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Proposal Details

Proposal ID883
ProposalRevoke Monies Requested by the Outreach Committee
PresenterGreen Party of Mississippi
Floor ManagerJody Grage
PhaseClosed - Failed
Discussion10-02-2017 - 10-08-2017
Voting10-09-2017 - 10-15-2017
Presens QuorumTwo Thirds of Active Accredited States/Caucuses
Consens QuorumA Majority of Yes and No Votes

Background

The Movement School for Revolutionaries is planning to hold a training school on October
21, 2017 at The Chokwe Lumumba Center for Economic Democracy and Development. In an email from David Cobb to Nekita Gandy, Delegate of the Green Party of Mississippi, Cobb stated:
“there is no set fee for participation. We will "pass the hat" but no one will be turned away for lack of funds."
Cobb also said: “They are self-funded by me and Mel, although for this particular one we have requested assistance from the national Green Party to help with transportation costs.
As described in the prior emails, we pass the hat at each event.”
This is in breach of the Outreach Committee’s stated goals: “The Outreach Committee (OC) works in concert with groups such as the Media Committee, Green Pages Editorial Board, Fundraising Committee, Website Committee, and Merchandising Committee to create consistent and compelling messaging and communication for GPUS. The committee also may work on advertising, volunteer coordination, and helping state parties grow their recruitment efforts.”
Yet the Outreach Committee never reached out to the Green Party of Mississippi, in contravention of the key “Decentralization” and “Grassroots Democracy” values of the GPUS, which read:
1. Grassroots Democracy
All human beings must be allowed a say in decisions that affect their lives; no one should be subject to the will of another. We work to improve public participation in every aspect of government and seek to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We also work to create new types of political organizations that expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in decision-making.
And
5. Decentralization
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. We seek a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system controlled by and mostly benefiting the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all. (italics mine)
According to the Minutes of the Steering Committee of September 10, 2017, the Outreach Committee requested to give $1500 to David Cobb’s private effort:
2. Movement School for Revolutionaries - Outreach approved $1500 of $3500 request Jackson, MS, Oct 21; co-facilitators David Cobb, Mel Figueroa, Jerome Scott, Bruce Dixon; Kali Akuno may also present a session; inviting Greens from MS, LA, AR, TN, AL, GA and the panhandle of FL Opportune time for building Green Party in area; generic agenda provided - need to know extent of area involvement in specific agenda for this event; need further information as basis for funding; need to report back on accomplishments from funding; Darryl! will get gather information for a decision in a week - 24 hours to send in questions, after answered 48 discussion and 48 hours of voting - consensus.
David Cobb’s group is in no way affiliated with the GPUS. Although the Movement School website ( www.school4rev.org ) says, “We work with local activists, party organizations, and communities to custom-tailor each of these basic modules, as well as the overall workshop schedule, in accordance with their local organizing context and political/electoral objectives,” Mississippi’s NC delegates were “invited to attend” after the event had been set up with Democrats.
Further, the site says, “Every Movement School workshop is custom-designed to meet the particular needs of each community and the goals of local organizers, based on a core curriculum intended to help revolutionaries in progressive groups and party organizations:
● Understand the larger social & historical context of our current political moment
● Collaborate with fellow radicals & progressives across party lines
● Build a united front of the Left to fight back against neoliberalism & neofacism
● Develop strategies for engaging elections and prepare to take & exercise state power”
Clearly, the Movement School is not a Green Party activity and is not designed to build the Green Party.
Also taking into consideration that the GPUS is headed toward a tough financial calendar year and funding of outside activities will not help it survive financially, the Green Party of Mississippi proposes:
 

Proposal

1. That the Steering Committee rescind its decision to give $1500 to the Movement School for Revolutionaries monies requested by the Outreach Committee, since it not within the Outreach Committees purview to ask for such funding;
2. That no further funding of the self-supporting entity entitled the Movement School for
Revolutionaries -- and any and all offshoots of this organization -- be entertained by the Steering Committee unless requested by the State Parties, via a proposal through the Steering Committee to the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States;
3. That the Steering Committee clarify the policy for providing travel funds for Green Party members to attend non-GPUS events, and create a proposal on which the National Committee will vote to that end.

Resources

IMPLENTATION/TIMELINE/RESOURCES: This proposal shall take immediate effect.
CONTACT: Nekita Gandy, rubies1111@gmail.com, text 662-418-0106
 

References

REFERENCES: Ten Key Values of the Green Party of the United States (http://www.gp.org/ten_key_values_2016); Movement School for Revolutionaries (https://www.school4rev.org/); Emails: David Cobb to Nekita Gandy (later, Jan Hillegas) August 27, 2017 through September 17, 2017).


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