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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	195
Proposal	Establishment of GPUS EcoAction Committee
Presenter	Green Party of Minnesota
Floor Manager	Marc Sanson
Phase	Closed
Discussion	11/21/2005 - 12/16/2005
Voting	12/17/2005 - 12/23/2005
Result	Adopted
Presens Quorum	32 0.6666
Consens Quorum	40 A Majority of Yes and No Votes

Background

The Green Party of the United States recognizes the following in its Ten Key
Values:
ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of
nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and
live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our
planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a
way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our
generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the
soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the
integrity of natural systems.
NON-VIOLENCE
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society's current
patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of
mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other
governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others
who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices
and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting
personal, community and global peace.
PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at
the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to
join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic
justice, and the health of the planet.
FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to
protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or "unmaking"ť all
waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend
on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for
short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies,
and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the
results of our actions.

It is clear and overwhelming that the Earth is in crisis, and that in
mainstream US politics, the Earth has no voice, and no advocate. Global
warming, disease proliferation, species endangerment and abuse (and others),
caused in part by pollution, deforestation, topsoil erosion, urban sprawl, and
population growth (and others), are issues that need to be taken up in
government and by the people.

Proposal

The Green Party of the United States shall
establish an EcoAction Committee. The purpose and
function of this committee shall be to facilitate the
planning and achievement of eco-justice action
proposals adopted by the Green Party, to support and
promote the Green Party's candidates, eco-justice
platform and agenda, and to promote and lobby for
responsible government stewardship of the Earth and
its inhabitants. For the purposes of this committee, the
term eco-justice refers to ecological wisdom and
environmental justice.

1. Committee Structure

The EcoAction Committee shall be a standing committee of the GPUS and shall
be 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 EcoAction
Committee. 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 EcoAction Committee shall maintain an email
list for the communication of committee business and to use in formal decision
making.

2. Leadership

The co-chairs and secretary 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 NC or in an online election
to be conducted using Ranked Voting.

a. Co- Chairs:
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.

b. Secretary:
The Secretary shall conduct all correspondence, agenda requirements and
other clerical requests of the committee.

3. Decisions

Before making a formal decision, the EcoAction Committee 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. Each member of the committee shall have one vote. All
votes will be conducted by open ballot.
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 NC for a further decision,
shall include in the EcoAction Committee resolution, a clause to that effect.

Minority reports may be submitted as part of a resolution when requested by
EcoAction committee members.

4. Quorums and Active Members

An active member of the EcoAction 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 EcoAction Committee shall make monthly reports to the GPUS NC 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 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 EcoAction Committee, are
inconsistent with Green Party activism or values, will be sent written notice
from the co-chairs by agreement of the EcoAction Committee according to formal
decision making procedures. 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. EcoAction Committee 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 EcoAction Committee co-chairs and
notify the list.

E. Mediation will be offered at this time by a process agreed upon by the
EcoAction Committee. 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 EcoAction Committee votes on sending a formal complaint
to the member's state party or caucus.

F. Ethical Standards

The rights of a Green in the GPUS EcoAction Committee shall not be
curtailed without first meeting the following due process rules.

The Green whose rights are being curtailed has:
a. the right to know one's accusers;
b. the right to know the charges one is being accused of;
c. the right to question, with expectation of redress, matters of bias,
unnecessary delays, and other tactics which are entered into in an attempt
to make the process less than a fair consideration of merit;
d. the right to respond fully and to all affected audiences and
stakeholders on one's own behalf;
e. the right to present evidence on one's behalf;
f. the right to call witnesses on one's behalf;
g. the implicit promise that both the accusers and defendants will be held
to the truth in their presentations;
h. the implicit promise that the cases of both the accusers and the
defendants will be equally presented in terms of time and attention, if
requested by either;
i. the implicit promise that those entrusted with the dispatch of the
process will conduct it in as even-handed a manner as possible.

Resources

Required: Email list serv to facilitate committee work

Contact: Kristen Olson

References

GPUS Bylaws section 3

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