occupywashdc:

So a lot of people are asking things like, “How can we fight back?” “What can I do to help bring more justice and equality into the world?” “How can I show corporations that I won’t tolerate their acts of greed any longer?” “I can’t go to a protest but I still want to help in some way. What can I do?

Answer: LOTS OF THINGS! BE CREATIVE! USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

The key to bringing back balance and harmony into our lives is to slowly become more sustainable in our ways of living and not depending so much on our government and what is manufactured in our big-chain stores today. We also need to respect and love our environment way more and start giving back to Mother Earth. Start taking your personal power back by following some of these suggestions:

• Move your money from a commercial bank to a local credit union.
• Cut up your credit cards. Only use cash or money orders.
• Barter and trade with people in your community for things you need if you dislike using cash. 
• Go to your local Occupy event. See how you can help. Start up one in your city/town if there isn’t one already available.
• Be a journalist for the movement. You don’t need a degree. Bring your camera, pencil & pad, or audio recorder and start documenting people’s frustrations with our society. Start your own digital media or newspaper for an Occupy event.
• Walk, bike, commute, or carpool to work. If you live in an area where it’s not really necessary to drive, then why do it? Oil companies have already taken enough of our hard-earned money.
• Grow your own food! What better way to eat organically, fresh, and using our beautiful fertile lands to survive and thrive?
• Pick up litter you see on the ground, no matter where you are. Thousands of people have walked by that plastic bottle, cup, or soda can. Don’t be the 1,001 and person to walk by it and not do something about it!
• Give teach-ins at a local organization or group that is dear to your heart. If you have a skill or craft to teach people, do it! Not only is knowledge power, knowledge is priceless!
• Boycott businesses that do not treat their employees fairly (*cough*Walmart for starters*cough*) or are just plain toxic for our society. Giving them your cash shows them that you are endorsing what they do.
• Shop at local [farmer’s] markets, Etsy, and any place that is a local business, especially a place that features hand-made goods.
• Make your own clothes! It assures that the item wasn’t made in a sweatshop by 10-year-old kids in a third-world country in deplorable conditions. More things need to be made in the USA anyway.
• Get into yoga, meditation or anything similar to open up your mind. If more people in the world meditated, the world would be a much more peaceful, compassionate place!
• Connect with other like-minded people who share your views about sustainability. The more the merrier!

This is just a small list of what you can do. Many of you already employ these tips in your daily lives but now is this time to really spread the word about these lifestyle changes as more and more people become disillusioned with society’s ways and are looking for answers. We must start making sacrifices and tossing out  what no longer works for us. It only takes one person to make a change. If you are putting out a good message that resonates with others, they will surely follow and institute their own changes in their lives. Which ultimately makes the world a better place!

in solidarity,

OccupyDC