Occupy Delaware
GA Meeting Notes
Spencer Plaza
2012-09-12
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Wall Street has occupied our entire planet. What do you have to say about that?
There are more of us than them and they know it,
OCCUPY.
Meeting start: 1930 hr
10-MINUTE DISCUSSION TOPICS
1) The importance of intentional communities/collectives as an Occupy camp
For people who are unemployed and houseless, to be able to receive a little bit of give-and-take from each other. This is a global movement and a lot of Occupies are doing this. In DC we shared a foreclosed house and lived collectively, they’re doing this in Chattanooga, NY, … also as transitional situations for returning war veterans. It’s better to be in the safety of our own company.
This kind of thing does go on within non-intentional communities through informal work, time-sharing.
The ability to sustain ourselves without having the artificial construct of having a formal job. I work really hard now but not in a formal job. The way it is now you start working when you’re 15 at a job you hate and don’t stop until you retire/die. At some point I would love to start one.
I’ve researched joining existing ones. This is what Cheri Honkala talks about. We have millions of boarded up properties so why are there homeless people?
How are some of these collectives getting access to these properties? Without being harassed by the powers that be. In an urban situation, to occupy an existing property.
Soft-landing for returning veterans, it would have to be self-regulating, but what about PTSD, violence? Urban/agrarian can be synthesized, they’re the future.
In San Francisco we took over the Presidio and a couple other locations. Key was for the group to be under the radar. Homes Not Jails. We held one place for a year, squatting. We did have legal aid to back us.
Oxford House is pretty much the same as an Occupation.
Trebs’ farm is the start of what I see as an intentional community. You can stay there for work. Adverse possession is the legal term for squatter’s rights. The banks have so many properties they can’t keep track of them and once you’re there they have to evict, the same process as a foreclosure. If you can hang in there for 7 years it’s your property (in DC its 23 years). And be peaceful, good neighbors. The police have more urgent issues to deal with than sensible, well-managed households. It works.
REPORTS-BACK
Last week I sent an email to Rev. Andy at Hanover and we talked for a good bit about having a political debate there. He’ll send an email to church members to get their feelings on it. Looking at the weeks before and after the Newark debate.
We went to Delaware Pride Fest in New Castle after the Wells Fargo bank action. Supporting Bernie and Andy by hanging around their GP booth. Another booth was Rainbow Chorale… from Hanover church. Good food, good entertainment.
Bank action before the Pride Fest outside of Wells-Fargo in New Castle. It was pretty hot. We had a couple people who came up to us for further information, a union worker. We got seen by a lot of people, and ignored by a lot of people. It was fairly successful, just for the conversations we had, and people who said they’ll change their bank. A lot more response than I expected. Not because it was Wells Fargo but people were responding to Occupy. Sometimes it feels like it’s not worth doing but this time it really felt we had positive results. It’s a major traffic intersection at a long light. The blinders non-response…it’s what activists are getting throughout the country. People are actively not paying attention. But they will be as the economy declines.
At the Wednesday Wilmington rally we’ve been handing out leaflets to people walking by and getting positive reception from them.
I was able to tell Loretta Walsh personally how grateful we are for her support and the porta-potties.
We can expect more of the same behavior from the new mayor as the old…Or can we?
Last night I spoke with Christian Willauer of …Cornerstone West CCR about the 5th and Harrison garden. For the upcoming year there’s going to be a lot of outreach for greening and parks and revitalization. Regarding planting winter crops, there may be some more money available, so get people together to improve the soil and provide a more reliable source. Because the beds are raised the soil dries out faster, so it needs to be made heavier. We’ll continue to develop the relationship. With a meeting ASAP, weekend after next. Rain barrels. Maybe get city water there.
NON-BINDING PROPOSALS
Make a working group to discuss the intentional community idea. There’s a group already about intentional communities in this area. On Facebook. Dan Dougherty. Intentional Communities of Delaware.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Delaware Chapter of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, next Friday one year anniversary of execution of Troy Davis, 4:30p – 6p, on Rodney Square, Sep. 21. https://www.facebook.com/events/421652114538712/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/DeCEDP/
Newark Community Day this Sunday, 10-5, or 11-4. City of Newark’s Web page.
Tomorrow night, the debate at the JCC. Andy Groff and Alex Pires have been allowed in to debate after a lot of people pestered them. They are allowing Bernie August to set up a table in the lobby.
Next weekend at Theatre N, Last Call at the Oasis, about the world water crisis. Friday, 8 pm, Sat, Sun, noon and 5 pm. http://www.theatren.org/Films/2012/September-2012/Last-Call-at-the-Oasis
The Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club is having a forum on the environmental justice impacts of the Delaware City Refinery. Thursday, September 20th at 6:30 pm, Delaware City Public Library, 250 5th Street, Delaware City
Next weekend, Sep. 22, in Townsend, 10 am, 6-hr class on environmental advocacy (Sierra Club, coalition…) Coalition building. http://delaware.sierraclub.org/content/environmental-advocacy-training-and-capacity-building-workshop-september-22-2012
Veggie/Fruit Giveaway, Fri, Sep 21, noon, corner of 10th and King. We have tables and leaflets, if you want to bring produce before the event bring it to Terry Apts, Thursday the 20th, between 5pm and 7pm. Call Norris.
Wilmington in Transition film, Thursday, Sep 20, 7 pm, Rodney Chapel, Westminster Presbyterian Church, entrance on 14th St., the back side of the church, between Clayton and Rodney St. Escape from Suburbia. Friday, Sep. 21. WiT Facebook page! Please friend and post content! https://www.facebook.com/WilmingtonInTransition — Relocalization, time-share, gardening, art, skill-sharing, etc.
Make a day of it!
#S17, several of us are going!
Sep 20, noon-3pm Convention Center, Philadelphia, Shale gas Outrage. http://shalegasoutrage.org/ A bunch of us are going.
This Saturday, the Silverside Church Green Fair. Be there or be unGreen and square. 10a-2pm. http://silversidegreenfair.org/
Ignite Wilmington, Sep. 29, sortalikea mini-TED. Topics range, everyday folks give 5-minute talks, on any topic. ignitewilmington.com Looking for speakers if anybody has any ideas. Ignite Wilmington 7 is at The Grand Opera House on Saturday, September 29. E.g., a presentation of the Occupy movement!! Check it out. (An example.)
Bouncing between Ignite, Intentional Community, Fruit/Veggie Giveaway, there’s Wilmington STIR, Sitting Together is Radical. Really cool. Microfinancing. Local, small-granting community improvement. http://wilmingtonstir.org/ https://www.facebook.com/wilmingtonstir Maybe an affinity group with an idea to raise some money…?
Check out the ODE calendar!! https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=calendar.occupyde%40gmail.com&ctz=America/New_York
Meeting adjourned, 2058 hr
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