Andria
How would you define Occupy ?
Collective of fellow citizens concerned with economic and social justice: want to making equality happen and also wanting to protect the planet from profiteers, e.g Frackers.
What were you doing before Occupy ?
Raising my daughter and fighting from my life….I am disabled
I was also involved (still am) in Drug Policy Reform Efforts and AIDS Activism
Why did you participate in Occupy?
Because as soon as I listened to people at General Assemblies, I knew I was with Kindred-spirits, who cared about social and economic justice. I learned that the corporations, the banking system are corrupted and that most of the money now in the hands of very few, controls everything. We have to care enough to do something about this as it is annihilating communities that are poor, or ill, or in other ways vulnerable and /or disenfranchised.
I live in London UK,and the damage that has happened to the UK, PARTICULARLY since the Tories came to power is terrifying: increase in homelessness and much more… The culling of vulnerable populations, for example those who are sick and need to claim “Welfare Benefits”- with the media, in parallel , cursing those vulnerable people for being scroungers, so that everyone is brainwashed towards believing the “lies of the 1% and their cohorts”
Since 2340 days ago….
Rise in Suicide
AIDS
Addiction
Homelessness
Need I go on ?
What impact did Occupy have on your personal life?
People worried more about me and my kid as I took a lot of time out and about to support people being made homeless, sick people, mentally ill people, and sacrificed my own well-being to some degree
It also impressed a few like-minded people, which was nice
Mostly it increased my social circle though I wish I had become closer to a handful of those people. Everybody I knew well, lived outside of my local area and as I am disabled single parent, I can’t just go and see people whenever I want to:-(
Did Occupy change the ways you think, feel and interact with the world? If yes, how so? What do you feel that you learned (or unlearned) that was unique to Occupy?
Yes it did. It pulled me up about the suffering of ALL impoverished or sick people (as opposed to just people with AIDS or drug/alcohol addictions) – where most of my vocational work had been before OL.
It made me despair more, laugh more, cry more, CARE MORE, and I learnt to live-stream there which means it was like a school to me. I also learnt so much at Tent City University
I also learned how the legitimated criminals: banks and corps – (to some degree) hijacked our planet, though of course there have always been the more privileged..
I learned to be with a great diversity of people & to help those at OCCUPY, with the counselling and other skills I had learnt working with PLWHIV (People living with HIV and /or chemical dependencies). I learned that I have a lot to give but I must also take care of me, not an easy lesson 4 me…
What impact do you think Occupy has had on the economic and political situation?
Not a lot sadly but it did raise the consciousness of the UK population, about who is really in control of our lives, (City of London; Bankers and Corporations) which is not a bad thing. What we need now is OCCUPY Revisited, to work out what we can do about it as demos and rallies and banners and civil disobedience are only part of the picture
Given the current political and economic situation, what is your view on what people can do to bring long lasting systemic change?
This is a booklets worth of answer……AND I haven’t got time to write that for us..
Become Volunteers/workers in projects they can see are actually making a difference: War On Want comes to Mind. Shelter. Crisis at Christmas, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, All local Fracking-resistance groups
TALK TO ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE U MEET ABOUT DANGERS OF FRACKING, THE POWER HOLD OF THE CORPS AND BANKS AND ESTABLISH LOCAL GROUPS THAT CAN TAKE STEP-BY-STEP PROCESSES TO EXPOSE THE GREED OF OUR ELITES
write letters to your local mps about all the things u care about have fun in the process
RE-OCCUPY Somewhere asap..Inside Buildings…
Before Occupy, were you involved in activities related to the reasons why you participated in Occupy? (Activist groups, campaign groups, media platforms, volunteering, research, etc)
Yes but not formally, and certainly not paid to do so..
Are you still involved in activities related to the reasons why you participated in Occupy? (Activist groups, campaign groups, media platforms, volunteering, research, etc)
Yes
Are you still actively working or engaged with people that you met through Occupy?
Yes, e.g: recently supported our Sister Tina Louise at an Action near Buckingham Palace exposing the dangers of Fracking. How do people sleep at night knowing they are monetarily-profiteering from fracking our land…There is so much scientific evidence now, showing how dangerous fracking can be.. poisoned water supplies to name but one:-((
What kind of activities are you doing together?
Banner-making, Homelessness Activism, writing to MPs regularly..teaching others how to do the same, learning from them about environmental issues. Loads more!