January 21, 2021: A Morning of Reflection and Dialog for Occupy Los Angeles: Where do we go from here?
We discussed our achievements so far, the challenges we face and how to address the challenges.
Achievements	Challenges	Addressing the Challenges – Where to go next
	Activating the 99%	How to Activate the 99%
Moving the debate	· How to include the larger public · Connect people to what they want to be in the world – help people “sing their song” · Apathy is pervasive	-Education: clarify a message that is based on values and a moral imperative. -Show people that what we are doing is important and that it is positive: “To Occupy is to Unify” Our movement is to unify those who want a just and equal society. -Use technology with educational links -Use the Occupy the LATimes -Promote the People’s Collective University -Community-based education in homes, including existing community groups where the community voices their concerns and Occupy helps out -Go to schools -Outreach to the best parts of media (my notes were incomplete on this idea). -Reach out to conservatives on the basis of shared goals of participatory democracy and transparency in governmental processes. These goals are shared by Occupy and the Tea Party. -Create unifying symbols such as a color. Distribute signs, posters, and buttons so that people could show their support for the movement and that they are the 99%. -Get the pretty girls and guys out front – the masses will follow!
Trust in the process	· We need to be action oriented	Focus on foreclosures and canvas the neighborhoods of those being foreclosed against and inform the neighborhood residents about what is taking place there. Provide foreclosure education to neighborhoods. Occupy Yourself. One of the participants uses that as a motto and passes around flyers with her contact information. She then has conversations about the Occupy Movement and answers questions and tells why she is involved.
High visibility	· Our movement has to be user friendly including technology	-We need to focus not just on our message but on creative solutions of what will bring people into the movement and how to make that an easier process for them to participate, including committees and actions. -Website that is user friendly
Interpersonal interactions	· Raise consciousness	-Find people who are interested within our own spheres of influence
Hope for real changes	· Tell the story in an appealing way	-We must create a narrative that frames the issues in a way that brings clarity to the masses on why the system needs to change. -Have a values-based message: where the values are at the top and then there is a mission statement and actions flow from the values
Unity + understanding	Strategy	Strategy
Energy	· Nonviolence	Create community
Awakening/Shift in Consciousness	· Tweak our use of horizontalism	Have a vision, mission, goals and objectives
Social justice is broadly defined, including fairness and justice	· Tap into existing activists
Undecided demands -> infinite possibilities	· Naivete of what we are up against
Using Nonviolence	· Make demands
Coming together -> diversity is the power	· Organization
Brought the geographical center back to downtown LA	· Coordination · Define what we are for not what we are against
Powerful institutions respond to and recognize us	· We need to create a critical mass (see Activate the 99%)
Direct Action	Communication	Communication
Solidarity	· Maintain respect	NV Communication
It’s a global movement	· We need a space to meet	Find a location for committee meetings and a way to publicly post the meetings
Keep going

Analysis: We focused on the importance of getting the word out and building critical mass. This is precisely where we are in the movement: creating the narrative, framing, mission/vision statements, education and leveraging technology. We do this so that the 99% will wake up to our situation and create changes by using our collective power. We are moving towards creating changes locally, in our neighborhoods and schools. We then have to ask: how do we choose issues and how do we actually create change? We have started with foreclosures, state tuition hikes and separation of wealth and government. Our actions build community, something crucially missing in the present social structure. Once we get some victories, then we continue to grow the movement to create more changes, bigger and bigger.

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