Spring 2012 PL Online Export

7/31/2019 Spring 2012 PL Online Export

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BUILDIng STROngER ACTIvISTS,OCCUPIERS & RABBLE-ROUSERS

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Vol. 49, No. 1 Founded in 1963Spring 2012

Reflectios from

a Occupierby Rami El-AmineWhod have thought that almost 10 years after thelaunch of the war on terrora war which has thrivedon racism against Arabs and Muslimsmere blocksfrom where the World Trade Center towers fell, wewould see a massive uprising against the rich andpowerful in the US -- Occupy Wall Street (OWS)?Moreover, whod have thought that it would beinspired by the very Arabs and Muslims that the war

on terror was meant to dehumanize? The occupationof Zuccotti park was clearly a Tahrir moment, asAdbusters put it.

And dont be mistaken, OWS wasnt the rst Tahrirmoment in the US--that honor goes to the protestsagainst Wisconsin Governor Scott Walkers attack onpublic workers rights in February 2011. Inspired byEgyptian and Tunisian occupations of their capitals,thousands of Wisconsinites occupied their capitolwith signs referring to Walker as the Mubarak ofthe Midwest and to Wisconsins Tahrir Square.

While the core demands of the Arab revolutionaries

may differ from those of the protestors in Madisonand the Occupy movement, they all are fueled bya common anger at the greed, growing disparities,corruption and lack of democracy that corporations,neoliberalism and capitalism have spread globally.They also all profoundly rely on broad mass action,direct democracy, and social media to counter thestate and corporate media.

These movements also have a lot in common withthe anti-globalization movement that burst onto

the world stage in 1999 with the shutting down ofthe World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings inSeattle, WA. One commentator aptly referred tothose protests as the Occupy uprisings great dressrehearsal. The shutting down of the WTO, inspiredby movements in the global south, led to a similarsurge in activism and mass direct action across theworld.

But, as Naomi Klein explains, what were seeingtoday is different in some important ways:

For instance, we chose summits as our targets:the World Trade Organization, the InternationalMonetary Fund, the G8. Summits are transientby their nature, they only last a week. That madeus transient too. Wed appear, grab world headlines,then disappear. And in the frenzy of hyper patriotismand militarism that followed the 9/11 attacks, it waseasy to sweep us "

Continued on page 8

by Ricky LehnerOccupy. Since last fall this word has taken on a life ofits own, representing a new mass social movement.Occupy was my rst time participating in activismand for many of us who were in that situation, wefaced quite the learning curve. In order to build andsustain a successful movement, we need to takethe time to reect on lessons learned while we'regrappling with the million dollar question: Where

does OccupyDC go from here?I think the most important lesson weve learnedthus far is the value of anti-oppression politics.Lacking a critical analysis around isms isntjust poor politics, it weakens the movement.Due perhaps to ignorance and naivety, we didn'tcreate an inclusive space. I believe part of this wasbecause a number of us, due to our recognized andunrecognized privileges, didnt understand theneed for safe spaces.

Regardless of how much I can sympathize withpeople who endure oppression, it wasnt something

that was at the forefront of my mind when I was inmeetings or helping to organize actions.

A number of people came into OccupyDC set ontheir own agendas, insisting that we focus on moreimmediate problems, and prioritizing those overanti-oppression work. Anti-oppression work is notjust about ghting larger systems, but also creatingmodels of inclusion where marginalized people feelcomfortable with speaking up and participating. Sowhen these individuals did speak up about their

Continued on page 10

Wori i Solidarity:

10 Years of Strule

JUSTICE

JUSTICE


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From the Director:I am proud to welcome you to the latest issueof the Peace Letter, where we delve into how tobecome a stronger activist, occupier and generalrabble-rouser. Its been an exhilarating year ofpeople getting involved and taking to the streets in

ways that hasnt happened in a long time, and thePeace Center has been very engaged in workingwith many of the newer activists who have gotteninspired and active.

