General Assembly Minutes Wednesday 16 November 2011 6pm (started 6.20pm)

_{General Assembly Minutes Wednesday 16 November 2011 6pm (started 6.20pm)}

_{Facilitators:                  Ania / Padraig}

_Agenda

1.                          _{Safer Space Policy}
   
2.                          _{Agenda Items for the week}
3.                          _A.O.B.

 

1.                          _{Reading out of safer space policy}

_Comments:

• _{·              Watertight but has to be enforced and how is that going to be enforced.}
• _{·              Medieval stocks to punish people.}
• _{·              Correction:                  all decisions related to core values of ODS to be made @ GA}
• _{·              Amendment:                  to say in-house and GA}
• _{·              Should also be some autonomy for working groups? GA reviews decisions.}                 
• _{·              Not about decision-making but about safety.}

_Amendment:

_{All decisions ODS will be made at GA and in-house meeting.}

_{Comment:                                    point made that; groups should be allowed make decisions, with a view that this amendment would be                                     broken immediately.}

_{-               Brought back to safe space policy}

_Future GA’s:

Look again at decision-making process

Amendment:                  all decisions can be brought to the GA. Groups can act autonomously.

All decisions can be made by the GA. All housekeeping can be carried out by groups.

Take paragraph out regarding decision-making process – agreement

Reminder that this is about health and safety and not the decision making process.

Question:                  Can decisions be appealed to GA?

Answer:                  nothing to do with D.M.P.

Amendment:                  add the word equal (paragraph 4) take out paragraph relating to D.M.P.

Example:                  If nothing is happening can people take issues to the GA?

Language covers this.

Consensus reached 

Smoking Issue:

No smoking is the kitchen and covered areas.

Un-enforceable in open/outdoor spaces. Moot point as it is not illegal.

It is about mutual respect.

Common sense.

 

Safer Space Policy agreed as read out, excluding the paragraph relating to decision-making process.

Amendment: no smoking in indoor communal areas.

Add similar phrase to “no alcohol/drugs challenged and actively supported”

Consensus Reached.

 

Should there be a ‘strike’ system for misdemeanours?

SSP provides the base but you need some form of grievance structure to deal with issues. Hierarchy of issues i.e. smoking not the same as hitting.

Proposal for grievance structure to be worked out within sub-group.

Comment:                  are we building the same structures as the have been in place before?

Disagreement:                                    Having a leaderless movement does not mean you don’t have                                                       rules. There should be rules and guidelines.

Don’t turn this in to a bureaucracy.

This is about truth and social justice, need for rules and guidelines.

Not everyone practises common sense.

Needs to be a safe place where everyone can feel welcome all the time.

Semantics? Time wasting.

Concern:                  that GA is turning into a talk shop. Bring it back to the issues.

Stop over complicating.

Need to come up with a way of not over complicating.

 

2 suggestions for the future

1. Get rid of over abused direct responses
2. If you have spoken before you go to the bottom of the list.

Clarify all hand signals at beginning at the start of GA.

 

Themes for GA:

1. Have GA on decision making process and discuss how they are made.
2. Have direct actions focus after AOB. What is a direct action

• Tuesday tri-colour at Ireland game
• Flash mobs
• Handing out flyers

GA often packed so a group should be set up and makes proposals to the GA.

1. Discuss the campaign on House Hold Charges.
2. Occupy flash mob for trinity tomorrow.
3. How people are greeted when they arrive at camp.
4. GA on education/fees and call for students to occupy their collages.

Priorities:

1. Tomorrow: decision making process
2. Friday: Household Charges
3. Sat: Education and flash mobs

Suggestion to what we’re doing and are more welcoming to everyone. Make it global.

 

Any other Business:

Friday 7.30pm Environmental Meeting

Direct Action – more flyers required for areas outside the camp, Dame Street.

Keep training people on consensus and processes of the camp for newcomers.

Clarify: 6pm GA mainly for decision-making.

Reach out to unemployed

Question? Is there a march this Saturday?

Answer: NO

Outreach Meeting 2 pm Friday

Alternate meeting times.

Direct Action: Soup kitchen outside the Dail weekly

Call for better construction to make camp more welcoming, maybe tie in with Environmental. Critical to appeal to more people and show our professionalism.

Guidelines need to be printed for Security Group.

Security fence to also be made point of information.

Security Rota required. Section on website of things that need to be done and when people can come and help.

Shelter being made to make camp more open.

Thursday morning 9am, build team coming to construct kitchen. Help needed.

 

 

 

 

 

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