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Alliance for Freedom and Direct Democracy

By-Laws

Membership

Membership Responsibilities to the Confederation

General agreement with AFADD’s by-laws, principles, manifesto and all other core AFADD documents developed and a willingness to abide by the decisions of AFADD.
Regular participation in local and confederation decision-making.
A commitment to furthering the organizational development of AFADD including participation in or working toward the creation of an AFADD local.
Participation in the confederal committees, working groups, caucuses and conferences when possible.
A commitment to furthering the theoretical development of AFADD including participation in the ongoing study of politics, history and theory through a study group or on your own.
An active commitment to rooting out all forms of oppression and hierarchy on a personal, organizational, and societal level.
Participation and strategic intervention in the struggle to end oppression, decentralize power and realize direct democracy through local and confederation-wide initiatives.
Appropriate and accountable conduct within all confederal bodies.
Paying dues regularly on a sliding-scale according to desire and ability.

Structure

CONFEDERATION BODIES

Direct democracy requires direct participation in deliberation as well as decision-making. AFADD has therefore developed a decision-making structure that provides forums for members to deliberate on proposals directly and collectively within AFADD locals and spokes-groups, caucuses, and working groups, while allowing members to vote on confederation-wide proposals as individuals through referendum.

Locals

Locals consist of at least three AFADD members who meet regularly in a face-to-face, directly democratic manner to engage in local and Confederation-wide political work.

Locals define their own decision-making processes, so long as they are non-hierarchical, directly democratic and in keeping with the principles of AFADD.

When making Confederation decisions, members vote as individuals.

So that we all may become leaders, AFADD recommends that locals empower two recallable spokespeople, on a rotational basis, with staggered terms lasting no more than one year. Spokespeople are expected to communicate proposals and decisions back and forth between their local members and the rest of the Confederation; to report on changes in local membership; to collect dues; and to submit a monthly summary of their local’s activities to the Confederation bulletin. Spokespeople also are expected to spoke for their local during monthly spokescouncil conference calls.

Locals have the power to determine their own local work so long as it is consistent with the principles of AFADD and furthers the political strategy of the Confederation.

Locals are also expected to participate actively in Confederation-wide political work.

Local work is done in the name of the local, unless endorsed by the Confederation as a whole.

Locals are responsible for ensuring the political integrity of their membership, respecting AFADD membership requirements and membership adhesion processes.

Local membership is based on affinity of politics and practice, not lifestyle and personal affinity.

Locals are expected to assist their members who are unable to afford confederal dues.

Spokes-groups

Members who have been unable to join or form an AFADD local participate in the Confederation-wide political work through an AFADD spokes-group.

AFADD spokes-groups are temporary groups of no more than 10 individuals that communicate regularly via an email list.

Internal decisions within spokes-groups are made in a directly democratic manner by a 2/3rds majority of spokes-group members.

When participating in Conference-wide decisions, members vote as individuals.

Spokes-groups empower one recallable spoke on a semi-annual basis to communicate back and forth between their spokes-group and the rest of the Confederation; to report on changes in spokes-group membership; to collect dues; and to submit a monthly summary of their spokes-group’s activities to the bulletin.

The Membership Coordinator facilitates the creation and composition of the spokes-groups.

Spokes-groups lack the power to accept or deny new members.

Once a spokes-group has more than 10 members, it must split into two autonomous groups based on geographic proximity, at which point new spokes will be elected.

Members of spokes-groups are encouraged and expected to form or join locals.

Confederal Bodies

There are three main confederal committees: the Coordinating Committee, the Publication Committee, and the Conference Committee.

The Coordinating Committee and the Publications Committee are elected for yearlong terms at alternating conferences. The Conference Committee is elected for a six-month term at each conference.

Interested groups are required to publish a detailed proposal in the bulletin at least two months prior to the conference, outlining how and with whom they will fulfill the responsibilities of the committee that they propose to constitute, as well as the means by which they plan to communicate as a committee. Within two months of the conference, proposals may not be seriously amended.

Locals and members are encouraged to publish letters of support and/or concerns about particular proposals on the bulletin.

Committees are elected based on the proposal that receives both the highest number of total membership votes and votes of no confidence from no more than 1/3 of the total membership.

All three committees are subject to immediate recall by a simple majority vote of no confidence at any time.

The Conference Committee begins its term immediately, and the Coordinating Committee and the Publications Committee begin their terms two months after the conferences that elect them.

After the completion of their terms, all three committees are responsible for providing support to the new committees in order to ensure a smooth transition.

