Revolutionary Communist Party
Introduction
Introductory Explanation:
On the Nature, Purpose
and Role of This
Constitution (Draft Proposal)
This Constitution (Draft Proposal) is
written with the future in
mind. It is intended to set forth a
basic model, and fundamental
principles and guidelines, for the
nature and functioning of a vastly
different society and government than
now exists: the New Socialist
Republic in North America, a socialist
state which would embody,
institutionalize and promote radically
different relations and
values among people; a socialist state
whose final and fundamental
aim would be to achieve, together with
the revolutionary
struggle throughout the world, the
emancipation of humanity
as a whole and the opening of a whole
new epoch in human
history–communism–with the final
abolition of all exploitative
and oppressive relations among human
beings and the destructive
antagonistic conflicts to which these
relations give rise.
In order to bring this new socialist
state into being, it would
be necessary to thoroughly defeat,
dismantle and abolish the
capitalist-imperialist state of the
USA; and this in turn would
only become possible with the
development of a profound and
acute crisis in society and the
emergence of a revolutionary
people, in the millions and millions,
who have the leadership of
a revolutionary communist vanguard and
are conscious of the
need for revolutionary change and determined
to fight for it. To
work for this objective–to hasten while
awaiting the emergence
of these necessary conditions, with the
goal of revolution and
ultimately communism clearly in mind–is
the strategic orientation
of the Revolutionary Communist Party,
USA. And, as one
important part of giving life to and
carrying out this strategic
i
ii
orientation, we are publishing this
“Constitution for the New
Socialist Republic in North America
(Draft Proposal)”: as a
contribution to a process in which
growing numbers of people
are seriously considering and grappling
with whether, how,
and in what form there could be a real
alternative to the present
capitalist-imperialist system and the
unspeakable suffering and
depredations it imposes on the great
majority of people in the
world, on humanity as a whole, as well
as on the environment
and the webs of interconnected species
which inhabit this earth;
to provide a more concrete sense of the
basic nature, structure
and functioning of the socialist
society, and its government, envisioned
here, and the principles and objectives
underlying and
guiding this; and to enable people to
see, sharply outlined, what
is in reality the radical difference
between the society and government
envisioned here and the
capitalist-imperialist system
which currently rules in this country
and exercises domination
over the world as a whole, with such
terrible consequences.
The term “New Socialist Republic in
North America” has
been chosen not because that would
necessarily be the name of
such a socialist society, brought into
being through revolution
in this part of the world (the formal
name would of course be
decided at the time of the actual
establishment of such a socialist
state); rather, this term is utilized
in order to emphasize that this
is intended as a proposal for the
Constitution of a socialist state
as it would have been newly brought
into being, in the first stages
of its existence, with the victory of
the revolution that would have
put an end to the imperialist USA and
replaced it with a new, revolutionary
society on the road of socialism. And,
while we have
sought to indicate here, as much as
possible, the basic principles,
institutions, structures, and processes
which would characterize
this new socialist society, and
particularly the functioning of its
government, much of the specific
features of this would naturally
be influenced by the situation that
existed at the time of the establishment
of this new socialist state–including
factors such as the
size of the territory that had been
liberated from the imperialists
(and other reactionaries) and
consolidated as the territory of the
new socialist state, and what overall
situation prevailed, particularly
in terms of the struggle between
revolutionary and reactionary
forces, in this part of the world, and
in the world overall, at
iii
the time of the founding of this new
socialist state. Some of this
is spoken to in the Constitution (Draft
Proposal) that follows,
but there are clearly aspects of such a
future situation which can
be anticipated only in broad terms, and
others which may arise
which cannot at all be anticipated now.
Nevertheless, it has been
our purpose, and we have striven to the
best of our ability, to
put forward as clearly as possible the
basic principles that would
be embodied in a Constitution for a new
socialist state in North
America, and much of the specific ways
in which these principles
would be applied, in order to enable
and encourage people to
engage, in a serious and substantive
way, with the vision that is
put forth here of this new socialist
state and the potential for a
radically different society and world
that it represents. For, again,
that is our purpose in publishing this
Draft Proposal: to stimulate,
as broadly as possible, such serious
and substantive engagement
with this Draft Proposal, and vigorous
discussion and debate
about what it puts forward as the kind
of society and world to be
not only imagined but actively
struggled for.
A final point. As a Draft Proposal for
a Constitution for a
new socialist state, this document
focuses on and is primarily
concerned with addressing the purposes,
nature, objectives,
and functioning of the government in
this new society and does
not attempt to discuss to any great
depth the philosophicalideological
and political-strategic thinking
regarding the necessity
and basis for, and the means for
bringing into being, such
a state. For more background in
relation to this, we strongly
recommend the talks and writings of the
Chair of our Party, Bob
Avakian, as well as other Party
publications, including: Birds
Cannot Give Birth to Crocodiles,
But Humanity Can Soar Beyond the
Horizon; Revolution and
Communism: A Foundation and Strategic
Orientation; Constitution of the
Revolutionary Communist Party,
USA; and Communism: The Beginning of a New Stage: A Manifesto
from the Revolutionary Communist
Party, USA.
Revolutionary Communist Party, USA,
October 2010
--
Preamble
Preamble
The New Socialist Republic in North
America could only
have been brought into being as a
result of heroic, self-sacrificing
struggle carried out by millions and
millions of people who had
been forced to live under a system of
exploitation and oppression
in the former United States of America;
who could no longer
tolerate the continual outrages and
injustices perpetrated by the
system of capitalism-imperialism and
the structures and institutions
of power and repression which enforced
all this with
violence and brutality as well as lies
and deception; who refused
to any longer accept that this was the
best possible society and
world, and were increasingly aware of
and inspired by the possibility
of a radically different and better
society and world; and
who therefore rose up, with the
leadership of the Revolutionary
Communist Party, to defeat, abolish and
dismantle the imperialist
system in the former USA and its
institutions and apparatus of
repression and violence. At the same
time, this new socialist state
could only have resulted from a whole
process of revolutionary
work and struggle, in the realm of theory
as well as practicalpolitical
activity, by the Revolutionary
Communist Party, acting
as the vanguard of the revolutionary
process, to enable both the
Party itself and growing numbers of
broader masses to prepare
for and then to seize on the emergence
of a revolutionary situation,
to defeat and dismantle the forces of
the old, oppressive
order, and establish the new socialist
state. In this whole process,
the interaction and mutual
reinforcement between the vanguard
role of the Revolutionary Communist Party–with
its theoretical
basis in the science of communism and
the further development
of this science through the new
synthesis brought forward by
Bob Avakian–and the growing
consciousness and increasingly
determined struggle of masses of
people, constitute a decisive
element in the success of the
revolution and the founding of the
2 Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal)
new, revolutionary socialist state. The
Constitution for the New
Socialist Republic in North America
continues and gives further
expression and initiative, in the
conditions of the new society, to
the fundamental principles and motive
forces that constitute the
basis for the establishment of this new
socialist state.
