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DRAFT for consideration

First DRAFT Membership, than a DRAFT WDDM Charter
Followed by USA and Greece Organization licensing requirements.

Article III Membership
This Article will be placed in the WDDM Charter
WDDM Membership and WDDM Board Membership (DRAFT)
Mirek wisely suggested: WDDM could play a role in dispelling the fear of true democracy, if we are able to find here some common ground here, prepare some materials for publication and dissemination that we can agree on, speak with a single voice ...

For this we need some basic mechanism how to arrive at collective positions.
-- MiKolar (2006-06-24 00:19:15)

Now, we must develop this basic mechanism, to develop an organization as Mirek suggests. We will need an active body to accomplish this. The WDDM Board is the suggested body to accomplish this.
The following members contributed to developing the initial WDDM Board. Mirek Kolar, George Kokkas, Bruce Eggum, Eric Lim, and Lee Gottlieb. They will be considered initial members of the WDDM Board. ALL WDDM members are eligible to be WDDM Board members.

This first membership document is necessary to establish the WDDM Board which will be charged with completing the Charter and other documents necessary for WDDM to be recognized and licensed properly as an Organization.
Transitional Rule:
Presently the only “membership” is to the WDDM email list membership. People joined this list with little consideration of the responsibility of organization, since there was no organization.
For purposes of initiating this process, these draft membership guidelines will be followed, with the understanding they may be changed by members through proposal to the WDDM Board at any time.

All the current “WDDM (email list) members” are considered WDDM members, and can apply immediately to become WDDM Board Members (no waiting period will be applied to anybody). Memberships granted after July 1, 2006 will need to follow these membership rules.

WDDM Members form a single community of people with interchanging roles, who have gathered together to promote global DD or true democracy - a system of government in which the people, being sovereign, have the final say on all matters at all levels of government, from the local community level up to the world-wide level.

A person desiring WDDM Membership must complete the WDDM Membership Application.

Because past experience shows that not all members are able at all times
to actively participate in the management of the WDDM, those who are currently
able to do so will constitute a WDDM Board. The WDDM Board is charged with the responsibility to conduct all business of WDDM, including establishing bylaws, Charter, decision making, administrative tasks, and other procedures. All decisions concerning WDDM will be approved by a majority (at least 50%+1) of the WDDM Board.
All Charter/Constitution changes will be approved by referendum consensus of the members voting. A minimum 50% +1 majority is needed.

All Members are free to have input by proposal or petition to the WDDM Board at any time following established procedures.
Petition or Proposal to the WDDM Board
A petition or proposal will be submitted with no less than 1% of members signing the petition or proposal to the WDDM Board.
Until we reach more than one hundred memberships, each person can bring a petition themselves. Two hundred people would require only two petitioners etc.

WDDM members who are currently not WDDM Board Members are not inferior members. They are those who, for some reasons best known to themselves, are for the time being unable to participate actively in the management of WDDM.

Similarly, WDDM Board Members who, for any reason, are unable for the time being to
participate actively in the management of WDDM. They will revert to their previous status of Members, either through their own request or through the operation of membership rules. Such members could, at any time, apply to be WDDM Board
Members again when they are again able and ready to participate.

Becoming a WDDM Member

1. A person seeking WDDM membership must complete a WDDM Membership
Application.
2. The completed application can be sent to the return address or submitted to the WDDM Webmaster. Please direct any questions to the WDDM Webmaster.

WDDM Organization Membership Application:

We welcome you and appreciate your interest in WDDM.
To become a member of the WDDM Organization, please complete this application.
Name:
Address: (optional)
Email Address
Country
You may provide any other comments you would like to make:
If you need more room, attach files or give URL(s) pointing to the additional information
Please review the Charter attached. Your signature of this application indicates you have read and agree with the WDDM Charter.
Please e-mail the application with any attached files to the WDDM webmaster.
"WDDM webmaster" wbm@world-wide-democracy.net

Becoming a WDDM Board Member


Any WDDM Member desiring to serve as a WDDM Board member, after three months membership may petition for WDDM Board Membership.

A person seeking WDDM Board Membership agrees to be active and participate in all WDDM business. Failure to do so could result in the member being suspended or withdrawn from the WDDM Board.

