We are the 99 per cent

There are two things I am usually completely clueless about – soccer and financial matters. It therefore wasn’t a surprise to my father when he sent me a joke the other day, and I didn’t quite get it. The joke was, “a waiter in Gabon asked Drogba why he was drinking tea in a saucer. He replied, ‘because Zambia took the cup’.” I found the joke hilarious, only after a friend patiently pointed out to me that Zambia had won Ivory Coast at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (which I just discovered had been taking place), in a dramatic Cup finale.The person also went to great lengths to explain how and why this was an historic win, in light of the fact that Zambia’s joyous celebrations took place kilometres from the scene of their greatest tragedy - the 1993 air crash which killed 18 members of the Chipolopolo Team off the coast of Gabon. At that point, I made a mental note to make more of an effort to keep abreast of continental and international soccer affairs, because as my friend pointed out (in full disdain of such ignorance), it was unacceptable for anyone in this day and age, regardless of gender, to remain in the dark regarding such great soccer milestones.I also decided to make the same decision regarding global financial issues, and in this particular case, become more conversant with the details regarding the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Movement. What I saw on the news regarding Occupy Wall Street (OWS) as of September 17 2011, were hundreds of people in a park in New York, pitching their tents, eating, and protesting. Who were these people? What were they demanding? And does this movement have a leader? What I garnered from these protests is that OWS is primarily about fighting against Wall Street’s role in the recent U.S economic meltdown, and advocating for the formation of a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over U.S representatives in Washington. Basically ‘Occupiers’ believe that money, mostly from large U.S corporations, has become a driving influence behind policy making, which keeps lawmakers in the U.S capital from making large scale change demanded by American citizens. U.S Occupy protesters’ political slogan is “We Are The 99%,” meaning that 99% pay for the mistakes of the 1% - banks, insurance and mortgage industries; the top 1% of Americans. OWS birthed other Occupy Movements in 100 cities across the U.S, and 1,500 more cities worldwide, all protesting against social and financial inequalities. The beauty about this movement is that it illustrates how the individual can make a difference and make changes that society needs.But, while this revolution seems incredible and relevant, the question remains as to whether the message has become lost in translation across Occupy Movements globally. A universal coherent message seems lacking, and it seems each protest is a response to issues faced by a particular city or country. The rejoinder to this criticism is that the Occupy Movement is not a list of demands, but a movement advocating wide-sweeping change, not a list of single reforms. In any case, I hope that the future of the Occupy Movement evolves to bring with it, the valid and deep socio-economic systemic changes it advocates for.