WDDM Home DISCUSSION ON HOW TO PROMOTE DIRECT (TRUE) DEMOCRACY

WDDM Forum : Starting new deliberation

New attempt on creating new WDDM basic documents 
Goto Thread: PreviousNext
Goto: Forum ListMessage List• New Topic • Search • Log In
Draft Charter BrEggum
Posted by: BrEggum (IP Logged)
Date: June 30, 2006 10:43AM

[www.world-wide-democracy.net]

Bruce Eggum Wisconsin USA
www.doinggovernment.com


Options: Reply To This Message • Quote This Message
Re: Draft Charter
Posted by: mantell (IP Logged)
Date: July 08, 2006 04:53PM

I could support any structure for WDDM that included the following principles.


WDDM will do its level best to operate as a direct democracy.


Proposed by-laws and regular business motions may be presented via INITIATIVE to the entire membership for discourse and vote. Procedural barriers to initiative will be low.


All decisions of the executive body are temporary, and must be approved via REFERENDUM of the entire by the membership in short order.


Any and all members of the executive body are subject to RECALL.


Mark Antell, editor
CitizenPowerMagazine.net


Options: Reply To This Message • Quote This Message
Re: Draft Charter
Posted by: BrEggum (IP Logged)
Date: July 08, 2006 07:13PM

Posted by: mantell (IP Logged)
Date: July 08, 2006 08:53PM


Mantell> I could support any structure for WDDM that included the following principles.
WDDM will do its level best to operate as a direct democracy.
BE> WDDM is an Organization, not a government.


Mantell> Proposed by-laws and regular business motions may be presented via INITIATIVE to the entire membership for discourse and vote. Procedural barriers to initiative will be low.
BE> No, can’t do that. Past experience shows we would NEVER have a quorum to hold a meeting or election cyber or otherwise. There are also no election procedures. NOBODY has entered a draft of a Charter, which we need now. Five of us tried to make a Charter, nobody else would participate in the process.
If you have an “initiative” proposal, who are you going to submit it to? That is what we are trying to determine now. WDDM needs a WDDM Board, to receive and review initiatives, make decisions, write procedures so you can submit a proposal/initiative and expect a determination.

A great example of the need for structure is this very post you made. I put a draft proposal up on WIKI which is in the post you are responding to. You did not make a comment on the WIKI. The draft includes some reference to “I&R” as a method members could use to submit things to the board. It also suggests that the board publish its actions, that a referendum be held on charter/constitution etc. However, bills need to be paid, infrastructure needs to be developed and few people seem vaguely interested.


MA> All decisions of the executive body are temporary, and must be approved via REFERENDUM of the entire by the membership in short order.
BE> WOW, need to pay the internet carrier bill and must have a quorum? The Server Computer BLOWS UP and you want to hold an election? Nope! We must trust each other a bit, not discredit without a “trial” or at lease evidence of wrong doing. How much control can you yourself stand and still get something done? The charter once completed will have procedures to follow for “WDDM Board” the treasurer etc. If someone violates this structure they can be held accountable.
All the WDDM Board can do is run this simple website organization. That is ALL!


<MA> Any and all members of the executive body are subject to RECALL.
BE> Recall is available via petition.
Mark Antell, editor
CitizenPowerMagazine.net

Bruce Eggum Wisconsin USA
www.doinggovernment.com


Options: Reply To This Message • Quote This Message
Re: Draft Charter
Posted by: WebMaster (IP Logged)
Date: July 18, 2006 08:16PM

Additional comments/intro on the Draft Charter (posted below) received from Mark on August 20, 2006:


First, a brief intro about the proposal.


The proposal is progressive, that is to say it requires that the WDDM commit to self-governance via Direct Democracy.
(While some have argued that DD for WDDM would be too burdensome I just can’t buy this. If we find it too burdensome to run ourselves with DD, how can we possibly suggest that whole governments operate this way? We should be an exemplar and a proving ground for new methods of doing DD.)


The proposal has some conservative aspects in that it includes some familiar concepts. Legislative and executive powers are vested in an executive committee in ways with which we are all familiar in our experiences with small charities and civic organizations. Also, like many voluntary organizations, requirements are laid out for posting and passing bylaws and business measures. I mean, conservative is not a swear word. Some things are worth conserving.


The proposal is experimental in that it requires that the decisions of the executive committee must be validated by the membership as a whole. I am unaware of anyone doing this, but it surely seems like an interesting experimental step toward DD. If instituted on a national level, a DD review of all legislative and executive decisions might tend to work against two of the biggest difficulties of modern republican government, specifically the degeneration of legislatures from deliberation to deal-making, and the swelling power of the executive.
Also, the proposal adopts the valuable concept of an independent institution of electoral management. I think this concept was developed in Latin America. Mexico, which has such an institution, will come through its current electoral mixup better than the US did in 2000.


Bottom line. I solicit your comment and your support on this proposal.



