Event:2014/05/12 Challenging Dominant Culture Meeting

OMNI challenging dominant cultures working group meeting
Jordan, Margit, Sarah, Kazoo, Danny, Noemi

1 thing each of us is hoping for with the Omni:

 * hoping to have movement performances
 * hoping it will become open and interesting and desirable for groups outside of our immediate group
 * hoping a move to Temescal doesn’t disrupt the Sudo community
 * hoping it will be a catalyst for social action/social change, getting what we need to fight capitalism
 * hoping for direct communication amongst us as a bigger group, and a sense of pace that feels grounded at the center of all tentacles
 * hoping for care to preserve values of transparency and non hierarchy

items to discuss:

 * reaching out to Omni neighbors
 * creating safe space within the Omni and a conflict resolution policy/procedure including alternatives to police intervention
 * materials and website to be multilingual
 * making invitations to diverse stakeholders
 * ways we might document what’s going on

discussion:

 * reaching out to Omni neighbors
 * we ought to wait until the lease is signed
 * and then?
 * door-to-door, in groups of 2 or 3
 * come with intent and allow side-track conversations to build relationships and build community
 * per-person outreach capacity? perhaps 2 or 3 houses
 * and in materials, proving a tangible way to get involved – e.g., an info-session and potluck in the ballroom, experience the space


 * outreach
 * what about inviting people to consider space?
 * there are options, multiple points of entry:
 * some groups may be open to sharing their space
 * there are rooms you can reserve
 * there is common space open to all
 * community events
 * August may be too late
 * what if individual groups want to do their own outreach?
 * and neighbors might get confused if they get spoken to twice
 * door-knocking coordination seems necessary
 * holding the Thursday meeting as only discussing lease and logistics
 * maybe our first goal as “challenging dominant culture” and radicalizing the Thursday meeting
 * and, putting pressure on the “logistics” team to catalogue issues and concerns
 * and note that there is a release valve on the nightly check-in call, which may also relax the Thursday meeting


 * making invitations
 * many groups doing transformational work in Oakland ought to come to a meeting … or something … but how to set expectations?
 * the Thursday meeting is not welcoming
 * so, back to the meeting culture!
 * inreach
 * meeting culture needs challenging!
 * hierarchical, not fun, sorta kinda effed up, reverted into following and leading
 * we’re in a state of emergency until the lease gets signed
 * nothing happened at 6:30pm except for Danny holding space
 * there is no facilitator chosen after the last meeting
 * the meetings are welcome at fiiiirst, but then the positive intention clashes with the anxiety around the work
 * WE NEED TO THROW A PARTY
 * people need to BOTH enjoy AND celebrate
 * the culture needs to be fun
 * next CDC meeting held at 5pm, and WE will be the welcoming committee


 * reporting back to THE WHOLE GROUP
 * what might we say?
 * we’re intent on improving the language we use as being accessible
 * we’re concerned about the meeting culture being fun and inviting
 * we’re also concerned about tech issues and related work, like getting added to the list or wiki or whatever
 * we’re interested in going door-to-door

ideas:
 * have 1 meeting a month as an open meeting for anyone interested in the Omni? restart the announcement list?
 * propose something farther ahead? maybe all of the Omni folks just spending half a day together

action items:

 * party!
 * kazoo sends an email
 * kazoo will make a cake
 * propose plan and dates in late May/ early June for visiting neighbors – via omniogistics list with contact
 * translate 1-sheet into plain, accessible language – building on from communications group
 * Danny collects language from communications group and sends to Kazoo
 * Margit talks with communications group regarding materials in other languages
 * Jordan raises conversation about coordinating door-knocking and outreach between Omni and Sudo

next meetings:
May 14, 5pm at 2141 Broadway

May 19th, 6:30–8pm Monday May 19th location TBD