In contrast to the way in which the
capitalist-imperialist
state serves and enforces the interests
of a small ruling group of
exploiters, the New Socialist Republic
in North America, with the
continuing leadership of the
Revolutionary Communist Party,
bases itself on, and proceeds from, the
fundamental interests of
those most bitterly exploited and
oppressed under the old system,
and the masses of people broadly, and
provides the means
for them to play an increasingly
widening role in the exercise of
political power and the functioning of
society in accordance with
those interests–in order to carry
forward the struggle to transform
society, with the goal of uprooting and
finally eliminating
all oppressive and exploitative
relations among human beings
and the destructive antagonistic
conflicts to which these relations
give rise.
This is a process and goal which,
fundamentally and in the
final analysis, can only be achieved on
a global scale, with the
advance to communism throughout the
world. The orientation
and principles of this state, as embodied
in this Constitution,
are internationalist: While giving due
emphasis to meeting the
material, intellectual and cultural
needs of the people within
this state, on a continually expanding
basis, and to promoting
the further transformation of this society
to continue uprooting
social inequalities and remaining
aspects of exploitation and
oppression, the socialist state must
give fundamental priority to
the advance of the revolutionary
struggle, and the final goal of
communism, throughout the world, and must
adopt and carry
out policies and actions which are in
accordance with and give
concrete effect to this
internationalist orientation.
Regardless of differences, even very
great and qualitative
differences, in their political
structures, institutions and guiding
principles, all states have a definite
social content and class character:
they are an expression of the
prevailing social relations, and
most fundamentally the economic
relations (relations of production),
which have a decisive and ultimately determining
role in
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) 3
regard to how the particular society
functions and is organized.
The state serves to protect and expand
those relations and to
enforce the interests of the social
group–the ruling class–which
holds the dominant position in society,
as a result of its role in the
economy, and in particular its
ownership and control of the major
means of production (including land,
raw materials and other
resources, technology and physical
structures such as factories,
and so on). In capitalist society, it
is the capitalist class which
holds this dominant position: the
government structures and
processes–and above all the organs of
the state as an instrument
of class rule and suppression (the
armed forces, police, courts
and prisons, the executive power, and
the bureaucracies)–are
controlled by this capitalist class as
a means of exercising its rule
over society and its repression of
forces whose interests are in significant
opposition to, and/or which resist, its
rule. In short, all
states are an instrument of
dictatorship–of a monopoly of political
power, concentrated as a monopoly of
“legitimate” armed
force and violence–exercised by, and in
the interests of, one class
or another. Any democracy which is
practiced in this situation is
democracy on the terms of, and
fundamentally serving the interests
of, the ruling class and its exercise
of dictatorship. And it will
remain the case that there will be a
state, and that the state will
constitute a dictatorship of one kind
or another, serving the interests
of one ruling class or another, so long
as society is divided
into classes (and other groups) with
interests that are fundamentally
antagonistic–a division rooted in the
underlying social relations,
and above all the production relations,
which predominate
in the given society.
The New Socialist Republic in North
America is, like all states,
a form of dictatorship–the dictatorship
of the proletariat–which
means that, in its essential character
and its basic principles, structures,
institutions and political processes,
it must give expression
to and serve the fundamental interests
of the proletariat, a class
whose exploitation is the engine of the
accumulation of capitalist
wealth and the functioning of
capitalist society and whose emancipation
from its exploited condition can only
be brought about
through the communist revolution, with
its goal of abolishing all
relations of exploitation and
oppression and achieving the emancipation
of humanity as a whole. In accordance
with this, the
4 Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal)
governing bodies and processes of this
socialist state, at all levels,
must be vehicles for the furtherance of
the communist revolution;
and, as a key dimension of this, they
must provide the means for
those who were exploited and oppressed
in the old society–and
were effectively locked out of the
exercise of political power and
the governance of society, as well as
the spheres of intellectual
endeavor and working with ideas
overall–to increasingly take
part in these spheres, with the aim of
continually transforming
society in the direction of communism.
All this is given expression
through the principles and provisions,
and the institutions,
structures and processes which are set
forth and provided for in
this Constitution.
At the same time, the New Socialist
Republic in North America
is a continuation of the strategic
orientation of United Front
under the Leadership of the Proletariat,
in the conditions of the
new society which has been brought into
being through the revolutionary
struggle. This means that, while it
must be recognized
that the essential nature, and the
basic principles and processes, of
this Republic are oriented in
accordance with the interests of the
proletariat, as a class, in the most
fundamental and largest sense–
abolishing all relations of
exploitation and oppression through
the advance to communism throughout the
world–the struggle
to achieve this goal cannot be, and
will not be, carried out simply
by PROLETARIANS, as some idealized
“perfect embodiment of
communist principles,” and in some
uniform and linear sense.
As the new synthesis brought forward by
Bob Avakian has given
emphasis to, the process of making
revolution, and then continuing
the revolution in the new socialist
state toward the final goal
of communism, must involve the active
participation of broad
ranks of the people, of different
strata, and will proceed through
many different “channels,” involving
many diverse forces among
the people in many different spheres of
human endeavor, not
only those more directly political or
relating more directly, at any
given time, to the functioning and
objectives of the leadership of
the revolution and the new socialist
state; and the orientation and
aim, consciously taken up by growing
numbers of the people,
must be to work so as to enable all
this to contribute, in the final
analysis, to the struggle to further
transform society in the direction
of communism.
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) 5
In keeping with this orientation and
these objectives, the principle
of “solid core, with a lot of
elasticity” must be applied. This
means that, on the one hand, there must
be a continually expanding
force in society, with the
revolutionary communist party
as its leading element, which is firmly
convinced of the need
to advance to communism and deeply
committed to carrying
forward this struggle, through all the
difficulties and obstacles;
and, on the basis of and at the same
time as continually strengthening
this “solid core,” there must be
provision and scope for a
wide diversity of thinking and
activity, among people throughout
society, “going off in many different
directions,” grappling
and experimenting with many diverse
ideas and programs and
fields of endeavor–and once again all
this must be “embraced”
by the vanguard party and the “solid
core” in an overall sense
and enabled to contribute, through many
divergent paths, to the
advance along a broad road toward the
goal of communism. This
orientation and approach is embodied in
the Constitution for the
New Socialist Republic in North
America.
The New Socialist Republic in North
America is a multinational
and multi-lingual state, which is based
on the principle
of equality between different
nationalities and cultures and has as
one of its essential objectives fully
overcoming national oppression
and inequality, which was such a
fundamental part of the
imperialist USA throughout its history.
Only on the basis of these
principles and objectives can divisions
among humanity by country
and nation be finally overcome and
surpassed and a world
community of freely associating human
beings be brought into
being. This orientation is also
embodied in the various institutions
of the state and in the functioning of
the government in the
New Socialist Republic in North
America.
