OE 6-Month Strategic Campaign Plan Proposals

Occupy Eugene has consensed to select one or more strategic campaigns to put substantial energy into for the next six months. Six proposals are under consideration now that the two BofA proposals have merged. We’ve had some great conversations about them so far, and imagine a couple more G.A. conversations to come to consensus.

Submitted Proposals

  1. BofA: BANKrupting America Campaign
  2. BofA: FightBAC Campaign (this and the above have merged)
  3. Community Bill of Rights Campaign
  4. Cooperative Production Campaign – this project continues, but not as a strategic campaign
  5. Foreclosure Campaign (aka “Our Homes Over Wall Street” – also see the updated presentation)
  6. Healthcare for All Campaign
  7. Homeless Solutions Task Force Campaign

There’s also a spreadsheet with useful information about each campaign that makes it easy to look at and compare them all together. You can pick up copies at OEV, or see the spreadsheet online. We’ll be updating it over time, so check back once in a while to see what’s new. Also, click here to watch the livestream of week  8 of occupation education, where we discuss the spreadsheet results in detail.

Proposed schedule

  1. Friday, May 4th G.A.: This proposed schedule will be announced at the G.A. and there will probably some q&a about the process and specific proposals.
  2. Tuesday, May 8th G.A.: Conversation about the proposed campaigns, especially the capacity realistically required for each campaign, and how each will build our movement.
  3. Tuesday, May 15th G.A.: More conversation and if possible, consensus on one or more strategic campaigns.

Past conversation

  1. Tuesday April 17th @ 5:30 pm There was a special legal/research meeting at OEV to review submissions and prepare for presentations.
  2. April 24th, G.A.: Proposals were presented and livestreamed: 5 minute presentation, 5 minute Q&A if necessary. There was also some conversation about whether OE wants to have focus, goals or a strategic campaign at all.
  3. April 27th, G.A: Further conversation about whether OE wants to have one or more strategic campaigns
  4. May 1st, G.A.: Further conversation, and consensus that OE does want to select one or more strategic campaigns

For questions, please contact campaigns@occupyeugenemedia.org.

 

Initial Announcement

Members of Occupy Eugene have endeavored to democratically develop a strategic campaign plan.  As part of that process, and as a result of a six hour strategic campaign workshop OE participated in, we will be discussing and deciding whether we should select a certain campaign or campaigns to focus the majority of our time and attention on as the Occupy Eugene movement.  Any committee or individual that would like to propose a campaign for Occupy Eugene to work on for the next 6 months should submit their proposal by Friday, April 13th.  Submissions should be in word or pdf formats, 2 pages or less using 12 pt font.  All submissions must be emailed to campaigns@occupyeugenemedia.org by April 13, 2012 (arrangement can be made for hand delivery if necessary).

Please address the following in your proposal submission:

  1. Details of the Campaign:
    • Working name of Campaign
    • Your name and contact info (including email and phone if possible)
  2. Describe what the goal of your campaign is. What do you hope to accomplish?  Short-term or long-term?
  3. Does OE have the resources (human and otherwise) to achieve this goal in the next 6 months?  Why/why not?  How many people will you need to achieve this goal?
  4. Does the Campaign go to a root issue or concern?  How?
  5. How does the campaign grow the movement or draw in new people? Describe with examples.
  6. Describe who/what this campaign will benefit?
  7. Are there existing allies or groups working on this/these issue(s)?  Do you think these existing groups will support this campaign? Why/not?

Other criteria you may consider or reflect upon:

  • Is the campaign tied to national Occupy Wall Street campaigns/goals
  • Does it include multiple short term pay-offs (mini-successes)
  • Create links with marginal or communities of color
  • Addresses issues not being addressed by existing local groups
  • Addresses issues that cause most harm
  • Holds participants’ interest
  • Can it be linked somehow with the activities of all, or nearly all, committees now active in Occupy, and doesn’t exclude anyone
  • What is the range of tactics you foresee that might be used in this campaign?

PROCESS FOR CHOOSING OE CAMPAIGN PLAN

The deadline for submissions must be received by Friday, April 13th , 11:59pm. The Legal/Research committee will review all submissions to determine if any proposals can/should be combined, or eliminate clearly inappropriate proposals. If proposals are similar in nature, authors of the submissions will be contacted by email and informed that they will need to jointly present their proposal at the G.A. Inappropriate proposals, or proposals that do not meet the submission criteria will be removed from the selection process (but will be posted online for transparency purposes)

OE members will be able to view all the proposals on our website.  If you have questions or concerns about a submission that you hope to have the author address at the G.A., please send your inquiry to campaigns@occupyeugenemedia.org and we will forward your question to the author with the idea that they will attempt to tailor their 5-minute presentation to address member questions or concerns.

