Addendum:
Accreditation Information, Green Party of the United States
CONTENTS
1. ABOUT GPUS
2. APPLICATION PACKET
3. THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS
4. ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS
5. PROCEDURES FOR CAUCUS AFFILIATION
6. Addendum: Santa Barbara resolution
1. ABOUT GPUS
1.a: The Green Party of the United States is a
federation of independent, State-level Parties. (Around the country,
local Green organizations are represented in different ways,
depending on by-laws and representational systems; GPUS rules,
however, require that its members be State-level organizations
serving statewide constituencies.)
1.b: When a caucus exists, and gains
accreditation by GPUS, it sends an elected voting delegate and
an alternate to the GPUS Coordinating Committee, and up to
three voting members to each Standing Committee. Additional
individuals from your caucus, with the assent of your elected CC
delegate, are welcomed to volunteer for GPUS's various working
committees.
1.c: For additional information about the Green
Party of the United States:
1.c.1: GPUS's home page is www.gp.org
1.c.2: Our by-laws are available at:
www.gp.org/documents/bylaws.html
1.c.3: The Green Party's operating procedures
are:
www.gp.org/documents/rules.html
1.c.4: The Green parties' platform can be found at: www.gp.org/platform.html
2. APPLICATION PACKET
To apply for GPUS membership, your caucus is
invited to submit a completed application packet, which should
include the following documentation in the order indicated:
2.a.1: A letter of application addressed to the
Co-chairs of the Accreditation Committee which indicates the date
and setting of the application decision (i.e., annual meeting
2/15/01, teleconference 3/22/02, on-line decision 6/18/02),
including a list of at least 100 members in at least 15 GPUS-
affiliated states, containing name, address, and state party
membership of each member (see section 6.b.1-5 below).
2.b The name, address and state party membership
of up to three delegates to the Diversity Committee.
2.c: The current by-laws of the caucus.
2.d: The current platform of the caucus.
2.e: A list of at least 100 members, in at least
15 GPUS affiliated states, containing name, address, phone number
(if available), email address (if available) and state party
membership of each member.
2.f: Additional materials that the Accreditation
Committee can read and use
to establish your caucus' credentials. This could include
newsletters, news
clippings, incorporation papers or other legal documents,
literature, etc.
3. THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS
3.a: Identity Group Formation: When anyone in the
Green party becomes aware of an identity group being interested in
forming a caucus, that person will notify the Diversity Committee.
3.b: Receipt of Application: Once a caucus
is ready to consider accreditation, its official representatives
will send two copies of the letter o application and packet (the
Application) to the GPUS national office, once addressed to the
co-chairs of the Accreditations Committee (AC), the other to the
co-chairs of the Diversity Committee (DC). It is strongly
suggested to also send as much of the packet as possible via email
to the Accreditations and Diversity Committees at their respective
email addresses. The AC and the DC will keep each other
completely updated in all areas of identity caucus accreditation.
3.c: Committee Assignment, liaisons: As soon as
the Application is received, the AC and the DC shall each assign a
committee member to the application. The AC shall communicate to the
applicant the AC and DC members assigned to the application,
indicating the AC shall be the primary contact for official
communications regarding the accreditation process and the DC shall
assist and facilitate the process, acting as an advocate for the
applying caucus. Both the AC and the DC co-chairs shall forward the
application to all members of their respective committees for
review.
3.d: Evaluation process: The AC shall notify the
Coordinating committee that the application has been received.
The Accreditation Committee may request additional paperwork,
clarifications and assurances, in order to determine that the
applicant party satisfies the criteria listed below. The
Accreditation Committee review process should be speedy and
non-bureaucratic. If we are to err, it should be on the side
of permissiveness. Applicant should experience Greens as a
welcoming committee. The Diversity Committee will assist the
caucus in formation to complete the necessary documentation, working
hand in hand with the Accreditation Committee.
3.e: Report to and vote by the Coordinating
Committee: Except in extraordinary situations, the AC shall make its
report to the CC in the form of a formal proposal, within 60 days of
the AC chair receiving a complete application. A
complete application is one that includes all of the documentation
necessary for the CC to make an informed decision and shall be
considered received when the national office issues notices of its
receipt to the applying caucus.
The proposal shall be presented according to the
customary procedure to submit proposals for discussion and vote by
email or at a national meeting of the CC, whichever can be done most
promptly. The proposal to the CC should explain the
committeeıs findings for each of the accreditation criteria, and
recommend for or against approval of the application and
accreditation of the Identity Caucusıs one delegate and one
alternate to the CC. Any request for clarification
directed to the AC or the DC shall be addressed without
prejudice.
If the AC and the DC cannot reach consensus on
the report, the proposal shall include both the AC and the DCıs
recommendations. A two-thirdıs majority vote is required to
approve an Identity Caucus.
3.f: Appeals process: Should the AC and the
DC recommend against approving an application, the AC is obligated
to report that negative recommendation to the applicant caucus,
giving the applicant caucus thirty days to prepare an appeal to the
CC.
3.g: Additional Documentation: The CC may
require the gathering of additional evidence. This might
include on-site visits by authorized representatives of the CC to
caucus headquarters, gatherings or other meetings. A written
report with specific recommendations should be communicated to the
CC and the matter should be discussed and decided a the next general
meeting of the CC.
4. Goals of the Accreditation Process
4.a: To ensure that applicant Identity Caucuses
and State Parties understand:
i. The goals, values, plans and organization of
the Green Party of the United States,
ii. The criteria Identity Caucuses and state parties are expected
to fulfill.
iii. The resources available from the GGPUS to assist Identity
Caucuses and state parties in party-building in order to
fulfill the criteria.
4.b: to verify that Identity Caucuses and state
parties are indeed bona-fide organizations meeting the values and
criteria set forth in this proposal and related documents.
4.c: To welcome new Identity Caucuses and their
representatives, and
facilitate their integration into the party.
5: Criteria for Identity Caucus Membership in the
GPUS
The Caucus must:
5.a: Accept of the four pillars of the
international Green Party movement [ecological wisdom, social
justice, grassroots democracy, non-violence], or the GPUS's Ten Key
Values, as guiding principles.
5.b: Be organized and run in accordance with
these values.
5.c: Be open to and reflective of natural members
of the Identity Caucus.
5.d: Have held at least on emeeting and will
continue to hold such meetings not less than annually.
5e: Have elected its leadership and delegates in
a democratic and transparent manner.
5.f.: Aggree to support national candidates
selected at the national Green Nominating Convention.
5.g: Maintain a current list of at least 100
members in 15 state parties with name, address and their state party
membership.
5.h. Represent a historically disenfranchised or
underrepresented and significant sector of the population.
6. Temporary Inactive Status
An accredited Identity Caucus which has failed to
cast votes for a period of six months, or has not sent delegates to
two consecutive meetings of the Coordinating Committee, may be
assigned to temporary inactive status, upon recommendation of the
Accreditation Committee and majority vote of the Coordinating
Committee.
Caucuses assigned to temporary inactive status
will retain GPUS accreditation and, insofar as possible, will
continue to receive CC correspondence; but shall not be counted
toward the CC quorum.
7. Revocation of accreditation for
Inactivity
Should a caucus with temporary inactive status
not regain its active status within one year, the Accreditation
Committee may recommend a formal revocation vote by the CC.
Addendum: Santa Barbara resolution
Here is the specific wording of the resolution
approved in Santa Barbara, establishing the basic framework for
accrediting caucuses:
ACCREDITATION OF CAUCUSES
When a caucus for an underrepresented group has formed, that caucus
will submit its application for accreditation according to the same
procedures used for state party accreditation. A caucus application
will include documentation of caucus membership, showing that 100
individuals, from at least 15 states, who are both members of the
underrepresented group itself, and of their respective state Green
parties, have joined the caucus; and that the caucus uses democratic
procedures for its internal leadership selection and general
decision-making. As with state parties, the caucus application will
include documentation for the caucus's by-laws, principles, history
and activities.