The oppression of women arose together
with the emergence
of exploitative class divisions among
human beings thousands
of years ago, has been carried forward
and become deeply
entrenched in all societies ruled by
exploiting classes, and was
a marked feature of the imperialist
United States of America
and its domination and influence in the
world. Abolishing and
uprooting all this is one of the most
important objectives of the
New Socialist Republic in North
America. This is expressed not
only in full legal equality between
women and men, but beyond
6 Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal)
that in the declared orientation and
policy of this Republic to
overcome all “tradition’s chains”
embodied in traditional gender
roles and divisions, and all the
oppressive relations bound up
with this, in every sphere of society,
and to enable women, as
fully as men, to take part in and
contribute to every aspect of the
struggle to transform society, and the
world, in order to uproot
and abolish all relations of oppression
and exploitation and
emancipate humanity as a whole.
In an overall sense, and in accordance
with the principles and
provisions of this Constitution, the
Revolutionary Communist
Party provides leadership to the state
and its key institutions.
Members of the Party, at all levels,
dedicate themselves
to upholding, propagating and implementing
the Constitution
of the Party as well as the
Constitution of the New Socialist
Republic in North America. While there
are differences between
these two Constitutions–as aspects of
the viewpoint, objectives
and responsibilities of Party members,
embodied in the Party
Constitution, extend beyond what is set
forth in the Constitution
for the New Socialist Republic–there is
a fundamental unity
between the principles of the two
Constitutions; the Party, and
all its members, are accountable to and
may not act in violation
of, and on the contrary must
consistently act on the basis of
and in accordance with, the
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America.
As historical experience has
demonstrated, socialist society
will–for a considerable period of
time–contain, and in fact regenerate,
elements of exploitation, social
inequality and oppression,
which have been, unavoidably, inherited
from the old society
and cannot be uprooted and abolished
all at once, or soon after
the establishment of the socialist
state. Further, there is likely to
be a protracted period in which new
socialist states come into
existence in a situation where they
are, to one degree or another,
encircled by imperialist and
reactionary states, which will continue
to exert significant influence and
force, and may even
occupy a dominant position in the world
for some time. These
factors will, for a long time,
repeatedly give rise to forces within
socialist society itself, as well as
within the parts of the world
still dominated by imperialism and
reaction, which will attempt
to overthrow any socialist states that
exist and restore capitalism
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) 7
there. And historical experience has
also demonstrated that, as a
result of these contradictions, forces
will emerge within the vanguard
party itself, including at its top
levels, which will fight for
lines and policies that will actually
lead to the undermining of
socialism and the restoration of
capitalism. All this underscores
the importance of continuing the
revolution within socialist society,
and of doing so in the overall
framework of the revolutionary
struggle throughout the world and with
the internationalist
orientation of giving fundamental
priority to the advance of this
worldwide struggle toward the
achievement of communism,
which is only possible on a world
scale–and the importance of
struggle within the party itself, as
well as in society as a whole, to
maintain and strengthen the
revolutionary character and role of
the party, in keeping with its
responsibilities to act as the leadership
of the continuing revolution toward the
final goal of communism,
and to defeat attempts to transform the
party into its
opposite, into a vehicle for the
restoration of the old, exploitative
and oppressive society.
With the final abolition of class
divisions and all other
exploitative and oppressive relations
among people, throughout
the world, there will still remain a
need for government, in
the sense of providing an organized
framework for decisionmaking
and the administration of the common
affairs of the
human beings who make up society, on
its various levels, and
for the pursuit by individuals and
groups within society of
their particular inclinations,
preferences and concerns within
the overall cooperative functioning and
ethos of society. But
the need and the basis for a state–as
an organ of class rule and
of suppression of classes and groups
antagonistically opposed
to the ruling class–will have been
eliminated, and the state will
have been abolished. In these
conditions, the basis and need
for an organized group of people
exercising a disproportionate
influence in the sphere of government,
and in society overall,
will also have been surpassed, and
vanguard parties, with a
special role in the governance of
society, will have been eliminated.
Advancing to such a communist society,
bringing into
being the conditions that make that
possible and achievable–
through continuing revolutionary
struggle to transform all
spheres of society, within a particular
socialist state and in the
8 Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal)
world as a whole–is the fundamental aim
of the socialist state
and of the vanguard party which plays a
leading role within
that state. While recognizing the
complex and protracted
nature of the struggle to overcome the
relations and divisions
which make a state and a vanguard
necessary, the socialist state
and its leading party must, at every
stage in this process, not
only propagate this goal but promote
and give effect to concrete
measures which lead in this direction.
The preceding constitutes the basis and
foundation for the
Articles that follow in this
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America
--
Article I. The Central Government.
Section 1. The Legislature.
1. The central Legislature in the New
Socialist Republic in
North America constitutes the
law-making body for the Republic
as a whole. It shall have the authority
to legislate laws for the
Republic as a whole, on the basis of
and in accordance with the
principles and provisions set forth in
this Constitution. This shall
include the authority to ratify,
through a vote of a majority of its
members, treaties entered into by the
government of the New
Socialist Republic in North America–and
such treaties, when so
ratified, shall become, and shall have
the force of, law within this
Republic. All laws, including treaties,
are subject to review by
the Supreme Court, and other courts
which may be established
and have jurisdiction (see Section 3 of
this Article); but unless and
until a law passed by the central
Legislature has been ruled, by the
appropriate judicial body, to be in
violation of the Constitution, it
shall have the power and authority of law
(this shall also apply
to laws enacted by legislative bodies,
with law-making authority,
which may be established in other areas
of governance within
this Republic). Unless otherwise
indicated in this Constitution–or
otherwise prescribed by rules and procedures
adopted by the
Legislature, in accordance with this
Constitution–laws passed,
and other actions taken, by the
Legislature shall require only a
simple majority vote.
Section 2. The Executive.
1. On the basis of this Constitution
and laws passed in accordance
with it, the Executive shall have
invested in it the authority
and necessary powers to adopt and
effect policies regarding
the operation of government and the
direction of society, as well
as the defense of this Republic and the
security and rights of its
people.
A. The Economy.
1. The basic character and objectives
with regard to the economy
and its development are set forth in
Article IV. Here it is
important to underline that the
development of the economy,
along socialist lines, is the foundation
for carrying out the functions
of government and affairs of state in
the interests of the
broad masses of people, within the New
Socialist Republic in
North America and in the world as a
whole. The fundamental
objective is to carry out the development
of the economy and
the transformation of economic
relations, and relations in society
and the world overall, in such a way as
to eliminate and uproot
all aspects of exploitation and
oppression and so that finally the
means of production (as distinguished
from items of personal use
and consumption) become the common
property and resource
of the whole of society, and ultimately
all of humanity, in accordance
with the fact that these means of
production, and the
wealth that is produced in general, are
fundamentally the result
of the labor, both intellectual and
physical, of people throughout
the world. With the achievement of
communism, throughout
the world, ownership of the means of
production by the whole
people will take place directly, that
is, without the need for or
the mediation of a state (although,
once again, there will still be
a need for, and a role of, government,
in regard to the economy
as well as other aspects of society, as
discussed in the Preamble
of this Constitution). Within a
particular socialist country, before
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) 19
the goal of communism has been achieved
on a world level–and
this is particularly so with regard to
the early stages of the socialist
transition to communism, to which the
New Socialist Republic
in North America, and the Constitution
embodying the principles
of this Republic, now correspond–the
ownership by society of the
means of production will be expressed
primarily and most essentially
through the medium of the socialist
state, and its increasingly
predominant role in the ownership of
means of production
and the overall socialist economy, even
as the state itself is being
continually transformed in line with
and in the direction of the
achievement of communism.
