The Occupy Declaration of Resistance; Voice to the Voiceless

By the Occupy Declaration Working Group (based upon "Demands and Objectives" box submissions and general Occupy principles of unity discussions in Los Angeles 2011-2012)

We, a diverse group of people brought together by the spirit of resistance, have recognized that the time has come for bold cooperative action to throw off the chains of our current broken and out-dated political and economic institutions. We, the 99%, hold that all life on earth is inter-connected and endowed with certain natural rights which cannot be granted or permitted by any coercive institution. Because we are deeply concerned with the violations of human rights perpetrated by the United States Government, both here and abroad, and fear for the future of our planet and our children, we declare our moral and spiritual outrage regarding the failures of our current oppressive political and economic systems. Rising to the challenges posed by tyranny, we stand in solidarity with one another and all people who strive not only to survive, but to lead lives of dignity, integrity and freedom. We, along with others who are part of the global resistance movement, envision a new society for our nation and our world, one in which compassion, wisdom, fairness and equality guide us, rather than materialism, militarism, greed and prejudice.

Our government has proven it is incapable of fairly representing us or addressing our grievances, and so we are compelled to rise up together, using direct democracy, non-violence, and the forging of collective will to guide us towards the creation of a new and more cooperative society. In contrast to the exploitative political agendas of those currently in power, we declare that we are together committed to the following principles of unity (this list is not all-inclusive):

GLOBAL PEACE, DISARMAMENT, AND NON-COLONIALISM; no military-industrial complex, weapons of mass destruction, wars of aggression or colonialist foreign bases. An immediate end to the hypocritical and wasteful wars on terror and on drugs.

HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL PEOPLE, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, immigrant status, or sexual orientation, including to quality education and healthcare (as well as alternatives), family, housing/land, and safe food, water and environments. An immediate foreclosure moratorium to protect families and the disadvantaged.

A FAIR ECONOMIC SYSTEM , which adequately addresses the problems of income disparity and poverty and disallows the hoarding of scarce resources, as well as one which separates wealth and state.

A REDEFINITION OF HOW PRODUCTIVE & REPRODUCTIVE LABOR IS VALUED. All work, even what is considered women's work, ought to be given equal weight.

SAFE AND NATURAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY CONSERVATION, AS WELL AS RESPECT & PROTECTION FOR THE NATURAL WORLD--including endangered animals, and the earth’s natural climate and water systems; sustainable, natural development.

SUSTAINABLE, SAFE AND NATURAL AGRICULTURE; including affordable organic food, an end to the factory-farming of animals and an end to the dangerous genetic manipulation of our food sources.

TRUE DEMOCRACY; open to Third-Party voices; publicly-financed elections, an end to corporate control of our society.

RESTORATION OF OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES; including the rights of freedom of speech and the press, an end to the police state and the prison-industrial complex; respect for the rights of the institutionalized and the imprisoned.

We pledge to support one another and/or participate in direct actions, creative protests, non-violent resistance, boycotts, strikes, teach-ins, people's assemblies, and in any other ways which we together feel called for the purpose of enacting the collective will of oppressed people everywhere. Another world is possible!

(This is a living document that can be edited in the future by a direct democratic process of the people. Please sign if you agree, and leave your contact information for possible updates.)

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