GA Notes – Thursday Feb. 9, 2012

(Un)Occupy GA – February 9, 2012

14 in attendance, Facilitator: Maria, Note taker: Ilse

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Hershe is facilitating a facilitation training after tonight’s GA. There will be such trainings after every Thursday GA (~8 p.m.) and at 12:15 before Sunday GAs.
  • Barbara: Roundhouse rally Kids First organised by American Federation of Teachers union. Details on website.
  • Barbara: DOMA Bill withdrawn. Three voter ID Bills defeated during the week as well.
  • Obama Foreclosure Settlement Plan problematic. In California victims of fraudulent foreclosure cases get $2000 but prosecution of the frauds seem slim. Most of the money from investors’ side; not from banks. $91m allocated to NM in total.
  • Henry: Phoenix Urban Health Collective will do a training session for us. Details to follow.
  • Jason: national call 16 March Shut down Monsanto. Sun Trust Building in Las Cruces. Possibly next statewide action. Numbers for Las Cruces connections to Jason.

WORKING GROUPS

  • F24 report back: meeting this week Monday. Good impromptu input from art promoter who is interested in helping. Andy and Jason visited Health Care  for the Homeless. Will continue the contact. They will do teach-ins, de-escalation training, Homelessness 101, perhaps a booth, possibly medical consultation. Visited St Martin’s but they were not interested in much of anything. Henry: Giorgio O’Neal available with music.
  • F29 report back: meeting this week Wednesday. Promoting event: fliers (Motto Disconnect PNM. Banners), chalk outlines of bodies (1% making a killing), 350.org Twitter handle #occupyPNM. Event 7h30-17h30 with “Peak Usage Time” 11h-14h. Kenneth would like stats made available to use.
  • Coalition of Unions and Organisations: Meeting in SF. Link to letter will be posted on website generated by SF. (Un)Occupy asked to sign on. Letter targets state legislators about who/what ALEC is, how many legislators are part of ALEC etc. Look at letter and be ready to talk about signing.
  • FAQ: Pamphlet has been on website and no one has given input. GIVE FEEDBACK. Pamphlet will be presented at Sunday’s GA for approval. It’s OK to track changes in Word and email those. The pamphlet was generated over three meetings attended by 4, then 10 or 12, and then 5 people.
  • Health Care for the People: Next meeting Sunday 16h at 509 Cardenas SE at Endorphine Company. Please email info that might be important for working group to Sharon.

AGENDA ITEMS

Website/Internet (Amalia): Use website more, especially for working groups. FaceBook has become increasingly ugly and quite oppressive. This way we can minimise the collateral damage that has become part of the FaceBook “banter.” Link to the website is on FaceBook page. Kenneth agrees: Don’t feed the trolls. Barbara: (Un)Occupy situation not unique. Part of conference call, see the destructive energy as a nation-wide problem. Hershe: HELP NEEDED with website. At moment only Hershe and Maria. Hershe: If follow Movement Agreements not only for GAs but in all interactions, would guide FaceBook interactions as well. Jeff: As newcomer saw verbally violent rhetoric. Asked about admins [Maria, Elaine, Kate, Caro, Desi] and said it’s difficult for new people to find website.

Movement Agreements (Hershe): We consensed to spend 15-20 minutes at each GA discussing our agreements, making sure we know what they entail, are we still happy with them, etc. Thomas: Add something on solidarity with other groups like unions etc. Would work towards breaking embeddedness. Jason: We are the 99% perhaps covers that. Andy: additions etc perhaps outside of scope of consensed proposal and should rather become separate agenda items for full discussion. Amalia: perhaps first discuss the agreements as additions might already be covered by existing ones. Hershe: important to articulate each item. Jason: Perhaps In solidarity we are the 99% would work. Henry: agrees with Thomas. Not just income inequality at issue. Would like to keep We are non-violent but add We embrace a diversity of tactics. Illegal is not the same as violent. Maria: start at number one and work through list. So, We are the 99%. Hershe: not really intended as a movement agreement. Added because that’s what we always shouted after reciting the agreements. Thomas: Need to explain what is 99% eg. We are concerned about equality for everyone, a level playing field. Shawn: This clause stands out as one of the only items directly tied to movement’s mission. Agrees with Thomas but would like justice rather than equality. Amalia: the agreements were intended as an internal document. Ben: Like a code of ethics. Andy: Diversity of tactics consensed on at first day. Why not on list of agreements. Hershe: everything happened very quickly. Should be added. It’s a living document. Very important as guide. Kenneth: in favour of embracing diversity of tactics but would like it to rather be left unsaid as could be used against us out of context. Andy: But if not said, it opens possibility for internal divisions as with SF confusion. Barbara: PBS Freedom Riders programme shows the power of non-violence. Would like group to consider very carefully.

