<p>Under the authority of his ego Brendan, duh!</p>
<p>Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go see if I can propose that McDonald's brings back the McRib by handing them my pseudo-legal tone of a proposition via a local franchise in my vicinity.</p>
<p>I said GOOD DAY, SIR!</p>
<p>Jay Emerson<br>
Administrative Officer<br>
Pirate Party of New York</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Feb 17, 2011 6:47 PM, "Brendan Molloy" <<a href="mailto:brendanmolloy@pirateparty.org.au">brendanmolloy@pirateparty.org.au</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution">> I'd just like to ask under what authority you are proposing such amendments.<br>
> Are you proposing them as a proxy through a member of PPI? Because as far as<br>> I understand, no American Pirate Party is a member of PPI, and unless my<br>> understand of organisations in general is unclear, non-members of an<br>
> organisation can't propose amendments to their statutes.<br>> <br>> No USA here: <a href="http://int.piratenpartei.de/Members_of_the_PPI">http://int.piratenpartei.de/Members_of_the_PPI</a><br>> No American representative's signature on the statutes here:<br>
> <a href="http://int.piratenpartei.de/wiki/images/a/a6/Statutes_of_the_Pirate_Parties_International.pdf">http://int.piratenpartei.de/wiki/images/a/a6/Statutes_of_the_Pirate_Parties_International.pdf</a><br>> <br>> That said, there's nothing wrong with most of what you're proposing, it's<br>
> just a shame that you couldn't propose them as a member of PPI.<br>> <br>> On 18 February 2011 07:36, Andrew Norton <<a href="mailto:ktetch@gmail.com">ktetch@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>> <br>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----<br>
>> Hash: SHA1<br>>><br>>> I realize that, under the strict interpretation of the statutes of PPI,<br>>> the deadline for this was Saturday, but since the INTENT was that<br>>> amendments be known in advance, so we don't have the farce of them being<br>
>> presented for the first time AT the event (like last time), and this<br>>> more than fulfills that. Also, the actual letters of the statutes have<br>>> not exactly been followed with any sort of dogged determination (and<br>
>> besides, I'm sure most people aren't even aware of what the proposed<br>>> amendments are -<br>>><br>>> <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/pp-international.net/ccc?key=0AnZcn8ossPs2dHBPTVp5UVh1R21EZ2RsN3Z3VVJfMnc&hl=en&ndplr=1#gid=0">https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/pp-international.net/ccc?key=0AnZcn8ossPs2dHBPTVp5UVh1R21EZ2RsN3Z3VVJfMnc&hl=en&ndplr=1#gid=0</a><br>
>> so far<br>>><br>>> Ok, amendments. (the * marks some commentary and reasons for it)<br>>><br>>> To section IX,<br>>> - -modify<br>>> (4) Member Organizations are represented at any meeting of the<br>
>> General Assembly by a delegate or delegates not exceeding two from<br>>> any one Member Organization.<br>>> *This is changed from six to two. Six gives extraordinary weight to<br>>> parties local to the event's location (especially those representing the<br>
>> host country), who can steer the actions to methods more preferential to<br>>> them, rather than to the organisation and movement as a whole. An<br>>> international body should represent the whole membership, not be biased<br>
>> by the local groups.<br>>><br>>> add<br>>> (8) The location of the General shall be held in preference in a country<br>>> that has not hosted before. In addition, no more that two consecutive<br>
>> General Assembly's may be held on the same continent.<br>>> * This codifies what has been the general rule for these events back to<br>>> 2007, when the first one was held. The second part also ensures that it<br>
>> does NOT remain held in Europe, or indeed any other continent should<br>>> another regional group control the board. In other words, it reaffirms<br>>> the internationalism of a group that deems itself 'international'.<br>
>><br>>> To Section XII<br>>> - -add to end<br>>> (1) To that end, any and all positions in member organizations (except<br>>> for that of 'ordinary member') must be terminated before taking office<br>
>> * This is just plain self-evident. An officer of PPI can not represent<br>>> PPI _and_ a member party. The potential for conflicts of interest are<br>>> too high. (for a real life example, look at Ban Ki-Moon, who resigned<br>
