Ooops!

Great job, Ben!

Hi Ben,

I'm not able to join tomorrow as I'm in an all day meeting, but will be sharing this link with all who are here.  I'd suggest that you share this information as well on the Art of Hosting and Open Space lists too.  I'm planning to join the one on October 31st.

Fond regards and my best wishes for this wonderful venture.....this is truly a "conversation for the 21st century!"

Juanita

I know of them...it's a pretty small community...but I don't believe we've met.  I heard about the cafe from the NCDD website...where I am a "founding" member. I am facilitating a dialogue next week, following up on the Parker Palmer webinar on democracy. Thanks for the welcome.

Wow - I was sure that I had missed the rush to sign on.

I love the site!  and am very excited to be in a position to listen and ask questions of folks I imagine to have ideas that are flying over my  head.  Once those juices get flowing, I  can already feel the empowerment swirling...  Thanks for your persistence in building forums and conduits for constructive, forward living.

Thanks for the personal welcome!  And al stands for Anita Lois. :)  As for Occupy and this site I would suggest doing some active crosslinking.  People who are actively involved in occupying joining the cafe and also people from the cafe who go to occupations for first-hand conversations.  Try to get a sense of basic messages inherent in the occupation process as well as views that are aired.  As in the medium is the message.  Part of occupation and the working groups and assemblies is developing alternative systems for self-governance which are inclusive and responsive to real needs--therefore direct democracy.  Also deep inclusion and non-oppression, including people who are not always educated and articulate, appreciating the experience and views of people on the margins, questioning all forms of privilege, helping everyone learn the skills of democratic political participation...Building a future from the bottom up while working to tear down current barriers to a full life for everyone.

Thank you so much for welcoming me in.  I look forward to taking part in the discussions and sharing what I learn, with others who I know are deeply and directly interested.

Agreed. We met at a World Cafe How-To session in Sandy Hook a couple of years ago.

Ben,

Thanks for you welcoming me.

I am very impressed with what you are doing..congrats!  I would like to see how I can be of help and how it matches my passions.  I am co-creating an evening and will do more combining passion and pleasure so to speak.  Film, multi-generational and multi-ethnic events with local slow food and communion.  Probably use some Peter Block or exercises.  I am a small group process aficiando.  (spelling).  Maybe I should talk to Gary or you at some point about my involvement.  Lynne

Thanks, Ben!

I am keen on what you're doing here and will check out the group on the virtual+physical occupation. Since we spoke last the perfect opportunity has arisen to bring forth your insights into using communication for social transformation. Awesome. I also want to mention a co-creative storytelling project I've been involved in called Studio Occupy (www.StudioOccupy.org).

Cheers!

Jeff

Ben -- Yes, I would.  I was wondering about starting a "process" group.  As I was thinking about it, I was realizing the connection between process and tactics and thinking about a group that embraced both of these areas. There is so much to say about this, that I am hesitant to simply jump into it here.  These are topics I am interested in and I've been communicating a lot by email with friends on these issues. Process is pretty much what I live and eat and breath.  I get the sense that among the occupy movement there is little discussion going on about process beyond discussions related to implementing the kind of "interest group-consensus" approach that seems to characterize most of the large group engagement at the sites.

--Kenoli

Sorry if that last response didn't match with the comment I read.  I get a bit confused on these social networking sites.  I am so confused by how to use Facebook that I pretty much avoid it.  I will try to figure out how to use this site appropriately.

Incidentally, what is a gift????

--Kenoli

Hi Ben! Congrats on a great online commons here! don't know how much harvesting I'll be able to do for a while, as I'm a bit swamped with other stuff, but at whatever point I get involved in a conversation, I will def contribute to the harvesting piece...

Thanks Ben!  Loving the site so far!

Thanks Ben -- no I'm not that close to Nanaimo. Actually on Bowen Island just off West Vancouver.

"Occupy Congress!" Put together a slate of candidates that are honest people drawn from the occupy movement's ranks and elect them to Congress. The first order of business is to take big money out of federal politics. Pass the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 750 and H.R. 1404). A law where political candidates for federal office would raise a large number of small contributions from their communities in order to qualify for Fair Elections funding. Contributions are limited to $100.00. Strictly voluntary by the candidate to avoid legal issues. Require new FCC regulations granting 100% FREE TV air time to all federal candidates who obtain sufficient petition signatures and/or votes to get on the ballot and participate in the primaries and/or electoral process. Allocate certain cable TV channels for the specific purpose of political advertising.