Important Dates
(see above for what actually happened)

  1. Tuesday April 17th @ 5:30 pm there will be a special legal/rsch meetingOEV to review submissions and prepare for presentations.  Presenters shall be contacted to review presentation process—5 minutes to present, 5 minutes for Q&A.
  2. On April 24th  G.A. proposals will be presented and livestreamed:  suggest 5 minute presentation, 5 minute Q&A if necessary.
  3. April 27th G.A: should OE select a ceratain number of campaigns in the next 6 months?  If so, how many can we realistically achieve?
  4. May 4th G.A.: make decision on choosing campaign plan(s)

For questions, please contact campaigns@occupyeugenemedia.org. Begin work on new campaign plans as soon as possible!

—Legal/Research Committee

Survey of the Common Voice

Survey of the Common Voice” is an independent study of the priorities and characteristics of Occupy participants and non-participants. The survey attempts to answer a range of questions, including:

  • Do ‘Occupy’ values actually reflect the values of people in America today?
  • Is Occupy really the voice of the 99%?
  • Are Occupy participants the only people who want to see more corporate accountability to the people’s needs?

As indicated in the final question above, individuals who do not consider themselves to be part of the Occupy movement are also essential to this study. We invite any and all interested individuals to submit a response. The goal, eventually, is to build a nationally representative sample.

The survey was designed by William McConochie, Ph.D. of Political Psychology Research, Inc., along with University of Oregon Students, Alicia Markus and Jamil Jonna (Doctoral Candidate in Sociology). The survey designers intend to share the results with Occupy Eugene and other occupation movements. if you would like to participate, please find the survey here:

Survey of the Common Voice

Below is an excerpt from the survey page. Please consider participating!

This questionnaire was inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, about which citizens have opinions that range widely from pro to con. This study seeks opinions of all citizens on both sides of the controversy. It hopes to provide objective information that can inform the movement and the community in general. It gives citizens an opportunity to express their opinions about community and national problems. In a small way, it is an attempt to measure the “common good”. The core content for the first half of the questionnaire was gleaned by one of the primary researchers at a committee meeting of Occupy Eugene (Oregon) at which participants voiced their primary goals for the movement. The content for the second half seeks demographic and other data about childhood, employment, income and other issues to put opinion data in perspective.

Winter Coat Exchange!

Winter Coat Exchange (gloves and hats too) on Buy Nothing Day
Fri. Nov. 25th\11am – 3pm
55 W. Broadway.
If you have a coat to give, drop it off. If you need a coat, pick one up. Join the global holiday from consumerism. Spend the day without spending.
Including: Artist and art projects

Musicians-Aeon Now, David Rodgers and Patrick Dodd

Refreshments of hot chocolate, coffee, spiced cider, bagels and donuts

 

Cosponsored by Occupy Eugene and the Lane branch of the Industrial Workers of the World
Contact: icononoclasmo.scott [at] gmail.com

The Plunder of Our Time

Please join Occupy Eugene, the Eugene-IWW, AFSME Local 3214 and ESSN for a screening of “The plunder of our time: Why Wall Street is not too big to jail.”

When: Mon. Nov. 21st @ 7pm

Where: Cozmic Pizza (8th Ave. and Charnelton)

Download Flier

Also available in : Spanish

Defend the Egyptian Revolution – End Military Trials for Civilians

Defend the Egyptian Revolution – End Military Trials for CiviliansOccupy Eugene will have a day of action on Saturday, November 12, beginning at 12:00pm. We will meet at Free Speech plaza, march at noon to the Federal Building (as it is the most visible representation of the US Government in Eugene), and then march to the occupation site at 6th & Washington.

Once at the park, we will have a Middle-Eastern Community potluck at 1:30pm, show educational videos about the Egyptian Revolution, and have a videoconference with our fellow activists in Egypt. Our goal is to highlight the ongoing struggle of the Egyptian Revolution and the difficulties they face as they try to press forward and create a truly democratic society. In aligning with the struggles of other resistance movements across the globe, we strengthen our resolve and edge closer to achieving the liberation of the 99%.

