Bernie Sanders called me this week to thank DSA for endorsing him and congratulate us on our electoral victories in Chicago against Rahm Emanuel’s machine candidates.

I have been in Brussels, Belgium, meeting with left wing parties in the European Parliament, so I could truthfully tell him that not just our members, but outside the United States those forces fighting the rise of fascism and the neoliberal austerity that allowed it, look to him and this movement with great hope.

And we have serious work to do.

• The Highlander Center, an historic and continuing center of the Southern freedom struggle, was recently burned down and a white supremacist symbol also used by the Christchurch shooter was painted nearby. You can donate directly to the Highlander Center here. After clicking the link, mark “Highlander General Fund” for your gift. Less widely known, three black churches in one Louisiana parish also burned down and one more was set ablaze in just the last few weeks.
• Farmers in the Plains and Midwest, many already struggling due to Trump’s trade war with China, are finding their stored crops literally underwater from a massive flood, and he’s using their plight to pit rural folks against the island of Puerto Rico and their disaster recovery needs.
• While the private insurance and big pharma industries are using death panels and price gouging to make profits off our lives, Wall Street Democrats including most of the presidential candidates are backing down on their rhetorical commitment to Medicare for All, and instead promoting half measures like Medicare for America.
• Trump continues to rhetorically attack journalists and immigrants, while along the militarized border the government is building expanded facilities to hold detainees indefinitely in inhumane conditions. This weekend he forced the head of the Department of Homeland Security to resign after she reportedly refused to follow the worst of his orders. Last week Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a massive workplace raid in north Texas, arresting almost 300 people and striking fear into immigrant communities. After all, authorities calling a group of people “animals” is a precursor for genocide.
• And to my great sorrow, Bernie Sanders himself fell into Trump’s frame on immigration during a town hall meeting in Iowa this weekend. He usually redirects anti-immigrant scapegoating with a reminder of how the capitalist class uses these harsh policies to divide poor and working people. It was a reminder that our work as an independent movement, raising these issues with our own voices, is critical, even as we fight for a Sanders presidency over Trump.

Earlier in the month, I was also reflecting on the magnitude of what we face during the coverage of the Mueller report. Why are so many people relying on the courts, particularly given the fact that the Republicans just made it easier to pack them with hard line conservatives? We have had some very important judicial decisions recently which stopped some of the worst moves by the right, but there have also been troubling signals from the new Supreme Court. We can no longer assume the institutions of our country will uphold hard fought expansions of democracy, such as voting rights, abortion rights, and worker rights. We must also reckon with the fact that these institutions have often been used against poor and working people despite these limited gains. And as socialists part of our job is to help more people understand what it will take to protect ourselves.

Real power comes from organized people, and it’s most potent from a certain kind of organization. What do I mean?

On the anniversary of the 2003 Iraq War last month, I looked back at the pictures of the massive, historic, worldwide protests. Millions of people were in the streets, but even those protests weren’t enough to stop the U.S. bombing. In strategic campaign terms, we had a clear demand (don’t invade) and target (President Bush), but we didn’t have leverage.

DSA’s theory of power is that if we organize poor and working class people in three different arenas, the formal political system, our communities, and our workplaces, we create real leverage and something greater than the sum of these parts. Imagine if in the lead up to the Iraq War we had built an anti-war base of poor people in open rebellion in both urban and rural areas, demanding social programs instead of bombs; if we had built a coalition of elected officials willing to argue and vote against nationalistic calls for war; and if we had built up a base of workers, especially in strategic industries, confident enough to strike against the war and demand conversion of their jobs from military production to production for domestic use meeting human needs. Imagine if those protests had been more than symbolic and we had actually been able to stop the gears of the economy and governability of society.

That’s what we’re building today. That’s what will be strong enough to withstand whatever Trump, the FBI, the Supreme Court, or for that matter the Wall Street Democrats throw at us at the behest of the capitalist class.