End Political Corruption - End the "revolving door" of politicians and their staffs from ever becoming becoming lobbyists and prohibit all federal public employees, officers, officials from ever being employed by any corporation, individual or business that they specifically regulated while in office.

Clean Up Wall St. - Break up the biggest banks. Reenact Glass-Steagall. Abolish credit default swaps. Derivatives must be traded on transparent exchanges. Tax all Wall St. financial transactions at 1%. Damp down speculation and raise $400 billion a year.

End The Wars - Reduce the military budget by half ($275 billion).

End The Police State - End the Patriot Act

Clean The Air - EPA to STRICTLY enforce the Clean Air Act.

Create Jobs - A ten-year federal program that involves a New Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to create millions of jobs rebuilding America that includes infrastructure banks run by engineers, not politicians to extricate ourselves from the Great Recession now and increase productivity later.

Invest In Education - Begin with the federal government paying tuition and fees for all students, part and full time, who are enrolled in two-year public institutions in the United States.

Make Health Care Affordable And Accessible To All - Medicare For All. Allow Medicare to purchase drugs directly. Give the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) more authority to drive down medical costs. End fee-for-service.

Create A Fair Federal Tax Code - The marginal tax rate ought to be raised to 50 percent on income between $500,000 and $5 million, 60 percent on income between $5 million and $15 million, and 70 percent on income over $15 million. There should be a 2 percent annual surtax on all fortunes over $7 million. The estate tax should be 55 percent and kicks in after $5 million. Capital gains should be taxed at 35 percent. End the home mortgage deduction on all homes over $1 million. End the home mortgage deduction on all second homes. Corporations should be taxed by a variable amount based on the percentage of payroll going to US workers. A small business employing 100% US workers should be taxed somewhere between 15-20% while a company that has completely shifted its production overseas should be in the 50% range. Eliminate corporate loopholes, unfair tax breaks, exemptions and deductions, subsidies, end offshore tax haven abuse. Expatriation of capital should be subject to a maximum tax-rate penalty, with violation considered a felony act.

Hi Ben!  I have to apologize as I'm not really up on the workings of this site yet, so I don't know if this is the right place to respond.  If by "this" Occupy site in Nanaimo, you mean the link you posted, then I think no, because that seemed to be Portland people.  :P  But otherwise, Yes! I am involved in the Occupy site in Nanaimo.  That would be Nanaimo, BC, Canada.  :)

Haha!  That's Nanaimo alright.  You can't see it well in this photo, but those little guys have set up quite an organized camp, with a kitchen, warming/probing station and everything!  Lol.

Hello brother! I would love to connect up with any of the Global Occupy Tribe and chew the fat. Has this friend left yet? :0

hmmm, my comment seems to have vanished! Hello brother! Would be happy to meet any of the Global Occupy Tribe who may drop into my neighbourhood.  Are they in Melbourne yet? :)

Wonderful to be here! What a wonderful space to gather and discuss evolutionary best practices of the Movement. Aho brothers and sisters!!!

Hi Ben, yes my first experience with Occupy Heart was a good one. It's nice to experience people sharing this way. I'll be back.

Thanks.  That's me getting down to business. 

Thanks for the welcome, Ben Roberts. I don't know... I'm just a bit jaded with Occupy at the moment and all the infighting and misunderstandings... mis-information and dis-information. And the multitude of websites spreading us out even thinner.

I'm passionate about the ideals of the Occupy movement but am recently retired... 66 years old... and I haven't got time for messing around with negativity. Where's the love and acceptance I witnessed at St. James Park in the early days?

I'm at the point where my contribution is going to be in the arts and crafts area, with hand knitting and designing as my first passion. Going to start a weekly knitting group. Want to join in?

In Solidarity with all Occupiers, but I've had enough of the bickering and time-wasting...

Bev & her buddy "Lily" (Woof-Woof!)

Toronto ON Canada

...original message...

Ben Roberts added a comment to your profile on Occupy Cafe------------Welcome, Bev!  So you say you're here "to see if it's worth participating."  What would make that answer a "yes?!" 

PS: Do the weekly calls cost $ ?

Thanks for the welcome, Ben Roberts. I don't know... I'm just a bit jaded with Occupy at the moment and all the infighting and misunderstandings... mis-information and dis-information. And the multitude of websites spreading us out even thinner.

