GA Notes – Nov. 3, 2011

GA Notes 11.3.11

Facilitator: Camilo; Stackers: Cyd, Cynthia; Notetaker: Erica

 

Agenda Items:

Announcements

Working Groups reports

Relocation discussion

Court support for those arrested at Yale Park

Constitutional Amendment

Website/Name change/Following process

Group Process proposal

Announcements:

Sarita Cargas has stepped up to help organize the teach-ins on campus

next week, which are to take place Wednesday and Thursday 11:30-2.

Weather permitting the teach-ins will take place in Zimmerman Plaza,

otherwise they will be in the SUB. The teach-ins are being held in

response to a national call to hold teach-ins on issues concerning the

local area. Sarita is looking for students and movement participants

to deliver talks on these issue. Someone is already offering to do a

presentation called GA 101, she suggested perhaps someone do a

presentation on the movement nationally and internationally.

Foreclosures in New Mexico was also presented as an idea.  The goal is

to inundate the students with facts; she would like to host a

poster-making session at 3:00pm in Yale Park weather permitting, in

the SUB for cold weather. She would like flyers to be designed as

well.

 

The GPSA would like a liaison from the group. Contact Santhosh if you

are interested in taking on this role. I understood that this person

should be a Graduate or Professional student.

 

There will be a discussion gallery in the SUB at 5, Monday, 11.7, a

time to share and talk.

 

Sunday, at 11:30 Derek will be facilitating a conversation on

systematic racism and privilege in Yale Park.

 

To add to the presence in the Dia de los Muertos, Monica will be part

of an altar building effort related to the people of 99%. Any

additions to this altar are welcome.

 

Bill from the foreclosure working group announced that NM is 2nd in

the country for foreclosures, which is tied in  to racism and

classism. Monday at 5pm, they will be rallying (meeting?) at El

Mesquite Supermercado on Central and San Pedro. They are working

towards calling a moratorium on foreclosures in New Mexico. Contact

Bill or Amalia for more information.

 

Jen is speaking to a Charter School tomorrow. She was put into contact

by Summer. Derek may be there.

 

James is checking in to a live streamcast happening November 9th at

530, nationwide. He’s not sure if it is a move by Bernie Sanders to

gain popularity. Check with James for more information.

 

Wednesday’s (11/2) Ride the BUS / STRIKE up a Conversation bus action was really successful.

 

Reminder: This Saturday’s (11/5) action at Bank of America in Uptown in

solidarity with the national bankTRANSFERday and MoveOn

Cynthia needs fliers to be printed for the Save Our Chile event.

 

We need to come up with a list of criteria for a new encampment location.

 

Agenda

Consensus: We will support those in court who were arrested for civil disobedience the night (Tuesday 10/25) UNM removed us from Yale Park. Talk to Brittany for more information. Occupy the Courthouse, wear your 99% t-shirts, hang out.

 

Discussion: Regarding the General Assembly Guidelines. The

third working draft was read to the General Assembly. Some of the

concerns raised were:

-Understanding that this is a basic tool, I feel we have done a pretty

good job sticking to consensus.

-Stack before meeting doesn’t make sense. (Order issue)

-Anti-oppression politics needs to be in stacking model.

-Flexibility is an asset in this General Assembly, and as such, there

needs to be room for it in the proposal.

-Names of working group and times and dates need to be posted.

-100% Consensus? Needs to be part of the larger conversation.

-Is the proposal available online? (Yes, a link is posted on facebook,

the document has been posted at occupyalbuquerque.org. Please note

this is a working draft, which means there is work to be done to it.)

-Can there be revision numbers on the draft. (Yes, thank you for the suggestion)

-Feelings that the wording is lengthy, patronizing, complicated,

presumptive, and black and white.

-Is there room in this proposal for rescinding decisions?

-Not clearly laid out. Agenda? Discussion?

-Can we put it out on the internet and break it into smaller parts for

discussion?

-New Mexico is a very unique place because of the history we have

diversity and interesting patterns of behavior.

-How do proposals come up?

-This document needs to honor to General Assembly we’ve had up to this point.

-We need to acknowledge that by participating, we are all part of the

process of the creation of this document.

 

Consensus: Because the bus action was so informative, educational, and community

building, we would like to make this a regular action. Every Tuesday

4-6, we will get on busses with posters, t-shirts, and educational

materials.

Some things that came up in discussion were:

-The media ate it up!

-We were able to check the pulse of Albuquerque people.

-There were many stories that came back from the action.

-We were able to spread the word.

 

-Move the discussion to priority for the topic of an amendment to The Constitution, it has been waiting patiently to be discussed. Sunday’s GA would be an appropriate meeting for discussion.

 

Discussion: Websites/name change/following consensu

-The name change did not follow the standard consensus procedure since the proposal would have been tabled with the block that was presented in the meeting. (This statement was Directly Responded to as incorrect.  Clarification: there was a block at one point in the name change meeting, but that individual later changed his response to a stand aside after 1-on-1 mediation and hearing more from the whole group. The person who blocked and then stood aside at that meeting was in attendance and agreed with the clarification).

-The discussion regarding the name change was involved, beautiful, lengthy, and eye-opening.

-The meeting had about half as many members from the beginning of the GA to the time the name change was passed through consensus.

-People had discourse and came to agreements.

-There was a population of people who were not at the GA when the decision was passed, and would not have supported the decision to change the name had they been there.

-It is everyone’s responsibility to be there to speak up for oneself.

-It is everyone’s responsibility to acknowledge when the whole voice is not part of the conversation, and agree to wait for the whole voice for big decisions.

-There is frustration with the argument in the first place and that it has continued. There are ways to work together and move forward with positive and productive momentum.

-There are feelings of exclusion, and a basic trust issue involved.

-What is our public face?

-occupyalbuquerque.org, unoccupyabq.org, occupyburque.org: differences, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for working together.

-How can we use technology and cooperation to provide means of communication with the part of the group that can’t make it to general assemblies?

-Effort went into the domain name ABQGA.org, and could provide a solid compromise.

-Reiteration of the idea of trust. If you were not present on the meeting an assembly was held, you have three options: set aside your objections to it, leave the collective, or come back and propose a better way.

-A reminder that we a non-violent community of people. Non-violence applies to speech and how we’re speaking to each other.

-Remember our ultimate goal. It is possible to remain in relationships.

-Bottom line, there was a heartfelt consensus already made on the name.

-Larger awareness of when decisions regarding this topic will be made

-We may not be in consensus about the name anymore, we may have to bring the discussion back to the table.

-Whatever the outcome is, we need to work together in a way that is not subversive.

-Trust in our fellow people to make decisions that reflect the whole

-Trust that our fellow people are not going to fight decisions made by General Assembly or talk badly of decisions, or act outside of consensus.

-All websites work together to work toward a global movement.

Proposals re: Websites/name change/following process

Proposal: People who are unsettled about the name change will come together in consensus process (fish bowl/small group) outside of a GA to reach an understanding.

Proposal: Rename ourselves Occupy Albuquerque.

Proposal: Bring the name change/websites/following process discussion back to another GA to come to a new consensus.

Proposal: Do not revisit the name change. Keep the websites as they are.

Proposal: Everything in the public sphere must go through consensus.

Proposal: Someone who feels really strongly about an issue but can’t be at the GA, will have someone who can be at the GA, propose to table that issue’s discussion.