WDDM Board Membership Application
After being a WDDM Member for three months, you may apply to be a WDDM Board Member. If you have not done so before, you have to give some additional information:

Name:

Address:

Country:

Email Address:

WDDM needs active people to process business and make decisions.
To become a WDDM Board Member you must agree to the following:

I will actively participate in WDDM, by reading Forum and other WDDM correspondence.
I will post my opinion on issues.
I will vote so WDDM can make decisions.
I will make suggestions, proposals and other actions which help WDDM in its Goal.

I accept that failure to participate actively in the WDDM Board could result in being suspended or withdrawn from the WDDM Board.

Signed:

Please email your application to the WDDM Board or the webmaster.

Membership application process:

Whoever receives an application will screen the applicant. They will send an email to the address given, asking the person to send a brief resume or profile of themselves to determine if the person has real interest in WDDM. This initial screening of the Applicant will likely eliminate "blue eyed lover", and "Lilly lap um up" who apply with those nick names and addresses.
Most people understand this is necessary and have no problem with it. Than of course, we have rules against spamming, foul language etc. and if caused by a person who has become a WDDM Member, they can be quickly removed from membership. These things need to be written more clearly, but we are in that process. It may be that a membership committee could review these applicants.



WDDM Organizational Charter (DRAFT)
Worldwide Direct Democracy Movement referred to henceforth as WDDM is the organized group of people from around the world developing the WDDM Organization to educate and promote Direct Democracy.


WDDM Charter

Article I
Name - The name of the organization shall be the Worldwide Direct Democracy Movement referred to henceforth as WDDM

Article II
Purpose - The WDDM Mission Statement: WDDM is a worldwide hub for the advocates of Direct Democracy (DD) to exchange information, experience and ideas, from different parts of the world, establish projects, connect, and gather momentum toward implementing direct democracy at every level of political governance, including upcoming global governance.

Goal - "Our main goal is to develop a multilingual globel network of websites and offline efforts committed to encouraging more direct democratic processes for public policy decision making."

Article III
Membership - Membership in the WDDM (see above, under construction)

Article IV
Officers - The offices of the WDDM shall be those of the Spokesperson, Vice Spokesperson, Secretary, and Treasurer. These four officers shall compose the Executive Committee. The Executives shall be members of the WDDM Board. The Executives and Executive Committee are subservient to the WDDM Board in their administrative capacity.

Section A: Spokesperson
The Spokesperson shall:
1. act as a spokesperson for the WDDM in the presentation of its positions and enunciation of its policies;
2. supervise the execution of all programs and activities;
3. call into being ad hoc committees of WDDM members as needed;
4. appoint and remove members of WDDM standing and ad hoc committees, subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Executive Council
5. chair meetings of the Executive Council;
6. interpret this Charter at WDDM Board or Executive Council meetings. In the Spokesperson's absence, this power devolves upon the Vice Spokesperson, Secretary or Treasurer, in that order.
7. call additional Executive Council meetings as needed.

Section B: Vice Spokesperson
The Vice Spokesperson shall:
1. assist the Spokesperson in the execution of his or her duties;
2. fulfill the responsibilities and duties delegated to him or her by the Spokesperson;

Section C: Secretary
The Secretary shall:
1. record, publish, and report the minutes of Executive Council and WDDM Board meetings. The minutes of all meetings should be made available to the public via the WDDM website; (with the exception of financial information, which may be requested by individuals from the WDDM Board.)
2. assist the Spokesperson with the dissemination of WDDM matters to the public and membership;
3. maintain and distribute a membership list or statistics;
4. receive and document the minutes from meetings of standing and ad hoc committees;
5. maintain the Constitution/Charter as well as provide information and suggestions for publication and update of the WDDM website;

Section D: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
1. chair the Budget Standing Committee;
2. be responsible for the management of all WDDM revenues and expenditures;
3. in conjunction with the Budget Standing Committee, the Executive Council and future officers, prepare the organization's budget and budget request for the following year;
4. provide an oral and written update on the state of WDDM finances at least monthly to the Executive Council and WDDM Board.
5. execute audits as prescribed by the WDDM Board

Section E: Ombudsperson: The Ombudsperson shall be appointed by the WDDM
Board.

The Ombudsperson shall solicit all grievances, problems of WDDM and resolve them. The Ombudsperson may utilize all WDDM resources in this effort.

