[Campaignforrealdemocracy] NYCGA Important Spokescouncil Resolution

[Mark Barrett]

As i understand it this ( or something similar ) passed at the NYCGA a week
or so back ( see
http://www.nycga.net/groups/structure/docs/final-proposal-thursday-oct-27-afternoon
 )
It may well be of interest.
Link is from
http://www.nycga.net/groups/structure/docs/final-proposal-thursday-oct-27-afternoon
**
*OWS Structure Proposal       *

(A Living Document) — Submitted by the Structure Working Group

*Summary*

Since September 17th Occupy Wall Street (OWS) has grown and inspired
occupations around the globe. The General Assembly (GA) is at the heart of
this movement.  It provides a forum for political discussion and a
plurality of ideas. It is, however, struggling to meet the day-to-day
operational needs of the Working Groups and Caucuses.

*CHALLENGES: *(Identified in discussions in the GA, Working Groups, and
Caucuses)**

   - *Access: *The GA is a difficult place for new people to find a Working
   Group or Caucus they want to join
   - *Transparency: *There is a lack of transparency about the on-going
   activities of the Working Groups
   - *Participation:* There is little space within the GA for Working
   Groups and Caucuses to effectively communicate their needs, either to the
   broader movement or with each other.  Many of the groups doing the
   day-to-day work of the occupation no longer regularly attend the GA.
   - *Functionality: *Decisions take so long to be made in the GA that
   there is insufficient time to address the many needs of our Working Groups,
   and the Working Group members are often left feeling unsupported**
   - *Decision Making: *Attendance at the GA fluctuates from night to
   night, which makes it difficult to make well-informed, consistent, and
   strategic decisions* *
   - *Accountability:* There is no accountability for the spending of
   finances granted by the GA
   - *Marginalization: *Some Caucus members do not feel that the GA is an
   empowering space for marginalized voices
   - *Time for Visioning:* Broader political and community visions are
   rarely discussed in the GA because it is consistently bogged-down with
   logistical and financial decisions
   - *Trust and Solidarity: *The GA does not currently offer its
   participants the time to get to know each other and build meaningful
   relationships

In order to address these problems, while maintaining the non-hierarchical
nature of OWS, we propose that, in addition to the General Assembly (GA),
we create a directly democratic Spokes Council of Operations Groups and
Caucuses.

*PROPOSAL:*

*Definitions*

The Structure Working Group recommends the following definitions:

*Occupy Wall Street Operations Groups (OGs) *are groups that are
contributing to the logistical and financial operations of Occupy Wall
Street on a consistent basis. They are open and accessible for people to
join and can only exclude people for either repeatedly disrupting the
group’s process or behaving in such a way that seriously violates the GA’s
Principles of Solidarity. Operations Groups must produce a written
description of what they do and how people can get involved.  The Occupiers
(people living in Liberty Park) are defined as an Operations Group.

*Occupy Wall Street Movement Groups (MGs) *are groups that are contributing
to the Occupy Wall Street movement. They are autonomous and may partner
with Operations Groups on a project basis.

*Caucuses *are self-determining groups of people that share a common
experience of being systemically marginalized in society at large.  This
marginalization may be based on, but not limited to, their real or
perceived race, gender identity, sexuality, age, or ability.

*The General Assembly*

The GA will continue to have the power to make all decisions about

   - The representation of OWS as a whole (declarations, principles,
   visions)
   - The relationship between OWS and the Occupy Movement
   - Financial decisions related to the Occupy Movement as a whole
   - Dissolution of the Spokes Council with at least one week notice prior
   to the proposal. This notice must be given in both the GA and the Spokes
   Council.

* **The Occupy Wall Street Spokes Council*

A Spokes Council is structured similar to the spokes of a wheel:  It is
designed to combine large group participation (like in the GA) with small
group deliberation and consensus process.

   - Each group selects a “*spoke*” to sit with the other “spokes” in a
   circle in the middle of the meeting space, with the rest of their group
   sitting right behind them
   - Spokes have no authority and are not decision-makers. They actively
   discuss all agenda items with all other members of their group who have
   joined them for the Spokes Council.
   - Spokes are responsible for communicating any diversity of sentiments
   that may exist within their group to the rest of the spokes council
   - Spokes rotate at every meeting, and can be recalled by their group at
   any time
   - During Spokes Councils, individuals in multiple groups are free to sit
   with any group that they are a part of and to move around at will
   - Movement Groups may partner with Operations Groups and/or Caucuses

 *Decisions & Decision-Making*

   - The *four types of decisions* that the Spokes Council attend to are:

1)     Decisions related to the logistical operation of Occupy Wall Street

2)     Approval of Occupy Wall Street budgets and expenditures

3)     The addition or subtraction of Operations Groups and Caucuses to the
Spokes Council

   - All Working Groups and Caucuses will be admitted to the Spokes Council
   that adhere to the above definitions of an Operations Group or Caucus and
   that agree to abide by the Principles of Solidarity adopted (as a working
   draft) by the GA [available at http://www.nycga.net/about/]
   - The only reason a group may be asked to leave the Spokes Council is
   for either repeatedly disrupting the Spokes Council’s process or for
   behaving in a way that seriously violates the GA’s Principles of Solidarity

4)     Amendments to the functioning of the Spokes Council that do not
alter the power of the GA

   - Similar to the GA, Spokes Council decisions are made by modified
   consensus.  An attempt will be made to reach consensus and if consensus
   cannot be reached, a vote will be taken. At least 10% of the group must
   vote against a proposal in order for it to be rejected.
   - Both proposals and blocks to proposals are brought to the Spokes
   Council by groups as a whole
   - Caucuses may delay any proposal that they think has potentially
   negative consequences for their caucus until the next Spokes Council, in
   order to give them enough time to discuss the proposal with their caucus as
   a whole

 *Open Access and Transparency *

   - Anyone may attend a Spokes Council
   - Anyone may participate in a Spokes Council by joining any Operations
   Group or Caucus in the Spokes Council and/or becoming an Occupier (i.e.,
   living in Liberty Square)
   - The Spokes Council will take place in a well-publicized indoor location
   - Amplification and signing will allow everyone to follow the
   discussion, participate through their Spoke, and ensure that their Spoke
   correctly communicates the sentiment(s) of their group
   - Each Spokes Council will be broadcast over the Livestream (
   http://www.livestream.com/occupynyc)
   - Budget details and complete minutes from each Spokes Council will be
   posted on the NYCGA.net website through open-source technology
   - All decisions made in the Spokes Council are reported back to the GA
   with space for questions and concerns

* **The First Spokes Council*

During the first Spokes Council, all Operations Groups and Caucuses will
present a description of what they do and how people can become involved in
their group. The rest of the groups in attendance will welcome them through
the modified consensus process.  New groups may continue to propose
themselves to the Spokes Council on an on-going basis.

 *Proposed Schedule*

   - The GA will meet at 7pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays
   - The Spokes Council will meet at 7pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

*BACKGROUND:*

*Brief History of the Spokes Council *

A spokes council is a structure that has been used widely by democratic
movements since the Spanish Revolution and draws inspiration from many
indigenous struggles, such as the Zapatistas in Chiapas, Mexico. It was
used effectively and for many years in the Women’s Movement, the
Anti-Nuclear Movement, and the Global Justice Movement in the US.  It was
also used effectively for years in China in the movement that grew out of
Tiananmen Square.
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