B. The Environment.
1. In the development of the socialist
economy, and in the
overall functioning of the government,
within the New Socialist
Republic in North America and in its
international relations, not
only must the fundamental orientation
and principles of proletarian
internationalism be consistently
adhered to and applied,
but this has special and urgent
relevance with regard to the environment.
In addition to–and in a dimension far
beyond–damage
that had been done to the environment
in previous periods of
history, the fundamental dynamics and
the overall operation of
the capitalist-imperialist system in
this era–not least the wars and
other massive destruction this system
repeatedly gives rise to and
continually causes–have created an
environmental crisis constituting
a genuine and increasingly severe
emergency, and this is
being and will be continually
heightened and exacerbated, for so
long as the system of
capitalism-imperialism continues to dominate,
or to exert significant influence and force in, the
world.
C. Defense and Security.
1. The basic components and structures
of the armed forces
and militia and other organs of public
defense and security of the
New Socialist Republic in North America
will have been brought
into being through the course of the
revolutionary struggle for
power, once the conditions for that
struggle had emerged: the
development of an acute revolutionary
crisis and the emergence
of a revolutionary people, in the
millions and millions, who have
the leadership of a revolutionary
communist vanguard and are
conscious of the need for revolutionary
change and determined
to fight for it. With the establishment
of this Republic, these institutions
of public defense and security will be
further developed
in accordance with their essential
purpose and role: to defend
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) 23
and safeguard the New Socialist
Republic in North America and
the security and rights of its people,
in furtherance of the aims of
this Republic and in support of the
masses of people in carrying
forward the revolutionary
transformation of society, and contributing
as much as possible to this
transformation throughout the
world.
D. Justice and the Rights of the People.
1. The responsibility for the
enforcement of the laws and
the defense of the Constitution by the
organs of public security
resides with the Executive Council,
with the overall and ultimate
leadership of the Revolutionary
Communist Party. The Executive
Council is also responsible for
establishing, and providing the
necessary funds and resources for,
bodies which will carry out
the prosecution of those who are
accused of violating the law.
This shall include the establishment–in
consultation with the
executive at other levels of government
that are established in
accordance with this Constitution–of
the institutions which are
responsible for the prosecution of
violations of laws in those
other areas of governance and legal
jurisdiction, within the overall
New Socialist Republic in North America (see also
Article II).
E. International Relations.
1. The development of the United States
of America as a powerful
capitalist-imperialist state was, for
centuries, marked by
and based on expansion through slavery,
conquest, domination
and plunder, with genocidal dimensions
to all this–spreading
by this means its system of
exploitation throughout much of
30 Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal)
North America and large parts of the
world, with devastating
consequences for those who directly
fell victim to its juggernaut
of oppression, and for humanity as a
whole. The defeat and
dismantling of the imperialist state of
the USA, its far-reaching
tentacles of suffocating exploitation
and its massive machinery
of death and destruction, will have
struck a tremendous blow
for the liberation of people everywhere
in the world and greatly
strengthened the basis for making
further advances and leaps in
the revolutionary struggle throughout
the world toward the final
goal of communism. Still, much more
remains to be done to win
further victories, as well as to defend
what has already been won,
and the New Socialist Republic in North
America must meet this
challenge and shoulder this responsibility.
F. Education.
1. Education in the New Socialist
Republic in North America
shall be based in accordance with, and
contribute to, the principles
and objectives set forth in this
Constitution. All education shall be
public education, provided for
financially through the allocation
of funds from the central government
and other levels of government,
under the overall direction of the
Executive Council of the
central government.
G. Science and Scientific Endeavor.
1. The promotion and support of science
and scientific endeavor
in the New Socialist Republic in North
America is aimed at
continually increasing the storehouse
of scientific knowledge,
and broadly fostering the scientific
spirit and method, for the
benefit of humanity. One very important
dimension of this is
furthering the development of the
socialist economy and the
material basis for carrying forward the
transformation of society,
and the world, toward the final goal of
communism and the
emancipation of humanity. But the role
and purpose of science
cannot be reduced to that, as important
and crucial as that is.
Beyond that, encouraging curiosity
about the natural world, in
its manifold dimensions, including
human society and its historical
development, and fostering and applying
creative and
at the same time rigorous scientific
means for exploring and
learning about all this, is fundamental
to the full flowering of
human beings and to their ability to
contribute to the advance to
a communist world.
H. Health and Medicine.
1. The goal of the New Socialist Republic
in North America
with regard to health and medicine is
to promote the all-around
health and well-being of the people
and, as one key dimension
of this, to provide the people in
society as a whole with access to
medical care–at low cost and eventually
free of cost–and to continually
develop and improve this medical care.
The government
of this Republic also acts to ensure
that the food and nutritional
needs of the population are met.
I. The Media.
1. In line with the socialist
orientation and principles regarding
the development of the economy–and with
the orientation and
principles set forth in this
Constitution as a whole–the ownership
and use of the major media in the New
Socialist Republic in North
America shall be in the hands of the
government and under its
ultimate direction, and specifically
that of the Executive Council
of the central government. At the same
time, as discussed below,
various media that are independent of
the government shall not
only be allowed but, to a significant
degree, funded (and otherwise
facilitated) by the central government,
acting through the
Executive Council and agencies and
other instrumentalities it
may establish for this purpose (see 4, below).
J. Art and Culture.
1. The sphere of art and culture
responds to a profound need
of human beings, who indeed cannot live
simply by “bread”
(the basic material requirements of
life) alone, and it is also an
important arena in which ideological
viewpoints and values are
formulated, or reflected, and
transmitted, and where ideological
struggle takes place over opposing
viewpoints and values. All
this serves as the foundation and
framework for the approach to
art and culture in the New Socialist Republic in North
America.
Section 3. The Judiciary and
Legal Adjudication.
1. There shall be a uniform code of law
for the Republic as a
whole, consisting of laws established
by the central Legislature
as provided for in this Constitution
(see, in particular, Section 1
of this Article). The legislatures in
the various regions, including
autonomous regions, localities and
other units of government
which may be established in accordance
with this Constitution,
may pass laws pertaining to their
particular sphere of governance,
but such laws may not be in conflict
with this Constitution or
with laws established by the
Legislature at the central level in
accordance with this Constitution. If
there is a conflict between
laws established by the central
Legislature and laws passed by
other government bodies at other levels
of society, the laws established
by the central Legislature shall have
precedence and effect,
so long as they are in conformity with
this Constitution. The
Constitution and laws in accordance
with this Constitution in the
New Socialist Republic in North America
shall apply to all citizens
of this Republic and to all those residing within its
territory.
Article II. Regions, Localities,
and Basic Institutions.
Section 1. Government in
Regions, Localities, and
Other Areas Within the Overall
Territory of the
New Socialist Republic in North
America.