These newer activists are the inspiration for thisPeace Letter this content is derived from whattheyve told us has made a big difference in theirpolitical development and what theyve said theystill need.

We tried to strike a balance between tangible skills-

such as how to have a great meeting (this page)and how to plan out a campaign (page 10)- and thepolitical analysis that can truly make a one-time ac-tion into a piece of movement-building to transformsociety.

Creating this issue has been a wonderful processof getting to talk to activists both new and old(er)about the most essential skills to develop, the mostimportant political analysis to delve into, andhow to sustain themselves and their communi-ties through the busy work of trying to change theworld. Many of our allies and colleagues talkedabout the importance of anti-oppression, anti-racism and solidarity work, which has been centralto the work of the Peace Center for decades now.Please check out our full-length articles on pages 1and 9 to hear different perspectives and reectionson these essential themes.

We hope that this issue can be used as a tool forthose new to the movement and a re-charging forthose who have long been part of the struggle. We

hope this inspires you to learn more, question more,engage more and get out on the streets more wellsee you out there!

In soidity,

Sonia Silbert

Ou Mission

he Washington PeaceCenter provides education,

resources and action or those

working or positive social change

and a world ree rom oppression.We strengthen the impact o the

peace and justice movements by:

1) Fostering greater collaboration amongactivist groups

2) Bridging the gap between global, national &

local issues and communities, and

3) Providing the material support to achievethese goals.

Based in Washington, DC, we have been workingto achieve peace and social justice since 1963. Weenvision a world based on respect or people and

the planet that is achieved through nonviolence,peace and social justice.

The Peace Letter

The Washington Peace Letter is published biannuallyto support local, national and internationalstruggles against oppression. It seeks to present

analysis o current events, covering inormation notavailable in corporate media.

Peace Letter items are copyright-ree and may bereproduced. Please give us credit and send us acopy i you do use the Peace Letter!

Submissions: The Peace Letter welcomessubmissions o articles, announcements,letters to the editor and artwork rom the

progressive community. Contact us at [email protected]

Coordinating Board Members: Pedro Cruz, Robby

Diesu, Ese Emerhi, Jay Forth, Katherine Fuchs, LacyMacAuley, Paul Magno, David Thurston, MarieSoveroski & Jane Zara

Sta: Sonia Silbert, Director & Dany Sigwalt,Program Manager, Helga Herz Peacemaker

T

Editor: Dany SigwaltCover Art & Centerold: Erin Burns

Peace Letter Interns: Ricky Lehner& Lucia He

Washito Peace Ceter

1525 newto St nWWashito, D.C. 20010Phoe: (202) 234-2000

[email protected]

Director Soia Silbert oStilts at rally aaist US

militarizatio of Lati America

How to Have a good Meetin:

-Have a clear objective/purpose

-Have set roles: acilitator, note taker, time keeper, vibes

watcher, etc

-Have an agenda that:

-Start and (i possible) end the meeting with

something un: a game, a song, etc.

-Use common language--i jargon comes up, explain it

-Use hand signals and make sure everyone in the

group knows what they mean

-Make sure everyone involved is clear on the decision

making process and on ground rules, such as being

respectul o others.

-Make sure everyone is heard and also eels

comortable about speaking/participating

-TAKE NOTES! And distribute them to the group, so

those at the meeting can remember what they took

responsibility or and those not at the meeting can

stay in the loop

-Follow through when decisions are made, make

sure they are implemented

-Evaluate- what worked? what didnt?

-Dont let it drag on too long - respect peoples time.

-sets a time or introductions- dont assume

everyone knows each other;-was planned beore the meeting;-has discussion topics in a logical order;

-has realistic time limits;- and defnes agenda items: announcement,report, discussion, or decision


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STEP FORWARD/STEP BACkStart out by asking that everyone stand in one linefacing the facilitator. Explain that participation inthis game is voluntary. If there is a question you arenot comfortable answering, you can simply standwhere you are, or lie. It is not always safe to tell thetruth or reveal who we are. Our political culturethat determines the distribution of resources is

based on the myth that we are all the same.Have participants do this exercise in silence. Readthe following scenarios, indicating whether or notpeople should step forward or step back if thestatement applies to their experience.