>> his post in the South Korean Govt. after being elected UN Sectary General.<br>>><br>>> - -modify<br>>> (7) The meetings are public unless one third of the members of the<br>>> Board vote in favor of a non-public meeting. The decision to hold a<br>
>> secret meeting must be motivated. Minutes of public meetings have<br>>> to be published, in written form, not less than two weeks after the<br>>> meeting. The Board has to inform the General Assembly on its next<br>
>> meeting on the fact of non-public meetings.<br>>> * While voice chats seem to be the rage, the problem is they're not very<br>>> good as records. We have one audio file for the meeting, consisting of<br>
>> voices which may be muffled, and comprise people that are often speaking<br>>> English as a second language. It's INCREDIBLY difficult to understand<br>>> for some people. It's also not searchable/indexable. Finally, it's quite<br>
>> discriminative against the deaf. Thus a written log. It's much easier to<br>>> see what happens, to follow the conversation, to accurately quote the<br>>> actions of the board. It's also just good practice for access for the<br>
>> handicapped. Really, this is a no-brainer.<br>>><br>>> - -add<br>>> (9) Board members may be removed by a special vote of no confidence by<br>>> the General Assembly members. Said vote requires 72 hours notice. The<br>
>> vote will be open to all member organizations, one vote per<br>>> organization, and the results will be published on the . Should the vote<br>>> pass by 50%+1, the Board member will be removed from the position<br>
>> immediately, and be prohibited from running for election to the board<br>>> for a period of 12 months.<br>>> * For a political movement where so many members have 'accountability'<br>>> as a key principle, or underlying message, there is a clear and obvious<br>
>> lack of any sort of accountability for the board. At present, the _only_<br>>> way to remove a board member is to hold a general assembly meeting<br>>> (either the regular one, or an emergency one) which requires a 5 week<br>
>> lead-time. That's a long time to leave someone who is thought to be<br>>> acting 'badly' in place, PLUS it requires the entire board to be<br>>> re-elected. The barrier is also higher than the extrodinary meeting<br>
>> route, as reflects the abbreviated timescale.<br>>><br>>> XVII<br>>> - -modify<br>>> (2) The Treasurer supervises the Pirate Parties International budget and<br>>> reports to the Board, and the representatives of the General Assembly<br>
>> every three months.<br>>> * This just adds in the mater of informing the GA of the budget, as it<br>>> is, after all, them that are contributing.<br>>><br>>> END<br>>><br>>> Most of my suggestions are fairly clear, and are nothing more than<br>
>> applying Pirate Party principles, to the structure of PPI. In effect,<br>>> showing that we will work by the rules and ideals we champion.<br>>><br>>> As I said, they're 5 days 'late', but they're still in plenty of time<br>
>> for the actual event. As I said, it's not like I'm proposing them the<br>>> morning of the event, as was the case with the statutes themselves.<br>>><br>>> Andrew Norton<br>>><br>
>><br>>> - --<br>>> Andrew Norton<br>>> <a href="http://ktetch.blogspot.com">http://ktetch.blogspot.com</a><br>>> Tel: (352)6-KTETCH [352-658-3824]<br>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----<br>
>> Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (MingW32)<br>>> Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - <a href="http://enigmail.mozdev.org/">http://enigmail.mozdev.org/</a><br>>><br>>> iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJNXYbWAAoJECjjuYTW3X5HmNQIALuFmseBWaM4Q9xabmEU7E7m<br>
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>> PFKBKuUH8uYOcwWnrQJJxGCkUtLVzXYhp+7MKwtdsF4nYtgsRipuxyDE0+M5MCAZ<br>>> uTiJ0P0BQEGq2CcE6tjRvc7HmPp4eovEHR7dZcWIl/ku+Bps/Zu6RTFGPbJTEEM=<br>>> =720+<br>>> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----<br>>> ____________________________________________________<br>
>> Pirate Parties International - General Talk<br>>> <a href="mailto:pp.international.general@lists.pirateweb.net">pp.international.general@lists.pirateweb.net</a><br>>> <a href="http://lists.pirateweb.net/mailman/listinfo/pp.international.general">http://lists.pirateweb.net/mailman/listinfo/pp.international.general</a><br>
>><br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> -- <br>> Regards,<br>> Brendan Molloy<br>> Pirate Party Australia<br>> <br>> M: +61 434 069 776<br></div>