1. As set forth in Article I, the
central Legislature shall provide
for the establishment of the
appropriate governmental authority
and administration in regions,
localities, and other areas and
institutions within the New Socialist
Republic in North America.
(This includes autonomous regions, or
other autonomous areas,
which may be established where there
are significant populations
of minority and formerly oppressed nationalities–see
Section 3.)
Section 2. Basic Institutions.
1. Governing and leadership bodies
shall be established in
all the basic institutions of society,
as established by the central
Legislature and/or the legislature at
other levels. These governing
and leadership bodies shall exercise
both decision-making
and executive functions and shall work
in close coordination and
cooperation with those they lead.
Section 3. Minority and Formerly
Oppressed Nationalities.
1. In light of the egregious crimes,
oppression and injustice
perpetrated by the former ruling class
and government of the
United States of America against
various minority nationalities,
to give expression to the voluntary
union and growing unity of
the various peoples within the New
Socialist Republic in North
America, and to give the most powerful
effect to the principles
and objectives set forth in this
Constitution, discrimination against
minority nationalities, in every sphere
of society, including segregation
in housing, education and other areas,
shall be outlawed
and prohibited, and concrete measures
and steps shall be adopted
and carried out, by the government at
the central and other levels,
to overcome the effects of
discrimination and segregation, and
the whole legacy of oppression, to
which these peoples have been
subjected.
A. African-Americans.
1. If an African-American autonomous
region is established, in
accordance with what is set forth above
in this Section, and in this
Constitution overall, the territory of
this autonomous region shall
be within what was the southern part of
the former imperialist
United States of America–the area where
the enslavement and then
the continuing oppression of Black
people within that imperialist
state had its most concentrated
historical foundation and roots and
where large numbers of Black people
still lived at the time of the
revolution which put an end to that
imperialist state and brought
into being the New Socialist Republic in North
America.
B. Mexican-Americans.
1. What was the southwest region of the
former United States
of America was seized by that country–as
part of the expansion of
the slave system, and other relations
of exploitation and oppression–
through armed conquest, including war
against Mexico, in
the 19th century. Given this history,
and after that a long period
marked by the domination and exploitation
of Mexico and its
people by the imperialist United States
of America, large numbers
of people of Mexican origin and descent
have for many generations
lived in this region, with their ranks
continually expanded
by new immigrants forced to leave Mexico
because of the continuing
effects of domination and exploitation
by the USA. They
were joined by growing numbers of
people from other countries
in Latin America which were also
subjected to the same kind of
domination and depredation at the hands
of the imperialist USA.
In view of this, and as an expression
of proletarian internationalism
and of the other basic principles and
objectives set forth in
this Constitution, the following shall
be the orientation and policies
of the New Socialist Republic in North
America with regard
to this region.
C. Native Americans.
1. The conquest, domination, plunder
and life-stealing exploitation
carried out by European colonialism in
the Americas–
including by the European settlers who
founded the United States
of America and expanded its reach on
the North American continent
through force and violence, as well as
deception and other
means–had a massive genocidal impact,
decimating and devastating
the populations of the first
inhabitants of the Americas. As
the boundaries of the USA were
continuously expanded through
58 Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal)
conquest–and huge numbers of Native
Americans were killed
or died off due to this armed
expansionism and the destruction
of their way of life, the spread of
diseases common among
Europeans for which the Native
Americans had no immunity, and
other factors–most of the Native
Americans who survived were
forced onto reservations that were
encircled and controlled by the
forces of the imperialist state.
E. The Nation of Puerto Rico and Puerto
Ricans Within the
New Socialist Republic in North America.
1. Puerto Rico and its people were
subjected to brutal conquest
and domination–first by the Spanish
Conquistadors and
then by U.S. imperialism, forcibly
seizing Puerto Rico at the
end of the 19th century–with
devastating and even genocidal
consequences for the first inhabitants
of the island and then the
enslaving exploitation of others.
Through this process, however,
a Puerto Rican nation was forged on
that island territory, even as
Puerto Rico itself continued to be held
as a colonial possession of
the imperialist United States of
America. As a result of the revolution
which brought into being the New
Socialist Republic in
North America, the hold of U.S.
imperialism over Puerto Rico has
been broken, and the New Socialist
Republic in North America
recognizes the independence and right
of self-determination of
the nation of Puerto Rico. At the same
time, the New Socialist
Republic in North America works to
develop relations with the
nation of Puerto Rico on the basis of
the internationalist orientation
and other principles and objectives set
forth in this Constitution,
and remains open to the possibility of
a union with the nation of
Puerto Rico, in a larger socialist state, on this
basis.
H. Immigrants, Citizenship and Asylum.
1. Throughout its history and its
development into an imperialist
power, the United States of America
depended on the exploitation,
often in extreme conditions, of generations
of immigrants,
numbering in the many millions, who
were driven to the USA as a
result of oppression, poverty, war and
upheaval. These immigrants–
including those from Europe who came to
the USA during the latter
part of the 19th and the first part of
the 20th century, or at least
several generations of them–were also
subjected to discrimination
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) 61
and demeaning treatment, although after
a period of time many
of these immigrant groups were
integrated into the larger “white
European” population in the USA and, on
the basis of expansion
and conquest by U.S. imperialism, and
the spoils acquired in this
way, many were able to rise from the
ranks of the working class
and poorer sections of the population
and become a part of the
“American middle class,” with a more or
less privileged position
in relation to especially the lower and
more exploited sections of
the proletariat and the masses of Black
and Latino people and others
concentrated, and forcibly contained,
within the decaying and
repressive confines of the inner cities
of late imperial America. At
the same time, and in a heightening way
through the end of the
20th and the first part of the 21st
century, as a result of the domination
and plunder carried out by U.S.
imperialism throughout most
of the Third World in particular, and
the devastation and massive
dislocation that resulted from and
accompanied this, great numbers
of immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere
in Latin America,
as well as other parts of the Third
World, were driven to the U.S.,
many of whom were not able to secure
legal entry and consequently
were forced to live in the shadows and
remain vulnerable
to extreme exploitation as well as to
discrimination and to violence
and terror carried out by the state and
by mobs encouraged by
reactionary policies, actions and
statements of the government
and government officials. And the
ruling forces of the imperialist
USA seized on this situation to further
tighten control over, and
unleash more terror against, these
immigrants and to subject many
of them to even more extreme
exploitation, while whipping up a
xenophobic and fascist anti-immigrant atmosphere.
Article III. Rights of the People
and the Struggle to Uproot All
Exploitation and Oppression.
Section 1. The Basic Right of
the People, the Purpose
and Role of the Government, and
Contradictions
Between the People and the
Government, in the New
Socialist Republic in North
America.
1. The most basic right of the proletariat,
together with the
broad masses of people, in the New
Socialist Republic in North
America is to be enabled to have the
fundamentally decisive role
in determining the direction of
society, and to join in struggle
with others throughout the world, in order
to finally abolish relations
of exploitation and oppression; and to
bring into being, and
increasingly play the determining role
in regard to, government
which will be an instrument toward those ends.
Section 2. Legal and Civil
Rights and Liberties.