Step Forward If your family owned their own home.

If you or anyone in your immediate family is a doctor, lawyer, minister,teacher, or professional.

If you grew up with people of color or working class people who weremaids, servants, gardeners or baby-sitters in your house.

If you studied the history and culture of your ethnic ancestors inelementary and secondary school.

If you have ever written a letter to inuence the outcome of a politicaldecision.

If you are a man.

If, as a white person, you ever worked in a job where people of color heldmore menial jobs, were paid less or otherwise harassed or discriminated

against. If your family had more than fty books in the house when you were

growing up.

If your family told you that you could be or do anything that you choose.

If you were taken to art galleries, museums, or plays by your parents.

If you ever attended a private school or summer camp.

If you grew up expecting that your family would pay for your college.

If you believe that police would help you in an emergency.

If you ever inherited, or expect to inherit, money or property. If you or one or both of your parents are or were members of unions.

If most of your friends are of the same race as you.

If people with power in your community look like you.

Step Backward If either of your parents did not graduate from college.

If you are queer, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender.

If you are Black, Latina/o, Native American, Indian, Asian, Arab, or of MiddleEastern descent.

If you have ever been denied a job or paid less for comparable work or had aless qualied man promoted over you because of your gender.

If you are a survivor of incest, rape, or abuse.

If you were raised by someone other than by both of your parents.

If anyone in your family has had a problem with drug or alcohol abuse.

If you ever felt an opportunity or experience was closed to you because youdidnt know how to speak, dress, or act.

If you have ever been unable to attend an event or gathering because it was notaccessible to people with your disability.

If you have ever felt judged or uncomfortable because of the size, height, orshape of your body.

If your family taught you that police were someone to be feared.

If your parents told you that you were beautiful or pretty and therefore whatyou thought or did wasnt important.

If, as a child, you were ever hungry or worried that there would not be enoughfood.

If your family was ever forced to move because they could not afford to paytheir bills.

If you or any member of your immediate family has ever been on welfare.

If you or any member of your family has been incarcerated for reasons otherthan political activism.

If you have ever lived somewhere that didnt feel safe.

The followi is a exercise you ca facilitate to help fellowactiists ai perspectie o their positios withi a world that

feeds o priilee ad oppressio. This exercise is a ood way ofcommuicati differece ad hihlihti the differet leels

of priilee that eeryoe possesses.

Now imgin tht w togth on if ft in th midd of th ocn. W hvone barrel of water. The rst people to touch this wall will decide how that water will bedistibutd mong us.

After you have nished reading the list, read thefoowing sttmnt:

Instruct participants to run to the wall from the position where theyve ended the above exercise.

Those who have stepped forward a lot are obviously set up to touch the wall rst and therefore access

the resources.

Take a moment to draw out the analogy that our shared histories have created circumstances where

certain people are afforded the privileges that allow only a minority of people to make decisions that

impact all of us. Debrief.


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What is Stratey: blaet tool

Time: 30 minutes or so (depending on the size of the group)

How it's Done:Place a blanket on the oor. Have the group stand on the blanket (they should be only slightly packed on the blanket).

Then, give them the challenge: turn the blanket over (ip it over) without anyone stepping off the blanket. (So no leaving the blanket,leaning on walls, etc.) Some groups may take longer than others, allow the group to take as long as it takes. If the group steps off theblanket, or someone steps on the ground, start over again. It's a very do-able task!

After the group completes the task successfully, help the group self-reect. Since it's a short exercise the debrief may be short, too. Butmake sure to give some space for an immediate reactions or feelings. Then focus the group on looking at the questions of: "What was

the goal? Tactic? Strategy?"In this case, the goal was given by the facilitator ip the blanket over the strategy was the method devised to achieve the goal andthe tactics were the particular ways the group implemented the strategy.