I'm passionate about the ideals of the Occupy movement but am recently retired... 66 years old... and I haven't got time for messing around with negativity. Where's the love and acceptance I witnessed at St. James Park in the early days?

I'm at the point where my contribution is going to be in the arts and crafts area, with hand knitting and designing as my first passion. Going to start a weekly knitting group. Want to join in?

In Solidarity with all Occupiers, but I've had enough of the bickering and time-wasting...

Bev & her buddy "Lily" (Woof-Woof!)

Toronto ON Canada

Good to be in the same conversation with you again, and I look forward to participating in Occupy Cafe.My focus with FOUR YEARS. GO. continues to be on the corporate culture of the world and the transformation it must go through in order to accelerate the shift towards a sustainable and just world that we all want. Hope toconnect soon.

Doug

There's a Party Going On Right Now !! and you're personally invited.  It would mean alot to me to see you visit during our special occasion.  2 years have passed already since our much older (10+ yrs) community relocated to Ning.  Happy 2nd ANG Birthday to YOU.

Thank you Ben.  Yes, OccupyWNC is planning May Day Strike, a downtown Sylva gathering, march and film. Earlier foot work we visited many of the local downtown merchants asking for solidarity by posting a supporting flyer in their windows if they could not close or walk out.  We & local folks including certain polical party members (OccupyWNC is non partisan) and groups will be joining us at 11:30 for a march up and down main street Sylva then meeting at the beautiful and new library above the hill there for the film "Inside Job" and discussion.  Then at 7pm we will have our regular GA. 

Yesterday, Saturday, OccupyWNC made a huge public debut at the Greening Up the Mountains Festival in downtown Sylva, thousands of folks attended & our booth stood out among many.  We received hundreds of folks, many wanting to sign our Move To Amend petitions, get info, asked questions and got to see OccupyWNC very own street theater-MTA Theater showing Global Corps.  a "Monty Python" spoof like mini skit on Global Corporations. We gave out free water & Occupies.  It was great to see such public support, we had very little negativity.

OccupyWNC stands in solidarity with OccupyAsheville and other Occupy groups. 

Hi Ben,  thanks for the access and welcome.  Deborah Hart Yemm referred me here from her site "A New Gaia."  I'm not entirely sure what I hope to get from this experience here.  I support the occupy concept, but live far from any epicenter of occupy activities/protests.  I'll poke around and see if there's something I can lend my support to.  The one thing I'm not lacking is opinions....

My avatar is much more appealing than my fabulosity in person.    :)

Hi Ben ~ No, don't know your friend (yet).  I work with Occupy Sebastopol & Occupy Santa Rosa.  I am on facebook under my middle name (Ben Wroth).  Not many Ben's left. Send me a friend invite sometime. ~ Chris Wroth

Thank you brother.

Semper Pax

Thank you for the welcome, Ben.  I will definitely contribute to the forum posts, though possibly not as frequently as might be desired. I am careful not to overcommit myself, so I have joy for the projects I do take on, and never any resentment or obligation.

I'm afraid I'll be a "lurker" for a few months, if that's allowed. I'm in the midst of a local campaign protesting a new Walmart coming to town and trying to find balance between the strong push-back needed and the need to hold the center of our fragile community together. Just doing a lot of "listening" right now.

thanks for your kind words.  it's an amazing conversation to drop into!  thanks for all that you do!

HI Ben, Thanks for welcoming me. My friend is Phil Mastrocola. I hope to join the conversation soon.

Hi Ben

Is there a moderator here?  I have a question.

Hi Ben! Sorry I've been gone for so long. I've been working on the attached "infomercial" that I hope will go viral. Today I'm interviewing a college student whom I hope will intern at Writeindependent.org to spread the message that we need to get money out of politics. Here's the infomercial: http://youtu.be/PmlN6eYhJ4k

http://www.thenation.com/article/168378/true-story-sharia-american-...

here is but a piece of the puzzle... the lower third is relevant to our discussion today... 

~peacefully, Val

I think right now, as I am not involved in any physical occupy movement (ie camping out...etc), the most important thing is to make sure all our wonderful people that are doing it are registered to vote. There isn't much time left to register and I personally do not want to see another disaster happen in the United States. I feel that it is important to not only march in the streets, wherever you hail from, but also to make your voices heard on election day.

A rare bird indeed, that coopetition! Perhaps with incubation, nurturing and a strong will to leave the nest it will be able to be re-introduced.