GA Minutes Tue Jan 03 2012

GA notes 1/3/2012

Source: File:Minutes GA Jan 3 2012.txt

First count, 7:25 127

Second Count, 8:30 133

Third Count, 9:56, 117

<introduction>

<review of hand signals>

<review of the concept of FWG and WGs in general>

WG announcements

Housing Crisis WG:

• Meetings are MWF @ E5 33 Harrison in Chinatown @ 5 P.M.
• WG covers all issues relating to housing, not just homeless
• Won Homeless bill of rights, passed in 2 states

Ideas is meeting <sometime>

• Working on letter
• Series of concern that they’re indentifying from submissions
• Still accepting commissions
• Send concenrs to ndmc@occupyboston.org
• Text to 617-***-0742 <need more information from noah>

Library

• STILL ACTIVE!
• Reading list w/ Boston Library call numbers is available
• Please put WG notes on the wiki
• Next meeting is Jan 5th at SS mezzanine @ 6:30 pm

Restorative Justice WG

• Exploratory WG, still forming
• About resolving / healing from conflict
• Talk klayzer@gmail.com if you’re interested

Non-Violence WG

• Sponsoring an afternoon on vision for OB community
• Orchestrated by Linda ?Stout?
• Jan 14th 12-3pm at community church
• 3:15-4:45 talk about movement building etc
• If WG wants to co-sponsor, talk to Kathy <how?>

Faith & Spirituality

• First post-dewey meeting Sunday 2-4 at Arlington church

Community Wellness WG

• Friday at 6pm ?maybe at E5?
• Saturday Restorative Justice-style meeting at ?maybe E5?
• Bear witness re: Safety prop
• Talk to Rachel or Alex if this prop is too much

Info WG

• UAW covering part of the costs of 3000 buttons prev announced

FAWG

• Need more members! Need help passing out cash.
• Just about to have expenses on the wiki for OCT / NOV
• Meet Mon / Weds – Next meet is tomorrow at UDG
• Paul “Fetch” Carnes stuff – convoluted, missed part of it
• Possibility of becoming an LLC?
• Must have ownership of DBA
• Mediator was going to hold on to OB DBA pending our GA
• GA said “yes, do it”
• Carnes sued.
• Hopefully we will get the DBA back

Signs WG

• Event on Thursday E51pm-5pm, in support of Occupy NH Primaries
• Small mishap on first night – our banner drop broke the window
• We’re fixing it. Talk to jay if you want to help.
• New Facebook page! “Occupy Boston Signs”. Submit images from
• Dewey, from Marching, whatever.

Safety

• Weekly Meetings
• Next meeting 6 PM on Thursday
• Meeting is about NH primary action
• Future meetings 1 hr Before last GA of the week.

Screen Print

• E5 on Thursday, 1-5, prep stuff for NH Primaries
• Want to mass produce items.
• Facebook page exists, twitter page exists
• Soliciting ideas esp regarding upcoming elections

Radio WG

• Merging OB Radio with ?Unregular Radio?
• Listen unregularradio.com 4:30-6:30
• Meeting Friday at E5 7-9
• Live 365.com has free options to play music which pays royalties
• Highest cost is $966 /mo 128kbit fm quality station up to 500 listeners, no more than 15k listeners / mo.

DA WG

• Next Monday 6:00-8:30 at St. Paul’s, DA is hosting community night
• Affinity group training

CASA / Tiny Tents

• Saturday 3-5 in JP AT Deborah’s studio
• <get email address, missed it>
• National art day of action –
• Tiny tent making meeting <what time?>
• Tiny tents spreading everywhere
• Looking for Tiny Tinys people at NH

SWG

• Some plans for the primaries
• Artistic / interactive ways to have a OB Presence there
• Jan 6th 6:30 on Friday at NH Primaries / Occupy NH
• SarcrasticBanker GA
• brett@occupyboston.com for info

Inreach

• Next Meeting @ United for a fair Economy 5pm weds
• brett@occupyboston.com for info

FWG

• Other Gas this week
• Thurs at 7 @ Emmanuel
• Sun at 5 @ Community
• Community gatherings at St Paul’s Monday night
• Community gathering nights are full through February 27th

Women’s Caucus

• Wanting to Host a community forum, wanna reach out to women’s shelters

Occupy the Farms

• occupythefarms@gmail.com! Email list started
• reaching out to a lot of farms
• Need more people on the WG

Spaces WG

• Looking for space for OB to work out of
• Next Meeting Friday @ E5 6:00pm please join

Outreach WG

• Meeting at E5 at 6:00
• Working with Vida Urbana,
• Collaborating with SWG
• Trying to work on different models
• Town Hall WG is talking with the ideas WG
• Wednesday at 6:00 pm at boston Chinatown neighborhood center