And that’s why I have hope. It’s been lost in the 24 hour news cycle, but Bernie Sanders’ staff unionized last month, the first presidential campaign in history to do so. DSAers have helped workers at the Anchor Brewery and GoBike in the Bay Area unionize, in addition to our union teacher work. And we’re part of a global movement — for example, yesterday Polish teachers launched a massive national strike challenging their right-wing government over pay and school conditions, and Sudanese unions are leading an uprising for food and democracy.

We have the historic opportunity and commitment to organize the fight back here in the belly of the beast. Given my visit to Belgium this past week, and the current visit of National Political Committee member Ella Mahony to Brazil for the Systemic Alternatives Symposium, we’re also in a position to be part of the international struggle.

Let’s do it.

Maria

IN THIS DISPATCH

1. Meet the Staff + Saying Goodbye
2. DSA is Hiring!
3. Celebrate a Bumper Crop of New Chapters
4. How to Report Harassment
5. Security and Handling Chapter Conflict
6. Report on Meeting with Left Parties in the European Parliament
7. Regional Conferences Update
8. Celebrate Midwest Electoral Victories and Inter-Chapter Solidarity
9. Launching Our Bernie Work
10. Medicare for All Updates
11. Keep Building with the Democratic Socialist Labor Commission
12. Organizing for Power: Announcing a National Reading Group with Jane McAlevey
13. Security Resources for Chapters
14. 2018 Annual Report to Membership
15. National Political Committee Meeting April 13-14
16. How to Remove Yourself from Membership Lists
17. Convention Updates

ONE: MEET THE STAFF + SAYING GOODBYE

Alison, Development Director

Based in the Midwest

Hello! I’m Alison, DSA’s Development Director. I wear several different hats each day, all with one goal in mind: creating a sustainable grassroots funding base for DSA — one that centers DSA members, chapters and donors, so we remain both strong and independent today and into the future. This means I am working with several comrades on providing more support for things like 1. Grassroots fundraising — training chapter leaders on best fundraising practices that help build our power as a democratically funded and democratically run organizations. 2. Member dues — including “Movement Builders” monthly dues, 20% of which are shared with local chapters 3. Building out funding support for areas of need — such as The Solidarity Fund to provide scholarships. 4. Coordinating appeals to raise funds for DSA’s organizing work and leadership trainings and 5. engaging with people who support DSA’s priorities such as Medicare for All, democratic socialist electoral power and labor solidarity on supporting DSA’s work and becoming members themselves.

Anna, Field Organizer

Based in Washington, DC

Hi everyone, my name is Anna, I’m DSA’s field organizer for PA, NY, NJ, MD, DE, OH, MI, and DC. I’m also YDSA’s campus organizer. I joined staff in December 2017 and have been on one or more Zoom calls ever since. I currently live in Washington, DC, but I grew up in a small city in Western PA. I started organizing in college as part of a fossil fuel divestment campaign and later helped launch a campaign demanding a tuition freeze. As a student organizer, I learned first hand that when we organize there is absolutely nothing that the bosses can do to stop us, and I got really good at yelling at people with lots of unearned power. It brings me great joy to be able to pass that skill on to a new generation of socialists!

Staff Changes

I’m sorry to say goodbye to Sasha. Sasha went from operations director to organizing the convention and the YDSA and spring regional conferences in the past year. But she recently got a job offer she can’t refuse from an old employer. Luckily Sasha will still be involved as a rank and file DSAer!

TWO: DSA IS HIRING

I’m pleased to announce we are hiring for several new staff positions! Combined these will help us launch the Sanders campaign and also provide a more solid foundation and organizing support across campaigns.

Positions fully finalized:

• Tech Manager
• Finance Coordinator

Positions without finalized job descriptions. We will be posting them soon:

• Compliance Manager
• Bernie Campaign Manager
• Conventions and Conferences Manager
• Member Services Program Associate
• YDSA Organizer

We anticipate further hiring after this batch.

THREE: CELEBRATE A BUMPER CROP OF NEW CHAPTERS

Please join me in welcoming a ton of new chapters who were recognized just in time for the convention delegate allocation deadline. That’s 30 of them!

