[Street] [Ideas] proposal to table GA until Friday (in lieu of community forum on immediate problems)
Patricia Downer
patricia.downer at gmail.com
Wed Dec 14 14:56:43 EST 2011
+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
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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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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