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At the GA on Dec 3rd, a Political Action Committee was formed based on a proposed mandate. I will post the entire document presented at the GA below.
More information will be coming soon regarding contact information for the committee, and its meeting times.
Occupy Ottawa Political Action Committee
PREAMBLE:
Occupying politics does not mean that the Occupy movement becomes something different. The movement is not a political party. It does not force anyone to submit to a particular ideology as condition of membership in the movement.
The movement is open to all; each person's voice can be part of it.
Being active in Canadian politics does not mean that the consensus decision-making model must be abandoned – it means that the model can be applied to the decision-making apparatus of the current political system.
The Political Action Committee would merely add political action to the variety of tactics currently used by the Occupy movement.
Every lever of this systemic machine must be put under pressure to produce change; we need to occupy everything. The Political Action Committee can occupy politics.
MANDATE:
The Political Action Committee's mandate can be summed up as: Occupy politics.
Specifically, the committee's mandate will be to:
- Engage the people and hear what their concerns are.
- Make our voices heard to all levels of government and NGOs.
- Speak up at public consultations.
- Participate in political processes.
In short: This committee will engage in political action to achieve the movement's goals.
Clarification points:
- Be present at GAs, conduct unofficial polls, participate at CCom with the intention of promoting political awareness.
- Accept and suggest initiatives to petition, lobby, and solicit public servants and elected representatives.
- Inform GAs about public consultations, and coordinate participation in those consultations.
- Coordinate strategies to influence political processes in order to advance the concerns of the movement; and, take direction from the GA to engage in processes that are not explicitly on the mandate.
Political Action Committee Mandate
Submitted by Robert T. Chisholm (not verified) on
In my view this is excellent and represents another important step towards becoming a really well-organised movement. In planning any actions of whatever kind, for maximum effectiveness some coordination between this new Committee and the Direct Action Committee will be necessary.
NOPE... BLOCK
Submitted by direct action member (not verified) on
The essence of the occupy movement is non cooperation. The movement highlights the inherently undemocratic influence the 1% has over ALL politicians. The system is broken. This is not organization it is risking being co opted. Let's build support for our movement first. By building this global movement we will affect all power structures without capitulation. Politicians who are in power don't want to change the system. They also consistently lie.
Not in my name. sick of politicians lies,ego,self interest,spin,
Submitted by peacefull patton (not verified) on
If any attempt is made to connect this movement with support for the harper,Ray,or whoever they elect to lead the NDP policy. I will actively work to undermine this. Unless the NDP end their sickening,cowardly spineless silence on issues they only want to talk about behind closed doors. One lobby ring to rule them all. It's all smoke and mirrors like in the wizard of oz.
NDP??? Lobby ring??
Submitted by modernsteam (not verified) on
The whole point of a Political Action Committee is to get us Citizens going on issues that concern us. At least in theory, neither the NDP, nor any other party, is to have anything to do with the matter. This is supposed to be party-free, where individuals and their opinions count in the public interest.
However, you are right in that there is the danger of continuing politics behind closed doors, and one of the PAC's purposes is to mitigate that tendency of polticians of all stripes to govern, not lead, from the back rooms. The Harperites are doing that now. Unfortunately, too many members of the general voting public have the very traditional belief that all we rank-n-filers are to be allowed to do is vote in our rulers - whom I call dictators - every 4 years, and that is to be the end of our participation. I've heard too many people, mostly Liberal-n-Tory oriented, say that we "lower"-level folks, including themselves, are not to participate in politics, and that only elected representatives may even voice a political opinion publicly. We're up against our fellow Citizens, who, like the stereotyped large-school principal of not too many years ago, order us not to complain, to otherwise "shut up", and put up with the governance resulting from the vote. We'd get another chance four years down the pike, these fiercely domineering types would say. To continue bitching would get us a few stinging virtual whacks on the hand. And our having witnessed the behaviour of cops in Toronto and other cities at G20 meetings of recent years, I don't think that's too ridiculous to say. Our problem is really the right-leaning ferocity of the Canadian voter in opposing the very change which could give them a better deal in health care and other issues of the day.
Go back to sleep. the system works, vote for hope and change
Submitted by waveofhumanity (not verified) on
"Being active in canadian politics does not mean that the consensus decision-making model must be abandoned." Bullshit. We engage in direct democracy, true Democracy. The GA is not a disfunctional parliamentary constitutional monarchy with representation based on where our tents were in the park. A heaving mass of disgruntled humanity in the street is also taking part in the political process.
apology
Submitted by gayjewjap on
no personal attacks..sorry
Apology?
Submitted by huh? (not verified) on
I think you sorry in the wrong story mister.
nobody getting attacked in here but the man.
vote swap
Submitted by nogoodwillcomeofthis (not verified) on
lets not forget jack publically slammed Brigette for her heroic stand. When he tasted power he went straight to the center to keep anyone from rocking the boat. I support vote swap to kick the neo-cons out but i dont support a party who's leader slammed the bravest little Cannuck woman since Laura Secord. Depape chocolate anyone?
concerns about the committee
Submitted by Andy Wilson on
I understand some of the major concerns about the political action committee, as I share some of them myself, and have discussed them in length with the people I first met at the camp, and then at later GAs and other Occupy events.
Those discussions are a major reason why the committee did not form until after weeks of discussions, a mandate drafted at an open and advertised meeting, and a test for consensus for the committee achieved at a GA.
I hope people give the committee a chance, as it operates in the same manner as any other Occupy committee.
Right now the committee is lending its support to others who are working to end Bill C-10.
I haven't seen anything in
Submitted by hg (not verified) on
I haven't seen anything in the polical action committee's mandate about supporting the NDP, so I don't know why people are talking about Jack Layton... anyway, in my opinion, the way resistance to this committee has been expressed here, belies a misunderstanding of the document posted above. These concerns about this committee being coopted are completely out of context, and miss the point of what the committee will be doing, as it has been explained at GAs. This committee has no will to create support for political parties or candidates. This committee is about means and information. Good job Political Action. Keep it up, help people find their voice!
in my idea political actions in good way to act and to be unity
Submitted by Darya Fatemeh B... (not verified) on
political action is excellent way to be unity, to voice against any unjustice issues, to be unity in one world, one struggle, to end the war to end the poverty to end the capitalism.
Court Case Ann Emmett & William Krehm VS The Canadian Federal Ba
Submitted by Darlene Daly (not verified) on
There is no info getting out about this case ,this is one we need to HIGHLIGHT to the People of Canada . Thank You for your Belief in a better Canada . I always believed that the YOUTH of Canada would be CHANGE .
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