Breakfast Briefing on the Ebola Crises in SF

American Jewish World Service has just passed the $1 million mark, raising funds to help our grassroots grantees, primarily in Liberia, and they are doing amazing work. The fact that these individuals and organizations have such credibility among their own communities and are themselves facing the same dangers, enables them to effectively communicate with a suspicious and petrified population. Please join AJWS San Francisco for a special briefing with our President, Ruth Messinger to receive updates from our grantees and discuss how we can continue to make a difference. If you have donated to the Ebola campaign or are still considering how best to help, please join us on Monday, December 08, at our office (see below) for a light breakfast. The unprecedented Ebola outbreak has already claimed nearly 5,000 lives in West Africa and while the spread of the virus has slowed, the devastating crisis is far from over. Thanks to the generous supporters of AJWS, we are already helping save lives. Courageous Liberian grassroots organizations are going door-to-door and on the radio waves to educate their communities about how to protect themselves and their families from Ebola and get help for the sick. With compassion and dedication to justice, they are transmitting life-saving messages of prevention and hope. Details: Breakfast Briefing on the Ebola Crisis: Featuring Ruth Messinger, President of AJWS Monday, December 8, 9:00am Breakfast / 9:15am Briefing AJWS San Francisco Office Conference Room, 131 Steuart Street, San Francisco, California Space is limited. Please RSVP to Matt Balaban at mbalaban@ajws.org or call (415) 593-3298  ———————————————————————————————— Alon Shalev is the author of the 2013 Eric Hoffer YA Book Award winner, At The Walls of Galbrieth, The First Decree, and Ashbar – Wycaan Master Book 3 – all released by Tourmaline Books. His latest novel is Sacrificial Flame, the fourth in the series. Shalev is also the author of three social justice-themed novels including Unwanted Heroes. He swears there is a connection. More at http://www.alonshalev.com and on Twitter (@elfwriter). Hang out with Alon on Google+

Occupying an Agenda

I have posted frequently about my excitement over the Occupy movement. The ‘uprising,’ if I may use such a term, is both a shift of consciousness and a call for grassroots action. I am proud of those who are creating micro communities on these sites and seeking an inclusive culture that allows for everyone present to feel involved and listened to. I am sorry that the mass media do not seem willing to give this aspect the attention it deserves.

Occupy SF

This is the crux of the movement. What mobilized people is the rising frustration that the vast majority of us are simple pawns in a game played with impunity by corrupt big business principles and a failed political system where those sent to Washington do not represent those who voted to send them (and those who didn’t), but rather represent those who paid for them to get voted in.

People need to feel listened to. They have a right to know that if they work hard, save for retirement, buy a house, and then they will receive a minimal social network. Their children will have a good education, their medical needs will be taken care of, law enforcement are there to protect them, and that they can retire with dignity. If you play by the rules and participate in the system, surely you have entitlement to basic human rights.

The rains are coming and it is unclear how the Occupy movement will cope with the coming winter. What most worries me is that, as far as I know, there is no strategic plan. It is unclear who is the leadership and we will revisit next week on this blog whether there should be an agenda.

Will people come out in the rain?

This past summer, ‘Tent Cities” were created in most major towns in Israel. There was a huge outpouring from a disenfranchised and disillusioned public (many of them under 40) with a myriad of social issues represented. Some were similar to here in the US, others more unique to Israel.

There are many similarities to Occupy. There was no recognized leadership because there was a desire not to exclude anyone and creating a power structure, however open and inclusive, runs the risk of marginalizing people. Furthermore, there was no central agenda, again because of a desire to promote different social injustices and issues, according to those who stepped up to join the Tent City. There were also clashes with police.

Israelis of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and religions came together for a summer.

When the summer ended, the groups slowly lost momentum. I am afraid that without a framework and platform, then it might not be able to sustain itself. I believe the Occupy system needs to decide one of two things:

i) To create an agenda – and they might do well to read Roger Ingall’s suggestions.

ii) Decide to create a leadership structure and strategic plan, or take the momentum into the Democratic Party.

More on this second aspect next Wednesday.

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Alon Shalev is the author of The Accidental Activist and A Gardener’s Tale. He is the Executive Director of the San Francisco Hillel Foundation, a non-profit that provides spiritual and social justice opportunities to Jewish students in the Bay Area. More on Alon Shalev at http://www.alonshalev.com/ and on Twitter (#alonshalevsf).