<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ">Notes from the Nov. 5 meeting, taken by Theresa Scott.</div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div> </div> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <div><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>1236</o:Words> <o:Characters>7046</o:Characters> <o:Company>The Benchmark School</o:Company> <o:Lines>58</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>14</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>8652</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">ocCUpy Minutes <o:p></o:p></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">November 5, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Next meeting: Monday, November 12, 2012, IMC<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Invited speaker: Francisco Baires, Community Programs Director, YMCA<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">In attendance: Susan, Jesse F.,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ya’aqov, Dave, Pam, Sandra, Kara, Chris H., Ian, Doug, Theresa, Paul, Karen, Stuart</div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Susan gave the charge for the group: This was the 2<sup>nd</sup> of 3 meetings where we are trying to pick up ocCUpy where it left off in the summer. </div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Susan read the notes of what people had shared from the previous week. Among the issues raised were:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>ocCUpy might better articulate the voices and needs of marginalized people; StrikeDebt.; host a debtors’ forum (connect with GEO to talk about student debt); foreclosures; we need to find a way to gauge our success as we move forward; while Occupy identified a hurt, it can also be viewed as a tactic; look at Campus Management; find creative ways for protest; look at the area of Champaign that the city is looking to gentrify and see how we can support the dispossessed; look at corporate influence; focus on class and focus on change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Paul wanted to learn who was funding the Gill/Davis campaigns and how Citizens United is playing itself out locally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ian said that the Free Press has the information that Paul wanted to look at, that WCIA had looked at that issue already.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Following the reprisal of last week’s issues, Susan asked for further reflections on what was shared or additional thoughts about where ocCUpy might go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Jesse, who is the local Occupy movement’s founding father, said that he dropped out because he didn’t see the weekly corner protests working with just 6 to 10 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He felt that the meetings were too long, people were obnoxious, most couldn’t talk, and the people who wanted to contribute couldn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He shared that he presently does things online and wants to present some ideas he has to the group next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He said that in Tel Aviv, ½ million people were protesting in a country of 6 million.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In Spain, every day unions are protesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Why not here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Given national issues like the debt, how can we put all them all together and generate a bigger audience for all we want to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jesse feels we should abandon the street corner protests until we get greater numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jesse asked if the group was opposed to using social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The idea that he will present to the group next week contains that component (the group shared that while they were not opposed to social media, we must take care to see that it does not end there, that there is actually action taking place).</div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">David<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>posed the question of how OWS occurred?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(See recent email from Susan containing links supplied by Rich P. for history) We need to think about why it captured public attention like a prairie fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Whatever OCU does, we need more people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Other organizations<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>in town are focused on specific areas of need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We need to maintain a presence out there and find our focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>David also asked if anyone is interested in helping out on Occupy the Air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Pam mentioned that Bill G. said that he would like to see people out in the neighborhoods and talking with them to get a feeling where they are coming from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Pam gave the example of caroling in Section 8 housing last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Everyone was very friendly and supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She asked if anyone was interested in canvassing with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She feels that if you have a questionnaire, it helps you to have a conversation which is the point of the face-to-face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Stuart shared that when he went door-to-door, he met a lot of great people whom he felt should be part of ocCUpy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Pam asked for help in designing any questionnaire that might be used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Ya’aqov used the metaphor of Bizet who, after experiencing failure with his opera <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Carmen, </i>was forced to work with a sextet that was at his disposal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He was forced to write for them; he was stuck with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ya’aqov said that the people in ocCUpy are our sextet, that this is our ensemble and we should tend to each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are all we have and we should take the needs/interests of those in the group into account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Numbers do not matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He also said that doing creative things like caroling may draw in people if we may not get from holding long meetings. </div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Ian said he wanted to know if the website should continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Presently it is not getting many hits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He is willing to continue to work on it if there is a desire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>can use the site for publicizing events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is also good for like-minded people to use the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>forum to discuss ideas, then work on projects.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">There was then a discussion about the listserv.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Can we get the listserv to be a functional organizational tool rather than one used for discussions and posts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Perhaps it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>should only be for messages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Conversation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>should not be stifled but it should be limited for announcements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Stuart shared that the Peace listserv and Peace Discuss listserv are 2 separate things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Kara said that she had sort of forgotten about OWS once it fell off the national radar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She felt it might be good to plant little reminders in people’s faces that say:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We’re still here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We’re still angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not that much has changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Example: putting up small images such as things we loved about Occupy or things that still make us angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Perhaps we could go to a corporate building and post some of these images in a giant collage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Have people add to it gradually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She will bring an image<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>next week as an example of what she means and encouraged all of us to do the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:green"><o:p> </o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Sandra shared that people seemed to notice her name when we posted “ocCUpy was here” signs each week after our weekly protest with our names on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She said that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>if we win the referendum on leafletting, we can start doing stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Maybe go to Lincoln Square and actually do what we wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Make a presence in the towns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Karen shared that we can make our own media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We can submit letters to the newspaper, make our own stories for the Daily Illini, the Publici, the News Gazette,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Chris shared that the movement is about presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As a movement, we need to have direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>One of the problems that OWS had was that its direction was vague.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Many are frustrated with it not going anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Just not seeing the impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There is lingering despair and we need to make it ironic or humorous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We should find creative ways to make serious issues into something that has impact on peoples’ lives in a meaningful, local level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Need new ideas to make it fresh again and remind people it is still happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Susan shared that prior ocCUpy meetings featured a lot of competitiveness,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>with men talking and interrupting and feeling the need to go on very long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There seemed to be no consciousness that we have lives or commitments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She proposed that future meetings be built on a preferential<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>option for women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>[I may not be describing this accurately and I can correct it in future minutes]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A method meaning, preferential option for the poor, for women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Susan shared how the first meetings of AWARE were conducted based on feminism: at the start of the meeting, there was some sort of art, something new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then there was information, reports from what people were working on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It lasted only one hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the second hour, there were working groups to which you could contribute or you could stay and simply chat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There were greeters and priority was given to newcomers who were asked to share first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In this way, there was a personal connection with newcomers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There was a feeling of compassion and caring in the meetings that made people want to return to be a part of an ensemble such as that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There was consensus in that if you wanted to do something crazy, you needed to get people’s approval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Pam shared that when she first started going to meetings, we were trying to do everything like OWS, even in the way we conversed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There was lots of sign language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She said she felt inhibited to talk because she may have said the wrong thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Similarly, she is concerned that we maybe not put a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">rule </i>on something as far as feminism in the way we conduct our meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Susan shared that we need language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She said that there art that is built on the concept of the wound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Artists would make a bandage of the hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In our case, we need a way to describe the hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What does our would look like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How can we describe it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">NEXT WEEK:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Susan and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Stuart have invited Franciso Baires, Community Programs Director of the YMCA, to speak with us on November 12<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are looking to him for <span style="mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;color:#454545"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>ideas around direct action, cultural change, and structural change.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <!--EndFragment--></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>OccupyCU mailing list<br><a href="mailto:OccupyCU@lists.chambana.net">OccupyCU@lists.chambana.net</a><br>http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/occupycu<br></blockquote></div><br></body></html>