Reminder: SDS National Working Committee Call Tonight 9/7 @ 10PM EST
SDS NWM
You may have heard that at SDS' National Convention
in July, a national structure was passed creating a National Working
Committee with representatives from regions, caucuses and working
groups. The Working Committee will have our third conference call on
Sunday, September 7th at 10pm EST.
If you've never been on a conference call before, no worries, it's easy once you get used to it. There's another page on our SDS Wiki that helps explain how it works: http://newsds.org/wiki/index.php?title=Conference_call
Call Time: Sunday, Sept 7th @ 10PM EST
Conference Dial-in Number: (308) 344-6400
Access Code: 228829#
Note: If you checked out the agenda when it was sent out last week, there is one new addition - an emergency proposal concerning legal aid to DNC/RNC arrestees. It's included with the other proposals at the bottom of this e-mail.
Agenda:
Intros (10 min) - Name, Chapter, What would you like to see the NWC accomplish in 2008?
Reportbacks: (20 min)
* Website - Babken & Jon Berger
* Wiki pg - Robin & Alex
* E-mail address - Jon Booth
* Town Hall Meetings - jasper
* Finalized NWC Proposal - Alyse & Richard
* Summary description of NWC - Zack
* Ratification - Kas, Alyse, Richard, Mike, Mary, Alex and Jon Booth
* Fundraising - Robin, Sam, jasper, Alex
Roles that Need to be Filled/Projects That Need Point People: (2 min)
* Write a Summary of our Voting Process
* Website Updater
* Notes Point Person
Unresolved Structure Amendments: (10 min)
* Chapter Concerns Amendment
* Size & Logistics Amendment
Visibility WG Reportback (5 min)
Proposals:
SDS National Budget Proposal (10 min)
SDS Internship Proposal (10 min)
Call for Legal Aid to DNC/RNC Arrestees (5 min)
Next Steps (5 min)
Pick Date/Time/Facilitator for next call
PEACE!
Total Call Time: 1 hr 17 min (so hopefully even if we go over on some items, we can still keep it to an hour and a half)
Proposals and other docs to be discussed on the call are at the bottom of this e-mail.
If you have any questions or concerns, or just want to get in contact with the committee, shoot us a message at our new e-mail address, sds...@gmail.com.
Can't wait to talk to you all,
The NWC
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NWC Proposal
NWC Summary
Chapter Concerns Amendment
Size & Logistics Amendment
SDS National Budget Proposal
SDS Internship Proposal
NWC Proposal:
Mission: The basic aim of this proposal is to provide the national organization of Students for a Democratic Society with a simple national structure based on practical principles for activating the participation of and representing its membership. This proposal seeks to uniquely combine already existing institutions within Students for a Democratic Society in a way that grants representation and participation from its members on a basis of liberation and democracy. The proposal intends to create a National Working Committee through representation from already existing working groups, elections and appointments from regional conventions, and delegates from Caucuses. This coordinating body allows for participation throughout its membership, incorporates existing institutions, and provides autonomy to chapters and regions.
Proposal: The national structure of SDS will be composed of a simple & flexible coordinating & administrative body called the National Working Committee as well as an SDS Townhall Meeting. Each SDS member is guaranteed a voice but not necessarily a vote on the National Working Committee. The National Working Committee is a national body representing the grassroots of Students for a Democratic Society, its active institutions of current work, and the caucuses of oppressed and exploited folks. This body will be a superior body in a national structure of SDS that allows for room and autonomy for other structures (chapters, regions, etc.) within the national organization. The SDS Townhall Meeting will create an open national space for all members to learn about current national work and make their voices and concerns heard to the National Working Committee.
• Makeup of the Committee: The committee will be comprised of representatives from regions, national working groups, and caucuses selected and established as follows:
– Regions: Each region will seat representatives based on the number of chapters in that region as follows:
1-5 Chapters = 1 reps
6-15 Chapters = 2 reps
16-30 Chapters = 3 reps
31-50 Chapters = 4 reps
51-75 Chapters = 5 reps
– National Working Groups: Each national working group will seat one representative on the National Working Committee.
– Caucuses: Each caucus decides how they will represent themselves to/in the National Committee. Each caucus is free to decide how they participate, who they send as a delegate/delegates to the body and the rotation/term limits of the delegate(s).Caucuses have ability if they so choose to send up to three delegates.
