Occupy San Luis Obispo, CA — OccupySLO

The Education Committee was formed yesterday and we are hoping to have study groups leading to documented research to educate ourselves and work with Outreach to disseminate information which encourages activism and participation. As we discussed issues of economic justice, educational issues, political process issues, and environmental issues we noted their connections to income disparity and power disparity.

Underlying themes of the occupy movement are strongly connected to making the promise of democracy real in America and the globe. Research, educating ourselves, and learning what others are doing are core responsibilities of all of us, not just a committee or subgroup. To that end I would like to recommend additional web sites and groups with similar concerns that have great readings that may help us grow and evolve. I believe that through education, coalitions and collaborations we can promote increased awareness, actions, and change that expand our influence and impact to promote democracy and economic justice for the 99%.

1. Liberty Tree-Foundation for the Democratic Revolution at www.libertytreefdr.org. A broad resource to include the history of Citizen's United ruling and actions currently underway within and without the system to change the ruling. The Executive Director, Ben Manski, notes we must recognize the gravity of the current situation and that we are not living in a functioning democracy at the current time.

2. www.democracynow.org- A daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 900 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the United States. Great history lessons via their news files.

3. www.democracysquare.org- Welcome to Democracy Square . . . where the U.S. democracy movement comes together! If you are looking for a central place to go for pro-democracy campaigns, resources, and connections, you've found it here.
More than just a resource center, Democracy Square provides a meeting place for diverse pro-democracy efforts. Here is a place where local democracy meets campus democracy, media democracy meets voting rights, participatory democracy meets direct legislation, democratized defense meets a democratized economy, and more. Democracy Square helps pro-democracy campaigners to find and collaborate with one another. And Democracy Square shows the world that the U.S. democracy movement is vibrant and growing. For a great summary article about the Citizen's United case and aftermath read an article by Matthew Rothschild, editor of Progressive Magazine called Corporations-arent-persons at www.democracysquare.org/news/rothschild-...tions-arent-persons.

4. www.movetoamend.org- MovetoAmend.org is a coalition supported by hundreds of organizations and tens of thousands of individuals dedicated to ending the illegitimate legal doctrines that prevent the American people from governing ourselves. I attempted to attach a PowerPoint presentation produced by MovetoAmend that explains the Citizen's United ruling and its impact.It didn't work, nor could I add the article in #3 above. Outreach help with this would be appreciated.

This Tuesday Desiree and Mary are planning a Teach In at Cuesta from 9am to 6pm by the library.
I hope many of you can explore these websites that connect us to sources of possible actions/events.

I was impressed by this description of the movement offered yesterday ( 10-25 ) by Dr. Cornell West during an interview with Amy Goodman and fellow guest Michael Moore on "Democracy Now". The entire segment is worthwhile watching / reading, but here is Dr. West:

" ...What Martin ( Luther King Jr. ) was talking about was revolution. And that's what I'm talking about, but it's a Kingian revolution. It's a love-based revolution that says we've got warped priorities, that says we need a transvaluationof our values and a fundamental transformation of our public life and a transfer pf power from oligarchs and plutocrats. It is not a matter of hating. it's a matter of hating injustice. We don't hate any persons; you hate injustice. And when you have that kind of righteous indignation and holy anger and moral outrage, that I have, that Brother Michael has, that the people, part of Occupation movements all around the world, that's the making of the kind of chang4e we want " .

E Pluribus Unum

I just signed up to get the education newsletter. I am very interested in the education committee and will keep up on the activity. I am currenly finishing school but could get involved in some way.

Here are a couple great links that may add to the education:

Edward Bernays, Freud’s nephew, invented advertising to our irrational drives after WWI which worked well through to the crash in 1929. He found that method also works well in politics, think fox news. Some people and parties are better at framing the topics based on people’s emotion than other people and parties. We need to and can change this If We Work to Frame Our Message, which is happening Now. Marie Antoinette’s charade is over…
This video is great, short but full of info, check it out:

docs.google.com/leafid=0B1xY5D6Xky39N2Ux...yout=list&num=50

This website Is a Great Link with Factual Data to many of the causes of the circumstances we now live with and the growing solution based movements we see now. Here’s a link my economics teacher sent me, You may like it, I do.

www.project-syndicate.org/

Best

Desire, a member of the Education Working Group, just emailed me this wonderful pamphlet today. It is a webarchive file. It can be purchased in hard copy at printing costs only for dissemination at the occupation if there are resources and a consensus that it would be good material to distribute. It is a great site the pretty much sums up what this movement is all about and provides some legal advise if there is trouble too.


Go to www.the99guide.com.