1. In keeping with what is set forth in
this Constitution as a
whole, and specifically in the above
Section of this Article, the
orientation of the government, and that
promoted in society overall,
must be to not only allow but to value
dissent, as well as political,
philosophical and in general
intellectual and cultural ferment
and diversity, and to promote and
foster an atmosphere in which
all this can flourish. This shall find
expression and be embodied in
government policy and action, as well
as in the law, including that
part of law and policy specifically
intended to protect the legal
and civil rights and liberties of the people in this
Republic.
Section 3. Eradicating the
Oppression of Women.
1. The oppression of women emerged
thousands of years
ago in human history together with the
splitting of society into
exploiting and exploited classes, and
this oppression is one of
the cornerstones of all societies based
on exploitation. For the
same reason, the struggle to finally
and fully uproot the oppression
of women is of profound importance and
will be a decisive
driving force in carrying forward the
revolution toward the final
goal of communism, and the eradication
of all exploitation and
oppression, throughout the world. Based
on this understanding,
the New Socialist Republic in North
America gives the highest
priority not only to establishing and
giving practical effect to full
legal equality for women–and to basic
rights and liberties that are
essential for the emancipation of
women, such as reproductive
freedom, including the right to
abortion as well as birth control–
but also to the increasing, and
increasingly unfettered, involvement
of women, equally with men, in every
sphere of society, and
to propagating and popularizing the
need for and importance
of uprooting and overcoming all
remaining expressions and
manifestations of patriarchy and male
supremacy, in the economic
and social relations and in the realms
of politics, ideology
and culture, and to promote the
objective of fully emancipating
women and the pivotal role of the
struggle for this emancipation
in the overall transformation of this
society and the world as a
whole. This orientation, and policies
and laws flowing from it,
shall be applied, promoted, encouraged
and supported with the
full political, legal and moral force,
authority and influence of
the government, at all levels, in the
New Socialist Republic in
North America.
Section 4. Uprooting National
Oppression
and Overcoming Gaps Between
Regions
and Other Great Differences.
1. As set forth in the preceding
Article in this Constitution,
the orientation, laws and policies of
the government of the
New Socialist Republic in North America
shall also attach great
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) 77
importance to–and shall wield to the
fullest extent the political,
legal and moral force, authority and
influence of the government
on behalf of–achieving the full
equality of nationalities within this
Republic and to overcoming the whole
history and continuing
effects of national oppression, not
only in this society but throughout
the world.
Section 5. The Mental/Manual
Contradiction.
1. Longstanding and deeply-rooted
division between intellectual
and physical work, and between those
who primarily
engage in the one and the other (the
mental/manual contradiction),
is bound up with the antagonistic
division of society into
exploiters and exploited, and itself
contains the seeds of such
antagonistic division. In order to
continue developing the economy,
and transforming not only the relations
of production but
the society as a whole, on the road of
socialism toward the final
goal of a communist world, it is
necessary to correctly handle
the contradictions that are bound up
with, and interpenetrate
with, this division–neither undermining
the sphere of intellectual
work nor reinforcing and perpetuating
an oppressive
division between intellectual and
physical work–so as to finally
move beyond a world in which such
divisions exist and fetter
human beings, and to bring into being a
community of freely
associating human beings who are
capable of carrying out, and
find fulfillment in carrying out, both
physical and intellectual
labor.
Section 6.
What is set forth in the preceding
Sections of this Article,
together with the principles in the
following Article (IV) regarding
the development of the economy along
socialist lines, is decisive
in terms of the exercise of the most
basic right of the people
in this Republic and in the continuing
struggle to finally uproot
and move beyond all relations of
exploitation and oppression, in
this society and in the world as a
whole–which is fundamental
to, and must be at the heart of and a
driving force in, the New
Socialist Republic in North America.
And in all this the leadership
role of the Revolutionary Communist
Party will be of decisive
importance.
Article IV. The Economy and
Economic Development in the New
Socialist Republic in North America.
Section 1.
The economy of the New Socialist
Republic in North America
is a planned socialist economy, under
the direction of the state and
led by the Revolutionary Communist
Party, in accordance with
the principles and provisions set forth
in Article I, Section 2 and
elsewhere in this Constitution. Social
production and economic
development are guided and evaluated
according to three overarching
criteria:
Section 2.
Socialist production is based on and
promotes relations and
values of people working cooperatively
for the common good and
for the interests of world humanity.
Socialist relations of production
must enable the masses of people to
gain increasing collective
mastery over economic processes. In
line with this orientation
and these objectives, the exploitation
of human labor, and the sale
and purchase of labor power, is
forbidden, except as this may
be allowed and provided for, for a
limited time on a transitional
basis, and on a small scale, within the
overall framework of socialist
economic development and in accordance
with socialist planning
to effect such development.
Section 3.
In order to develop the economy along
socialist lines it is
necessary to put revolutionary politics
in command of economic
matters. To meet goals and solve
problems of production, the state
must mobilize the conscious activism of
people in accordance
with the principles and objectives set
forth here and elsewhere
in this Constitution. It must encourage
initiative and creativity to
advance the public interest.
Section 4.
1. A socialist economy operates
according to principles of
“socialist sustainable development.” It
takes the “long view” of
what is needed to benefit humanity and
the planet. It organizes
and regulates production and growth on
the basis of awareness
of natural limits and the
interconnected web of ecosystems. It
emphasizes safe and renewable sources of energy.
Section 5. The System of
Public-State Ownership is the
Foundation of the New Socialist
Economy.
1. This form of ownership concentrates
the highest interests
of the proletariat and masses of people
and the revolution which
embodies those interests. It enables
society to consciously and collectively
utilize and develop social productive
forces in order to
transform society and the world and to
enable humanity to truly
become caretakers of the planet.
Section 6. The Socialist Economy
Practices
Comprehensive and Unified
Planning.
1. The knowledge, skills, capabilities
and resources of the
people and the society are deployed to
serve what is useful and
important for the betterment of world humanity.
Section 7. Classes and Class
Struggle Continue to Exist
in Socialist Society.
1. For the reasons that have been
spoken to in other parts of
this Constitution, bourgeois relations
are regenerated in socialist
society; and newly engendered bourgeois
forces will seek to
restructure society in a capitalist direction.
Section 8. Employment and Work,
Social Fabric, and
Urban and Rural Relations.
1. The right to employment and income
is guaranteed. The
socialist economy enables individuals
of diverse capabilities and
inclinations to contribute to the
development of a liberating society,
and to gain in knowledge and
capability. Economic-social
planning strives to forge the
conditions for meaningful and fulfilling
work that links people and their
creativity to each other and
to the goal of emancipating humanity.
Section 9. The Socialist State
as a Base Area for the
World Revolution.
1. This orientation is built into the
state’s economic structures
and its planning system and priorities,
as well as its capacities to
dispatch resources and people to different
parts of the world to
carry out various internationalist tasks and
responsibilities.
Section 10. The Socialist
Economy and the Advance to
Communism.
1. The system of ownership, the
relations among people in
production, and the distribution of the
products of human labor
reflect the material and ideological
development of socialist society.
