Thoughts on Occupy Wall Street from Afar

Thank the universe for Facebook, Twitter and all other social media. It’s easy to demonize social media, to point out how much wasted time we spend on it or how we use it to isolate ourselves from the real world. I have felt really lucky however, to have access to the information about Occupy Wall Street which has been clogging my Facebook newsfeed.

Even though I am in Thailand, hearing about what is going on in NYC and now other cities has been inspiring and transformative. To be completely honest I have felt defeatist and disillusioned about people’s movements for the last couple years, specifically about movements in the “developed” world and specifically in the United States.

This protest or movement has changed that.

Here’s two reasons why:

I’ve been impressive at how inclusive it has been. The failing or limitation of past social movements has often been a result of their exclusive nature. Just look at the green movement in the US which is divided along race lines between the environmental movement and the environmental justice movement. Why do we have two environmental movements instead if one? Because in its beginning, the environmental movement primarily addressed popular (usually white) environmental concerns and left out the concerns of colored communities. I don’t think this was always intentional, in fact I think it was sometimes just innocent ignorance, but it shows it is important for Occupy Wall Street to have everyone involved not just 20 year old white “radicals”. And it’s on the path of doing just that.

Of course it is easy to criticize its failings (e.g. it is not inclusive enough or its goals are too vague) and criticism is good, that’s how we get better. What I believe is different about this movement is the process it is using. It can respond to that criticism. It is using tools such as consensus, training facilitators, having truly open meetings. Just check this video:

CONSENSUS (Direct Democracy @ Occupy Wall Street) from meerkatmedia on Vimeo.

This is a truly democratic process. A process that can allow the movement to be dynamic and evolve. Since anyone can learn how to be a facilitator it is also anti-hierarchical.

I do not mean to over romanticize Occupy Wall Street. It may not last much longer, but it shows a new possibility for social movements in the United States.