Fellowship of Reconciliation
Working for peace, justice and nonviolence since 1915

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Friends,

As Occupy Wall Street enters its second month, we are seeing other Occupy encampments cropping up all over the country -- and all over the world! The momentum that this movement is gathering is exhilarating and inspirational.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation's national staff has had people on the ground at several Occupy events:

• Ivan Boothe has been organizing at Occupy Philadelphia, and has posted a reflection on the encampment and "Occupy" events in general and an analysis piece on process and race in the Occupy movement.
• Ethan Vesely-Flad, Linda Kelly, and Matthew Arlyck have been present at Occupy Wall Street, particularly through the interfaith coalition supporting it (we invite you to sign its petition) and Protest Chaplains NYC.
• Executive Director Mark Johnson participated in and slept in his tent at Freedom Plaza at the rain-soaked October 2011 mobilization in Washington, DC.
• Susana Pimiento Chamorro attended Occupy Miami in Florida following her participation at the US SouthCom protest, and has been actively involved in Occupy Austin in Texas.
• John Lindsay-Poland was part of the organizing launch of Occupy Oakland in California.
• Staffers Linda Kelly and Tom Morrison joined FOR leaders Richard Deats, Lynn Gottlieb, and others at Occupy Rockland in Nyack, New York.

Have you been involved?

We're interested in hearing from FOR members and chapters that have been involved in attending or helping to organize Occupy-related encampments in your town. We've already heard from members in Portland OR, San Francisco CA, Cape Cod MA, Ocala and Gainesville FL, Atlanta GA, Olympia WA, and elsewhere of their participation in local efforts. And we would love to lift up actions being taken by FOR supporters, such as:

• participating in "Occupy" decision-making processes
• helping to support encampments through donations of resources or meeting space
• being a part of the online support for Occupy Wall Street and similar events
• helping to train organizers in facilitation, nonviolence theory, or organizing strategy

If you are involved in any way with these events calling for economic justice, please reply and let us know! You can also share your stories on our website or Facebook page.

Want to get involved?

"Occupy" events have popped up across the country and around the world. Occupy Together is a directory listing events and contact information -- find one happening near you!

As a resource to those involved in these events, FOR has posted the Metta Center's Five Principles for Nonviolent Action and our own Pact for Peaceful Witness and nonviolent discipline. We invite you to print and share these resources with organizers in your area.

In peace and solidarity,

Mark, Ivan, Linda, Ethan, Susana, John, Tom, Matthew, and all the staff of FOR

Images: Flickr users David Shankbone and Neil Girling (Creative Commons).

Fellowship of Reconciliation  |  P.O. Box 271, Nyack, NY 10960
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