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We are the 99 percent

Articles tagged kalamazoo

Aug 21-25: Occupy Wall Street (Inter) National Gathering: decolonize the 99%

Posted 11 years ago on Aug. 20, 2013, 10:25 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: national gathering, kalamazoo

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WHAT: the Occupy Wall Street (Inter) National Gathering: decolonize the 99%. It’s the second annual gathering of the Occupy movement and allies—the first was in Philadelphia June 30 to July 5, 2012. We promise a full-bodied 5-day event with emphasis on the colonization of this country by corporations—an important public event with creative activism, parades, and, most importantly, the People being heard. NatGat2 is a place for the movement of affinity to regroup, debrief, and regain strength after the brutal crack-downs on the encampments in 2011 and targeted legislative repression and unprecedented spying by NSA on US persons.

WHEN: August 21-25, 2013

WHY: A fundamental right, essential to a representative government, is the right to peacefully gather to petition the government for redress of grievances. We activists are still working for a better world. Dozens of active Occupys and allies have endorsed and will be sending representatives. Hundreds of Occupys all over the United States and from around the globe—e.g. Occupy San Francisco to Occupy Sandy to Occupy Sydney, Australia—will gather in solidarity and share strategies to strengthen the global network that was born in Zuccotti Park on September 17, 2011.

HOW: will people get there? There is a Sharetribe site to sign up or offer a ride—or housing, or just about anything NatGat-related. Donations are accepted here.

WHERE: The City of Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Where will they sleep? Sleepful Protests in Public Spaces is our custom; it is legal in Kalamazoo. However, there are other options. The Lamplighter Inn in Comstock on the border of Kalamazoo will be our #1 site in the evenings. (They say it’s haunted!)

*UPDATE: The Venue for the Natational gathering has changed. Most activities will now take place at the Kalamazoo Peace Center at the Wesley Foundation, 2101 Wilbur St.

WHAT will be accomplished? NatGat strives to be decisive, each day will end with a General Assembly on the subject of the day, then a draft, will be turned over to writers to turn into art to be posted and published shortly after.

Only complete (r)evolution will do,

List of hyperlinks

Main website http://interoccupy.net/natgat2/

Occupy Vision Statement https://www.facebook.com/notes/occupy-pensacola/vision-statement-from-occupy-national-gathering-july-4-2012/266965306741611

Endorsements http://interoccupy.net/natgat2/endorsements/

Sharetribe https://occupynationalgathering.sharetribe.com/

*What is decolonization? What is Decolonization and why does it matter

Sleepful Protesting http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/05/occupy_kalamazoo_protestors_do.html

YouTube Teaser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfMwe36wJec

Donations https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/7315/donate_page/occupy-national-gathering

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Occupy (Inter)National Gathering 2013: Kalamazoo, Aug 21-25

Posted 11 years ago on July 9, 2013, 1:47 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: national gathering, kalamazoo

OCCUPY (Inter)National Gathering

Occupy (Inter)National Gathering 2013

Attendance encouraged by all Occupiers and interested parties. Occupy Kalamazoo will be hosting the second round of Occupy National conferences, August 21-25, 2013, following the wildly successful Occupy National Gathering that took place in Philadelphia, PA, July 2012.

We, the National Gathering Working Group 2013 (NGWG2013), propose a National Gathering of the Occupy Movement, and peoples’ movements worldwide, in Kalamazoo Michigan, to collectively assemble and embrace our different ideologies and perspectives; to find our common visions; to share our strategies and actions; and to leave this gathering with steps we can all take in both agreement and diversity; for ourselves, our communities, our nations, and for all of us all over the world.

We further propose that our convergence begin on Aug. 21 and continue for five days of Community and Movement building exercises including speakers, teach-ins, and free-flowing open discussion at a location to be determined by the Occupy Kalamazoo General Assembly (UpJohn Park is being negotiated). We believe it’s time the people of the world spoke to each other about how to make a better world. We ask you to converge with us, to bring your ideas, your struggles, and your voice and come to Kalamazoo! There will be a special focus on indigenous peoples, race, gender and class throughout the convergences.

Occupy National Gathering working group (NGWG2013) is a coalition of Occupy movements from cities around the world, uniting in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and with Occupy and peoples’ movements worldwide.

Where

Many people ask why Kalamazoo? Bill Moyer said it best on a planning call, that Michigan is a hotbed of activist activity at this moment in history. Environmental issues plague the state and the Great Lakes; the political situation rallied tens of thousands as Rick Snyder eroded the state’s unions; there are Drones bases and a solid anti-war base, and Kalamazoo has a reputation for being the sixth-meanest city in the country towards its homeless population. A homeless Bill of Rights is being worked on by Occupy Kalamazoo.

Kalamazoo is a Pottawatomie word that is said to mean “the Land of Boiling Water”. On July 25th, 2010, the Kalamazoo River was destroyed as over 1 million gallons (a publicly stated figure) of Tar Sand Oil, along with 40% of that volume in Benzene, was pumped into our river at high pressure for more than 17 consecutive hours, killing everything in the river for almost 40 miles. The Tar Sand Oil (literally the most harmful kind of oil possible) is so dense that it sank to the bottom of the river. There most of it now sits, loosely covered by sand in the bed of the Kalamazoo. More than 60 people and countless animals and plants are dead because the Oil Company Enbridge found a cover-up to be more cost efficient than addressing their mess. Whereas Enbridge employees were covered in protective gear and would be sent home the spill breached a 500-yard perimeter, trailer parks and homes within 500 yards were told to simply shut their windows. During Christmas Week 2011 alone, 5 trailer-park residents died as a result of health complications controversially linked to the Tar Sands Oil spill..

Why/Theme

The focus of the Occupy National Gathering will be leadership building and people powered training, education, and actions. To empower people with trainings to take back to their community and spread positive and effective change in their communities.

Aug 21st: Renew Kalamazoo and your community.
Aug 22nd: Making and Supporting Free, Unfettered Media
Aug 23rd: Fixing Fossil Fuels and Creating an Environmentally Sustainable Future.
Aug 24th: Economic and Trade Justice, Equal Access and Ending Corporate “Personhood”, Asserting the People’s Sovereignty.
Aug 25th: Ending War and Our Police State, Building Peace and Cooperation.
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