Coordinating Committee

The Coordinating Committee is the administrative Body of the Confederation. The Coordinating Committee consists of ten positions (that may be filled by more or fewer than ten individuals).

Membership Coordinator

Spokescouncil Coordinator

Media Liaison

Outreach Coordinator

Treasurer

Webmaster

Bulletin Coordinator

Librarian

Prospective and Supporting Membership Coordinator

Educational Resource Coordinator

In an effort to decentralize administrative skills and knowledge, AFADD recommends that each year at least 50% of the individuals serving on the Coordinating Committee be new to the Committee.

Publication Committee

The Publication Committee is responsible for the editorial direction, production and distribution of AFADD’s public periodical on a regular and timely basis. Individuals may serve consecutive terms on the Publication Committee.

Conference Committee

The Conference Committee is responsible for determining a time and place for the next conference and, in doing so, should attempt to balance the needs (geographic, economic, political, etc.) of various locals. The committee is also responsible for gathering the conference agenda and publishing it in the bulletin two months prior to the conference. Furthermore, the committee should oversee all of the logistical concerns associated with the conference, including but not limited to food, housing, facilitators, minute-takers, the copying of documents and so on.

Working Groups

Working groups are formed as needed to carry out the work of AFADD. Working groups will be established for one-year terms at a conference by 2/3rds majority vote. All AFADD members are free to join any working group with the commitment that they serve as active and accountable members. Working groups are expected to empower a recallable spokesperson to the confederation spokescouncil and may make proposals to the Confederation. Working groups are required to submit monthly activity reports to the bulletin. The policies, actions and effectiveness of working groups are subject to the decisions and criticism of the confederation. All working groups shall be reaffirmed by a 2/3rds majority vote at a conference on the anniversary of their formation, if their work is to extend more than one year.

Ad hoc groups may be formed at any time without the necessity of Confederation approval, but may not use the name of the Confederation until formally recognized. Ad hoc groups can make proposals to the confederation if a formal confederation Body endorses their proposal. Ad hoc groups are encouraged to publish updates in the bulletin.

Current Working Groups

Strategy

Police & Prisons

Ability Issues/ Anti-Ableism

Anti-Globalization

Anti-War

Fundraising

Publication

Caucuses

Caucuses may be formed by any group of two or more members of the Confederation who face similar oppression in order to collectively influence the internal workings of AFADD. Caucuses may make proposals to the Confederation Spokescouncil and are encouraged to submit monthly updates and reflections to the bulletin. Caucuses are also encouraged to participate in the development of study group curriculum.

Because AFADD caucuses hold special decision-making power, they must be formally recognized by the Confederation. Upon its formation AFADD formally recognizes the following caucuses:

Women's Caucus

People of Color Caucus

Youth Caucus

Elders Caucus

Queer, Transgender, and Intersexed Caucus

People with disABILITIES Caucus

Working Class Caucus

Additional groups that feel the need to form a caucus are encourage to form an ad hoc groups prior to submitting a formal proposal.

DECISION MAKING

Though some specific decisions require deliberation at a semi-annual conference, most Confederation decisions are made by referendum through the Confederation Spokescouncil.
Unless otherwise specified, decisions are made by a 2/3rds majority with a 2/3rds quorum of total active membership.
So that the confederation as a whole is not bothered with proposals that cannot achieve the support of the majority of even one confederation Body, proposals may only be made by the directly democratic decision of an entire a local, spokes-group, caucus, or recognized working group.
Proposals that are put forth to the Confederation as a whole, ought to be proposals that are of consequence and/or require the active engagement of either the Confederation as a whole, or a large portion of its total membership. Local groups are always free to put forth non Confederation-wide proposals directly to other locals.
In an effort to actively counter the hierarchical power imbalances present in our society, AFADD extends additional decision-making privileges to its caucuses. If at any point in the decision-making process members of a caucus believe that a proposal will discriminate against or has adverse implications for the group that the caucus represents, they have the right as a caucus to democratically decide to freeze the decision making process. For decisions made via the spokescouncil, a caucus may freeze the decision-making process for one week; and for decisions made at an AFADD conference a caucus may freeze the process for two hours, during which time the caucus will be extended an opportunity to thoroughly present their concerns prior to resuming the decision-making process.
All Confederation proposals and decisions are to be published in the bulletin.
Members are encouraged to publish dissenting positions in the bulletin and are free to publicly state their disagreement with any AFADD decision, but in their own name and not the name of AFADD as a whole.
Confederation Spokescouncil