Berkshires, MA
Bloomington, IN
Boise, ID
Central Connecticut
Champlain Valley, VT
Chattanooga, TN
Chico, CA
Flagstaff, AZ
Fresno, CA
Heart of Iowa
Heart of the Valley, Benton County, OR
Inland Empire, CA
Lehigh Valley, PA
Lexington, KY
Mid-Missouri
Muscatine, IA
North Bay, CA
Northwest Arkansas
Pinellas, FL
Southeast Ohio
Southern Illinois
Space Coast, FL
Syracuse, NY
Tarrant County, TX
Tidewater, VA
Walla Walla, WA
West River, SD
Western Connecticut
Western Montana
Whatcom County, WA

FOUR: HOW TO REPORT HARASSMENT

Our National Grievance Officer Paula Brantner (at [email protected]) trains and coaches chapter Harassment and Grievance Officers to fulfill the Resolution 33 mandate from the last convention, putting strong, accountable processes in place so that there is no tolerance for harassment of women, people of color, or people in other protected classes in DSA. Every chapter with 100 or more members is required to have chapter HGOs and a grievance process in place that at minimum meets the requirements from Resolution 33.

Any member in a chapter smaller than 100 may file a grievance directly with Paula, and any member has the right to appeal a decision of their local chapter HGOs and may do so by contacting Paula. Members may also contact Paula if there is not yet a chapter HGO in a chapter with over 100 members and she can work with the chapter to get set up..

Culture change takes time, but as a national expert in the field Paula has commented that DSA’s commitment of resources and time to not simply have a policy, but to develop capacity in chapters to handle grievances, is unprecedented and impressive for an organization of our size and budget. Fighting against the misogyny, racism, and abuse that our culture promotes will take more than just a grievance system that members can rely on when situations are at their worst, but a deliberate project to unlearn the abusive power system that capitalism has taught us. As we build out this program, we will not only learn how to handle grievances, but create an environment in DSA that signals to abusers that they are not welcome and will be held accountable for their actions.

FIVE: SECURITY AND HANDLING CHAPTER CONFLICT

As we continue to grow and bring new people into DSA, conflicts between members will also grow, including conflicts which are not based on someone being in a protected class and thus which fall outside the scope of Resolution 33.

Conflicts occur in all organizations, yet there are things we can do to teach ourselves to resolve conflict in ways that are constructive, not destructive. This can make us more powerful.

Paula Brantner, our National Harassment and Grievance Officer, has been running trainings on Resolution 33 at our regional preconvention conferences. But she has also been working to develop internal code of conduct and conflict resolution resources for DSA members and chapters to be discussed prior to and at the August convention.

Sometimes there is bullying in chapters which is not within the scope of Resolution 33 but is nonetheless destructive, and sometimes what is interpreted to be bullying is in fact merely interpersonal conflict that could be resolved with de-escalation or mediation. This is one of the key lessons of our active listening training at the preconvention conferences, which is part of an intentional process of promoting an internal culture change in DSA. I reported to the National Political Committee at our January meeting that this is something Paula would be working on this year.

But bringing our socialist feminist principals into practice means managing the tension between transparency and safety. As a radical organization, we have a target on our back for both the fascists and neoliberals. Many would like to see us fail, such as when Project Veritas infiltrated several DSA chapters last year. That’s why we need to use good security culture.

Unfortunately, I and Paula were very concerned to hear recently from several people upset that reports were being solicited from DSA members on interpersonal conflicts in their chapters.

It is very good that people would like to develop their own resources about conflict resolution, share ideas among chapters, or propose resolutions at convention.

However, collecting conflict information in this way is a security risk.

1. There is a well documented history of government interference in social movements. COINTELPRO, the government program to spy on and disrupt social movements, deploys psychological warfare to create and exacerbate internal conflict in organizations like DSA. It is unhelpful and risky to gather stories of conflict in chapters in this manner. Imagine if such a document were leaked and used to widen these divisions.
2. Being part of a national organization with infrastructure and staff allows programs to help all members address conflict be secure, neutral and accountable. This is one reason we hired Paula, a sympathetic and experienced, but outside, consultant, to set up our national Harassment and Grievance Program to implement Resolution 33, and she maintains offsite, secure files of grievances.

