Post by mkathy1 on Nov 7, 2011 12:00:40 GMT -5
GA 11/6/11
Facilitating – Dennis
Stack – Daniel (?)
Vibes – Mary
Minutes – Kathy
About 30 people attended.
WELCOME/ INTROS
CAUCUS UPDATES – none (though LGTB had report in WG section)
WG REPORTS:
1) Eddie – LGBT WG/ Caucus – On April 20 there will be a large conference sponsored by Get Equal and other groups. On April 21 there will be an international day of action for Equality and here in Albany, it will be in the Empire State Plaza.
WGs WITH PROPOSALS:
1) Brendan – Coordination – A Tent Registry has been started, for safety and security reasons (ie to be able to contact someone if something happens to their tent, etc – several tents have collapsed) and to help with planning for winter. 36 tents have been registered already.
Tomorrow (Monday) Coordination will start putting notices in tents – each tent will have a number taped onto a pole, and the notice requests that the owner/ responsible person for each tent supply a name and contact information (a phone number or e-mail). (People can be anonymous – i.e. use whatever name they like, but there needs to be a way to contact people responsible for the tents.) The notices would be carefully kept (and not publically posted) by Coordination while that tent is present and destroyed if the tent is no longer there.
The Proposal was that after the Notices have been in the tents for a week, the tents could be taken down and stored carefully IF no one responded for that tent. (Any belongings in the tent would be stored in a bag with the tent and with the tent number on it.)
Because there were only about 8 people present who were staying at OA, there were concerns that more time was needed to let people know about this and discuss it. So the proposal – with respect to any tents being taken down – was withdrawn for now, but meanwhile the Tent Registry will go ahead.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Announcement – Bradley is planning an action to re-occupy Lafayette Park, on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 12, and is asking others to join him. Mark M. said that of course anyone can do this, but if it isn’t agreed upon by the group, there is a question about whether the Legal WG will represent anyone arrested as part of this action.
Proposal – Eddie from LGBT (this could have been in WG proposal section) – Proposes that OA endorse the April 21 Equality Action/ Festival at the Empire State Plaza. He plans to get Jackson Browne and Carly Simon. There was concern that this proposal wasn’t sufficiently developed at this point, and also that the process of OA endorsing anything wasn’t developed yet either, so the Proposal was withdrawn to be brought back at a later date.
Announcement – by ? – Because there is a possibility that we may have to leave the park at some point, we should start talking about what we would do if that happens.
Announcement – Mark S – The Education/Teach-in WG wants people to come to it with ideas for teach-ins.
Observation - ? – There is a concern about how the public and media perceives the facilitation and mic check process – it has been called a “strange ritual” especially in terms of the repeated words. Suggestion to keep this in mind when dealing with the media – to explain it carefully if it is discussed, so people don’t misunderstand the process.
Facilitating – Dennis
Stack – Daniel (?)
Vibes – Mary
Minutes – Kathy
About 30 people attended.
WELCOME/ INTROS
CAUCUS UPDATES – none (though LGTB had report in WG section)
WG REPORTS:
1) Eddie – LGBT WG/ Caucus – On April 20 there will be a large conference sponsored by Get Equal and other groups. On April 21 there will be an international day of action for Equality and here in Albany, it will be in the Empire State Plaza.
WGs WITH PROPOSALS:
1) Brendan – Coordination – A Tent Registry has been started, for safety and security reasons (ie to be able to contact someone if something happens to their tent, etc – several tents have collapsed) and to help with planning for winter. 36 tents have been registered already.
Tomorrow (Monday) Coordination will start putting notices in tents – each tent will have a number taped onto a pole, and the notice requests that the owner/ responsible person for each tent supply a name and contact information (a phone number or e-mail). (People can be anonymous – i.e. use whatever name they like, but there needs to be a way to contact people responsible for the tents.) The notices would be carefully kept (and not publically posted) by Coordination while that tent is present and destroyed if the tent is no longer there.
The Proposal was that after the Notices have been in the tents for a week, the tents could be taken down and stored carefully IF no one responded for that tent. (Any belongings in the tent would be stored in a bag with the tent and with the tent number on it.)
Because there were only about 8 people present who were staying at OA, there were concerns that more time was needed to let people know about this and discuss it. So the proposal – with respect to any tents being taken down – was withdrawn for now, but meanwhile the Tent Registry will go ahead.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Announcement – Bradley is planning an action to re-occupy Lafayette Park, on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 12, and is asking others to join him. Mark M. said that of course anyone can do this, but if it isn’t agreed upon by the group, there is a question about whether the Legal WG will represent anyone arrested as part of this action.
Proposal – Eddie from LGBT (this could have been in WG proposal section) – Proposes that OA endorse the April 21 Equality Action/ Festival at the Empire State Plaza. He plans to get Jackson Browne and Carly Simon. There was concern that this proposal wasn’t sufficiently developed at this point, and also that the process of OA endorsing anything wasn’t developed yet either, so the Proposal was withdrawn to be brought back at a later date.
Announcement – by ? – Because there is a possibility that we may have to leave the park at some point, we should start talking about what we would do if that happens.
Announcement – Mark S – The Education/Teach-in WG wants people to come to it with ideas for teach-ins.
Observation - ? – There is a concern about how the public and media perceives the facilitation and mic check process – it has been called a “strange ritual” especially in terms of the repeated words. Suggestion to keep this in mind when dealing with the media – to explain it carefully if it is discussed, so people don’t misunderstand the process.
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