Post by kim on Nov 14, 2011 22:24:15 GMT -7
HELLO TO THE MISSOULA COMMUNITY AND TO THE WORLD COMMUNITY!
To my thinking, it seems that what we need is a space for a community center, where people can gather, and where we can have work group meetings and GAs and support each other. There was a big response at Sunday's GA to the formation of a work group to address how this movement can help the houseless population. There are work-groups and study-groups meeting throughout the week. We are FINDING EACH OTHER. We need a community center where that work can continue! The camp is (was) the ideal location for that, but the space is not adequate for meeting and learning together now that the weather has changed. We need a space! I would like to open this idea up for discussion. We have many places (eg library conference room) where we can have meetings, but the encampment is our true space, where we have solidarity and strength of intention. How/where can we claim (occupy!) space to continue the important work we are doing? Anyone downtown have a space where we can put up a big tent to create a community center? Anybody have a tent to offer up for use in the cause? Or have access to an indoor space we can occupy?
Let's brainstorm! Maybe we should put out this request in the form of a letter to the editor in the Missoulian? I believe people want to help, but maybe the camp was a bit intimidating to some. Image is everything in this culture and fear of reprisal from work or family or who knows what might have limited that participation to some extent (?). We have the time and the minds right now to figure out these issues by working together!
IDEAS?
To my thinking, it seems that what we need is a space for a community center, where people can gather, and where we can have work group meetings and GAs and support each other. There was a big response at Sunday's GA to the formation of a work group to address how this movement can help the houseless population. There are work-groups and study-groups meeting throughout the week. We are FINDING EACH OTHER. We need a community center where that work can continue! The camp is (was) the ideal location for that, but the space is not adequate for meeting and learning together now that the weather has changed. We need a space! I would like to open this idea up for discussion. We have many places (eg library conference room) where we can have meetings, but the encampment is our true space, where we have solidarity and strength of intention. How/where can we claim (occupy!) space to continue the important work we are doing? Anyone downtown have a space where we can put up a big tent to create a community center? Anybody have a tent to offer up for use in the cause? Or have access to an indoor space we can occupy?
Let's brainstorm! Maybe we should put out this request in the form of a letter to the editor in the Missoulian? I believe people want to help, but maybe the camp was a bit intimidating to some. Image is everything in this culture and fear of reprisal from work or family or who knows what might have limited that participation to some extent (?). We have the time and the minds right now to figure out these issues by working together!
IDEAS?