Forum Post: Archive of Suffering

Archive of suffering

I´ve been joining “occupy wall street” with two strong emotions: 1) Vow! things are moving! things still can be moving today, there is a will to change which we share: and now we show one to another that we are ready to make this will speak. 2) It´s opportunity, a chance which is here only now and the stronger our hope is getting everyday, the bigger is the risk that it will slip through our fingers. If the will is something we share, the initiative is necessarily matter of collaborating individuals. That´s why i have the highest regards for all working groups and all people involved in them. It´s also the reason why I want to propose creation of a new group, whose objective i will describe.

One of the main principles of “occupy wall street” from the very beginning has been non-violence. Though, by waiving violence we don´t certainly want to shut our eyes to it. On the contrary, the fact that violence exists, that too much violence exists, is, i believe, one of the main reasons for most of us to be here. We suffer. But we don´t suffer only of our own suffering. It´s the sensitivity to the suffering of others, of anyone, which makes this movement so strong (“compassion” as one of the banners in Liberty Park says). We mostly agree on this: there´s too much suffering and there is also responsibility for it.

Though, this generality which makes the movement unprecedentedly strong, makes it also risky. That´s what the journalists, who would like to do away with “occupy wall street” in one article, point to: the lack of objectives etc. They confuse the generality of our will to change with its presumable weakness. And they are very wrong in doing so. But in a sense they are also right without knowing it. Because what is now getting shapeable will once solidify as our past. Then, we will know, what was right and what was wrong while this knowledge will be of little worth. Now, we don´t know, but we can make things right or wrong. On one banner there stood: “Woodstock 2011 - ?” The working group, which will meet tomorrow for the first time and discuss what we want is a great step forward.

Why do i think that another group exploring what we/people are suffering from is important? 1) Because to get knowledge about this is already a half way to formulate the objectives. 2) Because however the movement will come of, we will certainly not cover everything which is now in the air, and because even just to have formulated what we suffer from at the moment when the possibility for it has been opened is already a great deal.

Why do i think that a group should be created for this purpose? 1) We have to get as concrete as possible: we may all feel that people suffer but to be able to point at this fact we have to know and be able to refer to as many individual cases as we can. 2) A necessary result of openness of “occupy wall street” is that the information is getting lost in its quantity. There have been lot of testimonies spoken out, but they are getting forgotten every day. 3) There are plenty of people for whom “occupy all street” speaks, but who are not allowed to speak for themselves. I mean homeless people who are ashamed to come, illegal immigrants who rather stay discreet, prisoners, people who are afraid to lose their jobs, people who have been made so desperate that they are not able any more to believe in “occupy wall street” etc. etc.

What concretely the activity of the group will be? 1) To go, find the people who suffer, but don´t themselves find the way to join “occupy wall street”, and give them opportunity to express their suffering in the most concrete way. 2) To collect testimonies from the people involved.

What i ask for? 1) A group of passionate people who would like to do this, mostly journalistic, job (getting, collecting, sorting, selecting, editing the testimonies) 2) If possible, a space on the web site of “occupy wall street” where anyone who wants could leave his testimony (a simple window to write in).

The results are to be published continuously.

Everyone passionate to work on “archive of suffering” is very welcome to join!

All the best to all occupiers,

r.