Maria: Point of process: time run out. Propose next meeting What does non-violence mean and number 2, discussed as talking circle. Consensed.

Thomas: policy versus goals as topic for another time.

Hershe: feels strongly that allotted times should be respected.

F24-26 – UNOCCUPY Yale Park – 3 days of teach-ins, trainings, art and action. 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Fri., Sat., and Sun. February 24, 25, and 26.

Hershe prepared flier samples. Emphasis on getting date and place out. Additions possible. Henry: should post everywhere also in neighbourhoods we’ve not yet contacted. Henry and Jason offer to help post. Shawn: specify Yale and Central.

Statement of message: Hershe: need that to draw people in. Amalia: solidarity action. Ilse: decide upbeat or serious. If serious something like Crisis forum based on WSF. Thomas: focus on UNM and university issues eg. university is not a democratic institution, student loan debt. Ben agrees, especially student loan debt. Jason: energetic, not just teach-ins, fire up people. Thomas: happy angry. Something like If you’re not angry you’re not paying attention. Barbara: rev up.

NEXT PLANNING MEETING: SUNDAY 2/12 in SUB after GA.

Statewide Solidarity Call

Hershe: We’ve proposed calling for a statewide GA on either F25 or F28. Which? Barbara: statewide should be a weekend to accommodate working people. Kenneth: F28 to have more people at F29 event. Maria, Henry: take other groups into consideration. Amalia: people in SF outreach spoke to many people and groups for J17. Who are these people/groups? Contact them. Offer to host GA Saturday or Sunday. Do statewide conference call to set agenda. Agrees should be on weekend. Could conceivable block 29 action at GA. Thomas: likes tying GA to action but like 25. Hershe: checked in with SF about date. They are open but problems contacting people all over the state. Not many occupy sites became involved with J17 planning. Maria: round up telephone numbers and start making calls. Barbara, Amalia: will start. Get numbers to them. Also from Carmen. Jason: likes 25 to boost event. Andy: also spoke about UNM GA. DC just called a national GA without checking in with anyone and no-one complained. Things could be different in NM. Amalia: would like to reach out so that a monthly statewide GA can eventually be established which will give us the numbers needed for some larger actions. Student groups and other outreach (Health Care people) crucial and commendable. John: get word out early, also as a courtesy.

Hershe: proposal: Call-out for statewide GA to take place F25 or 25

Thomas: not consensed on dates. Hershe: suggestion for 24-26 posted on website for some time now.

Consensus: unoccupy abq will put out a call for a statewide GA to happen either Saturday F25 or Sunday F26.

F29 – Occupy Portland’s call for national day of action to SHUT DOWN THE CORPORATIONS. We are planning a full day of direct action (7:30-5:30) at the PNM office building downtown.

Barbara: something with supreme justices linked to corporation logos. Henry: to clarify, specifically targeting ALEC corporations. Also, to clarify, call was to specifically shut down ALEC corporations. Maria: working group discussed moving picket line; creating coal dust tracks [carbon foot print leading into building]; suns, solar panels [solar power]; green hard hats [where’s my green job]; rate payers’ strike. Jason and Ilse: after scouting area further ideas: banners on parking garage, chalking on pavement route leading from customer parking lot to business office, night payment boxes filled with fliers, whirly-gigs planted around customer parking lot [turbines/wind power]. Amalia: worried about coal dust and implications. Jason: black mat in front of door. Would work there. Barbara: use graphite. Henry: suggest grouping outside as if something is going to go down but not doing anything and then have police close down place for us. Barbara: questioning shutting down office as many people who are paying their accounts there are doing so because they have received a disconnect notice. We need to respect them. Amalia: workers important. If had more time, could implement an education programme.

NEXT MEETING MONDAY 2/13 7 p.m. SUB.

[Amalia: is work being dispersed equitably? Maria: Hershe doing a lot with fliers. Henry, Jason: offer to do fliering and chalking.]

 

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