Dear friends,
Here is the sentence that Dr. Martin Luther King uttered with regard to "reparations" to Vietnam:
"…we must make what reparations we can for the damage we have done." – MLK (http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/16/special_dr_martin_luther_king_jr)
Personally, I had not heard of the concept of "reparations" until about 12 years ago. However, ever since that time I have been seeking for the same to be brought in the Indian polity.
"Vision & Goalss" of the Occupy movement (at least, speaking for the one in Wall Street area) is the name of a working group that has been meeting regularly since the inception of the movement in September of 2011. I became a part of this group soon after coming to New York in the beginning of Nov, 2011. At this stage we have been able to compile the following as a list of our visions, to be presented to the NYCGA (New York City General Assembly) for consensus next Tuesday, Jan 24th, 2012.
I have suggested the following amendment to the existing document. I would appreciate hearing your comments about my suggestions and the document as a whole.
Regards,
Satinath
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Dear friends,
I understand that our vision statement looks forward to a day when things are rosy and hunky-dory. However, justice cannot be said to have been served until at least due reparations have been made to the victims of our past rulers and their subjects, and provisions have been made for reparations to future victims of any future crimes. In view of the above, I would like the paragraph entitled "justice" to be amended as follows (amendments are shown in bold blue):
JUSTICE: whereby transparent and accountable social, political, legal, and economic systems work to benefit all, not just a privileged few; these systems are restructured or replaced when they fail to do so; reparations to various peoples of the world (including people of Iraq, Afghanistan and umpteen other countries) and their descendants brutalized, plundered and ruined by unjust actions of our current and former rulers and subjects also forms part the justice we envision.
In fact, in seeking reparations I am not even talking about the punitive damages of the current and past crimes against humanity. Justice cannot be said to have been served fully until some punitive actions are taken against the perpetrators of a crime. If the perpetrators of plunder have passed away, at the very least the stolen wealth they passed on to their progeny need be taken away from their progeny and passed on to the descendants of the plundered ones.
As for the duration of reparations, it should go on until (statistically speaking,) educational and economic levels of all of the descendants of the victims of plundering become equal to the descendants of the perpetrators of the crime.
Further, in the paragraph entitled "Equality", we need to include "mental and physical disabilities" as indicated below (in deference to and in honor of the young woman from Baltimore who cared to attend out meeting).
EQUALITY: whereby we reject all forms of institutionalized discrimination and oppression, on any basis, including but not limited to race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disabilities, religion, national origin, nationality or economic standing;
Regards,
Satinath
LATEST CONSENSED UPON VISION STATEMENT FROM THE VISIONS & GOALS WORKING GROUP 1-15-12
What follows is a living document that will be revised through the democratic process of the General Assembly.
We the people of Occupy Wall Street gather in the canyons of wealth to reaffirm our inalienable rights. United with the peoples of the world, we declare our rights to a just society and a flourishing environment for future generations.
Our political and economic systems are broken. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we live in a world where wealth is power. Our democracy now belongs to the highest bidder. Today, we must remember the lessons of history, restore human dignity, and begin anew to build the bonds of trust and goodwill among all.
From the General Assembly to the people of the world, we offer a Declaration of our Vision for the future.
We ask participants tonight in the GENERAL ASSEMBLY to choose ONE of the follow sentences:
We envision a free, democratic, and just society, built on the following principles.
We envision a truly free, democratic, and just society, built on the following principles.
We envision a fully free, democratic, and just society, built on the following principles.
LIBERTY: whereby we secure the full spectrum of human rights – political, civil, economic, social, and cultural – against violation or infringement, particularly by unchecked corporate power and unjust governments;
PEOPLE POWER: whereby governance, in every form and at every level, exists by the will of those governed; where neither wealth nor history alone will justify power; where everyone's voice is heard, and no one is marginalized.
FAIRNESS: whereby we collectively call on all who enjoy society's benefits to accept their share of society's responsibilities; where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive, and power is shared equitably by all so that no one is allowed to exploit, oppress or enslave another.
JUSTICE: whereby transparent and accountable social, political, legal, and economic systems work to benefit all, not just a privileged few; these systems are restructured or replaced when they fail to do so; reparations to various peoples of the world (including people of Iraq, Afghanistan and umpteen other countries) and their descendants brutalized, plundered and ruined by unjust actions of our current and former rulers and subjects also forms part the justice we envision.
PEACE: whereby non-violence is embraced as a way of life, and we resolve to live together in harmony and celebrate principles of compassion, appreciation, and respect for diversity and the differing views of others;
EQUALITY: whereby we reject all forms of institutionalized discrimination and oppression, on any basis, including but not limited to race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disabilities, religion, national origin, nationality or economic standing;
PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT: whereby we value human dignity and needs over monetary gain, elevating them to a place of primary importance; among these are the rights to meaningful and fairly rewarded work; a decent home; abundant sources of clean air, pure water and natural, nutritious food supplies; and free, comprehensive healthcare and education;
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: whereby the wealth of our economy emerges from the health of our environment and therefore all societal activities are conducted with respect, humane treatment, and foresight to ensure that all life is sustainable and that the world has room to flourish, now and for future generations.
It is not enough to know better; we must do better. Our social and political ideals have to be claimed and asserted by each generation.
And we look forward to a day when we can shift our focus beyond the notion of individual rights, towards a culture of sharing, where our love and compassion for each other and our world will be the only guides we need.
We affirm our commitment to live this new world in our hearts and make it a reality!
The Working Group on Vision and Goals continues to work toward a more comprehensive statement of visions and goals to be incorporated as soon as possible into this living document. This is an official document crafted by the Working Group on Vision and Goals. We can be found online at :
http://www.nycga.net/groups/vision-and-goals/
and at:
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