Using any examples from the group's life or in the world, help connect that set of denitions to the larger world. Allow the group toapply those denitions to their own work as needed.

This training was developed by Nadine Bloch. Source: Training for Change, www.trainingforchange.com

Want a quick tool to help your group get the dierence between goals, tactics and strategy? Here's a vivid example to help with some defnitions!

goalWhat it is youre looking to accomplish/

change. In the realm of social movements,examples of goals might be: getting more

affordable housing, gaining affordable healthcare,overturning an unjust law/bill, etc. You mustknow your goal before deciding your strategy

or tactics!

StrateyYour plan for accomplishing your goal. Lookat the big picture, know who has the power to

make the decision, and concentrate the right resourcesin the right place, at the right time. If your goal is more

affordable housing in your neighborhood, an example ofstrategy is targeting the City Councilmember who is in

charge of budget allocation for affordable housing.

TacticThe tools and methods youll use within

your strategy to accomplish your goal. A specicaction intending to get a particular result, often as part ofa campaign. Examples of tactics for targeting your City

Councilmember may include petitions, twitter blasts, picket lines,marches, rallies, sit-ins and blockades.


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PrinciplesofCoalitionBuildingCoalition building is aprocess based on mutual respect and shared

commongoals.Whenenteringintoacommunitythatisdifferentfromthe

oneyouarerootedin,herearesomeprinciplestokeepinmind:

1. IdentifyLike-MindedGroupsorOrganizations.Make a list of

potentiallysupportivegroupsororganizations(fndacomprehensivelist

of groups in the DC area atwww.washingtonpeacecenter.net/activist-

entries). Keep in mind that building upon existing efforts saves time,

resources, and creates strong working relationships. Also, understand

thatbroad-basedrepresentationincludingyouthiscritical.

2. BeStrategic inHowyouBuild theCoalition. Important issues

include whom to ask, howyou ask, and whom to ask frst, second

and third. Some groups wontjoin unless they are asked frst. Some

organizationsdontworktogether,andyouwontbeabletoenrollboth.

Takeintoaccountyourowngoalsandorganizationalconsiderations,and

theneedforadiverse,representativecoalition.3. ChooseaUnifyingStrategy.Whendevelopingyourstrategy,its

crucialtogeteveryoneyouwanttoworkwithtogethertocontribute.If

everyone contributes to thedevelopmentof the strategy, everyonewill

haveaconnectiontoitthatwillleadthemtobemoreinvestedinthework

thatneedstobedone.Also,besuretodevelopastrategyandtacticsthat

areacceptableforallinvolved.4. Recognize That Contributions Vary. Each organization will

havesomethingdifferenttooffer,andallcontributionscanbeimportant,

whether inmembership, meeting space, funds, technical skills, etc. Be

creativeandbeopentothedifferentwaysthatpeopleandorganizations

cancontribute.5. Distribute Credit Fairly. The coalitions name

should be most

prominent inpress releases and other information that is distributed,

but organizationsand individuals should alsobe given credit for their

contributions.For guidelines on how towork in solidarity in DC, check out the DC

Principlesatwww.washingtonpeacecenter.org/dcprinciplesCredittoAdvocatesforYouth(advocatesforyouth.org)forpartsofthisguide


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From "Working in Solidarity,"

away completely, at least in North America.

Occupy Wall Street, on the other hand, has chosena xed target. And you have put no end date onyour presence here. This is wise.

Only when you stay put can you grow roots. This

is crucial. It is a fact of the information age thattoo many movements spring up like beautifulowers but quickly die off. Its because they donthave roots. And they dont have long term plansfor how they are going to sustain themselves. Sowhen storms come, they get washed away.

Unfortunately, the same storms that blew the anti-globalization movement off course after the 9/11attacks could very well do the same to the Occupymovement if it doesnt put down strong rootsagainst racism, Islamophobia and imperialism.

