Forum Post: Are any of the organizers of OWS willing to form an executive committee?
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 8, 2011, 3:32 p.m. EST by ms3000
(253)
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People have been asking how to become a delegate for the proposed 99% Declaration and Petition of Grievances. See https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/
As of now, there are no leaders in the OWS movement or executive committee that I am aware of so it is difficult to start the process. One of our members would be willing to sit on an executive committee to move this movement to the next step of drafting a declaration of values and a petition of grievances (see sample in link above). I am an attorney disgusted with the corporate control of government and the legalized bribery known as "campaign contributions."
Once we have an executive committee to implement an action plan, we need to first find responsible people in each of the 435 congressional districts to help us elect the 870 delegates.
The next step would be to select an election date and publicize that date. Anyone who is an American citizen who has attained the age of 18 may appear on the ballot. I assume the ballot process would be an old-fashioned written ballot but if we can get someone to help us use better technology that would be welcome.
While preparations for an election of delegates is going on, we need to select a venue in Philadelphia that can accommodate the 870 delegates beginning on July 4, 2012 and meeting (off and on so they can report back to their constituents) until late October 2012.
Hopefully by October the congress of delegates will have approved and voted on a platform and petition of grievances. If there is an executive committee for the OWS movement, one of our members who helped write the 99PercentDeclaration would be willing to sit on it to help draft a formal declaration.
If you have any ideas to convene a formal meeting to consider these issues, please email us at the99declaration@gmail.com
I want to help in any way I can. Must the lead organizer be from the executive committee in NY? I'm in the OCCUPY SLO group and want to make this Declaration a reality and am willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Please contact me if I can get the ball rolling. Desiregallo@gmail.com
I think we need a NYC executive immediate for very pressing health issues down at the park. You should run for one of the 870 delegate spots. A man and a woman will be elected from each of the 435 districts to attend the convention in Philly on July 4th. The executive committee will organize the elections and the venue in Philly. Remember, these 20 points are just guidelines the delegates will spend three months from 7-4-12 to 10-4-12 proposing and drafting a list of grievances to be presented to he government before the 2012 elections so they can be forced to pledge to accept the petition or reject it and allow the voters to decide. The idea is to legitimize the movement and then force the politicians in the election to take sides against or for the 99%/
So if this is leaderless, who is taking in the money? Does anybody even have a name of somebody connected to the donated monies?
I hope there aren't a couple of people sitting in Bermuda laughing their asses off at you guys.
Wait? So you are already abandoning the idea of a democracy?
No, please read this proposal
https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/
which is a non-violent means of presenting our grievances to the existing government. If they fail to enact a plan to "redress" those grievances, the delegates would demand a recall of all of the politicians elected in november 2012 and new elections. I don't think this would be necessary if the demonstrations continue and support the 99% declaration and the election of delegates.
Electing 870 delegates is not a true democracy. All of the people won't get to vote on the list of grievances. If the point of the movement is to given all people a voice, this isn't the way to do it.
Direct democracy has never worked in a large population. Even if we could use the internet to vote on each of the grievances you would be excluding people who can't afford a computer or internet service. The problem with the internet is also fraud because you could have blocks of people voting over and over again using different iso addresses and email accounts. Direct democracy would also be so inefficient that nothing would get done.
No I think the idea is to convene a new "continental congress". The first two continental congresses drafted the list of grievances against the King, the Olive Branch petition and then ultimately the Declaration of Independence.
The constitutional convention was not until much later after the war. To have constitutional convention, 3/4 of the state legislatures would have to approve it and right now that will never happen.
This proposed declaration [https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/[ would contain a list of values of the 99%, a platform proposing change and a petition of grievances to give the current government an opportunity to meet those demands and "redress" grievances as the constitution puts it..
If the government does not enact the changes, the delegates would call for the resignation of all members of congress, the supreme court and the president and the holding of new elections and new appointments to the Supreme Court by the new president and congress.
the99declaration@gmail.com
Are they willing to tell us where the money is? 5 hours, and no response.
Are you talking about a constitutional convention?