Draft Charter originally drafted by Mark Antell on June 29, 2006, with Section 4 updated on August 20, 2006:
'-----------------------------------'
A simple proposal for decision making and structure of WDDM based on direct democracy, deliberation, and consensus:


1. Direct Democracy
ALL decision-making power resides in direct vote from the entire membership!


2. Deliberation
All proposals, including this one, are proposed via posting to the WDDM site for discussion. After one month of discussion, modifications may be made by the ‘owner’ of the proposal leading to another one month discussion period.
At the end of the discussion period, proposals will be brought to vote only if 10% of the entire membership become sponsors of the proposal. Proposals not obtaining 10% sponsorship are discarded. The voting period for any motion is two weeks.


3. Consensus
By-laws, including this proposal, require 75% approval by the entire membership.
Normal business motions require a 67% approval by the entire membership.
The executive committee may decisions for the organization, but their positions must be posted immediately and are void in 30 days unless affirmed by a majority vote from the entire membership. Executive committee decisions need obtain only a simple (i.e. 50%+) majority for approval


4. Structure
The following organizational structure (executive committee) is established:


President
Vice President
Webmaster
Secretary
Treasurer - to propose and maintain the budget. This includes fund-raising.
Membership officer - to propose and maintain procedures to assure that the organization is not taken over by crypto-fascists. Possible mechanisms might include a membership pledge (of commitment to direct democracy) and/or a membership-review panel.
Elections officer - to propose and maintain procedures for orderly voting on officers and positions. An electoral tribunal, as exists in several Latin American nations, is worth considering. This position requires independence and likely should not participate in business decisions of the executive committee.


Mark Antell, editor
citizenpowermagazine.net



'------------'
Accompanying cover letter of June 29, 2006:


I'd like to put forward the simple proposal, below, for the WDDM structure.
I'm a bit baffled by the WDDM forum structure. Where is the right place to post this?
Thanks, Mark


PS. I'm open to suggestions on the proposal.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2006 06:58AM by WddmAdmin.


Options: Reply To This Message • Quote This Message
Re: Draft Charter
Posted by: BrEggum (IP Logged)
Date: July 18, 2006 09:11PM

I appreciate Marks proposal immensely! We need this kind of interest and effort to be a vigorous organization. Although I disagree a bit, we do like to deliberate. :>winking smiley I comment within the proposal.
----------------------------------------------------------------
A simple proposal for decision making and structure of WDDM based on direct democracy, deliberation, and consensus:


1. Direct Democracy
ALL decision-making power resides in direct vote from the entire membership!


2. Deliberation
All proposals, including this one, are proposed via posting to the WDDM site for discussion.
[Yes, and we need a specific place on Forum for proposals]


After one month of discussion, modifications may be made by the ‘owner’ of the proposal leading to another one month discussion period.
[I agree]


At the end of the discussion period, proposals will be brought to vote only if 10% of the entire membership become sponsors of the proposal. Proposals not obtaining 10% sponsorship are discarded. The voting period for any motion is two weeks.


[Now we get in a bind. 10% of the total membership would be about seven. We had trouble finding even five who would agree to read the business of WDDM and less who would comment and participate. In the world usually only 50% or worse 40% actually vote in regular elections. It is unlikely to get 10% of the entire population to sponsor a proposal. I don’t believe you could find 10% to sponsor a proposal accepting free ice cream.]


3. Consensus
By-laws, including this proposal, require 75% approval by the entire membership.
Normal business motions require a 67% approval by the entire membership.
The executive committee may decisions for the organization, but their positions must be posted immediately and are void in 30 days unless affirmed by a majority vote from the entire membership. Executive committee decisions need obtain only a simple (ie. 50%+) majority for approval


[The same problem is here, perhaps worse as people see an organization as less meaningful than a Primary Election and participate less. I do agree with the consensus which Mirek posted a bit ago. I think we could use the "consensus" that sociocracy calls "consent". Scroll down for Mirek’s addition in understanding of the policy.]
[www.world-wide-democracy.net]


4. Structure
The following organizational structure (executive committee) is established:


President
Vice President
Webmaster
Elections officer - to propose and maintain procedures for orderly voting on officers and positions. An electoral tribunal, as exists in Costa Rica, is worth considering.
Treasurer - to propose and maintain the budget. This includes fundraising.
Membership officer - to propose and maintain procedures to assure that the organization is not taken over by crypto-fascists. Possible mechanisms might include a membership pledge (of commitment to direct democracy) and/or a membership-review panel.


[Need also a Secretary]


Mark Antell, editor
citizenpowermagazine.net


BrEggum [thanks Mark]

Bruce Eggum Wisconsin USA
www.doinggovernment.com


Options: Reply To This Message • Quote This Message
Proposals Forum
Posted by: MiKolar (IP Logged)
Date: July 19, 2006 06:42AM

In response to the above suggestions I created a Proposals Forum, placed in the General Discussion Folder, with this description:
Submit here any proposals related to WDDM (its function, mission, goals, organization, ...). Anybody can post here.
These proposals will be processed (placed for discussion, deliberation) in due course.


The "in due course" phrase may be replaced by something more appropriate in the future, when it will be decided how to exactly process the proposals.
However, we can start to collect them right now.


And I also put a link to it in the WDDM contact page at [www.world-wide-democracy.net]

mk, [democracy.mkolar.org]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2006 07:14AM by MiKolar.


Options: Reply To This Message • Quote This Message


Get Firefox!       Powered by Phorum.       PHP