Race ad Empire i Occupy

If a small group of South Asian activists hadnt beenat OWS the day the General Assembly was to voteon the Declaration, the nal Declaration would havedenied racial divisions in our society. Similarly, theinitial Declaration of Occupy DC had very little tosay about oppression. Fortunately, members of theOccupy DCs People of Color Working Group(POC)and their white allies were able to make importantchanges, although they were never able to overcomethe resistance--led mainly by one member of thedeclaration committee who had Zionist Politics--toincluding anything more than a passing mention ofimperialism.

The arguments employed by Occupy activistsagainst including issues of imperialism in themovement are very similar to those used by somein the anti-globalization movement. They agreethat imperialism and occupation are a problem,but fear that more mainstream forces supportingthem would bealienated by

such issues.

After the 9/11 attacks happenedand push came to shove (and towar), a number of anti-globalizationactivists employed this argumentto prevent the broadening of theplanned protests against the IMF

and World Bank to include war inAfghanistan. At one of the criticalmeetings of the Mobilization forGlobal Justice, the main anti-globalization coalition in DC, theywent so far as to threaten to blockany inclusion of opposition to thewar in the protests planned for thefall meetings of the IMF and WB.

In the end, things went their waynot simply because they abused theconsensus process but because ofIslamophobia, which was alreadyrampant because of saber rattlingaround Iran and the "shia cresent"and the ascendance of Hamas in the Palestinianresistance movement. Add to this the barrageof propaganda about the Taliban's treatment ofwomen, intolerance of other religions, and generalbellocity and people became convinced that theTaliban was worse than another US occupation.

Coclusio

Ignoring US imperialism today is more problematicthan it was 10 years ago because in addition to the UShaving widened its Islamophobic war on terror toPakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Iran, it is interveningdirectly in Libya and indirectly in a number of otherArab countries facing revolutions. Add to this thedeep economic crisis internationally, and the factthat the US is an empire in decline and you have anextremely unstable global situation that we ignoreat our own peril.

At the same time, combatting Islamophobia and

imperialism should be easier today. In general,Antiwar activists and the left have gotten muchbetter on the issue, organizing against the FBI andpolice departments efforts to spy on and entrapMuslims and in support of American muslimsefforts to build mosques and Islamic centers(particularly around the Park51 Islamic Center inManhattan).

However, the most signicant difference from 10years ago are the Arab revolutions and uprisings.They have not only helped shatter many of the

racist stereotypes of Muslims but created a basis forgenuine solidarity between Occupy activists andthe Arab revolutionaries that ultimately will be thestrongest weapon against war and racism.

Rami El-Amine is a co-founder of Left Turn Magazine, afather of two, and lives in Washington, DC. In additionto covering issues related to Palestine, Israel, and USimperialism in the Middle East, his writing focuses onislamism and islamophobia.

March Aaist WTO i 1999


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Buildi the Beautiful Strule: growi ourAti-Racist Moemet

The following is a statement fromDecolonizeDC, formerly knownas the People of Color Working

Group that came out of Occu-pyDC at McPherson Square. Findthem at http://decolonizedc.wordpress.com or [email protected]

The arrival of the "Occupy" movement in DC hasbrought us enormous hope over the past severalmonths. It has also brought us heartbreak, frustra-tion, rage and regret. In response, we decided tocompile our general feelings about elements wedlike folks to bring to anti-racist activism.

Racism looks different than it once did. Weve comea long way from MLKs dream of everyone beingtreated the same regardless of skin color. Weveshifted from a paradigm of seeking legal rights, tohaving the right of self-actualizing. Simply,were not all the same. Our cultures, values,outlooks, experiences and dreams vary, andwe believe that is worth acknowledging andbuilding off of, rather than pretending toignore our diversity. Its critical to develop ashared vision (whether long-term or project

based) within the context of these differences.Through this effort, the real project in anti-racist work emerges: developing relationships

and building trust around what we have incommon, as well as taking space to learn fromthe roots of differences. This takes time andcommitment.

