We're trying something new. We're FedUp. We're fed up with the Federal Reserve and the private cartel of Wall Street banksters who work at the Fed. And we are Fed Up with the deliberate misreporting of what the Occupy movement stood for. For some reason, the corporate media funded by Wall Street investors could not see that occupying Wall Street meant the people were angry at the corrupt economy and government created by Wall Street powers.

During the 2011 Occupy encampment phase of the movement for economic justice, the media refused to report that our original intention was to actually shut down the big banks by occupying Wall Street, thereby making it impossible for the banksters to go to work. We didn't make any formal demands at the time because the problem was system-wide, affecting every aspect of our lives. Occupy Wall Street did issue the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City, which described the systemic crisis the country and world faced because of big finance capitalism centered in Wall Street.

We also knew that the government was incapable of responding to specific demands because the government has been corrupted by the "rule of money." Why bother making specific demands of the corrupt, political economic elites that have ruined so much for all of us? Why give them an opportunity to redeem and thereby legitimize themselves with false solutions? The amount of painstaking effort necessary to formulate coherent demands would have distracted us from engaging in direct actions against the bankers and other economic elites; and from building the kind of mass movement that could make the types of systemic demands that are needed.

Our use of direct action was so successful, in terms of engaging the public in spite of the mainstream media's naive dismissals, that Occupy faced the legitimate threat of being co-opted as the Tea Party of the Democrats in the fall of 2011. We weathered that storm, however, and won our autonomy from big party influence. But we've suffered for it.

Now, understanding Occupy is even more difficult for the media. Occupy activists are no longer in encampments but they are doing the grassroots organizing that challenges the wealth divide and the unfair economy. While this is reported by websites like Popular Resistance , most of the media ignores it. Now, more occupiers are participating in the hard grassroots organizing that is most needed – organizational meetings, rallies, marches and demonstrations – so it is actually turning out to be a blessing in disguise.

Occupy has been evolving into a leaner, meaner, more focused movement. It's becoming easier for those of us who are still active to have intelligent, pragmatic conversations about the kinds of progressive radical reforms that could actually make people's lives better.

This is why we want to set a new example for the movement and build on these efforts. Our goal is to take the ownership of the means of producing money in this country away from the private cartel of Wall Street banksters. Sovereign, debt-free currency is our demand. This isn't a solution as much as it is a necessary first step that will create more opportunities for all of the changes we want to see.

FedUp is an idea, a conversation more than a formal organization. It is a pragmatic way of organizing around a realistic goal of monetary reform by nationalizing, or federalizing, the Federal Reserve. Our goal is no longer merely changing the conversation or urging people to quit their jobs, leave their homes to occupy the streets, or get arrested and beaten by the police. We do however recognize the value of spending time in the streets at actions, demonstrations, rallies and marches in order to help grassroots activists and organizers learn more about the Federal Reserve; and to show the public that people are organizing to create a better economy for all of us.

FedUp is an educational movement. Our aim is to illuminate the Federal Reserve and spread awareness about alternatives to the centralized banking system. To that end, we organized The People's First Grassroots Conference On Monetary Policy, which met at The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C. this past Friday and Saturday, March 21 and 22. A panel of experts spoke on the history of the Fed and the relationship between money, debt and war to expose the deep corruption of the Fed.

We also heard from experts in monetary reform, the NEED Act, livable wages, unconditional guaranteed basic income, United States Postal Service Banks, debt forgiveness and alternative currencies in an attempt to create a conversation within Occupy and beyond about viable solutions rather than problems.

We speak truth to power and to each other. Knowledge is more powerful than the corrupt, illusive policies and practices of the Federal Reserve. The Fed's policies are by no means isolated to the American economy. Global central banking is central to global economic injustice. While the Fed and European Central Bank (ECB) talk more status quo economics – while making insignificant policy changes that involve printing more and more debt-backed money, used to further oppress the 99% – we present radical alternatives that can transform the power dynamics and empower communities that have been disenfranchised from the system and alienated from the ever elusive "American Dream."

The future of the new economy is in our hands. But we must remember to work both within and externally from the system which has created the mess we find ourselves in today. That means this weekend is just a first step – and we need to keep the conversations we had this weekend going when we return to our communities.

You can follow and get involved with FedUp by going to their commons group here or their facebook page here, or tuning in on twitter: @FedUpNewYork and @OccupyNEEDAct.

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