Occupy Be the Change Caucus Launches

Rooted in deep, holistic nonviolence, twenty-six energetic Occupy Movement participants convened at the Friends Meeting House in San Francisco on November 28 to launch the Occupy Be the Change Caucus.

The gathering began with a vegetarian meal during which the participants introduced themselves and shared why they had come. The sentiments expressed were also reflected in proxy statements sent in by some supporters who were unable to attend. Stephanie Duncan, for example, wrote:

What has inspired me most about the Occupy movement in particular is that it is not simply a principle or a demand but a practice: a practice in democracy, in justice, in respect, in community. To me, to support Occupy means to bring these practices into my life: to occupy my job, my family, and my relationships with compassion, purpose, and sense of responsibility toward others…. For these reasons, I support the mission and pledge of the Occupy Be the Change Caucus.

And Sage Keaten wrote:

I joined the Occupy Movement with newborn hope and passion… My heart thrills to new heights with the possibility of making a positive difference for the earth, future generations of humans, and All My Relations. I must pursue the vision of a new paradigm of "Us" rather than "We vs. Them." To intend and work for a shift of thought and heart -- this is what my heart calls me to.

Prior to the meeting, Jerry Bolick shared his initial response to the Occupy Be the Change Pledge. He said:

The deeply divisive nature of most political "discourse" and activity in our country has kept me at arms length most of my adult life, wading in only here and there…. How we engage as human beings seems to me to be of the most paramount importance, and I've been wanting for some time to expand, widen the scope of my efforts in that regard, beyond my comfort zones, looking for a signal of some kind, from someone.... So when I was…given the most recent [Caucus] flier, it was like, "I've been waiting for this."

These statements reflect one of the key principles in the Pledge: “I seek justice and reconciliation so that we are all winners.” This statement was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1963 nonviolence pledge, which affirmed, “We seek justice and reconciliation—not victory.” And King’s attitude in turn was greatly influenced by the work of the great theologian, Howard Thurman, especially his book, Jesus and the Disinherited.

Thurman wrote, “The religion of Jesus says to the disinherited: ‘Love your enemy…. It may be hazardous, but you must do it.'”

Thurman declared that both privileged and underprivileged persons must liberate themselves from their assigned role in society, because “love is possible only between two freed spirits.” They must undo their conditioning, remove barriers, and create “real, natural, free” social situations that enable them to be “status free” and experience their common humanity.

Thurman said, “Take the initiative in seeking ways by which you can have the experience of a common sharing of mutual worth and value…. We are here dealing with a discipline, a method, …an over-all technique.” He called for those in need to cry out, “The [human being] in me appeals to the [human being] in you.”

Whenever a need is “laid bare,” Thurman wrote, “those who stand in the presence of it can be confronted with the experience of universality that makes all class and race distinctions [irrelevant].” He insisted that this “personality confirmation” is essential for “lasting health” in a democracy.

With this approach, King and his companions would first present a proposed step toward justice to the powers-that-be, sincerely try to reach an agreement with them concerning that proposal, and resort to public demonstrations only when those efforts failed. And when they did resort to “tactical nonviolence” in order to mobilize coercive political power, they still did so with a profound commitment to “philosophical nonviolence,” which includes the pursuit of reconciliation. When we sang, “We shall overcome,” our intent was to overcome injustice, not to defeat “enemies.”

I now believe I was wrong in 1964 when, angry and frustrated, I concluded that King was too liberal. In fact, he was truly radical because he wanted us to transform the roots of violence and oppression that are within each of us. He was grounded in love, not hate and he realized that movements need to build momentum by achieving concrete reforms that improve living conditions. So I want to help grow compassionate communities grounded in the wisdom that King embraced.

In line with Thurman’s thinking, I’m interested in creating social situations that enable wealthy individuals and low- and moderate-income individuals to deeply encounter one another, witness their needs laid bare, and consider how they can work together to define and advance fair, practical solutions to pressing problems.

The possibility for actions grounded in the thinking of Thurman and King is one reason I’m excited about prospects for the Occupy Be the Change Caucus.

Another reason for my excitement is the strength of the participants in the Nov. 28 meeting and the collective wisdom that emerged. When we were considering our mission statement, for example, Vylma Ortiz wisely pointed out that it did not explicitly affirm the need for personal as well as political transformation.

And when we immediately began to try to rewrite the mission statement and got bogged down, Steve Leeds astutely suggested that a few members step out of our circle to wordsmith the language. So a few volunteered and quickly completed the task to the satisfaction of everyone.

The much improved mission statement now reads:

Our primary mission is to help transform ourselves and our society into truly nonviolent and compassionate individuals within a community dedicated to the common good of all humanity. We actively support and participate in the Occupy Movement.

This commitment to personal transformation is perhaps the main reason I’m energized about the Caucus. For some time now, I’ve been trying to find and connect with people who share my interest in openly, explicitly, intentionally, consciously aiming to “integrate the personal and the political” by growing caring communities whose members commit to supporting one another in that effort.

So when I heard many people at Occupy San Francisco talk about the need to “be the change,” I was encouraged that I might find fellow activists who share my interest in “compassionate politics.” Then when I circulated an early draft of the Be the Change Pledge and received an overwhelmingly positive response, I was encouraged to invite others to help rewrite that draft and convene the Caucus.

The contributions that a good number of individuals have made since the November 28 meeting is also encouraging, as are the expressions of support that have been voiced by new signatories to the Pledge.

The need for political action to counter the corporate corruption of our politics and reverse the upward redistribution of income to the top 1% is compelling. Now, partly because the injustice has become so much worse, Occupy Wall Street with its ingenious tent-city tactic has sparked increased interest in those issues.

But it will not be easy to channel outrage at injustice into effective political action that sustains itself over time without degenerating into hateful, divisive, arrogant, elitist, “holier-than-thou” dogmatism.

Success will require fostering humility, active listening, and trust in the collective wisdom that can emerge if deliberations are well structured in a way that truly fosters democratic decision-making and efficient action.

Hopefully the Occupy Be the Change Caucus can contribute to that effort.