Speaking of major differences in political ap-proaches, its important to be stated that our collec-tive needs are frequently rooted deeper than publicpolicy. One of the most beautiful things about Occu-pyDC has been the sheer range of political ideolo-gies brought to the table, many of which emphasizechanging public policy. However, our communitiesstruggles existed before Citizens United, and get-

ting it repealed isnt suddenly going to solve them.

Its critical to also note that diversity is about morethan race and/or ethnicity. Each of us comes to the

movement with a multitude of identitiesgen-der, sexuality, ability, class, language, geo-graphic originthe list could continue forever.Ignoring the multiple layers of identities whomake us who we are is tokenism. We seek tovalue all forms of diversity in the movementwe seek to build. That said, when comrades

perceptions of us are limited solely on anyone of our identities, we take issue.

We seek to build and participate in move-ments where all forms of diversity areacknowledged and celebrated. If we expectto shed the shackles of all the forms of sys-tematic oppression that shape our world, we

need to be able to acknowledge our positions in thiswork; oppressions, privileges and all. Sometimesthis means speaking up. Sometimes this means shut-ting up so that under-heard voices can speak.

Anti-racism work is a life-long process, regardless ofwhere youre coming from. To continue down thispath, check out WPCs anti-oppression resources:

www.washingtonpeacecenter.net/antioppressionresources .Theres no paved pathway to dismantling whitesupremacy. Itll take practice, commitment, andintentionality for all of us. Forge on!

Keep Loving. KeepFighting. KeepGrowing.

get Traied:DC Jobs With Justice: Washington, DCDC-JWJ is a local social justice coalition that offersmonthly trainings to local activists in collaboration withEmpowerDC.www.dcjwj.org ; (202) 974-8224

Tining fo Chng: Philadelphia, PATraining for Change provides skills-based trainings thathelp groups stand up more effectively for justice, peace and the environment.Their website also has many great resources and agendas for leading yourown trainings on a variety of topics.www.trainingforchange.org ; (215) 776-8444

Wayside Center: Faber, VAA vibrant center where activists, organizers and other justice-loving folkscome together for education, training, socializing, rest, renewal, healing, funand whatever else it takes to grow and be nurtured into a movement powerfulenough to create the world we want to live in.

www.waysidecenter.org ; (434) 263-5115

Highnd Cnt: Nw Mkt, TNHighlander serves Appalachia and the South with programs designedto build strong and successful social-change activism and communityorganizing led by the people who suffer most from the injustices of society.www.highlandercenter.org ; (865) 933-3443

Trai Others:Buiding th WhCollaborative initiative supported bythe Movement Strategy Center (MSC), to help strengthen communityempowerment efforts across the country. Buildthewheel.org is designed as anonline, interactive learning community that offers curricula and resources fortrainers and activists. http://www.buildthewheel.org

Tining fo ChngIn addition to offering wonderful trainings, Training for Change offers training

agendas across a wide array of topics, as well as resources for improving thecontent and facilitation of trainings. http://www.trainingforchange.org (215)776-8444

Organizing for PowerAn excellent collection of agendas and tools for trainings on everything relatedto power, strategy, and organizing for social change and liberation. Created byLisa Fithian, long-time activist, former WPC Coordinator, and current WPCAdvisory Council member. http://organizingforpower.wordpress.com/

Fid a Traier:Wshington Pc Cnt, DCWe have a network of trainers we can reach out to in the DC Metro area.www.washingtonpeacecenter.org ; (202)234-2000

The Peace Center's website has even more options listed for where to gettrained and resources for doing trainings yourself. Check it out:www.washingtonpeacecenter.org/trainings

BUILD YOUR SkILLS!

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How Do You Wi A Campai?You need to gure out your goals, strategy and tactics and answer a few key questions. Heres a simple worksheet that you can

ll out to help with this process.

