Hi, my name is Matt. I will be graduating this year with tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt, into a world where I will have to compete with thousands of other graduates for jobs that will not offer a living salary for my family. Many of the social programs I had taken for granted would be there for my children are under threat, including basic structures such as libraries, parks and healthcare.
It was this fire under my ass that provoked my curiosity to attend Toronto’s first day of occupation on October 15, which promised to at least begin a discussion about these issues.My condensed experience was that the movement is organic, adaptable, and inclusive.The direction literally depends on everyone who participates in the general assemblies, in this case including me.
Because of the general and diverse nature of the problems discussed, many have become confused as to the motivations and goals of the general movement.Jacob Hodgins, a political science student at Laurentian University and a volunteer with the Occupy Toronto Outreach Committee, took some time to answer some of Arthur’s (and your) questions.
Arthur: Why “Occupy”?
J.H.: The tactic of occupying a space as a form of protest took root in North Africa during the Arab Spring last year. Most notable was the occupation of Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, during the Egyptian Revolution.
This summer saw the rise of the Indignados and the May 15 movement in Spain. The Indignados, drawing from the successes of the Tahrir Square occupation set up camp in Puerto del Sol, a busy plaza in the heart of Madrid. The occupation of Wall Street and the hundreds of other cities around the world is an extension of this emergent revolutionary tactic.
Occupying as a strategy of protest has a few different facets which make it particularly successful. First, maintaining a sustained presence, a ground zero, provides individuals the space and time to organize a prolonged series of actions.
Second, the medium is the message. The act of simply occupying the space is in itself a political message. An occupation means a reclaiming of a space that was previously closed off from the commons.
Finally, by opening up a space to the commons, an arena is established in which citizens can engage each other politically, culturally and philosophically through discussion. The idea is to transform and broaden the political discourse within society by providing a space where people can bring to the forefront issues and concerns that are often ignored by the media and political class.
Arthur: What are “consensus democracy” and “the people’s mic,” and how do they
relate to the decision-making process at Occupy Toronto?
J.H.: Within the Occupy movement, all decisions, both logistical and political, are made through a consensus-forming body known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly is a horizontal and participatory democratic body which seeks at all times to be as inclusive, non-hierarchical, and as open as possible. Every person is free and encouraged to join and participate within the democratic process.
Many General Assemblies, such as the ones in Toronto, seek at all times to reach a consensus on issues without the use of voting. Consensus means that there is no outright objection to what is being proposed. When a particularly important and immediate decision must be made, the Occupy Toronto General Assembly allows for a 90% super majority to approve a decision.
Within the general assembly, committees are formed to deal with specific tasks and issues. For example, in Toronto there are committees for food, logistics, media, legal, medical, art and culture, outreach, actions, and facilitation. Each committee meets outside of the assembly to develop proposals on how to carry out specific actions or tasks. These proposals are then taken back to the general assembly for discussion, modification, approval or rejection. The general assembly is open to every participant to speak on an issue, or present a proposal for discussion.
The people’s mic is a human-powered system of amplification. It is very similar to an echo. A person breaks their sentences up into 5 or 6 word portions so that those within ear-shot of the speaker can yell out and repeat what is said. This ensures that everybody at the general assembly is able to hear what the speaker is saying.
In very large groups, sometimes 3 or 4 echoes are needed in order to reach the entire assembly. The people’s mic was developed in New York in response to a by-law forbidding amplified sound in a public place. This method has many positive side effects and has since caught on in many occupations across North America. It turns passive listeners into active participants, encourages active listening (which is crucial to reaching consensus), and reduces the tendency for individuals to shout out and speak over other individuals.
Arthur: How is the Toronto occupation related to the movement on Wall Street and
why is the same tactic relevant here in Canada?
J.H.: One of the most notable aspects of the Occupy movement has been the diversity of causes its participants seem to represent. At any given occupation you will find a wide array of ideologies and causes being discussed. The movement welcomes this diversity, seeking to be inclusive and representative of society at large.
One thing, however, unites a large majority of the participants in the Occupy Movement. That is, that the top 1% of society has too much wealth, control, and power over the democratic institutions of our society. The rallying cry, “We are the 99%” speaks to the simple fact that ordinary people feel shut-out from the decisions that affect their lives and the world around them.
In the United States, during the financial crisis of 2008, banks were given hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bailouts, while the rest of the population experienced severe austerity.
In Canada on the other hand, one common issue has been the widening income gap between the rich and poor which is growing faster here than in the United States.Whether an individual’s concern is related to the environment, labour, the economy, or politics, many people are beginning to see that these issues by and large stem from the corrupting and profit driven influence of those corporations at the top echelon of the social strata.
People all over are beginning to feel as though democracy, as it is currently constituted, does not depend on the mandate of the people, but rather the amount of money one is able to throw at it.
Arthur: The Occupy movement has been criticized for being a colonialist movement. Where are these criticisms coming from and how are they being addressed?
J.H.: In the beginning part of the criticism, levied by many First Nations people, was that the land is already being occupied. I know that there are First Nations groups that have been in the park from day one, open all assemblies with traditional ceremonies, they lead the marches, have given the movement permission to occupy their land, and that the Elders present at the Toronto occupation are planning to light a ceremonial fire that will burn indefinitely with virgin wood.
All of this is specific to Occupy Toronto and I can’t speak for the other groups, but from my perspective I would say that the people have been very successful in addressing these issues.
Occupy Toronto is currently based out of St. James Park, King + Church, Toronto.