The Confederation Spokescouncil is the primary decision-making mechanism of AFADD because it offers the most direct opportunity for all members to actively participate in directly democratic deliberation and decision-making by referenda. Spokescouncil decisions are made through and never by the spokescouncil.
- Confederation decisions that are made through the spokescouncil structure proceed according to the following monthly schedule.
  1^st Sunday of the Month: Locals and spokes-groups have until the 1st Sunday of the month (which, depending on the month, allows either 1 or 2 weeks) to collectively deliberate and submit a vote on each of the previous month’s proposals to the Spokescouncil Coordinator. Additionally, all confederal body spokespeople must submit a monthly report to the Bulletin Coordinator and any confederal proposals for the following month to the Spokescouncil Coordinator. The Bulletin Coordinator will email a bulletin to all members by the following Friday morning. Local spokespeople are responsible for distributing bulletins to members without email access.
  
  2^nd Sunday of the Month: The spokes-council conference call will occur on the 2^nd Sunday of the month. Spokespeople will speak slowly and clearly for those whom English is not a primary language. Call minutes will be sent out after the call as an addendum to the bulletin.
  
  3rd Sunday of the Month: Locals, caucuses, working groups, and spokes-groups have until the 3^rd Sunday of the month to request clarification; to circulate letters of support or dissent; or to propose friendly amendments to a proposal. All requests and amendment proposals must come from the body as a whole.
  
  4^th Sunday of the Month: The group from whom the proposal originated then has until the 4^th Sunday of the month to clarify or revise their proposal (if they so desire) and to resubmit it to the spokes-council. They may also choose to leave their proposal as is, or to withdraw their proposal entirely.
- Note: Under normal circumstances, unless a local or spokes-group has submitted a proposal that requires amending, it need only attend to confederal proposals twice a month: between the 4^th and the 1^st Sundays, and between the 2^nd and the 3^rd Sundays.
- The Spokescouncil Coordinator is responsible for tallying all votes and publishing the results to all proposals in the following month’s bulletin. Members are always encouraged to publish statements regarding their decisions in the bulletin, and may send their statements directly to the Bulletin Coordinator.
- If a caucus freezes the decision making process for one particular proposal, the monthly schedule for that particular proposal will be shifted forward one week, and will not affect the timing of concurrent proposals. If necessary, an addendum to the bulletin will be sent out with results to delayed particular proposal.
- If quorum cannot be reached it will be noted in the bulletin and proposals will be put on hold until the next month’s spokescouncil. The Membership and Spokescouncil Coordinators and the local spokes will be responsible for addressing issues pertaining to poor voter turnout.
- If a member fails to participate in 2 consecutive months of decision-making, they will be considered inactive members, until they inform the membership Coordinator, through their spoke that they are ready to participate actively.
- In the case of an emergency, catastrophe, or war in need of an immediate confederal response, an emergency spokescouncil meeting can be called with a decision turn-around time of one week.

The Conference

The primary function of the conference is to refine confederation-wide politics and strategies and to deliberate upon the major business of the Confederation.

Decisions to be deliberated at the conference are as follows:
1. Confederation-wide strategic and theoretical development
2. Budget and dues setting
3. Election of the confederal committees
4. Membership adhesion/expulsion
5. Amendments to the core documents (Mission, Manifesto, By-Laws)
6. Creation of working groups and caucuses
Locals, caucuses and working groups send a spoke and as many other members as possible.
Proposals and the agenda are put out two months prior to the conference for deliberation and decision-making on a local level.
Members who cannot attend must send written mandates pertaining to each proposal with their spokesperson and additionally may choose to empower any member with their proxy. (Proxy: the permission to deliberate and decide upon issues in your name). Proxies do not apply to proposed changes to core documents.
All proposed changes to core documents as well as the election of confederal committees require a 2/3rds majority of total active membership. All other decisions continue to require the support of a 2/3 majority with a 2/3rds quorum of total active membership.
Proposals that go to vote without amendments are accepted based on the supporting votes of people in attendance and mandates.
Proposals that are amended or proposals that are put forth less than one month prior to the conference are accepted based on the supporting votes of members in attendance and proxy votes (if applicable).
If a 2/3rds majority cannot be reached, the proposal is put forth to the Confederation Spokescouncil for further deliberation and decision during the month following the conference.
Conference minutes are to be compiled and distributed to the Confederation within one week of the conference.

