MSF Intent, Mission Statement and Charter of Principles

MSF statement of intent  – 11 May, 2010, Draft version 1.1

The MSF has undertaken a new strategic pathway following a comprehensive review in late 2009. This document is a statement of intent regarding the vision that emerged, its design and potential implementation.

1. The MSF aims to become a ‘consultancy’, helping others to create open spaces to facilitate collaboration, interlinking and innovation. Traditionally, the MSF has endeavoured to bring the whole activist community together.  This new ‘consultancy’ role means that the MSF supports others create open spaces for mutual learning and collaboration. While this does not preclude the possibility of running a Melbourne Social Forum, the emphasis is on supporting other groups and efforts to expand their networks, build and host spaces of collaborative inquiry and action, within various thematic and organisation terrains.
2. A new focus on strategic interlinking of struggles and projects of change. Traditionally, MSF has cast the widest possible net, by hosting large events and keeping the forum open to all who want to contribute. With this new focus on strategic interlinking, MSF aims to support those thematic areas or locales that need greatest support, networking, and collaboration across actors and organisations. This may mean focusing on particular themes (water, media, fair trade), or on thematic clusters, to enable greater coherences there.
3. A new focus on social innovators and the enabling of social innovation. MSF has attracted those struggling to create alternatives that are more fair, just and sustainable to the current way of doing things. We consider those innovators to be the ‘critical reference group’ of the MSF and aim to find ways of supporting them in being more effective in the world.
4. The MSF aims to strengthen its core group of organisers, by holding events and workshops in which the MSF invites people to join the MSF and effectively contribute to its projects.
5. The MSF aims to create a paid role that is able to support recruitment, volunteer management, outreach, networking, and project management. This role will be part time.
6. MSF aims to nurture volunteers and student placements. In the past, MSF has received great offers of support from volunteers, but has had difficulty in managing this enthusiasm.  The MSF aims to develop ways in which volunteers and placements can be meaningfully and productively engaged in giving their time.
7. In addition to supporting other organisations in developing collaborative processes, the MSF envisions holding smaller, more thematically focussed events that allow for strategic interlinking.
8. The MSF aims to conduct ‘Social Change Mapping’ exercises, in order to keep abreast of issues across the many thematic domains of concern – social, ecological and other. Such mapping processes will support the MSF in points seven and two.
9. The MSF sees the possibility of moving outside of its traditional locale of work (Inner city Melbourne and CBD) and supporting the strengthening of communities across Victoria and elsewhere. This means the MSF can help support (through consulting) the setting up of forums in regional areas and cities, as well as outer suburbs of Melbourne.
10. The MSF also sees as important and worthwhile supporting initiatives like an Australian Social Forum, and Asia Pacific Social Forum.

The MSF strives for best practice in accountability and inclusiveness. Below are our Mission Statement, Charter of Principles and Meeting Procedures which we have reproduced here so that we can be held accountable to them.

Mission Statement

To create an open public space to discuss, share and act on ideas for sustainable social and ecological justice.
MSF charter of principles

This Charter of Principles is what the Melbourne Social Forum (MSF) does and why. It forms the basis of our decision making process and future directions. The principles contained in this Charter are to be respected by all those who wish to take part in the process and to organise the MSF. This document represents the ideas that the MSF feels are needed to preserve its core intentions which we consider to be valuable in themselves. It is intended that these fundamental principles do not change, however they may be amended and added to as may be necessary in publicly pre-announced periods of review.

1. The Melbourne Social Forum provides an open space.

2. We consider the current dominant and hegemonic form of globalisation to be unjust; however, we see peaceful and non-exploitative alternatives as potentially valuable and therefore seek to build global and local communities that are both socially and ecologically just.

3. We are inclusive of all people, both within and outside of the mainstream, and respect both equity and diversity by encouraging the participation of all people regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual preference and are committed to reducing their barriers to participation as much as possible.

4. We operate under the principles of pluralism and “deep” democracy. The organising body operates on a consensus-based democratic model however participants are welcome to operate at the democratic level that they feel is appropriate.

5. We have a non-violent mandate.

6. We are plural, diversified, non-confessional, non-governmental and non-party. We operate in a decentralised fashion that interrelates organisations and movements engaged in concrete action at levels from the local to the international to progress social and ecological justice.

7. Neither party representations nor military organisations shall participate in the Forum. However, government leaders and members of legislatures who accept the commitments of this Charter may be invited to participate in a personal capacity.

8. We operate from a position of social unity that respects human rights and acknowledges the responsibilities that come with these rights.

9. We provide a space to interlink civil society on a global and local level, however we do not represent civil society.

10. No one can speak for the MSF, and similarly the MSF cannot speak for anyone.

11. Participants in the Forum, including attendees and organisers, shall not be called on to take decisions as a body, whether by vote or acclamation, on declarations or proposals for action that would commit all, or the majority, of them and that propose to be taken as establishing positions of the Forum as a body.

12. We organise in a manner that is transparent and honest. This means that we are responsible and accountable and provide sound management for the MSF. Moreover our communications are respectful and strategic.

13. We encourage creativity and actively seek to facilitate this creativity.

Meeting Procedures

1. The goal of organisational meetings is to facilitate events that uphold the charter of principles.
2. Organisational meetings will be pre-announced and open to all members of the public.
3. Decisions may be made at organisational meetings or through the electronic organising list. Decisions will be made by organisers and a quorum shall be determined to be five.

1. Organisers shall be those who attend face-to-face meetings and take on or carry out responsibilities pertaining to the MSF.
2. Core organisers shall be those who have been organisers for more than 12 months or who have completed substantial work on behalf of the MSF.
3. Membership of the electronic organising list shall be conferred upon vouching by an extant member or attendance at a face-to-face meeting.

4. Decisions may concern principles, procedures or organisational work.

1. Proposals that contravene the charter of principles will be rejected summarily. Where there is disagreement over whether a proposal contravenes the charter, veto requires consensus of a quorum of five core organisers.
2. Decisions concerning principles will be made by core organisers, based on full consensus, as defined in point (5).
3. Decisions concerning procedures and organisational work will be based on modified consensus, as defined in point (6).

5. Full consensus shall mean:

1. That all organisers agree with a decision.
2. Organisers may block consensus stating a block at a face-to-face meeting or sending an e-mail to the organising list with the subject line “BLOCK:” and the title of the proposal in question.

6. Modified consensus shall mean:

1. All measures shall be taken to reach full consensus as defined in point (5).
2. If full consensus cannot be reached, decisions can be passed with a two-thirds majority vote.
3. Negotiations shall be determined to have reached breakdown on consensus by a quorum of five core organisers or if no agreement can be reached over three consecutive meetings.

7. Meetings shall be chaired on a rotating basis.

1. No one can chair two consecutive meetings.
2. It is the responsibility of the chair to generate a meeting agenda based on discussion in the previous meeting and the email list.
3. The decision as to who will chair the meetings shall be decided at the previous meeting.
4. The chair shall be shared amongst the broad number of people practical.
5. We aim to represent the broadest cross section of the community as possible in this rotation.

8. The meetings value the role of a healthy debate and dialogue and to allow proposals to evolve through this debate towards more encompassing decisions.

9. We endeavour to provide the highest level of openness and accountability.