Genesis of Change

"This is the genesis of change,

 right before our eyes, and it's inspiring."

- Jim Whitlock 

Originally published on Oct. 20, 2011

Today we are being graced with a look at the Occupy Buffalo experience by Jim Whitlock, who is well known among Buffalo's peace and justice community for supporting a variety of peace initiatives. 

     As an active member of the Inter-Faith Peace Network, IPN; Riverside-Salem UCC, and serves on the Board of Governors of the Network of Religious Communities as the voting alternate for IPN, with Rev. Pierre Albrecht-Carrié as primary IPN representative, he is deeply committed to social justice. He has also been serving on the Coordinating Board of the Western New York Peace Center for eight years. 


"I took a Russian graduate student down to our own encampment last night. They all drew her right in and even across the language and culture differences she was struck by the spirit of the group. Indeed, that's what impresses me most of all, their spirit. More than with most such ad-hoc groups, I see God's light shining brightly in each and every one of them.


We're not so numerous in Occupy Buffalo as they are in Portland, OR, but we seem to be following similar paths with regard to marshalling non-intrusive support from those of us who have already been around similar blocks.

In Buffalo we have a lively background network of old-timers who are working on recruiting and coordinating local union leaders, legal support volunteers, and people to help with food supplies, a porta-potty and shelter support. I stopped down yesterday afternoon, for example, to donate a decent propane heater and a few 20 lb propane cylinders, after making sure that we would likely have organizational support for ongoing propane costs. It's just lovely the way one after another union and benevolent association is falling-in behind the folks out there in our public parks and squares.

When I participate in the consensus-model assemblies and discussions, I'm struck by what seems to be a clear throw-back to the Greek city-states, archetypes of democracy, vital thriving town-square democracies, except that what we see in our town squares today is far more egalitarian, property ownership not being required to cast a vote. If you're there and can raise your hand, you're a citizen with not only full voting rights but even the power to completely block a motion with nothing more than your own solitary blocking vote!


Oh, I know, what a nightmare of confusion and endless debate, you might say. But no, they're also marvelous with a generosity of spirit and a surprising maturity that allows them to converge reasonably once all relevant points have been heard and considered. If our futures are in their hands, we have good solid reason to remain optimistic.


I'm also struck by the number of new faces, especially during the daytime general assemblies on weekends. They include a complete cross-section of ages, including young moms and dads with infants in papoose-carriers right on up to old dinosaurs like me. And in Buffalo, at least, about half the crowd (based on my random sampling) have never before been involved in any sort of political activism at all! So who cares that it's taking time for such an ad hoc group to forge clear objectives and messages? The folks who have never been out before have taken a first small step and they like what they feel. They'll be back. And I believe in social momentum -- bodies in motion tend to stay in motion, accelerating as they go. This is the genesis of change, right before our eyes, and it's inspiring.


We're touching people -- one on one, person to person and heart to heart -- the only deeply meaningful way. They're clearly affected. The rest is in Gods hands and cannot be bad. Besides, the most precious wisdom I've been given the last few decades is that outcomes are not our department. We only get to do the legwork and if it's good legwork with good people then we'll make progress and the world will be a little bit better when we stop to rest."

Top and center photos by James O. Whitlock