Organisational principles of Autonomous Action
(Unfortunately this translation of organisational principles is heavily outdated, this is version after IVth general meeting 2004. For up to date version, check Russian original)
Contents
General remarks
1. Autonomous Action (further on - AD) is an interregional alliance, which unites local libertarian groups and individuals, goal of which is to reach a society without classes and state, that of a general self-governance and personal autonomy, where freedom of everybody to develop is a condition of a free development of everybody (that means, libertarian communism)
2. Activity of AD is not limited by state or other administrative borders.
3. AD works by principles of direct democracy, federalism and self-governance. Inside our alliance an atmosphere of freedom and solidarity, iniative and activity of every member is cultivated. 4.. AD may have flag, emblem and other symbols.
Structure of the AD - decisionmaking mechanism
2.1. AD is organised by regional principle. Its core are local (regional) groups, and individual members in case there are no groups where she/he is residing. Every individual member of AD, and every member of a local group of AD have one vote.
2.1.1. Collective members must inform coordinatory council one month in prior to general meeting or conference about its numbers. Decisions may be made with issued closed mandates. Mandates may be passed by another member of AD. Member of AD may also vote by mail, electronic mail or telegraf. In case mandate arrived after beginning of the general meeting or conference, it is not valid.
2.1.2. Propositions, passed to organisational committee of a general meeting, conference or membership referenda three months in prior (time counted from post stamp) must be included to agenda.
2.1.3. Agenda of general meeting, conference and membership referenda must be published one month in prior. Decisions on points of program, which are not published two months in prior are only recommendations for the organisation.
2.2. Decisionmaking organs of AD are general meeting, conference, general referenda, consensus agreement between all groups and coordinatory council. Any decisions may be made with consensus agreement between groups without any time limitations.
2.3. General meeting and general referenda are organised when necessary, but no more seldom than once in two years. General referenda may be conducted both by mail and by Internet. Organisation and agenda of the general meeting must be announced 3 months in prior. Exact date and place will be defined by coordinatory council or by special group which is organising general meeting.
2.3.1. General meeting has quorum, in case it is attended by delegates from more than 1/2 of the local groups. General referenda has quorum, in case more than half of the members participate.
2.3.2. Decisions in general meetings are made by consensus. In case there is no way to reach consensus, decision are made by a vote, where a majority of 2/3 is required. In case decision requires taking action, minority does not have to submit to decision of the majority (with exception of the payment of the membership fees), but minority should not interfere fulfilling the decision. In case decision demands refraining from a certain action, minority is obliged to follow it.
2.3.3. General meeting may be called by argumented demand of not less than 1/3 of the members of the AD. General referenda may be called by argumented demand of not less than 1/4 of the members of the AD. Call to organise a general referenda should be passed to coordinatory council. Coordinatory council distributes information on agenda to all members by internet and mail. Every year is divided to four periods. In beginning of every period information about referenda agenda is distributed (in case there are questions to be decided). In end of the period a group responsible counts votes and announces results.
2.3.4. General meeting and general referenda may take any decisions on work of the organisation.
2.3.5. Conference has no right to change Manifesto or Organisational principles of AD. Decisions of the conference may be recommendations for the organisation.
2.3.6. Conference has a quorum, if no less than one half of the delegates or members of the collective members of AD are present.
2.4. Coordinatory council is formed between general meetings and conferences of AD. Coordinatory council has no other mandate except book-keeping on membership of the organisation, preparation of next general meeting or general referenda and distribution of information (including internal bulletin of the organisation), control and responsability about treasury of the organisation. Coordinatory council reports its activities to general meeting.
2.4.1. All decisions made by coordinatory council must be announced in meetings of the local groups.
2.4.2. All groups have right to be equally represented in coordinatory council, and they may freely choice their way of being represented. Every group has one voice, which may be distributed to fractions between delegates of the group in the coordinatory council as the group likes. Any member of AD may become a delegate in coordinatory council anytime, in case her/his group is not objecting. Every group may call their delegate off from the coordinatory council anytime. Coordinatory council has right to formulate propositions about activities of AD for conferences, general referenda and general meetings of AD. Membership in coordinatory council does does not give any privilegies. In case a group does not have a delegate in coordinatory council during 6 months, it looses its status as a collective member of AD, and all of its members become individual members of AD.
2.5. Internal structure of local groups, conditions of membership, decisionmaking mechanisms are defined by local groups alone, as long as they do not contradict spirit of the organisational principles of AD. Groups must give necessary information about their numbers, organisational principles and activities in conferences and general meetings of AD.
Membership in AD
3.1. Members of AD are regional (local) groups of activists, and individual members where there are no groups in area of their residence., who fulfill their duties taken in a voluntary manner, and share general spirit of Manifesto and Organisational principles of AD, and participate to organisation and events, actions and projects of AD.
3.2. Every member of AD has a right to participate to taking of any decisions in the organisation, has access to any information with exception of private, which is passed to organisation, and a right to receive to help and support from other members. All individual members have right to join one of the collective member groups. Coordinatory council is not obliged to pass information to individual members, with exception of agenda of the membership referenda. Responsability for passing information further to their members relies on groups alone.
3.3. Membership in political parties, authoritarian organisations and movements, and movements goal of which is to seize state or another political power, is not allowed.
3.4. New groups and individual members are accepted to AD in general meeting, or by general referenda, or by consensus agreement of each group, or by decision of coordinatory council. Coordinatory council may only accept individual members.
3.5. Local group may withdraw from AD by general agreement between all members of a local group, individual member of AD may leave organisation by oral or written announcement. Member may also be excluded from AD by a decision of general meeting or general referenda for systematical violations of Organisational principles, Manifesto or decisions of the organisation, or for a failure to pay membership fees, without a proper reason, for a period of more than half year, or for lack of participation to decisionmaking process (announcement of neutrality counted as participation) for a period of more than one year.
3.6. Local groups of AD have a right to delegate their activists to any self-governing structures of the organisation, to participate to publishing web-site and publications of AD, to participate to distributing treasury of the organisation.
Financial foundations of AD
4.1. Treasury of AD is formed to supply organisation with finances and resources.
4.2. Funds are received from a.. (monthly) membership payments, paid by members. Size and order of payment of the membership fees is defined by a decision of a general meeting or by a general referenda. b.. Dividents from fund-raising projects founded by the organisation c.. Voluntary payments by members and sympathizers
4.2. Distribution and control of treasury is realized by coordinatory council, according to a decision of a general meeting or membership referenda.
4.3. Property of AD and its treasury is undividable, and will not be returned to former members.
Disbanding AD
5.1. AD may be disbanded only by a decision of a general meeting or a general referenda. Such a decision may be made only by consensus decision of the members.
5.2. In this case, property and treasury of the organisation will be given to goals, declared by AD by a decision of a general meeting or a referenda.