Creating New Jobs

• Help people improve skills for jobs
• Meeting at E5 5-6:30 pm

Individual Announcements

Emma:

• Childcare provider
• Wants to care for childen for the OB community
• Providing care during the duration of the GA
• Trying to provide child care for people in general
• Any parents etc please email to help assess needs of community
• emmaobrien@gmail.com

Matt & Deborah

• Occupy NH and Occupy Maine hosting Occupy The Primary
• Need Money
• Prop for food for those protesters coming soon
• ONH Impressed with First Night actions
• Wants the Citizen United WG to put displays at OTP
• Looking for help with tents, if you can offer help call 603-721-1886
• Sleeping spaces for 140 people, missed the number
• <Missed a whole bunch of numbers>
• Art Coordinator 603-540-8839
• Some sleeping arrangements w/ churches, some camping

Elizabeth:

• Occupy Wall Street is travelling to other occupation
• Jan 25th to Deb 1st
• talk to Stephanie, Elizabeth or Farhad if you can house them or if you want to work with then

Alex:

• We have a printer! Contact ingrammi6@gmail.com to use it

David:

• Wants to make a Sand Mandala. Needs info on a place, and prices / materials
• City Life Vida Urbana Canvassing on the 14th
• Mass Occupy on the 7th Saturday at 3:00 at E5
• They didn’t talk much to Occupy Boston… lets occupy it
• Expedited Deportation prop amendments are being discussed w/ OEB
• OEB Friday at 6 YMCA Off Airport station at the blue line

Matt:

• If you are a member of another occupation come talk to him

Randy, from Occupy Harvard:

• Gates are open – you can walk in w/o producing an ID
• You can get into Harvard Yard
• Info Tent is staffed b/w 10 and 2
• Next GA Thursday the 5th at 6 pm in Harvard Yard
• Check out the video about fear and power on Occupy Harvard site
• Discussion on the origin of Money <when?>
• Lots of people from foreign countries
• FSU broadcasts

John:

• Mass Occupy, E5, 3-5
• Try not to set up walls too quick, go in with love

Brian:

• Warm love and greeting from Occupy Helsinki
• Description of Helsinki’s tents

Ellen:

• Political Collaborative Working group
• Working to engage w/ people in the political system
• Work with the process while challenging it

Elizabeth Again:

• OWS GA might be raided
• Global Rev has two locations eviction
• 212-635-9675 is NYC Mayor’s number, yell at him

Proposals

Facilitation temp checks on extending agenda process for the immediate future

Temp check looks good.

Going through agenda setting process

Noah’s prop: 2 parts. First part is an introduction of a new hand signal to workshop / table a proposal.

2nd part is a proposal to change 1 GA per week to a political action meetings using open spaces technology

FAWG Prop: 90 minutes talk about expenses in 2011 and budget for 2012

OTP Prop: $100 for food, materials, etc to help protest in OTP

Order: Rollover (safety) then OTP prop then FAWG then Noah’s

Safety Prop is first

<description of our modified consensus process>

Starting the proposal at amendments. Gunner will present it, then we, collectively,

will take amendments then ask the GA to incorporate them

Prop is for Safety regarding sexual assaults, Gunner reads it aloud.

Amendments (all of them, accepted and otherwise) over email:

That the process only deal with people whose behavior is threatening or is verbally or physically abusive.

Include medics / survivor advocacy

Split 1a and 1b into two different props

“Feeling unsafe in a sexual manner” is vague and can encompass rape and creepy dudes flirting too hard

1 strike and you’re out policy

Someone who’s been kicked out may petition to come back in.

Sex Offender WG?

Drop Section 1a. Zero tolerance. No GA Decision making.

Breaking into small groups. ~8:30

Back from Small Groups ~9:15

Announcements: Medics and Wellness are available if you need help

Also

FA: Language that "sexual assault is not welcome at Occupy Boston" added

FA: call it something other than the Sexual Assault Advocacy Group because it sounds like it's advocating Sexual Assault

FA: Group should have responsibilty for a prevention and / or intervention

FAs from Rachel:

1b should read "If an occupy boston activist finds that occupy boston activist has committed a grevious sexual misconduct..."

group will advocate for both

GA will consensus about whether to proceed w/ good neighbor agreement processs

with the understanding that the proposal is a transitional solution, form WG to deal with this issue

FA: Both survivor and offender have opportunity to speak in front of the GA or have a statement read

FA: Address context of the proposal, that this proposal came out of incidents that occurred at Dewey Square <this is an amendment?>

FA: "Survivor Advocacy WG", also Safety, Wellness, Medical, and Survivor Advocacy are a "Safety Cluster"

FA: Announcement should be made "at that event" and discuss at the next GA

FA: Language: "vote is dismissed" -> "if the GA votes not to take action against the offender"

FA: Research the effectiveness etc of the Sex Offender Registry

FA: amend language "trained in prevention" or "trained in caring for"

FA: Add Community Wellness and Safety back into the group

FA: Don't bring to GA unless the groups deem it necessary

FA: "Prevent it from happening". Also remarks that this is stupid

FA: strike 1a and 1b and replace it with other language

FA: Brand new WG to deal with this. 3,5,7 people to form a "review committee" to investigate any incidents, make proposal to GA on solutions

FA: Section 1b: replace "level 3 sex offender" with "if they person has a history of committing child sexual abuse".

