In a few days, we will gather for the National Occupation of Washington, DC. This spring, the focus will be on next steps to build an independent nonviolent movement for transformation of our society.  Participants will make connections with occupiers from around the country, will acquire skills, knowledge, ideas and resources for organizing in their local communities and will engage in direct action to bring attention to issues of concern to the 99%.

NOW DC will kick off with a march to the EPA for a rally to demand that the EPA does its job to protect people and the planet instead of protecting corporate profits and to stop the war on whistleblowers. Dr. Helen Caldicott and Ralph Nader will join whistleblowers Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo and Susan Morris at the rally. Noam Chomsky urges you to be there in this new video statement.

Over the weekend, we will join Occupy the Department of Education and the Backbone Campaign will hold a direct action training to plan for creative actions on foreclosure and college debt. On Saturday, March 31^st, we hope to hold a peacekeeper training session in Washington.  We still need 9 more peacekeeper volunteers in order to hold this training. If you are able to volunteer as a peacekeeper, please contact peacekeepers@nowdc.org.

The first 2 weeks of NOW DC will focus on education, beginning on April 2^nd with a full-day strategy conference called “Controlling the Corporations” at the Center for the Study of Responsive Law.  This conference is free and open to the public. Advance registration is requested. Following that will be the NOW DC Social Forum. The schedule of workshops and panels is available.  The social forum is also free. Please let us know if you will be there by sending a note to rsvp@nowdc.org.

NOW DC is organized by occupiers from all across the country. This is an all-volunteer effort and all events, including the OccuFest, are free and open to the public. We need your support in order for this to be a success. If you plan to participate in NOW DC, please volunteer by contacting volunteer@nowdc.org. If you cannot participate, please support if you are able by making a donation.