Past experiences in groups and other organisations has highlighted the fact that in order to make real changes in the world around us, structure, transparency and strategy is needed when working collectively. All too often groups have fallen apart because of a revolving membership, informal power structures or a lack of vision. Hence the need for group structure such as this, as formal as it may seem.

Having clear processes and structure compiled in such a way, for us, is the first step in making ourselves accountable to each other, the wider community, and to our overall vision for the group. With this foundation, we think work towards a healthy and long-lasting collective will be far easier than having no structure at all, or a hazy and informal one. It also acts as a collective memory for the group, accessible by all members, at any time.

So here we have, for all the world (and members) to see — what we stand for, how we work as a group, and what we do. It is by no means final — continued reflection and change will also help sustain a viable and visible collective, including the input from new members.

MEMBERSHIP

Types of membership

There are two types of membership in Beyond Resistance:

1. Support member

2. Core member

1. Support members are interested people who want to help the group in some way, but are not ready / interested / able to commit to being a core member. Support can be flexible and varied according to the individual’s ability and willingness.

Support members must read and agree to the Aims & Principles of Beyond Resistance.

Support members can come to meetings and hui, have input at them, but do not have decision making rights.

Core members can decide on support memberships at any regular meeting, provided there is a quorum.

Very regular attendance to meetings and other Beyond Resistance activities may suggest core membership as being the more suitable type of membership.

People interested in becoming a support member can obtain the Membership Pack which contains all the relevant information — including current positions, How We Work and membership form.

2. Core members must read and agree to the Aims & Principles of Beyond Resistance.

Core members are accountable to each other and the group as a whole when acting in the capacity of a member of Beyond Resistance.

Each member is valued as a unique individual and has equal status.

Core membership requires input and decision making by everyone. Normally this would entail attending as many meetings as possible, with exceptions given for health reasons, the needs of children, and other circumstances that affect us as human beings.

The reason for the requirement to attend as many meetings as possible is because face to face communication is valued over all other forms of communication (such as email). This also takes into account the fact that many people still do not have access to computers or find them a problematic way of communicating.

Core members will take turns at the jobs and roles required by the group such as facilitating, minute taking, accounting, blog management etc. Everyone is required at some stage to have a go at these positions so as to learn skills and dissipate power.

Core members will be able to access the internal organizing email list where everything can be discussed openly, have access to minutes and accounts, have full decision making abilities, and therefore, have full responsibilities.

Core members will pay 1% of their income as dues to the group. If payment of dues creates financial hardship, members can liaise with the Treasurer to organize a lesser payment.

Becoming a Core Member

An individual can apply or may be invited to become a core member of the group after she/he has attended three consecutive meetings.

If the person has not applied to become a core member after the third meeting and if it feels right, one of the core members will approach that person at the end of the third meeting and invite them to apply for membership. She/he will be given the Membership Pack which will contain all the relevant information including current positions, constitution, and membership form, to be perused at leisure.

Someone wishing to become a member should have the opportunity to present her/his self to the group at a subsequent meeting and some members may want to learn more about her/him by asking some questions. It is important that the potential member feels welcomed and comfortable rather than interrogated in this process.

There will be a need for the core membership to get together to discuss the new membership without the prospective member present so that that an open discussion can be held without embarrassment to anyone. If there are no objections, the member will be notified of their new status as quickly as possible.

Objections

If there is an objection to the new person’s membership, it will be discussed thoroughly by the group.

It would need to be deemed that her/his membership would be detrimental to (a) the group and its aims and principles, (b) to a current individual within the group, or, (c) the gender or cultural balance of the group.

If there is a serious or valid objection and the majority agrees, the person applying for membership will also be asked to refrain from coming to meetings for the time being, if appropriate.

Ideally, this decision will be conveyed in person to the applicant, as quickly as possible, to maintain (a) their respect as a person, and, (b) the integrity of group as an entity.

The applicant could be invited to reapply as a member of the group at a future date if that seems feasible.

Leaving Beyond Resistance

Any member who breaks in a serious way the ethics of the group and its aims and principles can be asked to leave.

The process is: the facts are brought to the attention of the group. They are discussed in a non-violent and productive way and may include following the conflict resolution process.

It may be collectively decided that the member not take part in meetings and activities until the situation is rectified. This would entail that the member ceases day to day activities within the group and she/he will be removed from the internal email list.

If the member is not present she/he will be notified of any decisions immediately.

If there is no resolution or the breach is serious enough, an expulsion motion will be brought up at the next meeting. The motion must explain the reason/s why the member must leave. The member can come and defend his or her point at the meeting, and a decision will be made.