Section F: Election, Removal and Succession of Officers
Candidates for office must be members of the WDDM. Elections will be held for the offices of Spokesperson, Vice Spokesperson, Secretary, and Treasurer. The officers of the WDDM shall be chosen in a membership-wide, secret ballot contest, held in the month of November. Each candidate shall provide a brief written statement of interest and biography that will be made available on the WDDM web site to the membership prior to the election. Candidates are elected by a plurality of all votes cast for the office. Should the membership-wide election result in a tie vote, the members of the Executive Council who are not contestants in the contested office shall vote to decide which of the candidates shall become the newly elected representative. Newly elected officers shall take office on January 1 and shall serve through December 31 of that same year. No member shall hold more than one office at a time.

An officer of the WDDM may be removed from office for misconduct or neglect of duty, flagrant violation of the WDDM Constitution/Charter or any actions contrary to the integrity of the WDDM community. The Administrator members of the WDDM shall function in an impartial capacity to investigate any allegations brought against an officer. The officer in question shall have the right to know the allegations brought against him or her. The Administrator members and the accused officer shall have the right to present their evidence before the remaining members of the WDDM Board for a final decision. The WDDM Board shall have the power to remove the officer by a unanimous vote. The findings and recommendations of the WDDM Board must be made in writing and made public to the WDDM membership. Acts of WDDM officers that are criminal or violate any laboratory, Federal, or State policy or law must be taken up with the appropriate authority.

1. If the office of the Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer is vacant, the Spokesperson shall nominate a candidate for that office. The nomination shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Council. Should the nominee fail to be confirmed, the Spokesperson may nominate another candidate. If the office of Spokesperson is vacant, the Vice Spokesperson shall assume the office and nominate a new Vice Spokesperson. Should the offices of Spokesperson and Vice Spokesperson be vacant simultaneously, the Secretary, or failing that, the Treasurer shall assume the Spokesperson position and nominate new officers accordingly.

Article V
[Future needs:]
Committees
Section A: Standing Committees
1. Elections Standing Committee: An Elections Standing Committee shall be formed annually to organize, conduct, and declare a winner for the elected positions of the Executive Council. This committee shall be chaired by the Vice Spokesperson, and its members shall be appointed by the Spokesperson as prescribed above and upon the recommendations of the Vice Spokesperson
2. Activities Standing Committee: An Activities Standing Committee shall be formed annually to organize and conduct activities for the WDDM membership. This will include web site publications, movies, pictures to be available and development of cyber meetings and events as well. The Activities Committee will prepare a budget request for the scheduled events and that request will be submitted to the Budget Standing Committee for the proper appropriation of funds.
3. Budget Standing Committee: A Budget Standing Committee will be formed annually to handle the appropriation of funds in the WDDM treasury to events as specified above or called for on an ad hoc basis. The Budget Committee will also prepare a budget request.

Section B: Ad Hoc Committees
1. Various ad hoc committees may be formed as needed by the Spokesperson to deal with topical issues of limited scope. The chair of the committee and all committee members shall be appointed by the Spokesperson.

Article VI WDDM Board

The WDDM Board is made up of WDDM Members who have completed and signed the WDDM Board application, agreeing to be active in all WDDM Board actions. The WDDM Board will appoint a moderator and a secretary for each meeting. Minutes of all actions completed and processed by the WDDM Board will be posted in the WDDM Board forum.

Charter amendments will be adopted after approval by consensus of all WDDM Members.

Article VII
Amendments and Referenda

Section A: Amendments to the WDDM Charter
1. Amendments to the WDDM Charter may be proposed by any WDDM member, following procedures. Any amendment so resulting must be advertised well in advance of the Referendum in which the amendment will be considered. Any amendment that is not accepted may be reconsidered.
2. A proposed amendment approved by petition shall be put to vote during the membership-wide election for WDDM officers, unless the Executive Council convenes a special membership-wide election.

Article VII
Parliamentary Authority - The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rule of Order (Newly Revised) shall govern the WDDM in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Charter or any special rules of order which the ASAP may adopt.

