
                    204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left:
                    1ex;" class="gmail_quote">
                    <div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
                      <div>Thank you Katie,</div>
                      <div><br>
                      </div>
                      <div>I wanted to speak to the houseless issue.
                         I'm in OWS right now trying to figure out how
                        they are housing everyone.  Thus far, I've seen
                        a huge involvement of churches & religious
                        communities.  OWS has the support of 14,000
                        religious leaders of an upcoming action that
                        will be HUGELY valuable for us. </div>
                      <div><br>
                      </div>
                      <div>I'm begging for people to start plugging more
                        into the religious community in Boston.  I'm
                        going to reach out to Our Lady of Perpetual
                        Health in Roxbury Crossing as I used to intern
                        there.  I highly recommend the same action of
                        others to religious connections they have.
                         Please do keep medics & safety/mediation in
                        the loop as the two working groups should be
                        prepared to provide support at these locations.</div>
                      <div><br>
                      </div>
                      <div>See y'all soon!  I'll have a longer response
                        when I sit down to a laptop.</div>
                      <div><br>
                        Solidarity,
                        <div><br>
                        </div>
                        <div>Eli</div>
                        <div>Occupy Boston / Wall Street</div>
                        <div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
                            href="http://www.elizabethannholmes.com/"
                            target="_blank">www.elizabethannholmes.com</a></div>
                        <div>@occupymom</div>
                      </div>
                      <div>
                        <div>
                          <div><br>
                            On Dec 14, 2011, at 1:35 AM, Katie Gradowski
                            <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                              href="mailto:katie.gradowski@gmail.com"
                              target="_blank">katie.gradowski@gmail.com</a>>
                            wrote:<br>
                            <br>
                          </div>
                          <blockquote type="cite">
                            <div>
                              <div style="text-align: left;">Hey all, <br>
                                <br>
                                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!   <br>
                                <br>
                                <u>A brief overview of my concerns:  </u><br>
                                <br>
                                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.   <br>
                                <br>
                                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:<br>
                                <br>
******************************************************************************************************************************************<br>
                                <br>
                                IMMEDIATE ISSUES  (to be resolved in the
                                next few days)<br>
                                <br>
                                <b>1)   Permanent space for GA +
                                  reassessment of working groups </b>---
                                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?<br>
                                <br>
                                <u>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</u>.   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.
                                <u>This is a top priority at the moment</u>.  
                                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. <br>
                                <br>
                                <b>2)   Long term winter solution for
                                  houseless occupiers </b> --  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.   <u>We cannot rely on
                                  occupiers who have stepped up to offer
                                  short-term housing as a long-term
                                  solution to this issue.  </u> 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.  <br>
                              </div>
                              <br>
                              <u>We need an immediate solution to the
                                question fo where they will be housed. </u> 
                              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. <br>
                              <br>
                              <b>3)  OB actions this week, next week,
                                and moving forward.  </b> 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!    <br>
                              <br>
                              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!   <u>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.</u>   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.<br>
                              <br>
                              <br>
                              <div>*********************************************************************************************************<br>
                                <br>
                                WIDER POST-EVICTION THOUGHTS - on GA,
                                facilitation, and the need for open
                                community spaces<br>
                                <br>
                                (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<br>
                                <br>
                                <b>Reclaiming GAs as a public space</b>
                                -- 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 <br>
                                <br>
                                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.    <br>
                                <br>
                                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.<br>
                                <br>
                                <b>Taking care of our own</b>.   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)<br>
                                <br>
                                <b>Prioritizing people over process:</b>  
                                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.  <u>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.</u>   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.   <br>
                                <br>
                                <b>Collaboration across working
                                  groups.  </b> 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.   <br>
                                <br>
                                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.   <br>
                                <br>
                              </div>
*********************************************************************************************************************************<br>
                              <br>
                              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.
                              <br>
                              <br>
                              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.
                              <br>
                              <br>
                              Those are my thoughts!   Please let me
                              know yours. <br>
                              <br>
                              All best, <br>
                              <br>
                              Katie<br>
                            </div>
                          </blockquote>
                        </div>
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            </div>
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