Any member of the forces of repression, any collaborator with the forces of repression, any person who joins the group with hostile motives, will automatically be expelled without any other formality. In such a case, the person will still be free to come and explain him or herself to a meeting and ask again to join the group if they judge that their expulsion was wrong.

Resignation

Any core member who chooses not to fulfill their membership responsibilities for more than three consecutive months would indicate resignation. This member will be contacted to be informed that if she or he does not rectify the situation within a set period of time, she or he will lose their core membership status.

The collective expects a high level of commitment to the group, but core members may leave or change to a support member at any time. Members considering this need to voice their decision to the group at a meeting, or, if they are not comfortable with this, then to a core member or in writing. They are expected to help with the transition of jobs and any difficulties their leaving may cause.

Dues will not be reimbursed upon leaving the collective.

HOW MEETINGS ARE RUN

Meetings are generally split into two halves, with an internal and external focus, and are facilitated by a different member of the group each meeting. A desired end time is set, the minutes from last week are read out, followed by a round where everyone is able to share ideas, concerns or items for the agenda. The facilitator’s role is to also record the minutes, and to write them up for the internal mailing list before the next meeting. This may change as core membership grows.

We operate in meetings according to our safer spaces policy. Members should be aware at all times the ways in which their behaviour and words could effect others in the group, aim not to dominate meetings, and to respect each other and their point of view (see our Safer Spaces Policy).

DECISION MAKING

Core members make the decisions in Beyond Resistance.

It is the spirit in which these decisions are made that is the most important criterion in the decision making process.

If there is a lack of goodwill, even the best process in the world can be thwarted. (For example, a person with lack of goodwill and cooperation could use the consensus process to block a good idea supported by the rest of the group.)

Consensus Decision Making

This is the process whereby an idea is floated by a member or members and it is discussed and debated thoroughly by all in the group. If the idea is not, or is only partially supported by others, it is discussed further. The idea is changed if necessary, and ultimately everyone ends up agreeing, or the idea is discarded.

This process only works well when everyone in the group is valued and no power dynamics are occurring. An ideal group would have equity amongst all and no power struggles. We acknowledge we are reflections of a far-from ideal society, therefore any processes we use could be flawed.

There must be room for individual members to dissent and there must be no pressure from others to agree on all ideas put forth – especially ideas coming from those who may hold positions of power – perceived or real.

With this in mind, decisions are ideally made using the ‘consensus process’ which is embraced with goodwill and with power dynamics held foremost. Some people will simply agree to ‘stand aside’ so that the group can move forward in its endeavours.

Any important decisions such as changing the Aims & Principles, How We Work etc must be made with a quorum of the core membership present at a meeting.

Direct Democracy

If needed, decisions can ultimately be made by voting, via direct democracy.

A quorum of the core membership must be present.

A quorum is at least two thirds of the core membership.

Three quarters of these members agreeing will signify a decision.

ROLES

Roles are shared and regularly rotated amongst core members. The facilitator/minutes taking role is the responsibility of a different member each meeting, while more long-term roles (see below) are rotated every 6 months. No one member can fulfill a role for more than 6 months at a time — they are to be shared equally — and all members in these roles can be subject to recall by a two-thirds majority of the membership if that role is abused.

Group point-of-contact: checks and shares emails, corresponds with other groups, and is the general point-of-contact for the group.

Treasurer: keeps tabs on dues, funds and monetary aspects of the group, books and pays for the meeting space, and can be consulted on any other financial matters.

Other specific roles such as website management, media etc, may be added as they arise.

SAFER SPACES POLICY

Safer Spaces

Meetings and events organised by Beyond Resistance aim to be safer spaces. Violence, harassment and abuse will not be tolerated in any form.

This can be based on gender, sexual preference, race, socio-economic status, political beliefs, physical abilities, class, age, physical appearance, religion, and a myriad of other factors. If we wish to enact social change, we must implement that change in our daily behaviour.

There can be no definitive list of behaviour / comments / situations which make people feel uncomfortable. The main thing is to concentrate on how your actions are affecting others, and modify your behaviour as appropriate. Try to remain open to discussion of ways to improve communication within any space, and continually question the privilege you have (e.g. from being older, from being more experienced, from your ethnicity, from your gender, etc). It’s YOUR responsibility to ensure you aren’t taking up too much ’space’, and devaluing or disregarding the opinions and experiences of others.