Last Modified: July 9, 2006 [Not Ratified]
Please comment or email any suggestions, additions or corrections. BrEggum
Thanks, Bruce

WDDM Organization Plan

Greece Requirements:
1) Name of the Association/Organization is: Worldwide Direct Democracy Movement
2) Founding Members (to be determined, 20 Natural Persons at least)
3) Seat-Addresses (to be determined)
4) Marks-Emblems
5) Duration - Continuous
6) Purposes:
6) A Mission Statement: WDDM is a worldwide hub for the advocates of Direct Democracy (DD) to exchange information, experience and ideas, and support initiatives from different parts of the world, establish projects, connect, and gather momentum toward implementing direct democracy at every level of political governance, including upcoming global governance.

6) B Goals 1. Our goal is to develop a multilingual Global network of DD web sites linked to this site

7) Means to make Purposes happen - Member volunteers, Web server, Website, Contributions.

8) Type of Association: Non profit, network.

9) Members and different kind of Members: 1. Original Founding Members, 2. Members, 3. Associate Members.
(the discussion we just begun in WDDM)

10) Rights and Obligations of Members

1. Original Founding Members are recognized for their contribution to begin WDDM. They participate equally as other members in WDDM.
2. WDDM Members; A person desiring WDDM Membership submits an application and if accepted through the screening process becomes a WDDM Member. Members are provided a Web Space for a site, members can make proposals, vote at elections, join the WDDM email list, participate and post in WDDM WIKI and WDDM Forum web space.
3. Associate Members: Those granted Associate Membership, in recognition of their contribution(s), interest in WDDM. This is an "honorary" position with no other privileges unless specified.
11) Capital (deposited) of the Association - note the Treasurer Accounts.
12) Types of Income - member and other donations.
13) Administration - Provided by the Administration Group of members
14) Conflicts Resolution- All disputes or problems are first submitted to the Ombudsperson

Edited July 18, 2006
 Comments [Hide comments/form]
I've just come accross this assay,
http://whirlwind.he.net/~ercarlso/student/Is_Plato_totalitarian.html,
claiming that Greek-style “unchecked democracy” would cause "upheavel", that we need a "checked" democracy in the 21st century.

WDDM could play a role in dispelling the fear of true democracy, if we are able to find here some common ground here, prepare some materials for publication and dissemination that we can agree on, speak with a single voice ...
For this we need some basic mechanism how to arrive at collective positions.
-- MiKolar (2006-06-24 00:19:15)
Very true Mirek. We need structure (infrastructure neo word) to accomplish orderly methods which consider equality and Liberty. Also eliminate schemes to dictatorship etc. Bruce
-- BrEggum (2006-06-24 02:25:16)
Statement

the artist known as GlobalGeniusVoter is to be considered as dead for his (former) fellow generational friends ...

so all of his?her? work is free for the world of NOW to explore, own, copy, change for the better ... without any fear to be seduced or other inconvenient wordings ...

what is left to ask is maybe "who are you to state this" ...
if so, i suggest the questioner(s), to let me take care of that problem and solution too. Well, at least i offer myself to leave that behind for you ... ;-)

hoping this place could be comfortable and suitable enough 2 let it be :{
-- GlobalGeniusVoter (2006-06-27 03:35:07)
Unfortunately, the above poster presents a system which destroys equality.
BrEggum
-- BrEggum (2006-07-05 18:33:41)
WDDM Members form a single community of people with interchanging roles, who have gathered together to promote global DD or true democracy - a system of government in which the people, being sovereign, have the final say on all matters at all levels of government, from the local community level up to the world-wide level.

Have you taken the time to consider the above,of how many issues people would be voting on a day
-- MartinJackson (2006-07-15 19:40:06)
Thanks for the comment Martin. This of course is WDDM Goals and is to promote various types of DD. Each Nation, Community will have to develop their own DD process if they choose to.

I assume your comment is how people can have FINAL SAY in “ALL decisions.” First I must emphasize it says FINAL SAY. This means the people have the right to change, delete any item which has been approved, established. If Parliament makes a poor rule, the FINAL SAY is for the people to delete it.

Elections may be held in each Nation, Community on these issues; however it is likely there will always be some form of Republican system.

