Hello Friends and Neighbors, i thought i would share a meaningful experience i had this weekend at Pittsburgh's Occupy site, Mellon Green,

and if you don't know enough about the Occupy movement, here's a very short and brilliant overview from the editors of YES! Magazine: http://www.truth-out.org/ten-ways-occupy-movement-changes-everything/1321111931

I spent a chilly and eventful night and a beautiful sunny morning at Occupy Pittsburgh with my daughter Maddie, a friend of her's from 8th grade at CAPA, and her father who happens to be a tent owner at OP.  We ate fabulous soup provided by Soup Goddess, Maritza Mosquera, and lots of other provisions like cupcakes, hot cocoa, chili and apples from the nice folk's at OP's kitchen and wonderful mostly anonymous donors.  We slept in the back "family room" of the art tent... we came prepared so we were warm and well padded on the damp and chilly ground.  

I got to know some of the folks there who are helping with security, no alcohol or drugs tolerated on OP's site.  The folks in the info tent were handing out flyers for two upcoming demonstrations, and they told me of the Buddhist meditation to be held on-site at noon the next day.  There was a Pens game that night and fans coming and going to the game shared a mainly positive banter with Occupiers, save for the occasional "get a job!" sneer... to these, some funny retorts included, "Marry me", "Love you, buddy", "I own three salons, want a haircut?", and "Go Buffalo!"  

We went to help with making signs & posters (some absolutely hilarious) for the upcoming rally on Tues afternoon when Halliburton will be in town highlighting their hi-profit fracking activities on our lands.  We watched as  Marcellus Protest and friends practiced a flash mob event to expose Halliburton's greed and destruction (go Suz South, Etta Cetera, Terry Suppowitz, Elizabeth Donohoe! and many more:-)  We helped to reorganize the well-stocked but small art tent  (people can use the next door T-stop to spread out under cover if anyone needs more creative space)... we also created some fun additions to the circular fence sign wall at the heart of OP's site (needs more art!).  

Later that night, actually in the wee early hours, during a trip to one of the surprisingly clean donated latrines, i ran into  a friend who was part of the late-night patrol team.  We talked for a half hour or so (until my teeth started chattering), and i heard the hope and the fear in his voice.  He was saying how he felt this was a huge opportunity for America and the World to truly change things towards sharing, justice and peace, and that we cannot be daunted by the petty and the personality.  

He said he was proud of Pittsburgh for occupying corporate land and keeping things non-violent, but we must figure out how to focus more on action... for securing the life of the camp and making outreach/ education/ protests/ creative actions meaningful to the rest of the 99%.  He said two of OP's greatest needs are 1. more people to commit to larger roles in OP operation groups (including living as part of the camp community as much as possible, even if for a day here and there), and 2. good neutral facilitators and moderators for General Assembly and other larger meetings.

I would add OP needs more creative people down there willing to get to know the people involved and lending a hand with whatever it is you have to offer that they may need... time, energy, resources, construction materials, organizing skills, an open heart.

So overall it was a worthwhile and enjoyable night, and the truth is it's a really hard thing that our fellow 99% Occupiers are trying to do down there.  It's a microcosm of America.  With all our humanity exposed... an open society where no one is turned away unless they break the few strict and evolving rules the community needs to ensure common security and mutual respect.  Finally, a place where anyone can belong...from the homeless to housewives, Anarchists to Republicans, meat-eaters to vegans...as long as cooperation is the goal and one is not daunted by a liberal amount of chaos and uncertainty.  These people are doing something most of us can not even consider, and they need our support, whatever we can give.  The Winter is coming.  Direct democracy is continual hard work.  Grab a friend, go down there, and make more friends.  

So here's three OP things you can consider: see details below, 

and check their website for Upcoming Events calendar and daily updates - http://www.occupypittsburgh.org/content/welcome-occupypittsburghorg

1. Listening Project at Occupy Pgh, ongoing

2. Halliburton Protest: This Tues, 5:15 pm, March leaves from OP http://www.occupypittsburgh.org/content/stop-fracking-occupy-dug-east (come early if you want to make a sign in the Art tent... artists needed before each event to help make signs lively)

3. Occupy the Greenfield Bridge on Nov. 17th!  A National Day of Action for the 99% (see info flyer from Pgh United below)

1.

From: Scilla Wahrhaftig <SWahrhaftig@afsc.org>

Date: November 11, 2011 2:57:47 PM EST

 

Friendly Ears at Occupy

 

Our Pittsburgh Occupy is a thriving, busy place with people coming and going, events being planned, committees and working groups meeting. It is also a place where people are living in very close quarters, it is now cold and often wet, there is constant noise of traffic, heating units and the sounds of the city all around them. People are coming and going and you don’t always know who your neighbor in the camp will be from one day to the next.

 

All of this leads to tension and sometimes stress. It is helpful to have someone who is not part of the everyday camp environment to be able to talk to as a way of defusing some of the tension.

 

AFSC PA program is setting up Friendly Ears at the camp. We will provide a training in respectful listening techniques and set up a schedule for listening. We are suggesting that people be available to give a couple of hours in the early evening to be available to listen. We are hoping to schedule enough people to cover each day and for a person to only have to be available every two weeks.

 

If you are interested in being part a Friendly Ear please contact me at swahrhaftig@afsc.org or (412) 371 3607.

 

2. 

Tuesday, November 15

5:15pm - March on the conference, meet at Occupy Pittsburgh/Mellon Green

6:00pm - People’s Reception and Occupation begins, David Lawrence Convention Center

On November 15th, Halliburton is hosting a reception for the rest of the oil and gas industry to kick off the Developing Unconventional Gas conference.  At 5:15pm, we will march from Occupy Pittsburgh to the David Lawrence Convention Center and kick off our occupation of the conference with a people’s reception for economic and environmental justice

____________________________________________________________________

3.

From: Pittsburgh UNITED <info@pittsburghunited.org>

Date: November 11, 2011 3:33:37 PM EST

To: marybeth.steisslinger@gmail.com

Subject: Occupy the Bridge on Nov. 17th! A Day of Action for the 99%

Reply-To: info@pittsburghunited.org

Dear Supporter: On Nov. 17 in Pittsburgh and around the country, people will peacefully gather at bridges and other sites across the country and demand an economy and a country that works for everyone, not just the 1 percent.  We hope you can join us on the Greenfield Bridge! The Greenfield Bridge, like countless others in Pittsburgh and thousands across the country, is structurally deficient and in need of repair. We need to fix our crumbling bridges and put people back to work! Thursday, December 17th 3pm Magee Park in Greenfield (we will gather at the park to begin the march to the Greenfield Bridge) more info and a flyer available here --> http://bit.ly/rBiYkf We’re Declaring an Emergency for the 99 Percent Three years after Wall Street wrecked our economy, 25 million people are still unable to find full-time work and the enormous gap between the 1 percent and the 99 percent continues to grow. Instead of creating jobs, Congress continues to ignore the concerns of the 99 percent, and focuses on job-killing budget cuts and tax giveaways for the rich. Join the jobless on Nov. 17th on the Greenfield Bridge and send a loud message to Congress and their corporate sponsors:  We need jobs, not cuts Put America back to work, Protect our Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security—and, Make Wall Street pay for crashing our economy. Call the One Pittsburgh campaign at 877.793.4238 for more information, a ride, or to find a pre-event teach-in in your area. You have received this email through your subscription to this campaign's email list. If you did not subscribe, or would no longer like to receive email updates unsubscribe here.