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    Occupy Boston Does It Right

    By Dan Kervick on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 8:17pm |

    I mentioned in a previous post that I think the Occupy movement needs to do more outreach, develop improved channels for participation for those who are not actually staying in the encampments, and avoid building walls between those "inside" the movement and "outside" the movement.

    Well, I  was just browsing some of the OWS websites, and took a look at the Occupy Boston site.  I think those folks really have the right idea!  The site is inviting and clear.  There is a "participate" menu control that drops down to present various options for participation by speakers, educators, entertainers and others.  Clicking on the control takes you to a very clear "get involved" page:

    http://www.occupyboston.org/get-involved/

    There is also an easily navigated calendar on the right-hand side of the page.

    The whole site is very inviting.  Basically, Occupy Boston sounds like a fun and interesting place to visit, one that is welcoming for anyone to drop in, a place where you can learn something, get a chance to take a class, get informed, raise your consciousness, hear some speakers, hear some music and participate in some kind of activity.  I think I'll try to go there this weekend.  Here's an example of the activities on Saturday and Sunday ("FSU" stands for "Free School University"):

     

    Saturday, October 29
    9:00am
     Open Group Meditation
    10:00am
     FSU Workshop: The Practice of Non-Violence and Civil Disobedience
    12:00pm
     Faith and Spirituality Group Meeting
    12:30pm
     Non-Violence Working Group
    1:00pm
     Solidarity March
    1:30pm
     Yoga
    2:00pm
     Winterizing meeting
    3:00pm
     **Concert:Cowgill**
    3:30pm
     Women's Caucus
    4:00pm
     **Concert:The Doctors Fox**
    4:00pm
     FSU: Glenn Greenwald, With Liberty and Justice for Some
    5:00pm
     **FSU: The Howard Zinn Memorial Lecture Series, Fred Magdoff
    7:00pm
     General Assembly
    9:00pm
     Open Group Meditation
    Sunday, October 30
    9:00am
     Open Group Meditation
    11:00am
     (POSTPONED) FSU: Fair Trade Coffee Hour and Discussion
    12:00pm
     Children's Program
    12:00pm
     Faith and Spirituality Group Meeting
    1:00pm
     FSU: How To Run For Office
    1:30pm
     FSU Writing Workshop: The Other 99%
    1:30pm
     Yoga
    2:00pm
     ** Concert: TBA **
    2:00pm
     Art Committee Meeting
    3:00pm
     Sacred Circle Dancing in the Streets with Ellen Kennedy
    4:00pm
     **FSU: The Decline of Middle Class Incomes and Political Inequality
    5:00pm
     Lutheran Reformation Sunday
    5:00pm
     **FSU: The Howard Zinn Memorial Lecture Series, Anthony Arnove
    7:00pm
     General Assembly
    9:00pm
     Open Group Meditation
    9:30pm
     Ideas working group meeting

     

    There is also a link on the site to the "Occupy Boston Globe", Today's edition has an article about a talk by Van Jones.

    http://occupybostonglobe.com/2011/10/28/van-jones-speaks-on-moral-clarity-of-occupy-movements/

    I'm going to try to go down there this weekend.

    Comments

    Thanks, Dan. It's very uplifting---that report.  I hope you can go down to Boston and give us a first hand report.

    I watched Obermann tonight. He had a young man on from Atlanta, (or Nashville?)--anyway a teacher, who was arrested last night. He was extremely articulate and a credit to the movement. Onward, OWS!


    by Oxy Mora on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 11:01pm

    Probably due to my Irish ancestry, I both love and hate Boston.

    Damon and a number of others have had a lot of fun with the underground culture there.

    Bostonians always seem to vote correctly. Mass makes mistakes from time to time like with this newly elected model.

    But your links give me hope.

    If there is such a thing as democracy, it has to begin in Boston!

    Good show!


    by Richard Day on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 2:44am

    Hey, DDay! Yes, I love Boston, too!

    I recall at the time Reagan was going to visit China, Ed Meese (who was tagging along, too) was asked if he had ever been to a communist country before.

    "Yes," he answered. "I've been to Massachusetts."


    by SleepinJeezus on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 4:16am

    Thanks for this, DanK! Great stuff! I will be passing some of this along to OccupyMilwaukee and OccupyMadison to serve as a potential template.


    by SleepinJeezus on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 4:18am

    Hola  . . .

    I'm pretty sure many here a Dagblog have already seen this video, but for those who haven't it shows what can be done in an Occupation to gain needed attention on a very important issue to all of us.

     



     

    "They want to raise the standards but they don't want to raise the support!"


    My wife is a teacher (27 years Spec ED) and it's the same crap here on the West Coast.

