Today is a pivotal day for the Occupy movement. And in light of many questions people in the movement and people supportive of the movement are asking about what's next, I want to suggest three key resources:
These provide us with a roadmap for what is to come.
Alinsky's book is a classic discussion of power, why it's critical, and how to get and wield it.
Gene Sharp has some terrific (free!) materials on non-violent movements which have formed the intellectual basis of the Arab Spring over at http://www.aeinstein.org/ -- too many to easily list here, and full of useful ideas for non-violent movement building.
But I particularly want to draw your attention to the underrated Doing Democracy which is a how-to book on social movements. It's filled with useful, practical wisdom on how such movements work and what to expect. A key idea for right now is that every social movement sub-goals, each of which moves through eight stages:
(from Doing Democracy by Moyer)
1. Normal times
- A critical social problem exists that violates widely held values
- Powerholders support problem: Their "Official Policies" tout widely held values but the real "Operating Policies" violate those values
- Public is unaware of the problem and supports powerholders
- Problem/policies not a public issue
2. Prove the failure of official institutions
- Many new local opposition groups
- Use official channels - courts, government offices, commissions, hearings, etc. - to prove they don't work
- Become experts; do research
3. Ripening conditions
- Recognition of problem and victims grows
- Public sees victim's faces
- More active local groups
- Need pre-existing institutions and networks available to new movement
- 20 to 30 percent of public opposes powerholder policies
4. Take off
- TRIGGER EVENT
- Dramatic nonviolent actions/campaigns
- Actions show public that conditions and policies violate widely held values
- Nonviolent actions repeated around country
- Problem put on the social agenda
- New social movement rapidly takes off
- 40 percent of public opposes current policies/conditions
5. Perception of failure
- See goals unachieved
- See powerholders unchanged
- See numbers down at demonstrations
- Despair, hopelessness, burnout, dropout, seems movement ended
- Emergence of negative rebel
6. Majority public opinion
- Majority oppose present conditions and powerholder policies
- Show how the problem and policies affect all sectors of society
- Involve mainstream citizens and institutinos in addressing the problem
- Problem put on the political agenda
- Promote alternatives
- Counter each new powerholder strategy
- Demonology: Powerholders promote public's fear of alternatives and activism
- Promote a paradigm shift, not just reforms
- Re-trigger events happen, re-enacting stage four for a short period
7. Success
- Large majority oppose current policies and no longer fear alternative
- Many powerholders split off and change positions
- End-game process: powerholders change policies (it's more costly to continue old policies than to change) are voted out of office, or slow, invisible attrition
- New laws and policies
- Powerholders try to make minimal reforms, while movement demands social change
8. Continuing the struggle
- Extend successes (e.g., even stronger civil rights laws)
- Oppose attempts at backlash
- Promote paradigm shifts
- Focus on other sub-issues
- Recognize/celebrate successes so far
We are in stage 4, approaching stage 5. Do not lose faith or hope, my friends. There is much work to be done, but what has happened in the last few months has been amazing - and if we are willing to keep picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves off, and going to the fight again while inviting more of our friends and neighbors to join us, we will win.
(By the way, I'm working on prep for stage 7, running for Congress in the to-be-newly-redrawn WA-01. Blue district, open seat, likely to be half the district I've run in before. Would love your help if you're so inclined. Either way, you should read the stuff I've recommended in the diary.)