Campaigns are waged to win improvements in peoples lives by altering the relationship of power between people, the government, and other power-holders. Campaigns contain a number of steps that must be taken, and the art of the campaign lies in engaging your opponent at every step. It is necessary to

repeat certain steps throughout the campaign, such as educating people and negotiating with your opponent.

GOalS TarGeTS CONSTITUeNTS, allIeSOPPONeNTS

OrGaNIzaTIONal

CONSIDeraTIONS

TaCTICS

Short-Term:

Intermediate:

Long-Term:

Primary:Who are the people/in-stitutions who can giveyou what you want?

Secondary:Who has inuence/power over the decision

makers?

Who is directly affected?

Who are your potentialAllies?

Who are likely oppo-nents?

What do you have?

What do you need?

Potential Problems?

Pressure Tactics:

Educational Tactics:

from "Reections of an Occupier," page 1

issues, if others around them shot down what theyhad to say as unimportant, this frustrated peopleto the point of leaving. Another important pointis that having a safe space doesnt pertain only tomeeting/discussion environments, but also to thedirect actions we plan. We must understandand respect the fact that, due to peoples

different experiences and identities,everyone might not be comfortablewith situations such as intense policeconfrontation, as they may be more atrisk than others.

Another important lesson weve learned isthe importance of outreach and focusing onlocal issues. Early on, there was a large varietyof issues that had brought everyone together,but they were mostly national level issues. Thisis especially problematic for OccupyDC, in which,by virtue of being in DC, there exists a long historyof people and organizations coming into town toprotest whatever their issue is while ignoring localsand the problems they already face.

What people fail to realize is that DC is home tohundreds of thousands of people. A number of uswho are from out of town and/or new to activism:a) didnt understand the importance of tying whatwe were ghting for into the local issues that people

within the community are dealing with, and moreimportantly, b) didnt know anything about the areaand the problems people here are facing. Drawing

connections between local and nationalissues makes it easier to engage the local

community and get people to want to beinvolved. If youre new to an area, YOU

have to take the initiative to go out intothe community, listen to the struggles

people face and what they wouldlike to see happen. You cant expect

people to come to you and informyou about whats going on.

Its also critical that we do this fromthe beginning. We have to reach out to the

people who are our natural allies and bringtogether a diverse group of people with whom

we can then collectively come up with a strategyand vision for what is trying to be accomplished.When done in the beginning, people become centralto the movement, and when people are invested in

the movement, theyll ght for it. You cant havemostly homogeneous outsider group come up witha vision and strategy to take out into the communitytelling people, Heres what were doing and youshould get on board.

One last important lesson that Occupy has hadto learn is patience. Movements dont succeed

overnight. It takes time, energy and long-termcommitment to have a successful movement. Thatbeing said, its also critical for people to be active intheir own self-care to prevent burnout. People haveto do whats needed to take care of themselves sothat they can continue contributing positively to themovement.

So where does OccupyDC go from here? For starters:

learn from our mistakes. We have to ensure thatwere making anti-oppression work a focus of whatwere doing. If were trying to change the world, wehave to create the world we want to see along theway. If we go into the community for help and inputand get a large, diverse group of people together,then perhaps well be able to develop a vision ofwhere were going from here. Figuring that out issomething that we cant, and shouldnt, simply tryto do ourselves. Lastly, when we have a vision forwhat were doing, we have to recapture the attentionand imagination of the public. It cannot be stressedenough how important winning the support and

sympathy of the public will be to our success. Wevegot a lot of work to do, but if we work together andsupport each other, anything is possible. See you inthe streets.

Ricky Lehner is an intern at the Washington Peace Centerand hails from St. Petersburg, Fl. He came to Washington, DCto join OccupyDC in October of 2011.

Source: Midwest Academy; http://www.midwestacademy.

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WPC Update:Buildi a Stroer Moemet

The Peace Center nished off 2011 with a bang with our largest,most vibrant Activist Awards yet. We had over 300 people gatherat a wonderful party celebrating powerful local activists and ourmovement. After an inspirational fall of Occupying everything,it was great to get to celebrate with our community.

