This is an outline for the process to approve the proposal to form an elected steering committee for TWC(NYC).
This process is intended to be simple and inclusive. It is based on the assumption that everyone participating has the common motivation to build an effective and democratic movement. This process is meant to draw in as broad participation as possible by having very few restrictions and minimizing confusion through simplicity.
Voting will take place over the web (e.g., a Google form, SurveyMonkey, Riseup) and be open for a period of 48 hours.
Those who've been to at least one TWC meeting before the voting period begins will be eligible to vote. Those who vote in this process will be taken on the "honor system" that they've met this requirement.
The decision will be made by a simple majority. Vote tallies will be made publicly available and reported to volunteers within 48 hours of the closing of the voting period.
The period to recommend amendments to the proposal will be open for one week. Amendments should be submitted on the web and made available for all to review for at least one week before the opening of the voting period.
Proposals for amendments should be e-mailed to [email protected]. The deadline for submitting amendments should be no less than one week before from the opening of the voting period for the whole proposal. Proposals for amendments should include:
- Your name and the name of at least one co-sponsor. A co-sponsor, one other volunteer who meets the voting requirements that supports the amendment.
- The un-altered, original language in the proposal.
- The language to be changed.
- An explanation for the amendment (i.e., why the change is important or necessary).
For example,
### Author
Anne Author, Oscar Otherauthor
### Summary
A description of what the amendment does and the motivation for it
### Original language
foo bar
### Amended to
~foo~ bar *biz buzz* (e.g., remove foo, add biz buzz)There is a template for an amendment proposal available. You can edit this template and save it to "fork" the template into your own proposal, if you prefer. The format of the proposal does not matter. Just that it contains the authors, original and altered proposal language, and an explanation of its motivation.
Amendments will be made available to volunteers in a publicly accessible document (e.g., a Riseup pad or Google Doc) as they're proposed.
Amendments to the proposal are considered alterations to the proposal. There are two types of amendments: "friendly" and "unfriendly" amendments.
"Friendly" amendments are those amendments accepted by the proposal's author directly. They're taken as-is and no voting or discussion of the amendment is necessary.
These are amendments which are not accepted by the proposal's author. A document containing the language of these amendments will be prepared and made available volunteers. These amendments should be discussed and voted on in person (by a show of hands) at a meeting, before the voting period for the proposal opens. The author of the amendment should be given time to explain the intention and motivation for the amendment. A simple majority decides.
The tally for votes on amendments, as well as a summary of the corresponding discussion, should be recorded in the notes for the meeting.
Any amendments accepted should be listed along with the proposal.
5/21 First discussion
6/11 Deadline for amendments
6/18 Second discussion; vote on amendments; publish amended proposal in final form; voting period opens
6/20 Voting closes