But they must undergo change through
continuing revolution
and contribute in their motion and
development to furthering
the revolutionary struggle to achieve a
higher level of society–
communism–throughout the world.
Article V. Adoption of This
Constitution.
Section 1.
This Constitution had been distributed,
and discussion and
debate in regard to it promoted, for a
whole period, by the
Revolutionary Communist Party, as one
key element in building
a movement for revolution; and then,
with the qualitative change
in the situation and the emergence of
the necessary conditions,
this was done in connection with the
struggle that resulted in the
defeat and dismantling of the
imperialist forces of the USA, and
their state apparatus of violence and
repression, and the founding
of the New Socialist Republic in North America.
Section 2.
Having been adopted by the Provisional
Governing Council
referred to in Section 1, this Constitution
shall have force and be in
effect throughout the New Socialist Republic in North
America.
Article VI. Amendments to This
Constitution.
Section 1.
Amendments to this Constitution may be
proposed, and the
process of considering such amendments
initiated, by the central
Legislature or the legislatures in the
regions, including any
autonomous regions (or other autonomous
areas) that may be
established, and in the localities of
this Republic. This process
may also be initiated through proposals
made by the central
Executive Council.
Section 2.
1. In the case of amendments that are
raised directly in the
central Legislature, by one or more of
its members, the matter
Constitution for the New Socialist
Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) 91
shall be decided by a vote of that
body. If at least 3/4 of the members
of that Legislature vote in favor of
the amendment, it shall
then be prepared as a referendum to be
voted on in a general election,
in the same manner, and according to
the same basic apportioned
procedures, as shall apply to the
election of the central
Legislature, as set forth in Article I,
Section 1–with the difference
that is contained in point 2 below.
Baha’i Community
Basic Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh taught that there
is one God whose successive revelations of His will to humanity have been the
chief civilizing force in history. The agents of this process have been the Divine Messengers whom
people have seen chiefly as the founders of separate religious systems but
whose common purpose has been to bring the human race to spiritual and moral
maturity.
Humanity is now coming of
age. It is this that makes possible the unification of the human family and the
building of a peaceful, global society. Among the principles which the Bahá'í
Faith promotes as vital to the achievement of this goal are
- the abandonment of all forms of prejudice
- assurance to women of full equality of opportunity with men
- recognition of the unity and relativity of religious truth
- the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth
- the realization of universal education
- the responsibility of each person to independently search for truth
- the establishment of a global commonwealth of nations
- recognition that true religion is in harmony with reason and the pursuit of scientific knowledge
--
A New Vision for Humanity's Future
One of the most distinctive
aspects of the worldwide Bahá'í community is the hopeful and yet pragmatic way
in which its members face the future. Far from fearing it, Bahá'ís the world
over are dedicated to creating a new and peaceful world civilization based on
principles of justice, prosperity, and continuing advancement. This vision
reflects not only an appreciation for humanity's historic longing for peace and
collective well-being, but also our understanding that humanity as a whole has
now reached a new level of maturity. That it is possible to create societies
founded upon cooperation, trust, and genuine concern for others is at the heart
of Bahá'í belief and action. Indeed, Bahá'ís believe that humanity is on the
verge of an evolutionary leap that will carry humankind to a future where
"world peace is not only possible but inevitable."
A number of other
characteristics evident in the Bahá'í community today will, Bahá'ís believe,
come to characterize the humanity of our planet's future.
The first of these is unity , the mainspring of
humanity's future in a world where disunity is increasingly recognized as the
ultimate source of danger and suffering. As national, religious, and ethnic
conflicts divide peoples around the globe, the imperative of building bonds of
reconciliation and understanding takes on greater urgency. Bahá'u'lláh
asserted, "So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the
whole earth."
Second only to its unity is
the universality of the community created by Bahá'u'lláh. No one is left out;
no one takes second place. Embracing more than 2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal
groups, the Bahá'í community is quite likely the most diverse organized body of
people on the planet. Its very existence challenges prevailing theories about
human nature and the prospects for creating peaceful patterns of life.
Third is the new system of
values necessary for the development of a global civilization. Such an
ethos--where each member of the human race is regarded as a trust of the
whole--is guided by an inner ethical orientation relevant to the challenges of
the next stage of human development--an orientation that does not come only
from legislation and education but from a divine source. Evidence that such a
transformation in moral
behavior is possible can be found in the response to Bahá'u'lláh's
teachings in Bahá'í
communities around the globe.
A mechanism promoting the
ability to think and decide collectively is the fourth attribute of an evolving
world civilization. A mode of decision-making both inclusive and cooperative
and that avoids adversarial posturing and partisanship while still democratic
in spirit and method now exists uniquely in the Bahá'í community. This administrative
order functions at the village, regional, national, and global level.
The will to address the
problems confronting humanity is a fifth attribute. In this, the Bahá'í community
can offer its experience in the field of social and economic
development . More than 1,500 grassroots projects in the areas of health,
agriculture, education, and environmental preservation are now being undertaken
by Bahá'ís throughout the world. These activities focus not on the delivery of
services but rather on the development of capacities within people themselves.
Underpinning such efforts is the recognition that every culture and segment of
humanity represents a distinct heritage that must be permitted to bear fruit in
a global society.
Such strength of will has
also enabled members of the Bahá'í community to endure through recurrent waves
of persecution and
suffering, particularly in the cradle of their Faith, Iran, where over 200
believers have been killed for their Faith since 1979. This strength is also
reflected by the systematic growth and consolidation of the Bahá'í Faith all
over the globe. Tens of thousands of ordinary people have willingly accepted
every type of sacrifice for this goal because of their love for Bahá'u'lláh. As
a result, the five-million member Bahá'í community has become the second most
widespread religion in the world.
Finally, the manner in
which members of the Bahá'í community draw upon the resources of both reason and faith to
address challenging problems is a significant model for a future civilization.
Bahá'u'lláh stated that the greatest gift of God to humankind is reason, a
quality that is continually developed through the maturation of Bahá'í
administrative institutions. The turmoil and dislocations confronting
present-day society will not be solved until both the scientific and religious
genius of the human race are fully utilized.
While the pattern of a future global civilization already exists, in
embryonic form, in their community, Bahá'ís see all of these attributes as
endowments of Bahá'u'lláh's guidance to humankind in this day--guidance
available to everybody and not the sole property of Bahá'ís. This conviction is
the source of their inspiring and hopeful vision of the future.
Occupation
Principles of Solidarity
Translations: Spanish
On September 17, 2011, people from all
across the United States of America and the world came to protest the blatant
injustices of our times perpetuated by the economic and political elites.
