<div class="gmail_quote"><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">Dear Occupiers,<br><br>If you were at the conference in London on 19-20 Nov, you might have heard of the Winter Carnival proposal. <br><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">This is a vision of a way to expand the Occupy movement beyond the tents and into the general population, using the natural alliance the Occupy Movement has with churches. </span></div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; "><br></span></div><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">This alliance is not one of belief, but one of urgent goals: economic and social justice, true democracy and caring for the weakest in our society. </span><br>
<br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">It's a vision of growing the movement to truly encompass the 99%, of people coming together this winter and</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">lighting their dark streets, walking shoulder to shoulder and acknowledging their common desire for a more just world for themselves and their children.</span><br>
<br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">This</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">vision involves a Winter Carnival – a local event held at the Cathedral</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">by and for the Occupation and any allies who come forward. One part of</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">the Winter Carnival may be a visit from a “Touring Occupation”</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">originating in London. Alternatively, since we don't want this event to be London-centric, we can imagine simultaneous carnivals taking place in different cities in parallel each with its own candlelit walk (see attached).</span><br>
<br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">One important</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">part may be a debate held inside the Cathedral. In 1647, the</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">Levellers held debates at Putney Cathedral to determine what course the</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">people of the UK wanted the country to take – apart from the monarchy</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">and the existing government. What do we want and how do we get there?</span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">The time has come to have that dialogue anew. </span><br><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3"><br>
</font><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">For both the church (any church - the Church Universal) and the Occupy movement</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">, the goal here is outreach. The idea is that any</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">organization would be welcome to participate, from local green parties</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">and activists like UK Uncut to churches and faith groups of all</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">descriptions who share our vision and goals. The idea is that we stand together and celebrate the fact</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">that the ideas of the Occupation are already beginning to triumph. But</span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">we need to truly reach the 99%. We want to start that process of outreach by walking in the streets with all</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">our allies, lighting the darkness of winter with candles, by engaging,</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">teaching, listening and learning. </span><br>
<br><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">At this point, we visualise the Winter Carnival as a nation-wide event (or rather series of events), starting January 7th and continuing over eight or more weekends. We have made no provisions involving Ireland but are including the Irish occupations in this mail because during our last gathering, at least one of you (Occupy Cork) appeared to express some interest. </span></div>
<br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">Would</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">you be interested in working together with us to bring a Winter Carnival to</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">your city? It would be work, but it is the kind of work and organizing</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">that can be done by supporters who are not able to camp. </span><br>
<br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">Attached is a proposal for you to consider and perhaps bring to your General</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">Assembly or outside supporter. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">Note this is an idea in development - a</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">very powerful idea that could really bring the movement forward - but it</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">has not yet been approved by the General Assembly at St. Paul’s,</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">Finsbury Square or Bank of Ideas. We'll be bringing it to the attention of Occupy London's first joint general assembly (OLSX/OLFS/BoI) this Friday.</span></div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3"><br></font></div><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">We have made first contacts with around 22 bishops in the UK on the subject and may have contacted one near you. </span></div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; "><br></span></div><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">Please let us know if you would like to be involved in an outreach project</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; "> like this with us, if you have any other suggestions or even if you simply want to know who we contacted near you and whether they have responded. </span></div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3"><br></font></div><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3">We'd like to leave you with the Occupier's Prayer, presented to us at a lunchtime assembly at OLSX about ten days ago. This was from a man who came up to the microphone to ask if he could celebrate his 90th(!) birthday on the site. The GA unanimously agreed. </font></div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3"><br></font></div><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3">He then proceeded to read the prayer he had composed for the Occupy movement (see attached). We felt that his words captured all the points made in the Occupy London statement but translated into a spiritual/religious text. </font></div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3"><br></font></div><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3">For those who can't read the text from the pictures, here it is reproduced:</font></div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3"><br></font></div><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); ">
<b>Occupier's Prayer</b></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><br></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); ">
<div>LORD, make me an instrument of Thy power to combat evil;</div><div>Where there is sabotage of Thy creation; Let me strive to safeguard it.</div><div>Where greed seeks to destroy our moral heritage; Let me be first to oppose it.</div>
<div>Where power and money combine to undermine our community life; </div><div>Let me hasten to affirm the supremacy of love of neighbour.</div><div>Where there is passivity and conformism to powers of darkness;</div><div>
Give me courage to radiate the light of truth.</div><div><br></div><div>DIVINE MASTER, grant that I may not so much seek to live a quiet life as to join with others to enhance life, not so much to grab as to give, not to evade my social duty as to shoulder it, and not to fear power as valiantly to strive with others that it shall serve worthy ends; for it is in striving to act with love that we affirm love, in devoting ourselves to noble causes that we are redeemed, and in giving ourselves utterly to the wellbeing of our neighbours, to the service of truth, beauty and the joy of Thy creation, we rise to the life immortal. Amen.</div>
<div><br></div></div><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; ">Kind regards</span><br><br><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; ">Winter Carnival Committee</span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; ">Contact</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; ">Rachel Mariner On behalf of the Outreach Working Group (<a href="mailto:outreach@occupylsx.org">outreach@occupylsx.org</a>) and Multifaith</span> <span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">and Belief Working Group of Occupy London * </span><span style="font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><a href="mailto:rachelmariner@gmail.com" target="_blank"></a><a href="mailto:rachelmariner@gmail.com" target="_blank">rachelmariner@gmail.com</a></span><span style="font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "> * 01223243006 * 46 Fendon Road Cambridge CB1 7RT * 07960907937</span><br>
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