Occupy Sandy Provides Relief for More Than Just a Storm

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/441-occupy/14999-occupy-sandy-provides-relief-for-more-than-just-a-storm-


But while the number of people attending marches and rallies may have plateaued last fall, Occupy never stopped growing. As Reed points out, many of the skills that have proven necessary for the relief effort, such as providing food and medical care in makeshift settings, developed first in the Occupy encampments. And even that version of the story hides the cultivation of political organizing skills that took place after the camps were gone.

"We also learned how to facilitate conversations of thousands of people," Reed explains. "It wasn't a dress rehearsal because it was real then, but it was also practice for something on a much larger scale."

And Occupy's innovations in communication weren't limited to general assemblies. InterOccupy, a communication platform that allows activists around the world to coordinate through conference calls and online "hubs," has proven integral to the efficiency and effectiveness of Occupy Sandy efforts.

InterOccupy organizer Tammy Shapiro explained that the project started with a conference call last October, but it was the new website and CiviCRM software system that has allowed the organizers of Occupy Sandy to keep track of supplies and volunteers.

Even more important, Shapiro said, are the relationships that were built between activists who met in Zuccotti Park. "If we needed someone to cook or do technical support, we all knew who to call," she explained, "because we're a network of people who work together."