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1. NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: Indignados15M, Occupy Wall Street. Are they going anywhere? Are they really necessary?

   ByRosana Cervera, november 2013
2. LOS INDIGNADOS (15 M)«Lo llaman democracia y no lo es», «No nos representan»«Democracia real ¡YA!» It is asindicaland nonpartisan movement, considered concerned and outraged by the political, economic and social gap in Spain, marked by the corruption of politicians, bankers and big entrepreneurs. It is away from bipartisanship PSOE-PP (PPSOE) and the domain of banks and corporations. It is a social movement for the re-politicization of citizenship, to promote a more participatory democracy. It states that involving civil society can be built a better democratic system. We want a change and a decent future. We are fed up of antisocial reforms. We acknowledge that the political and economic powers are responsible for our precarious situation and demand a change of course.
3. ORIGINS Since 2008 there was an economic crisis in Spain, which has just been extended to other areas, leading to a political crisis, social, institutional and territorial. On October 2008, “citizen revolution” in Iceland. On October 2010 was published the pamphlet “Outrage!” (¡Indignaos!), by StéphaneHessel, writer and diplomat, one of the drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. It poses for a peaceful uprising against indifference. On February 2011 was established a coordination platform pro-citizen action groups, a Facebook group formed by representatives of groups in order to convene a mass demonstration and the drafting of a Manifesto. On March 2011, this group became the Real Democracy Now Platform, which activates a website with a Manifesto, with political proposals to Spain, and summon a demonstration on May 15, 2011. After that demonstration, 40 people decided to camp in the Puerta del Sol that night spontaneously. On May 16, 19 persons were arrested, and on 17 more than 10,000 citizens gathered there. It was the same in more than 60 cities throughoutSpain, up toonemillonestimated. Thousands of themremain in the squares until May 22 Elections Day, 2011.
4. 14 GOALS 1. Changing the Electoral Act: open lists and single constituency Seats proportional to the nº of votes. 2. Attention to the basic and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution: adequate housing, articulating a reform of the Mortgage Act; public health, free and universal ; free movement of people; and strengthening public and secular education. 3. Abolition discriminatory measures and unfair laws (Immigration Law, Sinde Law, etc.). 4. Tax reform favorable to lower incomes, a reform of estate and probate taxes. Implementation of the Tobin Tax for international financial transfers, and elimination of Tax Havens. 5. Reform of the working conditions of the political class to the abolition of their salaries for life, and for programs and policy proposals were binding. 6. Rejection and condemnation of corruption, and Electoral lists free of candidates convicted of it. 7. Measures in accordance with Article 128 of the Constitution regarding to banking and financial markets ("all the wealth of the country in its different forms and whatever its ownership is subordinated to the general interest”). Immediate nationalization of banks that have had to be rescued by the State. Stronger controls on financial transactions for entities and to prevent abuses in any form. Reducing the power of the IMF and the ECB. 8. Participatory and direct democracy. Popular access to the media, to be ethical and truthful. 9. True regularization of working conditions and monitoring of government. 10. Recovery of privatized public enterprises. 11. A "real division of powers“. Effective separation of executive, legislative and judicial. 12. Reduction in military spending, closure of the weapons factories and control of the security forces. 13. Recovery of Historical Memory. 14. Total transparency of accounts and financing of political parties to control political corruption.
5. METHODS These camping become popular assemblies, settle down in open squares or parks, and were structured in various committees (Legal, Activities, Communication, Action, Neighborhoods, State & International, Information, Infrastructure, Sign languages​​, etc.) They were structured in working groups (Culture, Education, Politics, Economy, Environment, Social Work, Feminism, Science and Technology, Interreligious Dialogue, Migration and Mobility, etc.) Activities were transferred to the people's congresses of neighborhoods and towns (Asamblea Popular de …) Today, thousands of members of these assemblies have created platforms, partnerships, cooperatives, and political projects among other groups born in the wake of the demonstration. Peaceful demonstrations, which had proved to be successful.
6. ACHIEVEMENT Had extended the 15M movement. Had spread in the local sphere direct participatory democracy(method assemblies). Had recovered the public space, and the critical thinking. Had fueled the creation of many groups, platforms and civic associations working for the common interests (15M, Asamblea de Sol, ¡Democracia Real YA!, AsambleasPopulares, Marea Verde, MareaBlanca, Coordinadora anti-privatización de la Sanidad, PATUSALUD, MareaAmarilla, MareaVioleta, Marea Azul, Red de aguapública, Toma la Tele, Agora Sol Radio, Yo no pago, Plataforma Auditoria Ciudadana de la Deuda, Democracia 4.0, Toque a Bankia, ActivaPreferentes, Yayoflautas, STOP Desahucios, Juristaspor la ILP, FundaciónCivio, Plataformapor un Nuevo ModeloEnergético, BrigadasVecinales de Observación de DerechosHumanos, Red Europea de Lucha contra la Pobreza y la Exclusión Social, MareaRoja, Tribunal Ciudadano de Justicia, etc.) Millions of people informed, awakened, socially aware, mobilized, organized and participated in a collective and democratic common future. Political projects born from 15 M: Partido X, Partido del Futuro, Confluencia, EnRed, FrenteCívicoSomosMayoría, Alternativasdesde Abajo, ProcesConstituyent, MovimientoCiudadano, Oigame, Somos el 99%, etc. According to a survey of Metroscopia for El País, May 2013, 78% of citizens outraged ensures that they are right in what they say, 4% have doubts about motives of protest.
