[sudo-discuss] important Omni Commons issue we need to discuss

Dear Sudoroom, There is an issue of great importance to Omni Commons being discussed on the public Consensus email list, and Sudoroom needs to convene and discuss our position so that our delegate can represent us in this discussion. Basically a relatively new member collective of Omni (CLP) is unilaterally blocking TANC (Tenant And Neighborhood Councils) from joining Omni Commons. https://baytanc.com/ They have given shifting reasons for their opposition but it's starting to look like CLP is actually some sort of radical group that is trying to control Omni. They literally say so on their website: "Omni Commons Reorganization Program May 2022-Present (Oakland, CA) Our organization was invited to be a part of the Omni Commons in May of 2022. CLP has revitalized the work at the Omni, making efforts to engage the local community and host events in the space. We are seeking to revitalize and revolutionize the space as a base for building revolutionary power and programs in the East Bay." https://www.communityliberationprograms.org/our-programs This needs to get figured out right away. TANC has the enthusiastic approval of all collectives of Omni except for CLP and they were ready to move into the building and start paying rent (something that CLP does not do at all) which is something we really need if we have any hope of keeping the building. Meeting notes from September 7th delegates meeting: https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2023/09/07_Delegates Public archive of Omni Consensus mailing list for September: https://omnicommons.org/pipermail/consensus/2023-September/date.html We (sudoroom) really need to discuss this -jake (sometimes delegate of sudoroom) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2023 11:22:50 -0700 From: Z Silver Zahn <natashazahn27(a)gmail.com> To: Sarah Lockhart <sarah.ee.el(a)gmail.com> Cc: "consensus(a)lists.omnicommons.org" <consensus(a)lists.omnicommons.org>rg>, communityliberationprograms <communityliberationprograms(a)proton.me> Subject: Re: [omni-consensus] Follow-up 9/7 Delegates Meeting Over the past few months, TANC has been diligently working through the Omnis collective process to propose becoming a collective organization within Omni. Unfortunately, CLP has launched a counterattack aimed at blocking our proposal from moving forward. I would like to highlight some concerning actions that CLP has taken, which have raised alarms within the Omni community and appear to be driven more by personal political agendas than the collective interest of Omni. CLP's actions have stirred deep mistrust among the collectives, but I believe this issue should be framed as CLP versus TANC, rather than Omni versus TANC. The nature of the concerns raised by CLP should be shared with the collectives during our meetings rather than springing them on us without prior consensus. During our recent meeting, CLP raised concerns about the composition of TANC's membership, specifically that it is predominantly made up of DSA members. DSA, a nationwide socialist organization, had previously disbanded the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) from decision-making roles in one of its chapters. It's essential to clarify that this viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of East Bay DSA, an organization that we collaborate with and host at Omni. During the meeting, many articles and pieces of information were presented hastily, making it challenging to understand the full context. It was also mentioned that TANC originated from DSA but diverged due to shifting political views, which led to its independent organizing. Members of TANC at the delegate meeting clarified that some of them were not affiliated with DSA, and those who were represented a small portion of TANC's overall membership. However, CLP continued to press for more information about DSA, turning the discussion into an examination of DSA rather than focusing on TANC as a collective. CLP's actions demonstrated a lack of trust and an unwavering fixation on their assumptions. This behavior can be seen as gaslighting and hindered our efforts to build a productive relationship. It denied us the opportunity to truly connect and collaborate. Such accusations, withholding valuable resources from a mission-aligned collective, resembles an abusive weaponization of power. CLP's motives remain unclear, but their tactics bear resemblance to colonization—imposing a superior ideology on others. It is worth noting that every other collective expressed support for TANC joining Omni, and I personally have built trust and enthusiasm for this prospect. However, CLP has remained private and closed off in the past year, contributing to a sense of isolation. In addition to gaslighting and a fixation on a superior ideology, CLP weaponized the suffering and struggles of PYM as a defense mechanism. They implied that PYM must grant their blessings to TANC if they were to change their vote, without obtaining consent. Amirah, a Palestinian individual who joined the delegate meeting for the first time to support the media lab proposal, initially felt solidarity but became uncomfortable when her words were used for political gain. She asked CLP to respect her country and remove it from the conversation, a request that was ignored. CLP's actions sought to undermine TANC and Omni as a collective. During this discussion, another delegate, John, was facing an urgent situation, but CLP did not pause their agenda to acknowledge his safety. CLP's behavior has become hostile, harmful to the Palestinian struggle, and exploitative of Omni's volunteer labor. In light of these developments, I propose that we move forward with voting by consensus, with the exception of one vote against. Furthermore, I suggest suspending CLP's voting power until the end of 2023. During this time, I hope CLP can gain clarity regarding collectivity, rebuild trust, and foster better relationships within Omni Commons. On Sun, Sep 10, 2023 at 9:21 AM Sarah Lockhart <sarah.ee.el(a)gmail.com> wrote: