General Assembly #5, October 21st, 2006, 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m
Sixth Street Community Center, Manhattan
Participants: Between 50 and 60
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MAJOR DECISIONS:
- Membership criteria changed to three criteria, IWW scale
- point person responsibilities modified
- new comms elected
- official affiliation with Anarchist bookfair
- queer work group formation
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NOTES:
Demographics: 57 people, 20 female, 17 poc (rough estimate starting at 4:00 counting people who came in later, next time will ask how people identify to get a more accurate count and count identities which are not visibly obvious)
4:00 – 4:15 introductions
4:15 intro to the consensus process
4:19 proposals
Structure Document Proposals (comms)
MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA (has been discussed for last 2 months. We want to have a more concrete definition of nymaa membership):
Discussion:
- Materials & labor as substitute for money?
- If IWW changes their scale does ours change?
- Is scale realistic? i.e. Students, people w/ families. Categories are self identified In iww provides members with a chance to discuss individual membership payments. IWW encourages people who can to set membership category higher. Some collectives have a runover scale
- What does money go to, is it required? Not required, money goes to nymaa projects
- How is money from passing hat or solicitation kept track of compared to dues? Passing the hat is an extra donation with no relationship to dues
- Looking for consensus on dues with proposal for implementation for next ga’s
- War chest/legal defense
- Implementation if consensed on, will kick in immediately for those who chose this as one of the three criteria
- Tyranny of structurelessness (informal leadership) Easier to rotate tasks
- NYMAA relationship with unafilliated individuals and groups?
-methods of collection of dues need to be approved at ga
- What is a grouplet?
- Grouplet/affiliated groups difference? Definition Needs to be worked out
4:48 consensus process - stand asides: none, blocks: none
4:49 consensus reached. Decision: Membership criteria based on IWW scale.
POINT PERSON MODIFICATION: (copy from packet) Added responsibilities
1- Send list of active participants to comms
2- posting meeting notes (non-sensitive)
Discussion
- Clarification- list of participants who WANT to be part of nymaa
- If notes are on another website, can grouplet post reminder/link to nymaa listserve? Should more autonomous groups be beholden to point person changes?
- Sending/posting groupet notes or link to notes on NYMAA listserve
4: 58 consensus no standasides, no blocks Decision: point person responsibilities
4: 59 official affiliation with the nyc anarchist book & zine fair (alana)
Reportback:
No venue yet, some potential sites Meetings from 5-12 people Hopefully a hub for other events with bookfair working group on the bookfair (1-2 days?) and helping to coordinate event schedules Meeting (tba) next Wednesday at muste room?
Discussion Intergalactic affiiation?
5: 08 no blocks, no standasides
Proposal: Working group of nymaa that is open to anarchists in the city
5: 10 new member of communications group Discussion People not happy with last round of comms choosing, can we use another process? Comms responsibilities (see structure document)
Why 1 _ year terms 1 _ year is maximum
For this round of chosing we’re sticking to the current format, new procedure will be worked out by nuts & bolts
5: 22 volunteers for comms election Leijia six month stipulation Walter Justin 2 month trial Eric
Walter wins
new proposals
mary- change comms election process
autumn- change term limits (currently 1 _ years) , combine with election process
Justin- creation of working group for longterm goals and strategy (project for a new anarchist century) Pria- intergalactic anarchist gathering/strategy assembly (nymaa as a partner/co-sponsor?), January, spring,? Flexible date work with anarchist bookfair working group?
Bookfair working group liase with intergalactica convergence about dates and venues, intergalactic convergence open up to other people from nymaa Consensed on
6: 02 john- global comms role in antiwar work, Moose- encourages point person as critical designation for functional working group Onto- wonders if this is involved with alternative social forums dual process suggested, and suggests we keep talking about it in global comms nobody wants to be antiwar point person
6: 06 danielle- proposes, in connection with rockdove, creation of temporary working group to organize retreat for conflict resolution discussion, producing a menu of conflict resolution strategies to distribute Everyone consenses to it
6: 08 elliot/john inter-movement working relationships/contact people Something like this in structure document can be worked on in nuts & bolts/plans working group Talk to elliot or john
6: 11 onto- mayday organizing starting now Brainstorm/survey for events for mayday Discussion item for next ga or nuts & boltz?
6: 14 scott queer working group formation Talk to scott
6: 16 wayne- iso conference intervention (they are having a panel on anarchism with no anarchists)
Next GA – up to nuts & bolts, probably after holidays
Announcements
Props has t-shirt sample get in touch with props to get one
Libcom.org rep here
Ben from black mass back from out west
Political prisoners shac 7 fundraiser zines
Jeffrey blank fighting trumped up charges
Consensus & facilitation 2 day training brecht 11 12 november History/strategy/training
Check brecht forum website/ sliding scale
Rockdovecollective. org/net/com (new website up)
Reception nov 2
Brooklyn peace fair
Friday critical mass
New years 1st intergalactic in 8 years (Chiapas)
Benefit 71 trappman st first bookfair fundraiser
Reflection
New format helped
Everything on time , schedule kept
Great facilitation
Ga structure needs to be better inclusive/ participatory Announcements earlier?
Good combo of structure and idea sharing
Ga’s fulfiliing their function more or less Good beginning discussions/questions
Can participate easily
Good turnout, better than july ga, infostalls good,
Queer presence on weighted stack not represented, person who brought queer caucus idea to new proposals felt cut off
Lots of new people, better gender balance, newer people not so excited with business discussions How to discuss things so they will be more interesting/tolerable
New person- felt out of place discussing things in group not involved with yet
Locals?