We must learn lessons from history about how to structure our work that take into account and minimize the threat of tactics we know are used by the state and others to disrupt the left. We can also learn lessons about how to treat each other, with an emphasis on conflict resolution over provoking conflict, to lessen their ability to divide and conquer us by identifying and inflaming tensions.

I urge you to not share sensitive information about your chapter unless it is a grievance that needs to be handled by our National Harassment and Grievance Officer.

I encourage chapters to continue to share positive, proactive ideas on policies or practices with each other, and also, please share them with Paula! She has heard many stories from chapters across the country in the course of her work supporting chapter HGOs and addressing grievances that come directly to her, and identified patterns of conflict. But we would love to continue to collect the protocols and solutions that chapters have begun developing yourselves as she moves into the phase of developing resources. You can upload your chapters’ code of conduct or other practices here, and add comments as to what is working about it and what could use modifications.

Together we can develop a culture and practices in DSA that make conflict productive, not destructive.

Our security team is available for coaching and can be reached at [email protected]. Click here for an information security memo and here for a meeting security memo for chapters.

SIX: REPORT ON MEETING WITH LEFT PARTIES IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Last September, Bernie Sanders put out a call to combat what he described as a “new authoritarian axis” by building an “international progressive front.”

In that spirit, last week I traveled to Brussels at the invitation of the Party of the European Left (EL), a supranational party composed of 26 national parties that together represent tens of millions of Europeans opposed to both neoliberal austerity and populist nativism.

Together with David Duhalde, Political Director of Our Revolution and Alan Minsky, Executive Director of Progressive Democrats of America, as well as Alex Rojas of JusticeDems via Skype, I met with Members of European Parliament from the EL and the European United Left/Nordic Green (GUE/NGL) voting block, as well as with representatives from civil society, the European Trade Union Confederation, and representatives from a dozen progressive parties, including UK Labour.

This series of bilateral, multilateral, and public meetings was designed to strengthen linkages between really existing left forces on both sides of the Atlantic so we can begin to coordinate across borders as we combat climate change, militarism, and the rising far right, and fight for a world based on equality, justice, and solidarity.

Our invitation came shortly after the first significant poll ahead of May 23-26 European elections was released, and suggested major gains for the right, and particularly the nationalist far right, led by figures like Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini. At the same time, the historic center-left parties are projected to lose nearly one third of their seats and fall below 20% in the chamber.

I will write a longer report to members and just got back into the office, but I had a few key takeaways:

• All eyes are on Bernie Sanders and the rising class of democratic socialist elected officials, especially Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, and the grassroots left newly growing in the United States. We hold the hope of the world and they appreciate our newly found enthusiasm.
• We must learn from the European experience. The far right closely coordinates, though they have distinct concerns in each national context, and some are “simply” far right while others are openly fascist. They share strategies, they use culture and social media to organize, they are nimble in response to current events and political developments, and most importantly, they have a unified message and discipline about supporting each other.
• The far right is relentlessly anti-immigrant, and their latest insidious message is that they are pro-democracy because they reflect what the people themselves want. Nevermind which “people” they represent and who they exclude.

Our political systems are quite different, but the campaign techniques we can share, and the ideological reliance on solidarity. I look forward to telling you more about the trip and continuing to develop these relationships and others with left forces across the globe.

SEVEN: REGIONAL CONFERENCES UPDATE

As I wrote this Dispatch Sunday night, DSAers from the Pacific Northwest had just wrapped up the Portland preconvention conference, the eighth in our tour de force. I have found these conferences incredibly rejuvenating and hopeful, and I was sorry to miss meeting comrades in Dallas, Portland, and our final site, Chicago next weekend. They and other host chapters deserve a HUGE shout out: Los Angeles, Knoxville, Albany, Denver, Washington, D.C. and Boston.

