Forum Post: Moving Forward: Occupy Local?

This is a thread to post ideas for moving forward, to map our way to changing things on a local level. The cops are coming, and winter’s not far behind. Sooner or later, everybody needs to go home. But that doesn’t mean the movement has to die. But I think we do need a map to get where we want to go.

The current market system isn’t to our liking. I think it’s time to make a new one, because I think too many people feel trapped in the old one. Call it ‘Occupy Local.’ I think it’s doable. Setting up local committees of Occupy people will keep the sense of community alive, and we can coordinate from there.

These are some of my thoughts. Please feel free to add productive ideas of your own, so we can grow something that will work and last... and be independent of everything that brought about the need for OWS.

This is an idea that I think needs to be brought home... everywhere: http://www.ithacahours.org/ Local economies that aren’t publicly traded won’t empower Wall Street. Food trucks are a new trend, and they work because they don’t need a brick and mortar restaurant. I think supply trucks for other things could work. Stock your hardware store in a warehouse, (cheaper) and you can bring things in the truck to the people on the street. “Hey, Harry... can you bring me a screwdriver tomorrow?” Locally made... This is something that needs to evolve faster. I’m not talking about local artsy crafts guilds, either, and I’m not talking about union shops. (My apologies to big labor.) I’m talking about people making things at home in an entrepreneurial way. It’s hard, it takes start-up capital, and there’s a huge learning process. But it’s workable, and would encourage local barter systems, too. Volunteer labor. I appreciate the need for union labor for some projects. I also appreciate every pot hole in the road. Is there a way for us to cooperate with unions as a volunteer work force? This is a more complicated notion that needs work. Road building, keeping libraries open, setting up more local markets to help foster and encourage trade in locally made objects... rebuilding our own world?

---

How do we get past the move home? Please bring up any ideas for building up our own local economies, and moving them forward. Please bring up potential issues, (politely and constructively) even if you don’t have a solution yet... maybe someone else does.