The Occupy Minneapolis General Assembly has passed a proposal calling on Minnesotans to rise up and speak for themselves at a statewide general assembly. The date and location of this general assembly are still to be determined. Upon passing this proposal, Occupy Minneapolis has allowed the formation of a working group to organize a weekend gathering where occupiers from all regions of Minnesota can gather and communicate.
The statewide general assembly will be the focus of the event, where occupiers can submit proposals to be passed and speak for the Minnesotan Movement. Any proposals passed at the statewide general assembly are not meant to overshadow any decisions made on a per-city basis, but rather, they are meant to expand the voice of the Minnesotan Movement as a whole and can be taken back to each individual city for consideration.
More information will be available in the future about the developments of the working group, and announcements will be made on OccupyMN.org. Once established, the working group will be open to occupiers from all over the state.
The text of the passed proposal is as follows [including friendly amendments]:
What is being proposed?
Occupy Minneapolis formally endorse the idea of a mass call for action to occur in the state of Minnesota and support the organization for a statewide general assembly to convey a sense of direction and focus for the Minnesota Movement. This is a chance for us to create new spaces to connect in; new ways to share knowledge, experience, resources, and to express our solidarity. Together, our statewide efforts keeps the Occupy movement decentralized but we believe that it will be for our mutual benefit to cooperate and connect with our fellow Occupy camps in a more organized manner. [The decisions made at the statewide general assembly are not meant to overshadow any resolutions or proposals on a per-city basis.]
The Event?
The general assembly will fall on a weekend (to be determined). During the time of our gathering individuals will participate in several events including marches, teach-ins, along with social events to support organizational outreach. Some of these events and marches will focus in on current legislation set to be passed in Minnesota including: the “Right To Work” legislation, the “Protect Marriage” movement, the “Voter-ID” legislation, and an opposition to new stadiums being built through taxpayer funding.
(Events and focuses subject to change.)
All events planned in this conference will follow the Occupy Minneapolis Strategic Non-Violent Direct Action resolution.
Who is Impacted?
Specific working groups will not be committed to attend or support the event in any capacity but are invited to help coordinate and connect with this action. Many Occupations need advice on certain areas of housing, financial, etc. and this is an opportunity to strengthen the movement outside of our own city. Any and all committees are welcome to send delegates to this event. This is the first proposal to begin such efforts, and the event itself will be organized by an ad-hoc working group [that is open to occupiers from all cities of Minnesota.]
Who is Responsible?
This proposal will create a working group to coordinates events, to communicate with other Occupy groups and update the General Assembly if another city is reaching out to Minneapolis for support, action or other types of coordination. Concerning participatory obligation, none of the Occupy Minneapolis committees will be required to help in these efforts but can decide on their support based on their own committee-level decision process.
What is the Expected Result?
An overall strengthening of our cause and a recommitment to each other. At a time where Occupy needs a stronger presence on the national stage, a statewide general assembly offers us this opportunity. Our outreach will also meet with cities, close to Occupy Minneapolis, will allow us to spread the message about occupy in a more effective manner.
After this proposal is passed, other cities are encouraged to pass proposals endorsing this weekend event along with attending the event itself.
Proposal Movements:
03/22/2012: This idea was presented at the Occupy Minneapolis General Assembly where it was discussed as an item on the agenda. Ideas were taken from the discussion and have been incorporated into the above proposal. After the idea was discussed a vibe check was taken where there was consensus that this idea could continue through the process.
03/24/2012: This proposal was passed by the Occupy Minneapolis General Assembly. A working group will be established to help organize a statewide general assembly.