The conference program included a training on active listening and interpersonal skills, a two hour training block on key skills including strategic campaign design, political education in chapters, grassroots fundraising, and using the national Harassment and Grievance Policy, a presentation on critical convention processes and rules, a presentation on the Bernie endorsement process and draft campaign plan to dispel some misinformation floating around, regional breakout time decided by the region, two unstructured social events, a Robert’s Rules training, and a debate section covering three topics: Bernie, climate change, and the far-right.

We emphasized mixing it up with small group discussion groups so members from across chapters could get to know each other, and member feedback has been very positive. Though necessarily limited by space and money, regional gatherings are an excellent use of member funded resources, both direct costs and staff time, as a democratically developed and allocated space to strengthen our relationships, debate ideas, and take things to the next level. We have certainly learned a lot about what it takes to organize a series of conferences like these, and I hope we can continue to do this type of organization wide, accessible gathering in the future.

EIGHT: CELEBRATE MIDWEST ELECTORAL VICTORIES AND INTER-CHAPTER SOLIDARITY

The National Electoral Committee (NEC) congratulates Chicago DSA on its socialist sweep in their April 2nd municipal runoff elections. Three candidates endorsed by Chicago DSA, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Jeanette Taylor, and Andre Vasquez won their elections for Chicago city council. A fourth candidate, Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, is the projected winner but is in a recount since she won by just a few votes. DSA wasn’t alone, the chapter was part of a city-wide grassroots mobilization alongside other organizations including United Working Families, Reclaim Chicago/People’s Lobby, and ward organizations, but DSAers have been hitting the streets regularly, even in a Chicago winter! These new electeds join DSA members Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Daniel LaSpata, who won their elections during the first round of voting in February. If all 6 candidates win, they will make up 12% of the city council — there are already talks about forming a socialist caucus!

What’s more, Madison school board candidate Ananda Mirilli and Milwaukee school board candidate Bob Peterson both won their April 2nd elections as well. Congratulations to Madison and Milwaukee DSA!

Finally, the NEC also commends Kansas City DSA for their work on Austin Strassle’s campaign for Kansas City councilmember-at-large, District 4. Strassle came in 2nd place in a field of 3 candidates.

If your chapter has endorsed an electoral campaign, the NEC encourages you to reach out about the support we can provide or to apply for national endorsement. Applications for national endorsement are due 10 weeks (70 days) before the date of the election.

NINE: LAUNCHING OUR BERNIE WORK

Speaking of electoral, we developed this memo on our Bernie Independent Expenditure Campaign in consultation with our legal counsel from nationally recognized firm Harmon, Curran, Spielberg, Eisenberg, LLP.

For practical reasons, but more importantly, for strategic reasons outlined in our national electoral strategy, we are running an independent campaign for Bernie Sanders. Any activity done by a DSA chapter that is not coordinating with the Sanders campaign is considered part of our Independent Expenditure campaign and needs to be reported to the national staff so we can file it with the Federal Election Commission. After reading the compliance memo, there is a link at the end to where you can ask specific compliance questions not already answered in the document.

Doing this independently allows us to support chapters building our power and capacity, from power mapping to canvassing to data management, while maintaining chapter control over messaging and how to integrate with our own issue organizing and local candidates.

If you want to get started on Bernie work, ask yourself these questions:

• Why do you want to do Bernie work? What are your biggest hopes? What are your biggest fears?
• Who in your community needs more power? Are you in or are there neighborhoods, constituencies, etc of poor or working class people who you’d like to get better organized for the long term?
• Who do you believe is most likely to support Bernie, based on national polling, and how are they grouped in your community, if at all, such as specific neighborhoods, industries or workplaces, religious communities, social groups, campuses, etc? Are there individuals or groups already organizing them (may or may not be in an explicitly political way) that you may want to consider approaching?
• Who supported Bernie during the last presidential election? Do those groups still exist? How are they organized? Don’t approach them yet (for possible compliance reasons) but start making a list.
• What capacity exists in your chapter? How many people are excited (make a list)? Do they have specific skills? Enthusiasm? Resources? Personal connections to other organized groups that might support Bernie if asked? Etc.
• What capacity do you NOT have in your chapter? Skills or experiences you’d like to learn? Resources you need to find more of? Relationships you need to build? Etc.
• What barriers or dangers exist in your community that you need to plan for? Voter suppression laws or practices, organized fascists, neoliberal Democrats actively working against the left?
• What other campaigns is your chapter fighting or issues do you especially care about? A key part of our strategy is focusing on the issues and building power in a way that will last for the long term.

