Category: Uncategorized
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/10/occupy_birmingham_protesters_h.html
Looks like folks are noticing. Let us know how the night goes #OccupyBham!
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Today alone we’ve had 58 requests to be added to our email list. Keep up the good work everyone!!
To be added to the email list email us at [email protected]
Last night we met at 7PM at Books, Beans, and Candles Magic Shop on South Side.
We had 29 meeting attendees from all walks of life. Businessmen, college students and a high-school student, unemployed, underemployed, artists, a veteran, healthcare workers, married and partenared couples, singles, parents, soon to be parents,and the childless. We went around the room, said something about ourselves and why we are getting involved. We had varied reasons for wanting to be involved: the system is broken, financial malfeasance, a desire to bring back effective local governance, paralyzing debt, wanting our voice to be heard, wanting to make people aware of the 99%, wanting to encourage people to simplify life, wanting to shrug off materialism, wanting to stand for the middle class, wanting a better future for ourselves and for future generations.
We watched this video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/poll/2011/sep/27/shocked-stock-market-trader-alessio-rastani?newsfeed=true and discussed that the 1% has no need or desire to fix the current system which makes them rich no matter if the economy is up or down. They have no need or desire to fix the system that is crushing the middle class and starving the poor.
We discussed the message of #oocupywallst and read some of the demands they are currently voting on. We also discussed that while we generally agree with the demands and message of #occupywallst and will show solidarity with them, we also want to address local issues and demands. It was suggested that everyone look at the discussion forum to add to, delete and edit the demands Occupy Birmingham wants to take on.
We decided that forming committees to work on different aspects of Occupy Birmingham would be the best way to accomplish the logistics of an event.
We decided that the committees and the group should work on consensus. It was suggested that a provision be made to avoid long stalls in the process if consensus could not be reached: this issue was left on the table.We discussed what committees we needed and decided on Art, Media (Internal/External), Legal, Finance, College, Education, Coordination, and Action. We passed around volunteer sheets for each of these committees except Action as it was inadvertently left out. If you would like to be involved in the action committee, please email me and I’ll create a mailing list.
In each of the following committees I got these responsibilities for the group.
- ART: Visual aids, Posters, signs, logo design, possibly t shirt design for events, Visual advertising, photography, videography-in conjunction with Media
- Media: Advertising (visual with Art), written articles, contact with local news outlets and journalists, photography, videography-in conjunction with Art.
Contact of possible community supporters - Legal: Locating and Maintaining relationship with legal contacts that we can access for questions about legal matters like permits, allowances, arrests etc.
- Finance: Keeping track of and balancing monetary donations made to Occupy Birmingham through the website.
- College: Outreach to local college students, organizing campus advertising, meeting space (if needed) and events (if wanted)
- Education: Educating not only the people who approach us about our message, but ourselves on the matters concerning Occupy Birmingham by teaching the large group
or arranging “Teach Ins” - Coordination: Logistics of events and actions.
- Action: Proposing actions to be take to the group. Work with Coordination to determine feasibility, cost, etc.
Let me know if I missed anything or misunderstood anything. I mostly got these descriptions just from listening to the conversations when we were proposing committees.
We discussed venue for out meeting as it was already crowded in the space we were using. The group wanted to meet outdoors if possible.
We thought about UAB Campus Green, the Hill University Center, and settled on Railroad Park for our next meeting: Thursday, Oct 6, 7PM.
We opted for a later meeting time so that workers with daytime work schedules who want to be there can attend. We understand not everyone has the time off work.
On a personal note, if you are able to make it on Thursday and you have a couple bucks to spare order a pot of specially blended tea at BBCMS. Support this local, independent business where you can.
Books, Beans, and Candles Magic Shop1620 Richard Arrington Junior Boulevard South
Birmingham, Alabama
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=161897283898543
Edit: added meeting time. (thanks Tom!)
We hope you will be patient with us as the site grows. Here you will find resources, media, and discussions about our efforts to stand in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street protests.