Ban person from interacting with children at OB. Make parents aware of this person's history. If the person breaks the boundaries, ban the person immediately

FA: Acknowledgement in the language that this can happen to anyone of any gender, skin color, sexual orientation, age, or class.

FA: Zero Tolerance Policy

FA: Amend all language that reads "offender" and "victim" to "accused" and "accuser"

FA: Language is too limiting, include non-consensual touching, partner violence, also affirm consensual touching

FA: Nothing should happen without survivor consent, and also the GA should not be investigating a survivor's experience

FA: This proposal is unnecessary, we should follow the Friendly Neighbor policy

FA: Language that recognizes the deeply flawed legal system. Something that prevents witch hunts

FA: Include sexual harassment, and partner / relationship abused

FA: "they" should be some singular noun to clarify that the person who was assaulted is who should go to the committee

FA: Shun all rapists and sex offenders.

FA: Occupy should create a working group to develop an approach to deal with any harm.

FA: "will be asked" should be "will not be asked", so that blocks will not allow offenders to stay

FA: stop creating committees

FA: set next thursday deadline for getting something done

FA: Contact information for the survivor advocacy wg to be on OB website and avail to all WGs

Facilitation tried to sort out all the amendments, and during that we went to individual stack

Voted on: Preamble text. Passed.

PoP on facilitation controlling the amendment process

Vote on Title Change. CQ: Are you counting numbers? Answer: Yes.

Vote on replacing Part 1a and 1b with the "review committee" idea.

PoP it's time to clean up

Lots of discussion of how to move forward. Should we have the proposer synthesize the amendments, or continue with the community process.

A whole bunch of PoPs.

PoP: Facilitators can't be proposers because it puts too much power in hand

CQ: How are we going to handle prioritizing the NHP prop? Greg answers: WG stipends could be used

CQ: Can we have other issues first then move to this prop? A: We're gonna workshop this.

Suggestion: Lets allocate a finite amount of time to this per GA so it doesn't roadblock other shit

CQ: What happened to us temp checking on amendments?

Individual Stack

(occurred in the middle of the prop):

Noah: Getting together a proposal for an autonomous action,

wants to set up simultaneous GAs in surrounding areas, follow spokes council model possibility,

contact: ndmc@occupyboston.org, wants something together before Mass GA

Robin: Hello! Occupy Memphis says hello. Occupy Memphis GAs are super fast. Robin recommends travelling in the south and midwest and visiting!

Someone: Distributing media into public access TV, local media, we have 5 communities in Mass caring our media. www.pegmedia.org occupy boston account to get media

contact j@occupyboston.org. Also, Occupy Boston TV is meeting after GA

Martin: We don't have much of a trust system in Occupy Boston. We need to give each other more of a benefit of the doubt more. we should trust each other more.

Alex: Caught some flak for talking about depression. Discusses productive outlets for dealing with feelings, arts etc.

Ashley: Occupy Buffalo says they love us!

Ellen: Occupy The Planet environmental actions on and around earth day? Lets talk about it.

Gunner: First, on Sunday GA brought up the idea of having a discussion of homelessness, housing issues, etc. Come talk to Gunner w/ to talk about that

Mass Transgender Issues Coalition - video online dealing with issues of suicide

45 videos up about trans people and the issues they face etc

Brian: MLK Day is soon. Lets talk about MLK's views towards the end of his life e.g. view on the Viet Nam War.

Idea for event for bringing forward this hidden history.

Rachel: We spent a lot of time in meetings. We don't spend a lot of time reflecting on what we mean when we say "another world is possible" Lets do that more

Lets have notebooks available at GA so we can compile those ideas.

Someone: Talking about the Private Danny Chen action, OWS disrupters etc. We need to respect community organizations, let them take the lead etc.

Monday Nights, at 7, at the SEIU HQ 26 West Street, community building meeting

Chaser: There's a difference between Politically Correct and Community Correct. Lets not focus on what's right in the community.

George: Describing the actually issue that started the Danny Chen action.

Elizabeth: #J17! Occupy Congress! The last national GA was great!

Alex B: Let's form working groups that come up with proposals, not come up with proposals that result in working groups

Someone: These things are important, we should be talking about these things, they're not wastes of time