Present: Mark, Ali, Jamie, Steve, Andria, Ellie, Steve, George, Maria, Vica, Obi, Ellena, Clive

Monthly strategy meeting – planning for the next year; reflecting where we’re at.

Occupy values 12:15 to 13:45 Jamie and Mark

What keeps people active and shared ideas across the various working groups? Why does consensus
work or breakdown? Need a sense of shared values. Some stuff in groups and some together.
Feedback at the end. Pair up – discuss ourselves as individuals – values that brought you to occupy
and what sustains your interest. Gratitude, kindness, empathy, people power, potential of people
marginalised by norms and the system, diversity, we’re are all equal, love. How to achieve
tolerance, understanding etc. Justice. Occupy London as a group? What should Occupy’s values be?
Reflect on the things we’ve done – breakout into 2 Groups

Group1: Giving – community building; Occupation of community space – equality freedom,
progressive politics; invites others socio-economic injustice raised in the media; breaking central
control over information – freedom of information. Empowerment through actions and education.
Caring for damaged people, sense of belonging. Things we have done

Group2: We’re interdependent within the context of nature of the universe. Education – not
imposing world view but questioning to re-imagine possible alternatives. New experimental
models. Concentration of power over land money and labour – related to the commons. Turning
around the sense that we are cogs in an economic system but what it is to be human. Planning for
the future
All: What is the point of talking about values? We need clarity. We need people to make people
aware of the problems and their causes. It was useful discussion. Need for it within what Occupy is
now. To achieve consensus people need something which unites them. Common goal, Shared values
or personal connections. What is binding us together? Who we are in the cosmic realm – what it is
to be human, a question not often asked. Equality is understood intellectually but needs to be
understood emotionally and felt. Historical value system has screwed us up – we need to get back to
humanity. Downside of “Values” – NGO/management speak. Education can lead to a sense of
superiority. Occupy sought to overcome that and achieved it. Overcoming our personal
shortcomings – patience, forgiveness and honesty– allow for exploration when people allow for
each other in advance. Avoid falling into traps like other groups – falling apart. Why are the
dominant values are what they are. Evolved over centuries – biology and economics became
conflated in the 19th century. Subliminally understood. Darwinian theory is has bee superseded by
more complex ideas than survival of the fittest. Model of thinking of the world is out of date. Lack
of observation. Locked into outmoded debauched ideas. World view engenders fear. Reliance on
belief in strong state. Values are in the mix but a more preliminary study of what we need as human
beings.
Where do we go from here? Start from the questioning of “needs” – next time around.

Workshop – Vica
What is Occupy London? Past actions, planned actions, Occupy Groups, Allies, Resources, Skills, Time available.

Evaluate the day and planning for next time