Digest – Feb 24-26 – Creating Our World

Cleveland, Events, General Assembly, Home, Local, Needs, Occupy Everywhere

Feb 242012

Digest for Feb. 24-26 (Friday & Weekend)

Good news: incinerator rejected! * Support and volunteer requests from other organizations and unions * Current needs * Petition Roundup * International, national, state news * Upcoming events * Today’s quote * GA recap links * Preparing for a huge spring – various national calls for organization and assembly * February is Black History Month! * Occupy Pittsburgh Impressions * More upcoming events * More reading / links

Weekday Schedule: Today and Tomorrow’s Special Events; 6-7 PM GA M-W-F, OPEN FORUM T-Th; 7 PM Community Chat; 8-10 PM Entertainment; 10 PM-2 AM Night Shift #1; 2-6 AM Night Shift #2; Upcoming Events; We are continuously in the NW Quadrant of Public Square 24/7 at the Info Tent

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Good news: incinerator rejected!

Great when activism pays off–sometimes it can feel so overwhelming but if we just keep at issues and show our concerns, we can see great dividends! Many in the Cleveland Occupy movement and local environmentalist groups have participated in hearings regarding the proposed incinerator… we’ve worked hard to get this incinerator rejected and it’s paid off! The US EPC informed the Ohio EPA that the proposed incinerator did not meet health and environment requirements.

http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=281644

Support and volunteer requests from other organizations and unions

Several opportunities and requests for help from other orgs lately…

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral has helped us by providing a meeting space every other week. The church is currently seeking nonprofit partner organizations to be an eleven-month site placement for the 6-8 Service Corps volunteers. Participants are expected to serve full-time of 32 hours a week for eleven months at nonprofit site-placements in the city of Cleveland. We are also looking for sites that need volunteer help on Friday afternoons or periodic help on the weekends. The program begins this fall. Are you interested? Please contact The Rev. Sahra Harding at 216.774.0409

Second, the Teamsters Local 507 is on stike against the Red Cross, and is asking for support.

Current needs

Call for bike donations! Have an old bike in danger of rusting away in your garage? We’re looking for bike donations!
Looking for items such as a fridge, stove, basically anything and everything for our new warehouse space.
Still need consistent food donations of prepared meals at the tent along with healthy nibbles for energy throughout the cold days
Donations

Petition Roundup

Petition to tax billionaires more
Petition to request immediate hearings regarding fracking in Ohio
Petition to request transitioning to clean, renewable energy in Ohio
Petition to submit ACTA to the Senate for Ratification (so that the Senate will kill the bill)
Petition to ask Senators to reject the tentative Keystone XL
Petition to ask Governor Kasich to stop the death penalty in Ohio
This comes on the heels of the release of Joe D’Ambrosio, who had spent twenty years on death row for the death of someone he did not kill. Info | Petition

International, National, State News & Opinion

International:

This American Life – Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory - Podcast on the conditions of workers who make Apple products

National:

Ohio & Cleveland:

Upcoming events

In addition to our regularly scheduled weekday events, here are some special events that are happening today! Lots to do! Unless otherwise noted, events are in NW Quadrant (Tom Johnson/Free Speech Quadrant) of Public Square or nearby in the white tent area. More upcoming events after today are here…

Special Events Through Tuesday

Sat., Feb. 25 @ 9:30 AM – Occupy Lakewood at park by Marc’s Plaza for a couple hours…
Sat., Feb. 25 @ 9 AM – 4:30 PM - IRTF Social Justice Teach-in – a great opportunity to learn about critical human rights issues and to learn and practice skills to help organize for peace, economic justice and human rights. $10 registration, $15 at the door. http://irtfcleveland.org/calendar/#120225
Saturdays @ 5:30 PM - Occupy Boot Camp – at Info Tent. This Saturday’s topic is “Public Narrative: Telling Your Story of Self, Us and Now.” We’ll review last week’s homework, too.
Sun., Feb. 26 @ 1-3 PM – Meet & Greet at Lakewood Library, main branch.
Sun., Feb. 26 @ 3-5 PM – Occupy the Rust Belt Second Regional Assembly – Oscar Ritchie Hall, Kent, Ohio http://www.facebook.com/events/223924557701212/
Tues., Feb. 28 @ 3:30 – March and Rally – National protest against attempted suppression of Occupy movement. https://www.facebook.com/events/148246915295342/
More Events