MEMBERSHIP POLICIES

Organizational Autonomy and Political Integrity

No one may become a member or remain a member or supporter of AFADD who is:

An employee or agent of a law enforcement agency

A member of an organization that mandates its members to give reports on AFADD's internal activities, requires its members to argue for a line, or otherwise control the activity of its members acting within AFADD

Membership Adhesion Process

In the interest of growing AFADD slowly and deliberately, we adhere to the following membership adhesion process:

Locals

Any local group of at least three individuals who agree with the Principles and By-Laws of the Confederation can submit a request for membership as an AFADD Local. The request is sent to the Prospective and Supporting Membership Coordinator and must include answers to specific questions as well a letter of support from at least one existing local. All requests and letters of support will be published in the bulletin at least two months prior to the conference and put to a two-thirds majority vote at the conference.

We recognize that the size of a local and its proximity to other locals will vary from place to place. We encourage locals with few AFADD members to include members from a greater geographic area, and we anticipate the possibility of locals with over 50 AFADD members being in closer proximity to other AFADD locals.

Individuals

Individuals are encouraged to join existing AFADD locals, if at all possible, rather than joining as individuals. Locals are required to have membership adhesion requirements and expulsion mechanisms that will ensure the new integrity of their membership. AFADD recommends the following adhesion requirements:

Agreement with the Membership Responsibilities to the Confederation and

Either three months of participation in a local’s study group, meetings, and political work to the extent possible.

Or past demonstration of political affinity with the principles and work of AFADD as well as a long-standing association with a current member.

If joining a local is not possible, individuals can submit a request for membership to the Confederation directly. All requests and letters of support will be published in the bulletin at least two months prior to a conference and be put to a two-thirds vote at that conference. Prospective members are encouraged to engage as supporters and to participate in an on-line study group in the interim. Once a member, the membership Coordinator will add the new member to an AFADD spokes-group.

Supporters

A person who supports AFADD’s activities and politics but who does not wish to or cannot assume the responsibilities of an active membership can be a supporter of the Confederation.

Responsibilities for supporters include general agreement with AFADD’s political statement, open self-definition as a supporter, and a yearly sliding-scale communications fee. Incarcerated supporters fees are waived.

Supporters receive the Confederation’s publication and bulletin, and are encouraged to participate in an on-line study group, if a local study group is not available.

Supporters may attend conferences as observers, and may participate if invited to address a specific issue by a member.

Supporters may also participate in any confederal body as a non-voting supporter if invited by the particular body as a whole. The supporter can be expelled from any confederal body through a simple majority vote within the confederal body or a petition signed by 10% of total membership.

Supporter status must be renewed annually.

Leaves of Absence

Members may request a leave of absence or to be considered a supporter for specific periods of time. Members must notify their local spoke and/or the Membership Coordinator prior to the change of status.

Suspension and Expulsion

Individual members or entire locals may face expulsion if they:

Consistently or repetitively fail to maintain AFADD's membership requirements and responsibilities

Violate the bylaws, principles, and major Confederation decisions

Intentionally deceive any confederal body

Intentionally physically endanger an AFADD member

A member or group of members will be required to participate in a mediation process, which may lead to suspension or expulsion, if at least ten percent of the total membership signs on to a petition.

Upon receipt of the petition, the Membership Coordinator has one week to inform the "accused" of the "charges" and reasons for the charges, and to begin to facilitate the process of setting up a temporary mediation board, consisting of three members that both parties can agree on.

The temporary mediation board will then hold a mediation session, preferably in person or via conference call, with both parties in question, and try to facilitate an agreeable solution.

If the parties cannot consent to a mediated solution, the temporary mediation board has the power to suspend the accused membership until it the matter is decided upon by the confederation as a whole, at the next conference.

Both the petition and the suspended group’s response must be published in the bulletin for local deliberation well in advance of the conference.

During the period of suspension, the suspended member/group in question may not use the Confederation name or funds or participate in Confederation decisions.

All expulsion decisions will be made at the conference. The suspended member/group will have the opportunity to defend themselves at the next conference, but the matter will be held to a strict time limit.

Recall and Censure

Recall of an official confederal committee, working group, or caucus can happen at any time through a simple majority vote of total membership of no confidence.

Confederal bodies are also free to make proposals for the censuring of any other confederal body at anytime. Censure: confederal expression of disapproval.

Confederal bodies are also free to make proposals to for any other confederal body to cease engaging a particular project in the Confederation name.

Dues Structure

Every January and June members will pay 30, 60, 90, or 120 dollars (5, 10, 15, or 20 per month). Minors who are too young to legally work may have their dues waved.

Supporters: Pay an annual fee of 30-120 dollars according to their desire.