• Voting and Decision Making:
– Each representative to the National Working Committee will have one vote with the exception of caucuses. Caucuses may select up to three delegates but have only one vote per caucus.
– Caucus representatives do not have veto power but can bring any decision to discussion; they are allowed to raise blocking concerns and set up a consultation with their caucus to resolve these concerns.
– Any decision of the National Working Committee must ultimately be passed with a 50% quorum of members, and at least a final super-majority of 50%.
– All decisions of the National Working Committee can be overturned by referenda by the following process:
~ Twelve chapters must petition for a referendum on any policy passed by the National Working Committee.
~ The National Working committee is responsible for holding the referendum.
~ A simple majority (50% + 1) of chapters is required for the referendum to pass and for the policy to be overturned. Abstentions, if they do not constitute more than 50% of ballots cast, do not count against the total.
• Selection of Committee Members:
– Each region, national working group, and caucus will establish their own voting process.
– Each working group, caucus, and region must issue a specific written procedure for transparency, election, and recall procedure of its representatives.
• Committee
Transparency:
The National Working Committee will release a monthly digest explicating its meetings, decisions, and discussion. The National Working Committee will release a list of its membership complete with contact information. A website for the National Working committee will also be established. The National Working committee will post the following on said website:
– Minutes from each meeting (including list of those present)
– Decisions made by the committee
• Responsibilities of the Committee:
– The National Working Committee will divide its work amongst those who comprise it; they will do so in any particular way they see fit.
– Establishing and coordinating national working groups to manage the national campaigns of SDS. A working group can be created by the National Working
– Recognizing chapters that abide by the decisions and guidelines of the national organization of SDS. It will also be responsible for the giving each chapter particular regions, which each chapter will participate in if it so chooses.
– Securing all finances of the national organization of SDS.
– Organize national events for membership of SDS and an annual National Convention.
• Relationship Between Structure:
– Regions and chapters operate autonomously.
– National working groups must adhere to any final decisions of the National Working Committee.
– National Working Committee must adhere to all decisions made by the National Convention and is responsible for carrying out all decisions made by the National Convention.
– National media work should focus on national campaigns and actions, and be coordinated between campaign working groups, involved chapters, and the national media working group, not the National Working Committee.
• National SDS Townhall Meeting:
– All SDS members will discuss and make suggestions about national issues – this is a place for non-committee members to be heard.
– SDS members will have the opportunity to conduct question and answer sessions about national work.
– The Townhall Meeting is intended plug non-committee members into national work (leadership building).
– There
will be an SDS member responsible for bottom-lining the Townhall
Meeting.
–
Representatives of the
National Committee must be present during the Townhall Meeting.
– Representatives from the National Working Committee will reportback from National Working Committee calls at Townhall Meetings.
– The Townhall Meeting will be promoted on the national announcements listserv.
• Implementation of Proposal: If passed, this structure will be implemented by the NWC at the National Convention, and will be responsible for:
– Selecting a venue for the first meeting of the NWC (for example: in-person, conference call, Internet chat)
– Scheduling and setting up the first meeting.
– Calling for agenda items, planning an agenda and finding a facilitator for the first meeting.
– Publicizing the first meeting through all appropriate channels and making it accessible for the greatest possible number of SDS members and chapters to attend.
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NWC Summary:
At the 2008 National Convention, over 150 members of Students for a Democratic Society came together to build new opportunities for leadership, democracy, and accountability into our national organization.
We had long and intimate discussions about our goals for SDS and our vision for the future. We evaluated our national structure and figured out what SDS needed to grow strong and sustainable.
We needed to create new opportunities for formal leadership from around the country. We needed a place to have open conversations and make democratic decisions about the priorities, strategy, and resources of our organization.
For these reasons we passed a proposal for a new part of our national structure – the National Working Committee (NWC)!
The NWC basically functions like a large spokescouncil for the rest of
our national structure. There are voting delegates from Caucuses to keep our
anti-oppression work prioritized, Regions to create a democratic culture, and
Working Groups to make sure the NWC stays grounded in the lessons and needs of
national work.
Regional delegates are accountable to the chapters from their area, and
chapters are autonomous because local organizers come first! Every single SDS member
is invited and encouraged to participate in discussion and join National
Working Committee meetings.