Upcoming GA Votes - see Proposals section

Regular Daily Events

6 PM General Assembly on M-W-F, Open Foum T-Th- GAs are formal assemblies at the NW corner of Public Square or in white info tent west of this area. At this assembly, proposals and announcements are made. This is where consensus items are decided. Please review stances/thoughts at viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1003 for discussion in today’s GA. Recent GA recaps
Community Chat Following GA Today & Tomorrow – Informal assembly
Today & Tomorrow – 10 PM – 2 AM and 2 AM – 6 AM Evening Shifts – Please sign up at the white tent for an evening shift so that we can maintain effective occupancy overnight and relieve people who are overburdened. Dress extremely warmly with lots of layers and bring appropriate gear to keep yourself warm.

Working Group Meetings

Check for Meetings Here

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“ I wrote my first novel because I wanted to read it.”

~ Toni Morrison

You can find more Toni Morrison quotes on brainyquote.com.

Please send poetry submissions/thoughts/quotes to occupyclevelandpoetry (_at symbol_) gmail.com. If you agree, let’s work on keeping things positive and promoting positive perspectives in this space…

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GA recap links

Thanks to all who help with the movement, and thanks to notekeepers and videographers! Please post written GA minutes in the GA portion of forums in written format: http://unju.st/forum.

Wednesday Feb. 22 Minutes | Friday Feb 17 Video | Wednesday Feb. 15 Minutes | Archived Minutes and Videos

Recent Concensus Items

2-22 CONCENSUS to hold Occupy the Heart Street Festival, tentatively starting May 1.
2-10 CONCENSUS on proposal to rent 2,400 sq. ft. warehouse space
HAVE BEEN MISSING SOME CONCENSUS ITEMS. PLEASE POST NOTES IF YOU HAVE TIME & IT’S NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE.
2-7 CONSENSUS-PROPOSAL PASSED: Proposal for Occupy Cleveland to sign on to a call for mass action in response to what seems to have been an attempt to suppress the movement, and to do a march in solidarity with a related national day of action on Feb. 28. This might involve some flyers and notification of the media.
2-7 CONCENSUS-PROPOSAL PASSED: Proposal for the person who rented a storage unit to be reimbursed for the expenses so far and the monthly rent. He’s already paid $91.59 plus a $25 initial fee.
1-6 CONCENSUS REACHED to modify 10% blocking to 5% blocking with granularity of 1 additional person supporting the person who is blocking for it to be a block per each 20 people in attendence at GA
1-6 CONCENSUS REACHED to do remembrance ceremony for Nick Christie & peaceful community involvement. Date TBD.

Recent proposals

2-22 PROPOSAL – Making friendly amendments friendly
2-20 PROPOSAL – Occupy the Heart fest
2-15 PROPOSAL – funding/reimbursements on various items to be voted on Friday, 2/17.
2-15 PROPOSAL – Partnership with “One Mad Mother Against Vaccinations”
2-12 PROPOSAL – Remote GA Participation capability
2-10 PROPOSAL to order “We are the 99%” stickers.
2-7 PROPOSAL in Facebook Open Forum for Warehouse unit rental – proposal will be introduced 2-8
2-7 PROPOSAL in forums – “Buy stock in the banks and companies we want to change”
1-9 INFORMAL PROPOSAL announced to help the poor with programs
1-6 UPCOMING PROPOSAL re “Prommunity”
1-2 PROPOSAL for consideration Wednesday, Jan. 4 for event of remembrance of Nick Christie (Ohio man who was pepper-sprayed to death)

Preparing for a huge spring – various national calls for organization and assembly

Call to Occupy DC Starting March 30

NOW DC invites any occupiers who are interested and dedicated to the NOW DC mission to join in organizing NOW DC. NOW DC organizing calls are on Sundays at 9 pm eastern/6 pm pacific. Register for the organizing calls on InterOccupy.org: http://interoccupy.org/nowdccall/ if you are interested in joining a working group. Info

Peoples Movement Assemblies Gear-Up for 2012

Movement organizers across the US are gearing-up for Peoples Movement Assemblies in 2012. Twenty-six PMA organizers joined a call at the end of 2011 and shared updates and visions for how Peoples Movement Assemblies will be used to build movement power in the year ahead. PMA events include assemblies on queer and LGBT issues, incarcerated people, ending poverty, Palestine solidarity, education, elders, Occupy groups, and many local issues around the country. Click below and read more about these events and find something happening in your area! Info

Occupy Pittsburgh Impressions

One person’s experience visiting Occupy Pittsburgh: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20469948

February is Black History Month!

