Notes from Day Seven: OccupyLondon, etc.: What if it fizzles?

Students have been joining Occupy events around the world these past few weeks, including in London. The OccupyLondon Facebook page claims solidarity with OccupyWallStreet, OccupyToronto, and protests in other cities.

Some are drawing comparisons with other protest movements, especially the student protests in the U.S. and Canada in the 1960s. American students had a lot more to worry them than we did in Canada: they feared being drafted into the army to fight in Vietnam.

As with protests of that time, the Occupy movement has become a catalyst for concern about a number of important stress points. Perhaps it started with the observation that a number of leaders of major financial institutions — the now infamous "one per cent" — are making a killing while companies shut down and unemployment rises. But other concerns are being brought into the mix. These include concerns over poverty, militarization, access to education and the global environmental crisis.

There are, however, differences between 1960s movement and the Occupy protests. Most notably there is not a collection of impressive poets, songwriters (such as Bob Dylan), political activists, social activists, philosophers and lawyers gathering to support the movement we are seeing today. This is one big reason the movement could fizzle quickly. A look at web postings and Occupy videos shows crowds of (sort of) enthusiastic people, but, as yet, no narrative or rhetoric to give the movement much forward motion.

If it fizzles, does that mean that the concerns raised have been revealed as of no consequence and that everyone can carry on as if nothing has happened?

My understanding is that we have all been created by God to be concerned for our neighbours — including those who are far removed from where we live and study — and to care for the planetary home that is a gift from him. Christian faith, a Christian understanding of the world, is thus a catalyst for protest and activism. We are called to be active in pursuit of good for all persons and the world. That calling is not dependent on the work of artists or the megaphoneannouncements made at rallies. It is inherent in our being persons.

So, if the Occupy movement goes nowhere, that's not the end. We can still be active in pursuit of fairness for people on the margins such as youth at risk and students dealing with learning disabilities. We can still speak out when industries pollute the Thames River and the western breezes that drift over London. We can still ask of political leaders and college administration that they serve well.

If the movement goes nowhere we can still ask of educators that they pay much more attention to ethics than they may be used to. In a recent online article by Craig and Marc Kielberger, called Occupy the next generation of Wall Street, they claim that business ethics is the answer. They comment on a program called Transcendent Leadership offered at the University of Western Ontario's Richard Ivey School of Business. "It's designed to teach future business leaders to make strategic decisions that align with personal values. These values are refined through self-reflection and the study of core virtues: humanity, justice and courage, along with accounting and economics."

The Kielbergers state, "While the Occupy protesters rally on Bay Street ... to oust the old guard, Canada's next generation of corporate leaders are developing responsible business ethics." That sounds simplistic and over-confident. Nevertheless, the ethics education provided for business leaders (at the Ivey School of Business and other business schools) hopefully will be one of the pieces that makes a positive contribution to the future.

On a micro scale, we can all renew our efforts to live in ways that reduce our impact on the environment and that emphasise local production and local community building. And that's where I have to leave it for today.

Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
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