Sign up to get started on the DSA for Bernie campaign!

TEN: MEDICARE FOR ALL UPDATES

Following the introduction of the Medicare for All Act of 2019 (HR 1384) in the House, the Medicare for All campaign has been in full swing. The Nothing Less! speaking tour featuring Sanders Institute fellow Michael Lighty wrapped up with a final date in Bethlehem, PA, after a packed series of events across the Northeast. We want to thank every chapter that participated in this tour and made it successful. Keep an eye on the tour page for future dates across the country!

Meanwhile, Americans still overwhelmingly favor single-payer healthcare, but some Democratic party candidates are doing their best to kill it. Medicare for All campaign volunteers Tim Higginbotham and Luke Thibault write in Jacobin that we can’t let the likes of Beto O’Rourke kill Medicare for All. Medicare for America is NOT Medicare for All, and we’re committed to fighting misinformation and outright lies about M4A. Please share this and other articles holding Democratic presidential candidates accountable on social media frequently and don’t forget to birddog them if they come to your community!

In the field, our pressure campaign is keeping the heat on representatives who have yet to sign on to Medicare for All. On our blog you can read about Bloomington-Normal DSA’s direct action against Rep. Rodney Davis (there’s a video too!). If your chapter is interested in doing any kind of direct action or M4A event, see our House pressure campaign guide or our general organizing guide.

Look for Bernie Sanders to introduce a new Medicare for All bill in the Senate, tomorrow! And for more updates on the campaign, visit our website, follow our Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

ELEVEN: KEEP BUILDING WITH THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST LABOR COMMISSION

2018 marked a radical change for the labor movement, with 485,000 workers going on strike — the most since 1986! With workers promising more strikes everywhere from schools, to flight attendants, to Amazon warehouses, a movement is rumbling in our workplaces and communities. These movements require radicals. Socialists and leftists must be the militant minority with experience to lead, the courage to take action, the ideas to recruit leaders, and the strategy to win.

Join your chapter’s Labor Branch, Committee or Working Group today to get plugged in. Don’t have one? Email the DSLC at [email protected] and we’ll give you some ideas on how to get started!

NUMBER: ORGANIZING FOR POWER: ANNOUNCING A NATIONAL READING GROUP WITH JANE MCALEVEY

You hear me talk a lot about power and how to organize to get it. We’re going to need a lot more of it to win. Jane McAlevey is a well known union and community organizer and author of Raising Expectations and Raising Hell: My Decade Fighting for the Labor Movement and No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age, and she has a similar focus.

Jane’s often invited to speak at DSA chapters, and I asked her if we could do a national DSA book club for No Shortcuts, which walks through several case studies of how unions and community organizations systematically built up the confidence, skills, and organization of their members so they could win tough fights. She said yes and we’re starting in May! Stay tuned for more information.

National staff are producing a discussion guide and arranging for a steep discount on the book. Stay tuned for details.

TWELVE: SECURITY RESOURCES FOR CHAPTERS

In the wake of the Christchurch shooting and Highlander fire, and Trump’s continued use of “scripted violence”, it’s more important than ever that chapters utilize common sense security practices so we don’t let the far right intimidate us. We need to double down on our organizing for democratic socialism! I encourage all chapters to elect or appoint a Security Coordinator who can serve as a liaison with the security team nationally. Click here for an information security memo and here for a meeting security memo for chapters. Our security team is available for coaching and can be reached at [email protected]. Watch for us to announce national Marshalls trainings soon.