We have already had two phenomenal meetings and have started to build a community to support SDS and help make accountable, transparent decisions that need to happen. In the coming meetings, we will be talking about leadership development, chapter sustainability, and our new national campaign for Accessible Education!
We will also be launching regular National SDS Townhall Meetings – a place for every SDSer to come and learn about national work and the NWC, ask questions, and build interest and experience with national issues. Our first Townhall Meeting will be a place for folks to learn about the NWC and raise concerns to NWC delegates and other SDSers.
This structure is a compromise and a revolutionary experiment. Everyone
involved in the NWC has their concerns, and that's why even its strongest
critics are participating and supporting our national work!
So join up with the NWC and help us build a strong national SDS!
Find out more on our wiki: http://www.newsds.org/wiki/index.php?title=National_working_committee
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Chapter Concerns Amendment
It is the responsibility of the regional representatives to
maintain a regular active dialogue with the chapters that they represent
through tool such as, but not limited to list servs, conference calls, internal
chats, and regional conferences.
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Size and Logistics Amendment
- No one can hold more than one elected position simultaneously
- Each committee member is responsible for providing chapters, caucus, working groups with an agenda including issues requiring voting with 2 weeks of the national committee meeting. The committee member is responsible for collecting and submitting votes.
- The national work committee must hold meetings at least quarterly.
- The national work committee will decide on the medium for holding meetings at their first meeting.
Proposal to Establish an SDS National Budget
By: SDS Fundraising Working Group
[This is a reworking of the original Proposal to Establish a Budgetary Working Group by Tristan Husby, Connecticut College SDS.]
Coming out of the National Convention and Action Camp, which both cost less
than expected, and after the RNC/DNC expenses, the Fundraising Working
Group expects to have a budget SURPLUS of about $1500 in our bank
account going into the Fall Semester. Instead of spending that money
immediately, we would like to instead create a process for working
groups and other SDS projects to submit requests for funds, and
meanwhile form a more open and complete National Budget, accountable to
the National Working Committee.
Recognizing that:
-SDS needs to be able to create and approve a National Budget in a democratic and transparent manner.
-Without the
person-power currently to create a second working group, the
Fundraising group will continue to be responsible for SDS' funds for
now, though it might make more sense in the future to have a separate
Budgetary Working Group.
-The
National Working Committee needs to have oversight of the budget, and
we need members of the NWC to directly participate in the creation of
the budget as well as making budgetary decisions.
It is Proposed that:
1. The Fundraising
Working Group will be responsible for the SDS National Budget,
detailing all incoming and outgoing funds SDS has at the national
level.
2. The National Working Committee will have oversight and involvement in the National Budget in 2 ways:
- The Budget will be approved by the National Working
Committee at the start of every semester and the summer (roughly:
September, January and May). The National Working Committee can at any time request to review the Budget.
- At least three members of the National Working
Committee will participate in the creation and maintenance of the
Budget, through involvement in the Fundraising Working Group. [To be
clear, we are requesting that 3 members of the NWC, preferably
including members of caucuses who are not from the Northeast, join the
Fundraising group and help decide where our money should be spent.]
4. Both the National Working Committee and the National Convention are empowered to set budget priorities.
Proposal to create an SDS Internship Pilot Program for Fall '08
by Alex Grosskurth, Philly SDS
SDS
coming into this Fall is growing rapidly, and our incredible momentum
was built by hard work. We've organized over a hundred chapters across
the country and we're growing in every region. We've mobilized massive
protests and conventions, we've published a national news bulletin for
an entire year, and we've done grassroots fundraising to finance our
own organization as youth. We've learned the importance of collective
liberation and started understanding how to put these politics into
practice. And at our recent 3rd National Convention we created a
national Student Power campaign that can mobilize millions of students,
and we succeeded in creating a structure so that national decisions can
be made formally and democratically throughout the year.
All of these accomplishments have brought more people into SDS, and into national organizing. But we still have so much more to do. Our campaign needs resources and coordination, our structure needs broad participation, and all of our working groups need people-power to grow SDS and support local chapters.
