Moving On, Not Out

As the days of the Occupy London protest continue, its future remains in a state of flux. The official letter delivered from the City of London last week has served notice that bylaws for Victoria Park will be enforced at some point. There are valid points of argument on both sides, but for the protesters a majority will get to decide how they will handle the veiled ultimatum.However it plays out, here is some friendly advice from someone who has supported the movement from the beginning and wishes it to keep its relevance. Here are some things that could be undertaken to keep the issues alive for which they are protesting.First, show up in solid numbers for the Cenotaph memorial on Remembrance Day. The right to protest has been baptized in the blood of tens of thousands and that sacrifice must be honoured and respected. Whether or not your tents are in the park, be there, wear your poppies, and willingly take part in something that's far greater than all of us. To be sure, the older generation has endeavoured to comprehend your principles, just as the younger folks have been excited by your vigilance. Let them know that on a very important day that you recognize your responsibility to those who fought for this country and on that day at least you are one, even with those who oppose your efforts.Second, I spoke with a number of you at the park in this last couple of weeks and there has been a reticence to move to the grounds of St. Paul's Cathedral when they were offered by the church leadership. The hesitancy was founded, in part, on the concern that leaving Victoria Park would spell something of a defeat. That's a valid worry. But some of you recounted to me a suspicion of anything to do with organized religion. Perhaps it's time to reconsider. For the past eight months I've been writing a book on the movements of peace throughout history. Time and again, regardless of whether you were Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr., the church housed the desire for a better world for such individuals and their followers and their successes depended in large part on the resources - physical, spiritual, moral - that the churches brought to bear. Currently, some of the key leaders of churches surrounding the park are together endeavouring to move this community towards more equitable social justice for those lost in poverty. That's what you have wanted all along as protesters. Ally yourselves with these leaders. Ask for a meeting with them. Urge their congregations to fight for a fairer country, for an environmentally sustainable nation, for a new political order that will respect those marginalized by a dysfunctional wealth distribution system. These are established leaders in this community who can bring much to the table and who already possess the moral clarity and historic lessons of right over wrong. Combine with them.Third, even whether you're in or out of the park, start bringing together university profs, media personalities, and community leaders and start asking them how you might turn your important beginnings into a sustained force that will help you to win the day. Right now, in London, small business owners feel like they've been marginalized by the economic system. Talk to them and their associations. Start building a case for the new jobs of tomorrow. Almost 80% of those jobs will come from that sector anyway and small to medium-sized business owners require your help to have their voices heard. Their concerns are valid. Start building those partnerships with community associations that will help build your credibility for the future.Fourth, there is a group of emerging leaders that are starting to make their presence felt in this city and who have been ingenious in using the digital world to lend you their support and further your cause. Ask for a meeting with them and seek guidance as to how your effectiveness can be expanded. You likely know who many of them are; utilize them and request their long-term assistance.Finally, I ask you to look beyond Victoria Park. Your real place of residence and  protest should be in the minds and hearts of citizens. Your principles and the things for which you struggle transcend any physical location. It is no defeat if by moving out you are moving on with your message. We as a community have to figure out how to best house your spirit of reform. That's where the churches and the emerging leaders come in. You as a community have to determine how you will expand your efforts to include even more of us in our common pursuit of justice. Don't let Victoria Park be your Rubicon. Your real place is among us and together we all have to discern how that will look in the futureYou have done more to raise the profile of poverty in just a few weeks than I have done in years. In part because of that fact, I want to assist your effectiveness where I can. We are all a part of this community and you have drawn important attention to some key irregularities in our society. The question is will you acknowledge your need of us.