This is a mass action idea, so the kind of movement we are building reflects the kind of world we want to live in. Where everyone is empowered to speak for themselves. Where decisions are made based on dialogue & power with, not domination & power over. Where people break the walls of fear and ignorance to build solidarity across differences. And where the 99% are talking about the history we’re making together.
Here is the mass action idea (we call it the kittens action because kittens are not herd animals. They can’t be herded or corralled like sheep): Imagine that thousands of us instead of only marching around on a route where most of the community cannot see or interact with us, we form teams & affinity groups–maybe 2 to 5 people each–and then we fan out around the city, in front of every supermarket, at every gas station and park, on the buslines & the rail line and stations, at the cafes & shops, at the banks and government offices, and down at the DMV. We talk with people about the movement–surveys on how they want the Occupy movement to grow, leaflets for the port shutdown, street theater, chalking, stickers, & buttons, debates on the street corners.
Then thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people in every Occupy city will be talking about the movement that day. And thinking about how they relate to the movement. Because the movement will not be a spectacle–just another show on TV. The movement will be on the street corners asking them to hear and to be heard, inviting them to make history with us. After a few hours we reconverge for a celebration rally afterwards. We share our stories, celebrate our action, and build a stronger movement.
Affinity groups and teams are autonomous in what materials they want to use, but collectively we will especially focus on 2 things:
1) getting the word out about the West Coast Port shutdown
2) getting feedback from the local people about how the Occupy movement can be stronger and more inclusive for them. For the second purpose we will use a simple survey with the following questions:
1. What do you think about the Occupy movement?
2. Have you been involved in any Occupy-related events or activities?
3. How can it be more effective or inclusive?
4. What would you like to do to contribute to a stronger movement?