2 and a half years into SDS, we have a solid core of veteran
organizers who have helped us get where we are nationally, but we need
new blood! We need to create leadership development opportunities to
newer organizers who would like to step up into SDS national
organizing, and we need opportunities for experienced SDS organizers to
pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generation that will
carry SDS forward.
Leadership development doesn't just mean experienced organizers
"stepping back", it means stepping up to provide support,
accountability and mentorship to the organizers who will carry on the
fight after you. It also means helping people set achievable goals and
then helping them chart their progress. In SDS we need to do these
things, and we also need to provide for different levels of commitment,
and be realistic that not everyone can devote 50 hours a week to SDS,
especially working class members who are balancing school, work and
life. We also need to prioritize the leadership of women, people of
color, and members of the other caucuses to change SDS' culture. We can
do all of these things by creating formal opportunities for people to
step up to the degree they feel comfortable and be supported in doing
so.
This is a proposal for a small, experimental "pilot program" to
offer Internships to SDS organizers for the Fall '08 semester,
involving probably only a handful (or less) interns, and a few
experienced SDS peer-mentors. If possible, we'll try to provide the
opportunity for college students to receive class credit for interning
with SDS, so they can devote their time to studying practical skills
like organizing a mass movement. But the program will also be open to
high school students and other non-college youth in SDS as well, to
develop their skills and organizing experience.
Here's a sketch of how it could work if the proposal is passed by the National Working Committee:
- We'll
send out a form for current SDSers to apply to be interns, encouraging
newer organizers and those who would like to step up their
participation, especially prioritizing caucus members and members from
different regions.
- The application form will ask simple questions about experience, time commitment, interests and skills they wish to learn.
- Depending on the response we get, a handful (or less) of SDSers will be selected to become interns for the Fall '08 semester.
- If applicants request it, we'll try to help them get college credit for their internships.
- Experienced SDS organizers ("peer-mentors") will partner with interns, help them create achievable semester goals and workplans, and schedule regular check-ins to track their progress and support them in their work. We will pair peer-mentors with interns wanting to take on work that the peer-mentors have experience doing for SDS. As of Aug. 28, both Samantha Miller of DC SDS and Alex Grosskurth of Philly SDS have committed to serving as peer-mentors, and we are also open to more volunteers stepping up who have skills to offer.
- Here are some possible work tracks we might be able to offer to interns:
- Convention Organizing
- Fundraising
- Chapter Communications
- Web/Online Development
- Resource and Materials Design
- News Bulletin
- Interns
will devote 5-20 hours per week to SDS national organizing, depending
on their commitment level and schedule availability. Requirements may
also vary depending on the needs of college interns seeking course
credit.
- After the semester ends in
winter, we'll review whether the pilot program was successful and the
NWC can decide whether to renew/expand the program for the Spring
semester.
SDS Call for Legal Aid to DNC/RNC Arrestees
by Daniel Tasripin, NYC SDS
RESOLUTION to support detainees of police repression at the RNC and DNC protests:
WHEREAS, members of Students for a Democratic Society rightfully protested the Republican and Democratic National Conventions,
WHEREAS, there exists a documented pattern of repression of the free speech rights of members of SDS and other organizations participating in the protests;
WHEREAS, the means for this repression included violations and abuses of Constitutionally guaranteed civil rights to free speech and assembly by "law enforcement", including (but not limited to) preemptory arrests; threats of expulsion at universities; "free speech zones" designed to curtail free speech; arrests on patently false charges and the setting of exhorbitant bails; and violations of the right of habeas corpus and speedy trial;
WHEREAS, the means for this repression included violations and abuses of inalienable human rights by "law enforcement", including (but not limited) the use of violence and threats of violence on the part of police; use of clubs, chemical weapons, stun, concussion, and smoke grenades; abuses in jail including refusal to recognize the gender of trans folk and refusal to detain minors in appropriate facilities;
WHEREAS, an injury to one is an injury to all;
BE IT RESOLVED: The National Working Committee strongly recommends all chapters of Students for a Democratic Society use whatever means at their disposal to contribute to legal aid efforts. The organizations for aid include (but are not limited to) the National Lawyers Guild, ACLU, People's Law Project and Coldsnap Legal Collective. Recommended contributions include (but are not limited to): monetary aid; any and all video, photographic, or medical documentation of police brutality, abuse and misconduct; aid of lawyers and law students in the legal work of mass and individual defense committees.