Every February I am kind of whapped up the side of the head by my own ignorance, forgetting that February is Black History Month and that I’d planned to spend more time learning about history last year… and failed to do so. Thankfully the Plain Dealer is printing a month long series of profiles of Cleveland innovators and leaders who have African American heritage.

Cleveland Plain Dealer Intro Article…

More upcoming events through February

Events are in the NW Quadrant (Tom Johnson Quadrant) of Public Square unless otherwise noted.

Sat., Feb. 25 @ 9:30 AM – Occupy Lakewood at park by Marc’s Plaza for a couple hours…
Sat., Feb. 25 @ 9 AM – 4:30 PM - IRTF Social Justice Teach-in – a great opportunity to learn about critical human rights issues and to learn and practice skills to help organize for peace, economic justice and human rights. $10 registration, $15 at the door. http://irtfcleveland.org/calendar/#120225
Saturdays @ 5:30 PM - Occupy Boot Camp – at Info Tent. This Saturday’s topic is “Public Narrative: Telling Your Story of Self, Us and Now.” We’ll review last week’s homework, too.
Sun., Feb. 26 @ 1-3 PM – Meet & Greet at Lakewood Library, main branch.
Sun., Feb. 26 @ 3-5 PM – Occupy the Rust Belt Second Regional Assembly – Oscar Ritchie Hall, Kent, Ohio http://www.facebook.com/events/223924557701212/
Tues., Feb. 28 @ 3:30 – March and Rally – National protest against attempted suppression of Occupy movement. https://www.facebook.com/events/148246915295342/
Wednesdays @ 8 PM – Drum Circle at Info Tent
Wednesdays @ 8 PM – Womens meeting
Saturdays @ 6 PM – Occupy Cleveland “Organizer Boot Camp.” We’ll most likely have a healthy meal at this boot camp, and there will be homework!
Sun. Mar 4 @ 2-4 PM – Meeting at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave. Tentatively, the discussion could be on primary-related issues/actions and/or thoughts on how to use the warehouse.
Mon., Mar. 5 @ 7:30 AM – Occupy the Presidential Primary – Join us for coffee and donuts in the info tent in Public Square, and then at 8 we’ll do a musical march! Bring your kazoo, your instruments, your noisemakers for a most excellent time. http://www.facebook.com/events/281571378579290/
Tues., Mar. 6 – Don’t forget to vote in the primaries! There are also county issues to vote on.
Mar. 9 & 10 (Fri & Sa) 7:30 PM - A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer: Writings To Stop Violence Against Women and Girls at East Cleveland Theater, 14108 Euclid Ave., E. Cleveland. http://www.facebook.com/groups/162863697136978/
Tues., Mar. 13 – National call to action addressing Chase Bank’s predatory lending practices
Thurs., Mar. 15 @ 7 PM – Occupy the Midwest Regional Conference (St. Louis) – http://www.facebook.com/events/264828373580309/
Sun. Mar 18 @ 2-4 PM – Meeting at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave. Tentatively, the discussion could be on “Occupy the Heart.”

Events for next month and the future can now be found on the Events page of the Occupy Site.

Interesting Links

Occutrip.com – a chronicle of the travels of a person surveying the Occupy movement in Europe to report back to the U.S.
The Occupied Wall Street Journal
Occupy First, Inc. – Banking for the 99%
OCCUPY CLEVELAND T-shirts

Recurring info

Weekend Schedule: Today and Tomorrow’s Special Events; 10 PM-2 AM Night Shift #1; 2-6 AM Night Shift #2; Upcoming Events; We are continuously in the NW Quadrant of Public Square 24/7 at the Info Tent

Info Tent #: (216) 202-4999 | Phone Rules

Wiki: http://wiki.occupycleveland.com