We continue to work to build collaboration and communicationwithin the DC activist community, particularly trying to bridgethe gap between Occupy DC and longer-term local activists.We hosted a meeting with the DC Metro Social Forum in lateFebruary that brought together over, 100 local activists to checkin about the many upcoming mobilizations and discuss wherewe are at as a movement.

This March we marked the 9th anniversary of the US invasion of

Iraq with a forum discussing what was really happening on theground now that the war is over, and providing a space foractivists to reect and share personal stories about what the lastten years of organizing has meant for them, their lives and theirpolitical work.

Its been an exceptionally vibrant few months in DC andour resources were used for many of the recent exciting andinspirational actions. Our sound systems and event equipmentwere used at: the Tarsands Oil Rally, Million Hoodies March for

Trayvon Martin, Occupy Congress, Fair Budget Coalition and Housing for All rallies against DC budgetcuts, Occupy Our Homes actions preventing unlawful evictions, Mt Pleasant Neighborhood Assembly, MayDay DC, and the Occupy DC Festival of Resistance, celebrating six months of Occupy DC. Plus, of course,

our online calendar remains the best place to nd out everything thats happening we have dozens ofnew events posted each week.

We continue to prioritize leadership development and the ongoing education of younger activists. We havebeen supporting the DC Learning Collective (DCLC), the training working group of OccupyDC, and co-hosted a Nonviolent Direct Action training with them in honor of the 99% Spring. Were happy that thisissue of the Peace Letter advances that work of builng strong activists as well.

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We rely heavily on individual contributions to do our important work, so please join today!The Washington Peace Center is a 501(c)3 non-proft organization. Your contributions are tax-deductable.

Call (202) 234-2000, donate online at www.washingtonpeacecenter.org, or send your contributions to:

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We Tha ou For Your Support!

Proram Director Day Siwalt withBoard member katherie Fuchs, itersRicy Leher & Lucia He at SOA Watch

Rally

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Washington Peace Center2 hours ago via hootsuite

Whatre your favorite wellness tips & tricks? What wouldyou want to share with a young activist?

like.comment

Paul Magno I've mutated Emma Goldman,"If I can't laugh, I don't want to be part of yourrevolution" also, rest, balance, rootedness andthe actual lives of people you love and care about,even if they are not P.C. 2 hours ago

Mike IsaacsonThings can get done withoutyou. Take a break if you need it. Also, play lotsof games.

1 hour ago

55 minutes ago

Dany Sigwalt A lot of people talk aboutsaying no. Thats real, but whats more importantfor me is knowing what I want to say yes to. Do

what you love and have reasons for taking on theprojects you take on.

Max UhlenbeckHobbies/interests outside ofpolitical work so that youre able to take mentalbreaks from that world and recharge while havingfun and not just watching crappy reality television:)

50 minutes ago

Windy Cooler Be a friend and have friends.Make peace with, love, and understand yourfamily. Your relationships are your work and yourbread.

30 minutes ago

Lilian Diallo Meditate. Make sure youmeditate. And say no sometimes when people askyou for stu.

25 minutes ago

Monna mong Wong dont treat your body

any worse than you would your best friend. Let goof shame and guilt. Naps are for the fabulous.

15 minutes ago

Robby DiesuBeing a good organizer and allyis realizing that you do not need to lead everythingor come up with every great idea. You dont needto be involved in everything, and the revolution isnot going to start because you did this one action.Be a leader by not being scared to follow as well.

2 minutes ago

Elizabeth Falcon Sometimes you need toget your pent up energy out: dance and bike!

Sometimes you need to keep your energy in: getsome sleep or watch TV! All the time you need acommunity. Surround yourself with people youlove - who can talk to you about whats hard, andwho can just talk to you about you..

30 seconds ago

Documents

Spring 2012 PL Online Export