Via: OccupyWallSt.org, Via: OccupyNationalGathering.net:

We, the National Gathering Working Group 2013 (NGWG2013), propose a National Gathering of the Occupy Movement, and peoples’ movements worldwide, in Kalamazoo Michigan, to collectively assemble and embrace our different ideologies and perspectives; to find our common visions; to share our strategies and actions; and to leave this gathering with steps we can all take in both agreement and diversity; for ourselves, our communities, our nations, and for all of us all over the world.

We further propose that our convergence begin on Aug. 21 and continue for five days of Community and Movement building exercises including speakers, teach-ins, and free-flowing open discussion at a location to be determined by the Occupy Kalamazoo General Assembly. We believe it’s time the people of the world spoke to each other about how to make a better world. We ask you to converge with us, to bring your ideas, your struggles, and your voice and come to Kalamazoo! We already have networks on board with these broad areas of interest and welcome and need your suggestions, participation and contributions:

Fixing Fossil Fuels and Creating an Environmentally Sustainable Future.
Economic and Trade Justice, Equal Access and Ending Corporate “Personhood”, Asserting the People’s Sovereignty.
Making and Supporting Free, Unfettered Media.
Ending War and Our Police State, Building Peace and Cooperation.
Renew Kalamazoo and your community. Homeless Bill of Rights.

We also encourage the creation of local, national and global processes to communicate, organize and converge. We are meeting more and more on the internet, on mumble, on conference calls. Global infrastructures are appearing, to bring more people together and able to participate worldwide. We are able as a people to organize worldwide protests and actions. We envision a day of concerted worldwide actions focused on very local issues that expose those local issues as part of the worldwide fight against systemic injustice. We will gather and share this worldwide action through all the media tools and networks we continue to build through voluntary people power.

We embrace the value derived from face-to-face contact, and understand that no single gathering can be representative of our entire movement. We recognize that attending in person will be challenging, or impossible for many, so we also commit to pursuing an online component through which anyone can participate via the Internet. We encourage the creation of local, national and global processes by which movement resources could be directed towards funding travel for active movement participants that otherwise would not be able to attend.

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Two weeks after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc across the Northeast, and more than a week after power returned to Lower Manhattan, many public housing residents in Brooklyn’s Coney Island were still without electricity, heat and hot water. Critically for some, many high-rise buildings still lacked elevator service, leaving the elderly and disabled stranded as many as 15 stories up. Though FEMA, the Red Cross and the city government all eventually set up shop on the ground in the low-income neighborhood, the work of reaching those trapped inside was left to passionate community activists, including church leaders, tenant organizations, a group known as Occupy Sandy, and a small related group called People’s Relief.

[Via Moyers & Company]

Chris Hedges at Culture Project's IMPACT 2012 Festival from Deep Dish TV on Vimeo.

Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and war correspondent speaks about his latest book, "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt", the economy, government, banks, and the Occupy movement.

This is a part of Culture Project's "Conversation on Economy", filmed on July 25, 2012 at the IMPACT Festival.

The panel was moderated by Sam Seder and included Robert Johnson, Taylor Jo Isenberg, Patrick Markee, and performances by The Civilians.