Well it’s not a revolution yet, but the #OccupyWallStreet movement is certainly generating a lot of interest. It was a surprise to me that the origins of the movement were actually in Vancouver, where Adbusters publisher Kalle Lasn and his friends brainstormed on the idea that occupying Wall Street could bring attention to the depth of resentment about wealth inequity in the world. Reading this article in The Tyee, it is clear that Lasn has both a clear thought about what the movement could demand (a one percent tax on financial transactions) and a sense that there never was a …
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Reading Paolo Coehlo’s fable The Alchemist: “When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”
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Douglas Rushkoff has a useful article on the Occupy movement. I am actually loath indulge in much analysis over what is happening in New York and now elsewhere, because the events defy analysis, especially from a traditional lens. But in this article, Rushkoff points to some of the things that are happening and why they matter for organizing large social conversations on the pressing issues of our day. To be fair, the reason why some mainstream news journalists and many of the audiences they serve see the Occupy Wall Street protests as incoherent is because the press and the public …
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It’s been a week since I was in New York City visiting the camp in Zuccotti Park (renamed Liberty Park) where the Occupy Wall Street movement was in full swing. I was struck mostly by their process, but also by the earnest and deliberate attention that these people, young and old are giving to the chance they have to open discourse on the big issues of wealth disparity and social equity in America. When I was there earlier in the week they were engaging in a participatory process to create their demands. It was as much about defining why they …
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Back in transit after two weeks on the road. I had two short nights and a day at home to recharge, see the kids, take in the Vancouver Whitecaps BC Place opener against Portland and try to kick this cold/cough. Things are busy right now. Most of my work is with faith based organizations, including several United Church of Canada congregations who have engaged me to work with them mostly around finding new levels of engagement within their congregations, or in collaboration with others. I am teaching a lot, on Art of Hosting teams in BC, Ontario, and next year …