As Occupy Wall Street and its local offshoots head into a second month of protests across America, we will discuss the origins, goals, tactics, and strategies of these growing movements against economic inequality and corruption in America with two veteran organizers and analysts who have been working closely with the movements. Faiz Shakir, Editor-in-Chief of Think Progress, has tracked the 99 Percent Movement since its inception and has created a dedicated online forum for highlighting developments with the protests. Ali Savino has observed and participated in the occupation movement since October 3, is an active member of the Occupy DC media and facilitation working groups, and has also interviewed a number of people in the Occupy Wall Street working groups.
Are the Occupy protests true social movements with the potential for long-lasting impact? Who are its members and what are their influences and inspirations? What are the goals and strategies of the Occupy movements? How do they hope to change public discourse and political decisions about the American economy? What is necessary to help the 99 percent achieve economic security and opportunity? How do we address massive corporate corruption of politics in the United States?
Please join us for an in-depth look at the Occupy movements and how they relate to progressive politics today.
PROGRESSIVISM ON TAP is a lecture and discussion series founded by the Progressive Studies Program at the Center for American Progress, focused on the history and intellectual traditions of progressivism and liberalism. The goal of PROGRESSIVISM ON TAP is to provide an informal forum for budding activists and professionals to explore the political values and theoretical debates within the broader progressive tradition and to apply those lessons to contemporary political discourse.
The speakers, lectures, and debates covered within the series are designed to examine why we believe what we believe as progressives, who the most important thinkers and icons are within the movement’s history, where progressives differ on intellectual grounds, and what the theoretical foundations are for many of our current policy and activism efforts.
We aim to help young people and activists engage their traditions not just in Washington but in other similar programs with progressives in communities across the country. As the program develops, we hope to help others launch PROGRESSIVISM ON TAP salons in cities and towns across the country in local settings that are relaxed, inviting, informative, deliberative, and open to new ideas.