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**AN OCCUPY WALL STREET FORUM ON THE COMMONS** Contact: Occupy Wall Street Empowerment and Education Working Group __making-worlds@googlegroups.com__ Jeff Lawrence 949-275-5831
 * MAKING WORLDS:**

February 12, 2012—During the evenings of Thursday & Friday, Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 from 5 to 9 PM and all day, Saturday, Feb.18, 10 AM to 9 PM, the Empowerment and Education Working Group of Occupy Wall Street will hold a forum to reflect on the direction and aims of the Occupy movement and to articulate strategies for the future. The forum will take place at the Church of the Ascension, 122 Java Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11222. It is free and open to the public. Information: makingworlds.wikispaces.com.

Recent articles note that Occupy Wall Street’s message profoundly influenced the political conversation in the U.S. to the point that President Obama “took a page” from OWS in his State of the Union address.

Yet some suggest the energy of the movement died down after the countrywide displacement of Occupy encampments. Actually, OWS supporters have continued tirelessly meeting indoors and out, in public spaces, homes & community centers to plan the next phase of the movement.

Initially OWS focused on protests against the problems of corporate greed and income inequality. They are now seeking to create solutions. Many OWS supporters envision a future inspired by the concept of “The Commons.” A “commons” is any widely available resource on which all life depends, such as air and water, as well as community-created resources like urban gardens and open source software, whose production should be or already is in the hands of its users. Wikipedia is one example a “commons,” one of many creator-run repositories of knowledge that we rely on in our daily lives.

Based on the belief that the market is transforming the world’s “commons” into profit centers, the //Making Worlds// forum will bring together Occupy supporters and others from a wide range of organizations and community networks to share resources on how to build and sustain a more equitable world. The forum will practice a horizontal, discussion-based format. Participants include the feminist economist and activist Silvia Federici, George Caffentzis, James Quilligan and others. More information at: makingworlds.wikispaces.com.