On your Blog; http://realitypoliticsgoodgovernment.blogspot.com/
you have a link to the Personality page which shows the many, many different types of people we are.
http://www.personalitypage.com/home.html

We have different abilities, some financial, some political, some mechanical, some health, etc. We also have very different views and choose differently. Because of this we each do what we naturally do best. That is how many different think tanks; even those opposing each other have developed. There will always be differing opinions and ideas. To sort through these, we now use a republican form of government with Parliament or Congress etc. The better ideas (wishful thinking on better) are written out to be considered to be made policy or law of a Nation. This sorting out is always needed.

The people, using their specialties have the power now with internet to group and define their ideas and suggestions. This is not limited to “politics”. Electrical people know about sustainable energy and their ideas are needed. Health professionals can help develop health care. Social Services can develop better ways to assist people to help themselves. This is the “beginning” of proposals. Once completed, these people must “sell” their proposal to the people and if enough choose to support the proposal, it may be submitted for referendum.

This process reduces the many issues to basic structure where they may be dealt with individually. Now, once condensed to a proposal the people can consider and choose to implement the proposal, re-write it or delete it.

This “Republican” method using Parliament / Congress is similar to “Networking” in the cyber world. Obviously most of these issues are not “day to day” and may take a year or more in the making. Voting on these matters could be annual or semi-annual at the present polling stations.

Presently, if a “Global” matter were to be voted upon, each nation, community would hold election on that issue and the results tabulated for an entire world decision. Software is being developed for this too.

If a government were to adopt Aki’s method of people deciding all issues, I suggest they would need to boil down and perfect the solution before any decision could be made. Aki suggests using telephone and bank type software for each person to have a “vote”. However these too can be wrought with fraud so there is that danger. http://www.abolish-power.org/

I will post your useful comment on Forum in Global Democracy under elections. BrEggum
-- BrEggum (2006-07-17 19:49:36)
Martin,
At present a few hundred people (members of parliament) in every country make all decisions on all issues and are supposed to be experts on all issues. They are not! They have to rely on various advisors, and most probably very often they simply make the laws not in such a way as to accommodate the interests of all the citizens as best as possible, but only the interests of their social group and of those people/groups that are able to buy access to them. This is not a democracy.

So the important thing is that EVERYBODY has a right to voice one's opinion and participate in decision making (voting) on all issues at all times. Not everybody will be able to use this right at all times, simply because people have to live their lives, are sometimes fully absorbed in their work or personal problems. And people have different priorities in different stages of their lives. But I believe that at any given moment there will be many more people in a given community/country that is the number of their present legislators, who will take time to research a particular issue (because they are directly affected by it, it is their hobby, passion, profession, they are experts on this issue, ...), and be able to make a qualified decision on it. A decision make in such a way must be on average much better than that made by the present parliamentarians.
Consequently, there should be no minimum participation requirement on any vote (referendum) in such a system in which everybody can vote on everything.
This is the system we should definitely strive for - the final goal of the DD movement.
Mirek
-- MiKolar (2006-07-18 22:13:13)
My thoughts on what people should vote on,and some may only require a one off vote,there are 52 weeks in a year,it would give you more then two weeks per item,as we finish some of the issues we could move on, to the next.
Local Government voting for the people
1. Money
2. Roads,highways,rivers & beachs
3. Housing
4. Policing and emergency services
5. Schooling
6. Cities,towns and communities
7. Land ownership
8. Environment
9. Elderly
National Government voting for the people
1. Legal system
2. Taxation
3. Banking
4. Money
5. Education
6. Hospitals and health care
7. Fair trading
8. Insurance
9. Human conflict/wars
10. Workplace relations
11. Employment
12. National interest
13. Media
14. Defence
The other issues can be managed by the presentatives of the government
Peoples involvement in voting should become a way of life
If you had a channel like the way Sky News works,with it's active channels, stories running over and over again where people could watch the issue of the week when they had time.
Martin
-- MartinJackson (2006-07-22 01:59:37)
Of course, people would decide the directions in which they want their society to move, bureaucrats would then carry out this principle decisions.

Any voting alone without prior deliberation based on high-quality information available to all can hardly be expected to bring good governance. As you write, this has to become the way of life. It requires changing the way of thinking - persuading the media (or forcing them by law) to bring daily to all people all the necessary information needed for good-decision making. Force them te replace at least part of the mindless violence-filled entertaintment with good quality information.
Mirek
-- MiKolar (2006-07-22 15:18:48)