The Occupy movement cannot be thought of as a fleeting response to temporary problems. OccupyMN deserves our continued attention and support because of the positive local changes the movement has actively fought for. We all need to do our part to understand what the movement is and how it is good for us all.

OccupyMN maintains global solidarity with hundreds of other occupations, but their actions are distinctly local. The recent success of reversing the foreclosure process on a veteran in Minneapolis — whose medical expenses prevented him from being able to make good on his home’s mortgage payments — is an example of OccupyMN’s initiatives to challenge corporate interests with neighborly support in our communities. Actions like this fill in the holes that a government increasingly beholden to the wealthiest individuals and corporations leave unfilled. It is a more responsive, democratic way to solve problems that many politicians aren’t interested in solving.

This spring is poised for many more opportunities to engage in actions for the betterment of the 99 percent who aren’t afforded the same privileges as those in the upper echelon. OccupyMN and other Occupy groups will continue planning local actions, while major national demonstrations are being planned for May 1 and the G-8 and NATO conferences in Chicago.

From their belief that education is a human right to the fair treatment of each individual on our globe, the movement is about defending the average citizen. There is almost a year before the next major elections. In the meantime, the ideals and actions of Occupy groups can help renew our democracy.