This includes, but is not limited to: speaking loudly and over the top of others, interrupting others speech, dominating conversation and not allowing others to speak, explaining concepts condescendingly, making assumptions about the experiences and lifestyles of others, starring at others in a manner which makes them uncomfortable (i.e. ‘checking them out’) and invading the personal space of others during conversation.

Responsibilities

• Everyone’s physical and emotional boundaries are different. Always ask consent before touching someone in a manner that could be considered intimate, and check if people are comfortable discussing certain topics that may be triggering (e.g. sexual abuse, sexual experiences, physical violence, or encounters with the police).
• Pay attention to body language, as people often use non-verbal clues to communicate a lack of consent (e.g. not making eye contact, making excuses to move away from you, not responding to your physical advances).
• Take responsibility for your own actions, and consider how your behaviour and speech affect others remember that not everyone reacts the same way.
• Respect other’s thoughts and opinions. This doesn’t mean we all have to agree, but that we do not resort to prejudice or personal insults in discussing ideas.
• At times, you might feel comfortable using language which some may find offensive or derogatory. Beyond Resistance activities, meetings and events are not the appropriate space for this. You do not know who will overhear you, and how they will react to this.
• Talk about the influence of alcohol and other drugs on yourself and others, and think about limiting your use if you know that you become violent or disrespectful under their influence.
• Be aware of yourself and how you are feeling. If you need assistance, do not be afraid to ask someone or call a friend. Removing yourself physically from a situation can be a great help.

Remember, you are responsible for articulating 100% of your needs 100% of the time. For example if you feel intimidated during a conversation you can try to end the conversation by saying something like ’I feel uncomfortable, can we stop talking about this?’ The other person might not know that you are feeling intimidated. Speaking up can be scary, but there are ways we can support you in doing this.

Check out our our Conflict Resolution process for dealing with greviences.

Enacting a Safer Spaces Policy

By attending Beyond Resistance events, and participating in our activities, we ask you to abide by these guidelines. Those engaging in violence (including sexual violence and harassment) will be asked to leave the space in which we are holding an event or to cease involvement with the group. This may be temporary or permanent depending on the severity of the situation and the wishes of the survivor of abuse.

We are a survivor-oriented group and organise activities with this in mind. If someone is feeling unsafe, their concerns will be treated seriously.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

All groups and individuals experience conflict. It is very unhealthy for a group to ignore difficult issues that inevitably occur.

If conflict is seen as an opportunity to grow and learn then it is going to be less painful. There are processes that make conflict less confusing and more manageable.

Firstly, the problem must be somehow tangible.

The conflicting parties could write down or verbalise their issues.

This must be able to be done in a “Safer Space” (see our Safer Spaces Policy above) so that all parties are comfortable. Sometimes this requires support people being there for individuals in a meeting.

Some space and time between parties may be needed (a cooling off period) before a face to face meeting happens.

If the issues can be thought through and listed beforehand, in their own time, people are less likely, in anger, to say things they don’t mean. It also clarifies the issues in people’s own minds as this can be a barrier to some (trying to separate emotions from the matter at hand).

The listed issues are then shared between the conflicting parties, their support people and a mediator if necessary.

Sometimes, if the issues are personal, it requires a relative amount of confidentiality and cannot be shared within the whole membership or elsewhere.

The conflicting parties will then have some time to respond in writing or verbally to the issues raised. After issues have been listed it diffuses the situation and often people will concede to their errors or misunderstandings quite quickly.

This phase of the process could take a longer time though, as some to-ing and fro-ing could occur. However, it is imperative for the health of the group that actual progress is being made.

A degree of goodwill of both parties will be required to systematically work through issues and ultimately resolve them.

Problems must be addressed and then have closure.

Continued conflict about group tactics or decisions may signify a person is not suitable as a member of Beyond Resistance and may be asked to leave so as to allow the group to continue with its goals.

CHILD CARE

Tamariki /children are our future and have a special place within our community. All Beyond Resistance events are child and family friendly.

Beyond Resistance will provide a safe, welcoming and friendly space where tamariki can explore, play, learn, discover, have fun and be themselves. We encourage tamariki to express themselves and their needs, and join in activities if they want to.

At each event there will be two designated child caregivers. They will provide for the needs of tamariki.

Kai, juice, water, toys, books, music and art supplies are available for tamariki at all events. There will also be cushions and blankets for rest or moe /sleep, if the event calls for it.

A first aid kit and qualified first aiders are also present if needed.

Waiata, Kaui, Peke, Oma /Sing, Dance, Jump, Run — play!