Occupy Eugene wishes to express its solidarity with the ongoing Egyptian Revolution. In light of the email the Occupy movement has received from Egyptian activists, Occupy Eugene has agreed to the following statements:

We applaud the brave efforts of our sisters and brothers in Egypt that resulted in the overthrow of Mubarak on February 11, 2011

  • We recognize that Mubarak’s removal was only the first stage in the Egyptian Revolution, since his apparatus of power remains
  • We oppose the use of military tribunals against civilians, adult sentences for minors, the rampant use of torture, and sexual assault of female prisoners
  • We condemn our government’s continued provision of “military aid” and “development loans” to the Egyptian military government. The US provides $1.3 billion in aid each year to the Egyptian military. The tear gas, guns, and other weapons we provide are being used to suppress Egyptians’ human right to free speech and assembly, and “development” has only meant lower wages, less job security, and more privatization of essential social services
  • We agree that elections cannot provide a “transition to democracy” in a government that is dominated by “a junta that holds legislative, executive, and judicial authority” (as quoted in the email from Egyptian activists). The Egyptian government shows its true face, the real meaning of its commitment to democracy, when it systematically targets those who speak out against them
  • Finally, we recognize the shared nature of our struggles — we acknowledge that economic and political democracy in the United States is impossible while the 1% continue to practice economic devastation and political repression abroad. Occupy Eugene expresses our solidarity with our sisters and brothers as they defend the Egyptian Revolution

الشعب يريد إسقاط النظام‎

In Solidarity,

Occupy Eugene

Why Occupy? Two Upcoming Events

Why Occupy? Teach-in ForumOn Wednesday We the People of Eugene is sponsoring a public teach-in forum on Occupy Eugene. The discussion will include several Occupy Eugene organizers, University of Oregon (UO) professors and local community organizers. If you are interested in sharing your feedback or concerns about Occupy Eugene with organizers and other community members, this would be a great event to attend.

The following day (Thursday) two UO sociology professors, Michael Dreiling and Val Burris, will facilitate a discussion about the broader social and historical context of the occupation movement. With events moving so quickly—both here and around the world—this discussion will give people a chance to step back and take a moment to digest this explosion of movement activity. Though unprecedented in scale, there are significant connections between the occupy movement to earlier social uprisings. To the extent that we begin to appreciate these connections, we may learn some valuable lessons that can help inform the current struggle.

Both events offer a unique opportunity for those interested to engage further in the Eugene Occupation: so please spread the word!

What: Public Teach-in Forum, “Occupy Eugene in Context”
When: Wednesday, November 9th at 7pm
Where: Harris Hall inside the Lane County Public Service Building/Courthouse (8th & Oak).

What: “The Movement in Perspective,” with Michael Dreiling and Val Burris
When: Thursday, November 10th at 6pm
Where: Willamette Hall, rm. 100, 1371 E. 13th Ave., University of Oregon Campus.

Flier

Support Bank Transfer Day

Bank Transfer Day

Remember, remember the 5th of November! Occupy Eugene encourages everyone to close your account in a corporate bank by November 5th and deposit your money in a local credit union or community bank.

Join us this Saturday for a rally at 11:00am in the Free Speech Plaza (8th & Oak) and then for a March at 12:00pm visiting the local large corporate financial institutions.

Local Credit Unions have already reported a surge in new accounts as a result of the anti-corporate bank movement associated with Occupy Wall Street movements around the country. Occupy Eugene and other groups such as SEIU Local 503 and ESSN have been holding regular protests at corporate banks in Eugene, such as Bank of America, Chase, US Bank, and Wells Fargo.

“People are fed up with the excessive fees these banks are charging, and their unethical practices and profiteering,” said one local Occupy Eugene activist. “If you leave your money and your business in these banks, your money is telling them their practices are acceptable. They are not.”

The ten largest banks in the U.S. now own 80% of banking assets. Community banks and credit unions own the remainder of these assets and generally provide small business loans, home mortgages, and other similar accounts.

Bank of America, in addition to other corporate banks is now charging its customers a $5.00 per month fee on debit cards if an account has less than $20,000 on deposit, disproportionately impacting lower-income customers. Given the million-dollar bonuses paid to big bank executives after taxpayers bailed them out in 2008, the high rate of home foreclosures resulting from predatory loan practices, the admissions that many of these banks lied to investors to increase their gigantic profits, it isn’t difficult to figure out that ‘we the people’ should not be rewarding these unscrupulous business practices.

You can use this contact sheet to find options for Oregon credit unions or better yet, start a discussion with friends and family by asking them if they know of any local credit unions.

Local Credit Unions & Community Banks | Fact Sheet on Why You Should Move Your Money | Flyer