Occupy lsx 2- Why

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 19 October 2011 10:22:26

So why did we go down to occupy lsx?, what's it about?, why's it important? and why will I be heading off to join occupy Newcastle?

On Sunday morning TOH and I were watching BBC news and saw a bloke down at the occupation talking about the problems in the economic system and the effects they were having on ordinary people and explaining how a movement had started with a small number on Wall Street. TOH was preaching at the service we headed off to straight afterwards - giving a narrative sermon, from a disciples perspective, on Jesus being challenged about whether it was right to pay taxes to Rome. Within this sermon she spoke about the way that Jesus took an approach which annoyed everybody but also gave hope - he was calling not for the sort of revolution the zealots wanted or for collusion with an unjust oppressor but rather for a different way of looking at things. Jesus was saying that it's not about the money, God is interested in a whole set of other priorities. She ended the sermon by saying "Viva la revolution" meaning God's revolution where things are done differently - an ending she had pre prepared days before, almost to be a bit of a laugh.

We came out of church thinking back to the news report from St. Pauls; aware that if our faith and preaching meant anything our actions also had to match and we needed to put our faith into action by going down to the occupation. So the Daily Mail were right in taking a short quote from the interview I gave them saying it is about student fees but it is about so much more for me and us - it is a faith thing.

I have indicated that Occupy is about doing things differently. It is about listening to people, building consensus and looking to discuss together how we can make a difference in society. It's about building a movement for the 99%, many of whom feel disenfranchised.. It's about showing everybody - whatever their bank balance, job, education or whatever is of equal worth and it's about recognising the imago dei (image of God in all). The way this is expressed can be seen within the initial statement which was agreed by about 500 people on a consensus basis.

1 The current system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; this is where we work towards them.

2 We are of all ethnicity's, backgrounds, genders, generations, sexualities dis/abilities and faiths. We stand together with occupations all over the world.

3 We refuse to pay for the banks’ crisis.

4 We do not accept the cuts as either necessary or inevitable. We demand an end to global tax injustice and our democracy representing corporations instead of the people.

5 We want regulators to be genuinely independent of the industries they regulate.

6 We support the strike on the 30th November and the student action on the 9th November, and actions to defend our health services, welfare, education and employment, and to stop wars and arms dealing.

7 We want structural change towards authentic global equality. The world’s resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich.

8 We stand in solidarity with the global oppressed and we call for an end to the actions of our government and others in causing this oppression.

9 This is what democracy looks like. Come and join us!

This statement was formed by having small groups feed back into a wider facilitators group and then taking it to the daily General Meeting for agreement. When we arrived we got involved in the process and I want to talk through how it happened to explain why the whole consensus thing may be unwieldy but it worked.

When we arrived there was a meeting for facilitators going on to discuss the statement that had been drawn up through small groups reporting back. As a bunch of us were new comers we took the initial statement and discussed it. The facilitator then went back to the facilitators meeting and said what we wanted to add - such as "including the word faiths in point 2".

A group of 4 wordsmiths then went away and drew up the document for the general assembly.

At the general assembly people were able to speak out against anything they didn't like and put forward proposals for change. If agreed the crowd would wave their hands, if they disagreed they would cross their hands in the air. Due to only having a loud hailer speakers words were repeated by the crowd - all making it seem a little Life of Brian at times. However the system worked.

TOH achieved a change from the original proposing of the wording of point 3 in a way which caused laughter and made me very proud of her. Originally point 3 was going to say "bankers" not "banks" but TOH stood up against this. She began her contribution with "I am a banker" and so due to the system of making sure it was heard you had the assembled group saying back "I am a banker". She then went on to explain that not all bankers were bad and that she was worried that people were being dehumanised. She spoke of her experiences on a previous TUC march when she became frightened and was made to feel like scum just because of her job, despite being one of the good guys trying to work well in an ethical way. She also explained that most bankers are ordinary people doing the only job they could get. Thus, she proposed that point 3 reflect the point that it is the financial institutions that have caused the problems (and that is wider than their employees and does not include all bankers). During this brave speech consensus for her point was achieved and the wording in point 3 includes the changed she proposed to ensure that the distinction between banks and bankers (the institution which is not godly and the people who have the imago dei within them) is recognised.

Consensus also worked when the assembly voted against accepting police barriers but for using bunting and chalk marking to make our own. The arguments for and against were clearly given and the police amazingly agreed to go along with the consensus decision on this, (at least for the moment).

The protests are important because they really do represent the 99% (or in real terms the majority who think that the current financial system has major problems and real pain is being inflicted on ordinary people as a result). For Christians they are also an opportunity to put of faith into action and to explain what the kingdom of God on earth means and how this might be achieved in practice.

Finally I will be heading to Occupy Newcastle rather than staying with Occupy lsx, (which I have already left and headed north from), because I recognise I have wider responsibilities, (such as to Third Party) and work commitments. Being in Newcastle will enable me to stay there sometimes, but to get on with the rest of life as well. I want to set up a prayer tent like the one I set up, by putting a cardboard sign on my tent in London. This tent can be occupied by others on the nights I'm not staying but will also be a space people of all faiths and none can use to chill out and pray if they want. It will also have a bible left within it.

I would call on others of faith who care to join their local occupations in the same way.