RESOLUTIONS best practices Democrats Abroad EMEA meeting, Strasbourg 28 January 2012 Susan Vaillant Chair, DPCA Resolutions Committee S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

DPCA RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE current Membership from all three regions Susan VAILLANT (France) Chair Will BAKKER (Luxembourg) Secretary Carol ADAMSON (Sweden) Laura SUMMERS (UK) DeeDee CAHRI (Mexico) Sandra LORIDANS (Mexico ?) Alex MONTGOMERY (Thailand ?) Wayne WEIGHTMAN (Cambodia) S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Why bother with Resolutions?(1) STATEMENT OF DEMOCRATS ABROAD POLICY ON A SPECIFIC ISSUE, preferably – CURRENT – WITH IMPACT ON AMERICANS ABROAD or – WHERE AMERICANS ABROAD HAVE RELEVANT EXPERIENCE S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Why bother with Resolutions?(2) DA (DPCA) CALL FOR ACTION, to – DA MEMBERS – The DNC – CONGRESS – THE WHITE HOUSE – THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY – Etc. S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Why bother with Resolutions? (3) « PRE-DRAFT » of DA QUADRIANNUEL PLATFORM. CLEAR STATEMENTS OF DA POSITIONS INTENDED FOR INTEGRATION INTO DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM.  RES COM TO REVIEW ALL RESOLUTIONS SINCE 2009 AGAINST 2008 DA PLATFORM.  POLICY PLATFORM CAUCUS IN MAY 2012 S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Getting your text adopted (1) MEMBERS (preferably Groups – Chapters, Caucuses, etc.) SUBMIT A TEXT TO THEIR COUNTRY COMMITTEE COUNTRY COMMITTEE ADOPTS RESOLUTION (as is or modified) COUNTRY CHAIR SUBMITS TEXT TO DPCA RESOLUTIONS COMMITEE  Please note there is no obligation to submit resolutions ! S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Getting your text adopted (2) RES COM REVIEWS ALL SUBMISSIONS FOR  TIMELINESS,  READABILITY,  GRAMMAR,  INTERNAL CONSISTENCY,  CONSISTENCY WITH DA POSITIONS (unless the objective is to change a stated position)  ABSENCE OF REDUNDANCY S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Getting your text adopted (3) -A Committee member will contact the author(s) or submitter to discuss proposed modifications -The Committee will recommend acceptable texts for a DPCA vote.  The Committee (as a group) does not take a position on policy, does not write Resolutions S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Best chances for success (1) MUST BE FACTUAL. – AUTHORS – DO YOUR FACT CHECKING !!!!! – Suggestion – put citations in annex BE BRIEF AND SUCCINCT – Any supportive background information useful for DPCA voters can go into an annex, but should be self-explanatory. DON’T (RE)WRITE THE HISTORY OF THE LAST CENTURY ! END WITH A CALL FOR ACTION S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Best chances for success (2) STANDARD FORMAT WHEREVER FEASIBLE – Series of Whereas…that state the problem – Series of Let it be Resolved…that state the action(s) to be taken (and by whom) to resolve the problem S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Best chances for success (3) USE OBJECTIVE TERMINOLOGY AVOID SUBJECTIVE LANGUAGE ARGUE FROM REASON AND FACTS, NOT FROM EMOTIONS ”we call on the President to Do whatever” works better than “the President must show his good faith and respect his promise to do whatever” S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

ENGAGEMENT People join DA because of the issues facing America. We should let our members know that DA takes a stand on many of these. We need to publicize these Resolutions better. S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

GREATER TRANSPARENCY RESOLUTIONS PAGE WILL BE REORGANIZED IN THE COMING WEEKS SO THAT ALL RESOLUTIONS CAN BE FOUND EASILY BY TOPIC. Currently not consistently organized or searchable : – Democrats Abroad Executive Committee Resolution Supporting Voter Registration at VA FacilitiesDPCA Democrats Abroad Executive Committee Resolution Supporting Voter Registration at VA FacilitiesDPCA Resolutions adopted in Vancouver-Apr 08 S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012

Key Points COUNTRY COMMITTEE SUBMISSION TO DPCA OBJECTIVE, FACTUAL TEXTS CONCLUDE WITH CALL TO ACTION CONSISTENT WITH OR IMPROVEMENT ON PLATFORM FORMAT : WHEREAS….THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED… PUBLICIZE RESOLUTIONS AMONG MEMBERSHIP MOST POWERFUL WHERE DEMS ABROAD HAS SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE OR WHERE IMPACT ON AMERICANS ABROAD IS GREATEST S Vaillant Resolutions Committee. DA EMEA 28 January 2012