[OccupyComms] Council motions and People Assemblies

[outreach at occupynorwich.org]

Dear occupations!

It has not been a month since we all got together for the first time in 
London and our communication has picked up since and we have seen some 
great achievements. I am aware that some camps are struggling with the 
winter coming along and with general burn-out. However, this should not 
let us down or mislead us. Those same camps keep organising great events 
and activities and the support of occupy is growing across the world and 
in governments and amongst journalists.

Some of the most promising ways for change that we can truly achieve I 
think are already paved by some of us. Edinburgh's motion shows that 
Council's are not all closed to the people's views and may in fact 
absolutely support occupy's visions. London has great access to the 
Guardian. Bath's People Assembly shows that the public can be motivated 
and an alternative form of original democracy can be (re-)learnt by our 
communities. Democracy motivates if people play a role, and the more 
people play a role and are heard, the more content everyone is with the 
outcome and the more willing people are to show soldarity. It can only 
blossom.

I think the way forward for all of us is to try to achieve those same 
changes in our communities. If we start introducing an alternative 
consensus democracy from below all across the UK/Ireland, the chances 
are much greater that we can have an impact on the national levels, not 
to think beyond. As we learnt last night in commemoration of the Kett 
brothers in Norwich, who gave up their wealth to fight with the peasants 
and against the Enclosure acts (where common land was made the property 
of "landowners" and local people were removed from it), capitalism as we 
know it today one could suggest was born in this country. Whether this 
is precise or not, we feel a special duty to reverse history.

Occupy Norwich has formed a working group in order to try to get our 
Council sign a motion very much like Edinburgh. At the GA on Saturday I 
will suggest to combine this with a Norwich People's Assembly, so that 
the Council can follow up it's motion objectives based on and with the 
help of the people's true opinions and wishes.

Thanks to everybody for their great spirit that keeps this movement 
moving!

Best
Vanessa
Occupy Norwich