On the 17th we as individuals rose up against political
disenfranchisement and social and economic injustice. We spoke out,
resisted, and successfully occupied Wall Street. Today, we proudly remain
in Liberty Square constituting ourselves as autonomous political beings engaged
in non-violent civil disobedience and building solidarity based on mutual
respect, acceptance, and love. It is from these reclaimed grounds that we
say to all Americans and to the world, Enough! How many crises does it
take? We are the
99% and we have moved to reclaim our mortgaged future. Through
a direct democratic process, we have come together as individuals and crafted
these principles of solidarity, which are points of unity that include but are
not limited to:
- Engaging in direct and transparent participatory democracy;
- Exercising personal and collective responsibility;
- Recognizing individuals’ inherent privilege and the influence it has on all interactions;
- Empowering one another against all forms of oppression;
- Redefining how labor is valued;
- The sanctity of individual privacy;
- The belief that education is human right; and
- Making technologies, knowledge, and culture open to all to freely access, create, modify, and distribute. (amendment passed by consensus 2/9/2012)
We are daring to imagine a new
socio-political and economic alternative that offers greater possibility of
equality. We are consolidating the other proposed principles of
solidarity, after which demands will follow.
1 The Working Group on Principles of
Consolidation continues to work through the other proposed principles to be
incorporated as soon as possible into this living document.
This is an official document crafted by the Working Group on Principles of Consolidation. The New York City General Assembly came to consensus on September 23rd to accept this working draft and post it online for public consumption
This is an official document crafted by the Working Group on Principles of Consolidation. The New York City General Assembly came to consensus on September 23rd to accept this working draft and post it online for public consumption
--
Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
This
document was accepted by the NYC General Assembly on September 29, 2011
Translations:
French, Slovak, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese [all translations »]
As we gather together in solidarity to express a
feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together.
We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the
world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality:
that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that
our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is
up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their
neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people,
but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the
Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined
by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place
profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality,
run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let
these facts be known.
- They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
- They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
- They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
- They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
- They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.
- They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
- They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
- They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
- They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
- They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
- They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
- They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
- They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
- They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
- They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them.
- They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
- They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives or provide relief in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantial profit.
- They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
- They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
- They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
- They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
- They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
- They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*
To the people of the world,
We, the New York City General Assembly occupying
Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy
public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate
solutions accessible to everyone.
To all communities that take action and form groups
in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of
the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard!
*These grievances are not all-inclusive.
We also have a visual representation of this document from the Arts and Culture Group and the Call to Action Working Group. To download your own copy of this image as a jpeg (12.7 MB), click here, or for image inquiries e-mail flowchartart@gmail.com.
We also have a visual representation of this document from the Arts and Culture Group and the Call to Action Working Group. To download your own copy of this image as a jpeg (12.7 MB), click here, or for image inquiries e-mail flowchartart@gmail.com.
--
Posted 1 year ago on Nov. 8, 2011, 4:07 p.m. EST by
OccupyWallSt
For as long as public space has existed, women and
LGBTQ people have been trying to “occupy” it safely -- with distressingly
little success. Harassing comments, groping, flashing and assault are a daily,
global reality for women and LGBTQ individuals. Too often, these injustices are
met with little or no response, regarded simply as “the price you pay” for
being female, trans, or gay in public. As supporters of the Occupy movement, we
believe that a world where everyone has the right to occupy public space safely
is not only possible - it is essential to building a strong and lasting
movement.
It’s no secret that the Wall Street 1% who wrecked
our economy are disproportionately straight and male, despite countless studies
showing the less organizations look like the 99%, the less effective they are.
As we quicken the pace of social change, we must be careful not to replicate
Wall Street’s mistakes. The message is clear: equality means impact.
But for women and LGBTQ people to participate
equally in the Occupy movement, we must be safe in occupied spaces. We know
that harassment and assault happens everywhere --- and that the Occupy movement
is no more immune to it than our nation’s parks and parking lots --- but we
also know that a movement where women and LGBTQ individuals are not safe is not
a movement that serves the interests of the 99%.
In solidarity with those who are already working on
the ground to make safer spaces, we call on all General Assemblies of the
Occupy movement to adopt anti-harassment and anti-assault as core principles of
solidarity. To realize these principles within the movement, we call on General
Assemblies in every city to empower women and LGBTQ occupiers with the time,
space, and resources necessary to ensure that every occupied space is a safe
space.
Co-signed by:
OccupyWallSt.org
The Occupied Wall Street Journal
Hollaback!
Bitch media
DC Rape Crisis Center
Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault
National Organization for Men Against Sexism
Feministing
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
The Feminist Wire
Barrier Free Living
Crisis Intervention Services, Oskaloosa, IA
Women, Action & the Media
Occupy Patriarchy
Marriage Equality NY
Safe Slope
Joy of Resistance: Multicultural Feminist Radio @ WBAI
Feminist Peace Network
Women In Media & News
Spark
Fem2.0
Talkin' Reckless
The Organization for a Free Society
juliabarry.com
Women's Media Center
SisterSong NYC
MADRE
AF3IRM NY/NJ
Veterans News Now
Holla Back DC
Occupy Gloucester
Occupy Vermont
National Organization of Asian Pacific Islanders Ending Sexual Violence
Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA)
Spinifex Press, Australia
Meghanlewisphd.com
Radical Feminists
OccupyEquality
Stop Street Harassment
Marlboro College Women's Resource Center
Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press
CODEPINK
Women Occupy
Bitch Flicks
Center for the Human Rights of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
Ms. Magazine
Philadelphia NOW
Students Active for Ending Rape
Brooke Elise Axtell, founder of SHE: Survivor Healing and Empowerment
Occupy Los Angeles, Queer Affinity Group
Anti-State STL
AIDS Action, Baltimore
Tampa Anarchist Collective
World Can't Wait
Occupy Houston Occupy Los Angeles
Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
The Occupied Wall Street Journal
Hollaback!
Bitch media
DC Rape Crisis Center
Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault
National Organization for Men Against Sexism
Feministing
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
The Feminist Wire
Barrier Free Living
Crisis Intervention Services, Oskaloosa, IA
Women, Action & the Media
Occupy Patriarchy
Marriage Equality NY
Safe Slope
Joy of Resistance: Multicultural Feminist Radio @ WBAI
Feminist Peace Network
Women In Media & News
Spark
Fem2.0
Talkin' Reckless
The Organization for a Free Society
juliabarry.com
Women's Media Center
SisterSong NYC
MADRE
AF3IRM NY/NJ
Veterans News Now
Holla Back DC
Occupy Gloucester
Occupy Vermont
National Organization of Asian Pacific Islanders Ending Sexual Violence
Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA)
Spinifex Press, Australia
Meghanlewisphd.com
Radical Feminists
OccupyEquality
Stop Street Harassment
Marlboro College Women's Resource Center
Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press
CODEPINK
Women Occupy
Bitch Flicks
Center for the Human Rights of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
Ms. Magazine
Philadelphia NOW
Students Active for Ending Rape
Brooke Elise Axtell, founder of SHE: Survivor Healing and Empowerment
Occupy Los Angeles, Queer Affinity Group
Anti-State STL
AIDS Action, Baltimore
Tampa Anarchist Collective
World Can't Wait
Occupy Houston Occupy Los Angeles
Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
If your organization supports this call for safer spaces, please email saferspace@occupywallst.org or emily@ihollaback.org to be added to the
list of co-signers. If you know other groups that have not yet joined this call
to action, please contact them and ask them to stand with us! Let's work
together to make a safer world for everyone!
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