7. LEARNED LEASONS The 15M is a turning point, an event of epoch. Since it emerged, the account of the Spanish Transition is over. Public mobilization and organization manage to change the status-quo, and extend their influence changes over the decades, countries and generations (french May 1968, latinamerican struggles against neoliberalism since ´80, Island silenced revolution, Arabic spring of Tunisia and Egypt, general strikes in Greece, etc.). Immediate results should not be expected. Public indignation calls for political regeneration and greater participation in democracy. Politicians have had to listen. Social movements can putting on the agenda issues and objectives from citizens: electoral reform for more representative, open lists for elections, end of political privileges, punishment for corruption, Referendum on reform of the State, social audit Debt, etc. Rethink ourselves as citizens, not as mere voters or consumers. IT are useful tools forward social organization and democratic participation. This citizens‘ movement is not left nor right. It is interclass and intergenational. They are democratic citizens with common goals, cooperating for the collective interest.It makes changes in institutions, laws.
8. OCCUPY WALL STREET (OWS) «We are the 99%» September 17, 2011 New York City, Zuccotti Park (Wall Street, financialdistrict). Theslogan wasboostedbystatisticsconfirmedbya Congressional Budget Office reportreleased in October2011. Itreferstothebestseller «Price of inequality» by Nobel Prize Joseph Stiglitz. The «Charging Bull», Wall Street´siconic. Theaverageage of theprotesterswas33. Diversityof age, gender,raceand occupysituation (students, retired, employees, unemployed, housewives, professionals). Religiousfaiths: Muslims, Jews, Christians. Majority of themfeltnotto be representedbypoliticalparties.
9. ORIGINS Adbusters, a Canadian anti-consumeristpublication, whichconceived of a September17, 2011 occupation in lowerManhattan (OccupyWallStreet.org web)toprotestforcorporateinfluenceondemocracy, and thelack of legal consequencesforthosewhobroughtaboutthe global crisis of monetaryinsolvency, and anincreasingdisparity in wealth. Adbustersemaileditssubscriberssaying “AmericaneedsitsownTahir» AgroupcalledNew YorkersAgainst Budget Cuts (NYABC)wasformed, whichpromoted a "sleep in" in lower Manhattan called "Bloombergville," in July2011. The Internet groupAnonymous. Theeconomic crisis of 2007 didnotinitially produce a left social movement. TheOWS movementemergeredonlywhenitwasincreasinglyclearthatthepoliticianswereunabletoaddressneitherthecauses northeconsequencesof theeconomiccrisis. OnOctober 1, 2011, a largegroup of protesters set outtowalkacrossthe Brooklyn Bridge resulting in 700 arrests. OnJanuary 1, 2012 policeclosures of theZuccotti Park encampment. Themovement has turneditsfocusonoccupyingbanks, corporateheadquarters, boardmeetings, college and universitycampuses, and Wall Street itself. OnSeptember 17, 2012, protestersreturnedtoZuccotti Park tomarktheone-yearanniversary of thebeginning of theoccupation. Thatcase Occupy Wall Street vs City of New Yorkwasfiled in the US DistrictCourtof New York, and thecourt has orderedtheCity topay$360.000 fortheiractionsduringthe Nov 15, 2011 raid.
10. GOALS Redistribution: more balanceddistribution of income. Incomeinequality (risentolevels of the Great Depression) isthe focal point of OWS protests. Reductionin theinfluence of corporationsonpolitics. «Corporateinfluence, thatcorruptsourpoliticalparties, ourelections, and theinstitutions of government.» Control of corruptionon Wall Street. Bank reform(especiallytocurtailspeculative trading bybanks) More and betterjobs Forgiveness of student loan debt. Alleviation of theforeclosuresituation
11. METHODS EXTERNAL (ACTIVISM) INTERNAL (ORGANIZATION) Meetingsare open tothepublicforbothattendance and speaking. Themeetings are without formal leadership, using a queue of speakers. TheAssemblyisthemain OWS decision-makingbody and uses a modifiedconsensusprocess: discussinguntilreachconsensus(commonsentiment, notagreement) 70 Workinggroups. «Spokescouncils», at whicheveryworkinggroup can participate. Directdemocracy. OWS People'sLibrary (5,554 books, Nov 2011) OWS hadaccumulatedover $700,000 fromdonors, and the median donationwas $22. Occupation Publicmeetingstodiscuss Civil disobedience Picketing Demonstrations Internet activism
12. ACHIEVEMENT OWS has been central todriving media storiesaboutincomeinequality in US. Theidea of a “99%” against a “1%” has seepedintoeverydaytalks. In November2011, PublicPolicyPoollingfound in a nationalsurveythat33% of voterssupported OWS and 45% opposedit, with 22% notsure. In January 2012, anothersurveyshowedthat 51% of votersfoundprotestersa publicnuisance, while 39% consideredit a validprotestmovementrepresentingthepeople. OWS has alreadybeguntoinfluencethepublicpolicymakingprocess. Duringan 2012 newsconference, President Obama said, «I thinkitexpressesthefrustrationsthe American peoplefeel, thatwehadthebiggestfinancial crisis sincethe Great Depression, hugecollateraldamageallthroughoutthe country ... and yetyou'restillseeingsome of thesame folks whoactedirresponsiblytryingtofighteffortsto crack downontheabusivepracticesthatgotusintothis in thefirstplace». The Republican presidentialcandidateRomneyexpressedsympathyforthemovement, saying, «I look at what's happening on Wall Street and myviewis, boy, I understandhowthosepeoplefeel.»
13. WHATS ON THE FUTURE? In the present and in the future, the social subject are citizens movements, peaceful, transverse and democratic. Civic resistance, citizen self-organization and hopefullinstead of resignation, individualism, and passivity. Evidence that citizens can change the policy in their favor. A betterworld, whichispossible, necesary and urgent. And itiscoming!
14. THANKS!