This Occupy New Mexico website exists to help connect and unify the Occupy / (un)Occupy movement and allies throughout New Mexico. This page is presented with the purpose of beginning a discussion about the principles of unity, solidarity and autonomy that serve as the foundation for our common movement. It is hoped that all Occupy / (un)Occupy groups and allies in New Mexico will deliberate on those principles that unite us, as one crucial step toward the creation of a unified statewide Coalition that can successfully advocate and mobilize for the common interests of the 99%. We realize that this page is merely one starting point, and much more of the hard work of building unity must take place through our General Assemblies, in our communities, and through the actions we take in mutual aid and solidarity with one another which help to generate collective empowerment. As a source for further reflection and discussion, below we share principles of unity, solidarity and autonomy that have been adopted through consensus-based decision by various General Assemblies of the Occupy movement.
(un)Occupy Albuquerque Points of Unity (aka Camp or Movement Agreements) Most were developed and consensed on at their first General Assembly on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011 – the list was added to in General Assemblies within their first few weeks.
1. We do not accept monetary donations.
2. We practice anti-oppression politics.
3. We are nonviolent.
4. We are positive and proactive.
5. We use 100% consensus decision-making process.
6. We have no spokesperson or leader.
7. We respect the land and each other.
8. We do not use illegal drugs, drink alcohol, or smoke cigarettes on site.
9. We are aware of our public image.
10. We take care of our personal belongings.
11. We are non-hierarchical.
=====
Principles of Solidarity – New York City General Assembly
What follows is a living document that will be revised through democratic process of General Assembly.
- Engaging in direct and transparent participatory democracy;
- Exercising personal and collective responsibility;
- Recognizing individuals’ inherent privilege and the influence it has on all interactions;
- Empowering one another against all forms of oppression;
- Redefining how labor is valued;
- The sanctity of individual privacy;
- The belief that education is human right; and
- Endeavoring to practice and support wide application of open source.
We are daring to imagine a new socio-political and economic alternative that offers greater possibility of equality. We are consolidating the other proposed principles of solidarity, after which demands will follow.
Statement of Autonomy
Passed by the General Assembly at Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is a people’s movement. It is party-less, leaderless, by the people and for the people. It is not a business, a political party, an advertising campaign or a brand. It is not for sale.
We welcome all, who, in good faith, petition for a redress of grievances through non-violence. We provide a forum for peaceful assembly of individuals to engage in participatory as opposed to partisan debate and democracy. We welcome dissent.
Any statement or declaration not released through the General Assembly and made public online at www.nycga.net should be considered independent of Occupy Wall Street.
We wish to clarify that Occupy Wall Street is not and never has been affiliated with any established political party, candidate or organization. Our only affiliation is with the people.
The people who are working together to create this movement are its sole and mutual caretakers. If you have chosen to devote resources to building this movement, especially your time and labor, then it is yours.
Any organization is welcome to support us with the knowledge that doing so will mean questioning your own institutional frameworks of work and hierarchy and integrating our principles into your modes of action.
SPEAK WITH US, NOT FOR US.
Occupy Wall Street values collective resources, dignity, integrity and autonomy above money. We have not made endorsements. All donations are accepted anonymously and are transparently allocated via consensus by the General Assembly or the Operational Spokes Council.
We acknowledge the existence of professional activists who work to make our world a better place. If you are representing, or being compensated by an independent source while participating in our process, please disclose your affiliation at the outset. Those seeking to capitalize on this movement or undermine it by appropriating its message or symbols are not a part of Occupy Wall Street.
We stand in solidarity. We are Occupy Wall Street.
====
Anti-Oppression and Accountability Principles – Occupy Seattle
We are the 99% and our task is to unify the 99%. Unfortunately, we live in a society that is racist, sexist, classist, homophobic, and ridden with various other interconnected forms of repression.
As the Occupy Seattle community, we will consciously and urgently work on dismantling these systems of oppression in our movement. We are working on creating a comm unity where everyone’s autonomy is respected, protected, and treated equally. We all have different levels of privilege that we strive to acknowledge and educate ourselves about, in order to ensure that these privileges are not used to oppress others. We want to have an inclusive atmosphere of ideas in which we do not police each others’ thoughts, but we have absolutely no tolerance for oppressive or intimidating words or actions.
We do not accept any of the following in our community:
■ White supremacy (racism against people of color)
■ Patriarchy (sexism)
■ Ageism (oppression against youth and/or elders)
■ Heterosexism (oppression against LGBTQ people)
■ Transphobia
■ Anti-Arab sentiment (or Islamophobia)
■ Anti-Jewish sentiment
■ Religious intolerance or intolerance of non-religious people
■ Class oppression (classism)
■ Cultural intolerance
■ Oppression based on immigration status
■ Oppression based on experiences with the justice system
■ Disregard for indigenous autonomy
■ Oppression based on appearance or size
■ The following behaviors are also unacceptable:
■ Representing the Occupy Seattle movement to the media or to any other entity without approval of the general assembly
■ Negotiating with the police or the City without approval of the general assembly
■ Instigation of violence in all its forms, explicit or implicit, whether physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, written, graphical, or through indirect means such as calling the police on another person when one is not in imminent physical danger
Any violation of these principles will be dealt with through a community accountability process, to be described in a future Accountability Working Group proposal
====
Principles of Unity – Occupy Hartford
As agreed to at General Assembly, Dec 17, 2011:
Occupy Hartford (OH) is open and welcoming to all who seek social justice and an end to local, national and global economic inequality. OH is against ALL forms of oppression. We fight to raise the voices of all peoples regardless of legal status.
OH seeks to create a more equitable and just community, nation and world by way of education, direct action and community building. OH works to foster and sustain a grassroots democratic movement to push for the creation of a real democracy that ensures the political system is responsive to the 99%.
OH actively works to ensure the diverse viewpoints and voices of the 99% are central in organizing and creating a more just and equitable economic and social system.
As OH works to improve economic and social conditions within our community and world we seek to actively mirror the change we wish to see in our society within the movement.
OH makes all decision collectively on a case by case basis, using the consensus model and process that has been adopted by the General Assembly.
Since we are all learning together, everyone should feel completely comfortable asking any questions that may arise.
====
Tactical Points of Unity – Occupy Chapel Hill
- Our occupation will be based on respect for a political diversity. As individuals and groups, we may choose to engage in diverse forms of expression and action but are committed to treating each other with respect.
- Debates and honest criticisms are necessary for political clarification and growth in our movements. But we also realize that our detractors will work to divide by inflaming and magnifying our tactical, strategic, personal, and political disagreements. We reject all efforts to foster unnecessary divisions among our movements.
- We oppose any state oppression of dissent, including surveillance, infiltration, disruption, and violence. We agree not to assist law enforcement actions against activists and others. We oppose proposals to restrict expression to “free speech zones.”
- We will work hard to promote a sense of respect for our shared community.
Email to a friend