What is the 'Occupy' movement? Is it a movement, even, or a tactic? Why are there no substantial and coherent demands, and is this an aspect itself of the desire to achieve real democracy? Are its beginnings in the call by Adbusters to 'Occupy Wall Street' on September 17th, 2011, providing the catalyst to Occupations in over 95 cities across 82 countries in the following winter? Or can we trace the movement back to the Arab Spring, or further still, to Tiananmen Square?

Wherever its origins, today the call to occupy is resounding across the globe. 2012 is the year to 'Occupy Everything', but what will this mean? Already we are seeing the use of the latest technologies to grow democracy anew and experiment with forms of social and political organisation, the awakening of a networked generation disposed to take power into their own hands, the struggle to find economic alternatives in the face of the failure of market fundamentalism, the resistance against austerity and the dominance of a global political elite intent on maintaining their grip on power, whatever the cost. From Athens to California, Glasgow to Egypt, people are re-evaluating the kind of world they want to live in, and the kind of life they want to lead. They are not appealing to their governments for change, but forming publics to be the change they want to see.

OurKingdom has explored the birth of Occupy through its Networked Society debate, on the way in which new technologies are transforming how we communicate, deliberate and organise. In this debate, OurKingdom will work with openDemocracy to document and analyse the growing Occupy movement, helping to strengthen its voice and hoping to be part of Everything.

See our page of communiques from occupations and protests around the world.

J14 and the movement for social justice in Israel

Sylvaine Bulle 7 April 2012

Israel's J14 protest movement is a new breed of movement in search of a society which has a mature accommodation with its diversity. The priority given to social problems over cultural issues can be traced back to anthropological and moral principles that lie at the heart of Zionism. But its critique of the many distortions created by the pull of national sovereignty has thrown up a new definition of occupation. 

Lessons from the Spanish Occupy Movement

Lasse Thomassen 7 April 2012

Taking the Occupy movement in Spain as a case in point, location, organisation and timing seem to be crucial when it comes to putting across a lasting message.

European alternatives: trajectories of mobilisation responding to Europe’s crisis

Mario Pianta and Paolo Gerbaudo 30 March 2012
The political culture that supported global and European civil society activism in the 1999-2007 period - challenging neoliberal economic and financial power in the form of governments, EU and global institutions – has appeared irrelevant at the very moment when it could have emerged as a credible alternative to the crisis of European economies and politics. A brief chronology and typology of European resistance so far.

Our Olympics: a case for reclaiming the London 2012 games

Kerry-anne Mendoza 30 March 2012

As the London 2012 Olympics approach, a campaign is born to give the voice to the majority of British people who stand to gain little from the games, funded by 11bn of taxpayers' money. Who are the real beneficiaries? How do the people occupy the Olympics?

Reclaiming 'common sense': new pamphlet is a rallying cry to the 99%

Guy Aitchison 21 March 2012

"This year will either see us create a new, more plausible, basis for our shared life, or settle back into the old, dispiriting fictions." So says Dan Hind in a new e-pamphlet published by OurKingdom, invoking the spirit of Thom Paine and urging the 99% to reclaim the public realm. We interview the author.

Written for the Late, Lamented Occupied London

Todd Gitlin 5 March 2012
An American celebrates the achievement of the Occupy movement in a 'farewell but let's meet again soon' letter sent across the Atlantic to Occupy London.

A promise from Occupy London: this is only the beginning

Occupy London 28 February 2012
Yesterday night, the eviction of the tent city at St Paul's Cathedral, the symbolic heart of Occupy London, got underway. Here is a statement published today by the occupiers.

'An excess of democracy'

Hilary Wainwright 24 February 2012

Occupy and the direct action movements of today have much in common with the radical movements of the 1960s/70s. Can the new generation move beyond the successes and failures of the past, to develop an alternative political economy?

Subterranean politics and the European debate

Rosemary Bechler 23 February 2012

Subterranean European politics draws on a new meaning of Europe already visible in cross-border citizens’ mobilisations, civil society networks, trade union struggles; it has now to shape Europe’s politics and policy-making.

Netwar 2.0: the convergence of streets and networks

Giorgio Griziotti, Dario Lovaglio, and Tiziana Terranova 23 February 2012
To the extent to which we are not witnessing a clash between two capitalisms but a process of reconfiguration realized through the hegemony of finance, information and circulation, the only way to change the current situation is through the autonomous organization of the multitude’s living labour in the streets and on the net.

Bill Maher’s mistaken heterodoxy

Todd Gitlin 23 February 2012
There are many, many thousands of thoughtful, intelligent people striving to make the US a more decent country by peaceably assembling and petitioning the authorities for the redress of grievances.

Occupy London: not in decline, preparing for Spring

Sam Halvorsen 15 February 2012
The mainstream media is itching to ring the funeral bells for Occupy London. Here, an occupier argues the movement is still going strong, and sets out plans for the coming months.

Occupy – free, educating theatre coming to a town near you

Alison Dreher 12 February 2012
We are seeing today the first widespread global popular uprising in history that shares a name-tag and an idea: an end to corporate greed, extreme socio-economic inequality and, by deduction, the capitalist system in general. This performance on the world stage is wrestling with notions of publoid space and the challenge of ‘scaling up’.

Whose network?

James Butler 10 February 2012
Reflections on Paul Mason's new book, 'Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere'.

Is there such a thing as ethical capitalism?

Kerry-anne Mendoza 3 February 2012
In response to a growing realisation that neo-liberal capitalism is morally and literally bankrupt, Britain’s political leadership have provided three visions of ethical capitalism for us to aspire to. So, is there such a thing as ethical capitalism? And why is this question being asked now?

Restating Scotland

Restating Scotland

More

OurNHS

More

Democratic Wealth

More

G4S: securing whose world?

G4S - securing whose world? Image of security camera focused on G4S

More

Re-birth of the nation?

More

Devalue or Else!

Roj, Flickr

More

Can Europe Make It?

More

Syndicate content