    ~OGD~


    by oldenGoldenDecoy on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 6:16am

    The whole site is very inviting.  Basically, Occupy Boston sounds like a fun and interesting place to visit, one that is welcoming for anyone to drop in, a place where you can learn something, get a chance to take a class, get informed, raise your consciousness, hear some speakers, hear some music and participate in some kind of activity.

    It does look The Occupy Boston folks have created something I think has a chance of generating some sustainable change - a model for others to translate to their communities.

    A side note, when looking over the resolutions passed by the GA, I saw this which goes back to the whole "Occupy" name

    As a signal to the national “Occupy” movement and to members of First Nations who have felt excluded by the colonialist language used to name this movement, it shall be declared that “Occupy Boston” aspires to “Decolonize Boston” with the guidance and participation of First Nations Peoples

     


    by Elusive Trope on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 3:01pm

    Here is video recording of a meeting that took place today in front of the Concord, NH state house.  It is Occupy Concord I guess.  Or maybe just a Concord spinoff of Occupy New Hampshire.  The facilitator is Shawn Girard, who has been involved with the main Manchester location of Occupy New Hampshire:

    http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18186788

    Note a few things:

    - The crowd is on average significantly older on average than what we see with the usual presentations of the movement.

    - As far as I know, there is no encampment in Concord.  There is talk of finding indoor meeting places.

    - They are unfamiliar initially with the meeting procedures, but quickly get into the spirit of the mic check.  Shawn fills them in a bit.

    - I can also personally attest that the general tenor and orientation of the discussion is different that what I have observed in the Manchester group.

    I think these are all positive developments, and that the movement is growing into something with a broader base, and more diverse means of participation and organizing.

    Unfortunately, I did not hear about this meeting before it occurred, or else I would have gone to it.

    Also, I continue to think that the consensus methods the group insists on using are confusing and somewhat bizarre.  Notice that someone offers a proposed statement of "common ground".  At that point, the options for others appear to consist in either (1) doing a "block" which signifies that your opposition to the proposal is such that you will leave the movement if the proposal is adopted - and debate will ensue, or (2) signifying your consent that the proposal be adopted as the consensus of the group.

    That's bizarre.  What of you are opposed to the proposal but not so much as to leave the group if it is adopted?


    by Dan Kervick on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 9:36pm

    Hey Dan...

    I guess you'd have to be there to make a decision on what to do if you are opposed to the proposal but not so much as to leave the group if it is adopted.

    At this very early stage, and taking into consideration it's up to the the local people that are developing their organizing, there will no doubt be a lot of gray areas to consider and work out before things gel...

    ~OGD~


    by oldenGoldenDecoy on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 1:18am

    I thought there was some kind of finger wiggle deal? Like you wiggle 'em high to show you like something completely ... wiggle in the middle to say you like some stuff but not other stuff ... and then something low to say, "damn, that sucks."

    What's bizarre about that? (or is that just in NYC?)

    What of you are opposed to the proposal but not so much as to leave the group if it is adopted?

    If your opposition is important enough to want to register it with the group or possibly recommend a modified course, just do a block and use the debate to note you wouldn't leave over it but would like to formally register your concern and solicit feedback from the group. If you already weren't so opposed as to leave anyhow, go with the group response to your concern and join the consensus on the statement. That's how I'd do it.

    What did they ever decide on the asking folks not to carry guns thing?


    by kgb999 on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 7:17am

    The bizarre thing is that there is only a debate if someone is willing to put a block on it.   That's strange.  It reduces the concept of a block to absurdity.

    just do a block and use the debate to note you wouldn't leave over it but would like to formally register your concern and solicit feedback from the group.

    That's what I mean.  What point is served by such a Byzantine convention?  You first make a statement to the effect that you would leave the movement if the proposal is adopted, and then during the debate you say you didn't mean it.  Why not just address the matter in a more straightforward and deliberative manner.

    A more rational and productive procedure is for someone to second the proposal, and then  for others to propose amendments after debate, and then to debate the amendments and vote on their inclusion or exclusion in the statement, so that the document that emerges is the product of rational and methodical deliberation, rather than group grope and crowd coercion.

    Anyway, I suspect that as the movement evolves, it will adopt these more conventional democratic procedures in a natural way, since they have stood the test of time as the best way of organizing meetings and decision-making among leaderless democratic groups.


    by Dan Kervick on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 12:11pm

    I don't know that they ever decided anything on the guns.


    by Dan Kervick on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 12:10pm

    A new video from Occupy New Hampshire:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IJGhNd3r8E&feature=player_embedded


    by Dan Kervick on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 2:57pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VFX-DDef8GQ


    by Dan Kervick on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 3:04pm