Green Party of the United States - National Committee Voting

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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	183
Proposal	Accreditation Committee P and P Approval
Presenter	Accreditation Committee
Floor Manager	Steve Kramer
Phase	Closed
Discussion	09/26/2005 - 10/16/2005
Voting	10/17/2005 - 10/23/2005
Result	Adopted
Presens Quorum	32 0.6666
Consens Quorum	37 A Majority of Yes and No Votes

Background

None.

Proposal

The GPUS Accreditations Committee (AC) is chartered to review requests by
forming state parties and caucuses for accreditation by the GPUS, as well as
complaints against state parties and caucuses which are based upon the
accreditation requirements of the GPUS.

1. Committee Structure

The Accreditation Committee (AC) is a standing committee of the GPUS and is
governed by section 3 of the bylaws of the Green Party of the United States
(GPUS). The committee shall be made up of volunteers from the various state
Green parties and caucuses. As a standing committee of the GPUS, up to three
members of any state party or caucus may be members of the AC. Each state
party or caucus, when nominating a member to the committee shall send a note
to the co-chairs of the committee informing the committee of its
nominations. The AC shall maintain an email list for the communication of
committee business and to use in formal decision making.

2. Leadership

The co-chairs shall be elected by the membership of the committee yearly or
when a vacancy occurs either at an in person meeting of the committee at the
yearly meeting of the GPUS CC or in an online election to be conducted using
Ranked Voting. When possible the co-chairs shall be of different genders and
from different states. The job of the co-chairs is to keep the committee on
task and provide leadership to the various sub groups of the committee
working on specific tasks.

Co-chairs of the committee may not assume the task of list administrator.

3. Decisions

Before making a formal decision, the AC shall publish the resolution on its
email list noting that a decision will be made. The committee shall then
attempt to achieve consensus on the resolution. Following a minimum of five
days, if no consensus is achieved, the committee shall be empowered to vote,
and a 2/3 vote of the voting active members shall be required for passage.
As usual for GPUS committees, each state and caucus will have one vote;
fractional votes will be accepted. When an email vote is needed to make a
formal decision, there shall be a resolution circulated on the list followed
by a two-week discussion period, followed by a 5-day voting period. The
co-chairs shall conduct, certify and record the tally of the votes. When the
committee makes a decision by consensus, a shorter decision-making process
is allowed as long as sufficient time for comments and concerns, at least 5
days, is given.

All decisions that must be forwarded to the GPUS CC for a further decision
shall include in the AC resolution a clause to that effect.

Minority reports may be submitted as part of an accreditation when requested
by AC committee members.

4. Quorums and Active Members

An active member of the Accreditation Committee shall be defined as a
duly-selected member who has been active within the last three months,
taking part in discussion, decisions, or subgroup work within that period.
The co-chairs shall be responsible for keeping a roster of active members,
though they may ask other committee members to actually keep the list. One
half of the active membership shall constitute a quorum for formal decision
making. There shall be no quorum requirements for the committee to take on
projects, designate people to work on projects, or other informal work that
moves the committees operations and projects along.

5. Teleconferences and In-Person Meetings

A quorum for a vote on the co-chair, is one half of the active membership.
All formal decisions made at a teleconference or in-person meeting shall be
reviewed online using the list of active committee members and the normal
decision making process. A one week notice of meetings must be provided.

Minutes shall be kept of all meetings and teleconferences, and these shall
be sent by e-mail to members within one week.

6. Reports

The AC shall make regular reports to the GPUS CC on its work. The co-chairs
shall lead that process.

7. Committee Members Rights and Responsibilities

A. All members will work to improve their communication skills, their
ability to tolerate genuine differences, their willingness to take the time
to build relationships and genuinely listen and resolve conflicts, their
commitment to integrity, openness and transparency, their natural curiosity
about different cultures, their respect for multiple ways of being effective
and their celebration of difference and the unknown, and to lower their
distrust and insecurities that lead to controlling, manipulative and
intolerant behavior.

B.The committee will work to be tolerant, and to work with each member to
identify the underlying causes of behavior that others experience as
disruptive or obstructionist and change the committee process so as to meet
those needs to that behavior experienced as disruptive or obstructionist
dissipates.

C. Any member who breaks confidentiality, explicit AC rules, consistently
cannot follow agreed upon processes, acts in a disrespectful or offensive
manner, engages in illegal activities within the committee or that, in the
opinion of the AC, are inconsistent with Green Party activism or values,
will be sent written notice from the co-chairs by agreement of the AC. A
written notice will also be sent to the member's state party or caucus.
Mediation may be offered (see section C) except in cases where delayed
action might have serious legal or financial consequences. In that case,
the state party or caucus will be asked to remove the member and designate a
replacement.

D. AC members who feel a member is not following e-mail list rules make
their concerns known to co-chairs and list administrator. The co-chairs and
list administrator will contact the member. If the problem persists, the
list administrator and co-chairs will issue a formal warning on the list.
After a second formal warning, the member's postings will be moderated for
two months and a second notice will be sent by the list administrator, who
will at once document the offenses to the AC co-chairs and notify the list.

E. Mediation will be offered at this time by a process agreed upon by the
AC. Also at this time, the state party will be notified of the second
warning. Whenever possible, supporting documentation (e-mail posts; missed
deadlines; incomplete or sub-standard assignments) should be provided to the
state. Once the member is returned to the list, if there is a third
warning, the AC committee votes on sending a formal complaint to the
member's state party or caucus.

8. Complaint Process
A. Greens who wish to lodge a complaint or grievance against an affiliated
Green Party in the state in which they reside or a caucus with which they
identify must first exhaust the complaint process of that state's Green
Party or caucus. If it can be demonstrated that the complainant's state
party or caucus has not addressed the grievance in a timely way, the AC, at
its discretion, can decide to hear the grievance after giving the state
party or caucus notice. Complaints must be submitted on the AC complaint
form and co-signed by three Greens with standing before being reviewed by
the committee. (To have standing a Green must reside in the state or
identify with the caucus they are lodging a complaint against.)
Green Party or caucus members with a grievance are required to complete and
submit the AC complaint form to their state party or caucus and copy the AC.
After 30 days, the AC will inquire to see that the state party or caucus has
initiated their process for review of complaints. If no action has been
taken, the AC will remind the state party or caucus that action must be
taken within the next 30 days. State parties or caucuses who have entered
into the "grievance" process in good faith but needs more time to address
the complaint must ask the AC for an extension in writing. After two weeks
of receiving the complaint, the AC will assign a point person to guide the
complainant through the process.

B. Accredited State Parties or Caucuses, who wish to lodge a complaint
or grievance against another accredited state party or caucus must submit
their complaints on the AC complaint form. The complaint must be filed by
the Executive Committee or membership of the state party or caucus in
accordance with that state party's or caucus' bylaws.
A state party or caucus with a grievance is required to complete and
submit the AC complaint form to the other state party or caucus and copy
the AC. After 30 days, the AC will inquire of the state party or caucus to
see if the grievance has been resolved. State parties or caucuses who have
entered into a "grievance" process in good faith but need more time to
address the complaint must ask the AC for an extension in writing. After
two weeks of receiving the complaint, the AC will assign a point person to
guide the complainant through the process.

Resources

Roger Snyder, Co-Chair, AC

References

None

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