THIRTEEN: 2018 ANNUAL REPORT TO MEMBERSHIP

Thanks to you and tens of thousands across the country, DSA had another great year of growth and the democratic socialist movement is getting stronger. We ended 2018 with 169 DSA Chapters and Organizing Committees and over 55,000 members.

In 2018, we initially prioritized hosting Regional Leadership Trainings in regions often under-supported by national progressive institutions. While we eventually held trainings throughout the country, we started in the South and Midwest. In total, we held 14 Regional Leadership Trainings and trained over 500 elected chapter and organizing committee leaders throughout the country. All of our local groups are supported by one of our five field organizers (Amy, Anna, Eric, Kaitlin, and also me), who are available with organizing advice and training through individual and group phone calls, regional district calls with chapter leaders on a monthly basis and chapter visits.

DSA chapters are doing incredible work on building our national priorities campaigns, Medicare for All, Labor Solidarity and Electoral Power and YDSA’s College for All campaign, plus locally identified strategic campaigns and projects. We’re growing, getting stronger, honing in our organizing skills, developing and deepening our political consciousness and building power along the way.

Please take a moment to look at the attached year end report document and Q&A responses from our live call on March 14 that tell DSA’s story with the data and our finances. 2018 was a great year, and democratic socialism is on the rise.

FOURTEEN: NATIONAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 13-14

April 13-14 is the seventh meeting of the current National Political Committee, taking place in New York, NY. The NPC is elected at the DSA convention every two years. DSA members can watch a livestream of the meeting, which will be put online in real time.

The Saturday session will be livestreamed beginning at 9AM ET/8AM CT/7AM MT/6AM PT and ends at 5PM ET/4PM CT/3PM MT/2PM PT. The Sunday session livestream begins at 9AM ET/8AM CT/7AM MT/6AM PT and ends at 2PM ET/1PM CT/ 12PM MT/11AM PT.

This stream will be limited to DSA members. You must RSVP for access to the livestream in advance so we can confirm memberships.

FIFTEEN: HOW TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM MEMBERSHIP LISTS

If you or someone you know wishes to be removed from national DSA’s membership rolls, we can do that. Email [email protected] and we will remove you from membership lists.

SIXTEEN: CONVENTION UPDATES

Nominations for DSA’s National Political Committee Are Open

Fill out the NPC Candidate Questionnaire during the nomination period, between April 2nd and June 2nd, if you would like to run for the 2019-2021 NPC.

In order to run for the NPC, DSA members must be in good standing. The 2019 Preconvention Rules state that candidates to the NPC must be nominated by a majority vote of any chapter’s or OC’s general meeting, a national committee, a national working group, or the AFROSOC-POC Caucus. Please see a description of NPC member responsibilities here and more info about the NPC election here.

The Submissions Period for Resolutions is Open

Any member or group of DSA members in good standing may submit resolutions to be debated at the DSA National Convention in August between April 2nd and June 2nd.

Resolutions must have a minimum of 50 signatures of support from DSA members in good standing. Although individual members may propose up to 4 resolutions, there is no limit on the number of resolutions or amendments a member in good standing may sign onto a supporter.

Looking for resources to help you draft your resolution? Check out this model resolution and resolution writing guide for helpful tips before you begin drafting. We encourage you to use this template to help you draft your resolutions.

Please submit your resolution and all accompanying materials through this form.

Chapter Delegate and Alternate Elections

Chapter delegate apportionment was sent to chapter leaders on April 2. Keep an eye out for announcements from your chapter about when you’ll elect delegates and alternates to represent your chapter at the national convention.

At-large Delegate Elections

If you would like to run for At-Large Delegate to the national convention, there’s still time to fill out the At-Large Delegates Nominations Form, due April 30th. Please check your email for a link to the form. At-Large elections will take place online through OpaVote between May 2nd and May 23rd. More information here.

Please check DSA’s website to see all of this information and to opt into more frequent convention updates.