A SPECIAL FREE TELECOUNCIL IN HONOR OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT WITH INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED FILMMAKER AND

Velcrow "Crow" Ripper on the ground at Occupy
MOVEON.ORG'S FEATURED OCCUPY DOCUMENTARIAN; OCCUPY LOVE'S VELCROW "CROW" RIPPER

DOCUMENTARY AT WWW.OCCUPYLOVE.ORG

Velcrow will share about the Occupy Love Movement and his first-hand experiences on the ground in NYC since the beginning of the Occupy Movement. He'll share his insights as a globally renowned documentarian as to the profound state of our world's possibility to shift into love and human-based systems. Join us Monday evening in honor of Martin Luther King Jr's life and conscience.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Today the Occupy Movement will be engaging in global actions centered around the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The heart of Dr. King's vision offers wonderful inspiration for the movement - one that is deeply rooted in love. King's approach to activism was all about "love in action."
The activists of the civil rights era faced incredible repression and brutality, yet remained firm in their conviction to love, their conviction to non-violence. This gave them tremendous "moral capital." Violence, as an activist tactic, very rarely is successful. It is speaking the language of the opressor, and they respond with even greater violence. But the images of loving activists in contrast to brutality, is poignant, moving and transformative. It opens the hearts of the undecided, and calls them to join in the quest for justice. Those who seek to undermine the Occupy Movement, or any activist movement, invariably point to acts of violence.
King taught that while legislative changes were important, such as desegregation (a focal point for the movement at that time), unless we also change our hearts and minds, we would end up with, "a society where men are physically desegregated and spiritually segregated, where elbows are together and hearts apart. It gives us social togetherness and spiritual apartness. It leaves us with a stagnant equality of sameness rather than a constructive equality of oneness." He beautifully said that, "we are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality."

Dr. King's greatest vision was that the world would come together in a "Beloved Community." The civil rights movement represented an attempt to created that Beloved Community in microcosm. Today, within the Occupy Movement, we can also create this kind of community, founded on compassion, non-violence and mutuality. This is turn can help lead to the tipping point, towards that day when we are able to live in a world that works for everyone. King's profound dream was to enlarge "the concept of brotherhood to a vision of total interrelatedness." If he were alive today, I believe he would have recognized the incredible potential of this remarkable time in history.
By remaining firmly grounded in love, we are practicing "prefigurative politics." Instead of waiting for some far off dream of a peaceful, loving world, we are living it, right now, in real time. The principles of participatory democracy, central to the Occupy Movement, allow us to practice a world where everyone is important. Having a leaderless movement is also a radical step - we all are leaders today.

"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace." -MLK, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my deepest heroes. He faced insurmountable hatred, prejudice, and systemic challenge and yet the force within and through him of love made an indelible mark upon our world and collective heart. Likewise my friend and colleague Velcrow "Crow" Ripper has been around the world filming in the name of love and truth. See you tonight for this very special telecouncil!
TRIBUTE TO HERB BLAKE

The continuation of this series is dedicated to the memory and life of Herb Blake, former prisoner and advocate of Restorative Justice, and recent guest on this series. Bless your life-spark, Herb.

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