Friday, October 7, 2011

Occupy Together



The Wall Street occupation is gaining support. Business as usual in corporate America is making people angry. The gap between rich and poor continues to widen. The top 1% of the population now owns 40% of this country’s wealth; the bottom 40% holds less than 1%.

Finding creative solutions to these problems will require us all to work together. Start conversations with family, friends and neighbors. Find common passions. Address human needs in our communities. Pressure elected officials to do the same.

Organize

Choose an issue that is important to you. Join together with like-minded family, friends and neighbors. Learn how to run a meeting. Set broad goals and specific objectives.

Don’t rely solely on the Internet. Reach out to poor people, people of color, high school and college students, working mothers. Find common ground. Build a diverse movement.

Practice democracy. Struggle through the process of building consensus. Commit to nonviolence. Choose your battles.

Have Fun

Practice sharing. Use theater and art to get your message out into the world. Create a drum circle. Throw a party.

Practice civil disobedience. Practice civility. Use theater to rehearse your nonviolent actions. And remember, if you happen to get arrested for a cause that you believe in...smile!