BY-LAWS OF THE NATIONAL NETWORK OPPOSING THE MILITARIZATION OF YOUTH, NNOMY
The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth, (NNOMY) was founded in August 2004 by representatives of organizations attending a conference in Philadelphia titled, Stopping War Where It Begins: Organizing Against Militarism in Our Schools.
Section I - Name
The Name of the organization is the National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth, (NNOMY)
Section II - Statement of Purpose
NNOMY is created as a national networking body to unite national, regional and local organizations to oppose the growing intrusion of the military in young people's lives. NNOMY is network that seeks to bring to the forefront the importance and value of counter-recruitment organizing. It is not intended to function as an independent national organization, but rather as a coalition that strengthens the work of participating groups.
Section III - Function and Goals of NNOMY
A. The function of the network is:
1. To promote communication and the sharing of organizing skills and resources through regional and national meetings, conference calls, and other methods of communications;
2. To stimulate collaboration between network members on projects that would advance our collective goals (e.g., research, organizer trainings, and production of educational and public relations materials and organizing tools);
3. To facilitate nationally coordinated actions and campaigns;
4. To strengthen youth-led efforts on campuses and in communities; and
5. To educate the broader activist community and the general public on the need to become involved in these efforts.
B. The goals of NNOMY include:
1. Acknowledging, encouraging, and facilitating youth activism and leadership;
2. Encouraging and facilitating the formation and development of grassroots organizations and providing a directory of counter-recruitment organizations nationally.;
3. Addressing the impact of the military on low-income communities;
4. Working to address the targeting of communities of color for military recruitment; and documented and undocumented immigrants;
5. Raising awareness of the various forms of discrimination practiced by the military;
6. Developing and articulating strategies for demilitarizing schools;
7. Monitoring legislation and seeking to roll back laws that give the military special influence and power over civilian schools (i.e. the Solomon Amendments and Section 9528 of the No Child Left Behind Act, with regard to colleges and high schools, respectively);
8. Strengthening the leadership roles and organizing the capacity of
communities that are especially affected by war and militarization;
9. Sharing information about alternative resources for college funding, job training, community service and travel opportunities; and
10. Providing an updated clearinghouse of information, resources and current research related to the militarization of youth.
Section IV - Structure of the National Network
A. General Membership in the Network falls into one of the following categories: Sponsoring Organizations or Caucuses
1. Sponsoring Organizations
Sponsoring organizations are groups willing to participate in a
national organization that makes broad national network decisions.
Sponsoring organizations formally endorse the Network and may use and
help develop Network resource materials.
2. Caucuses.
Caucuses represent specific interests/areas of concern, which may be
represent traditionally disenfranchised groups. The minimum requirement
for the establishment of any caucus is three or more people. Caucus
members must be affiliated in some way with one of the sponsoring
organizations.
3. The General Membership, through designated organizational
representatives, makes broad Network policy decisions and other
decisions not delegated to the Steering Committee (see Steering
Committee), including but not limited to major financial decisions and
structural changes; and, when necessary, will review Steering Committee
decisions accepting new sponsoring organizations and caucuses as
members.
4. Decision making by the general membership will occur by polling sponsoring organizations and caucuses. Polling can occur at national membership meetings and remotely via email or phone. Decisions require a simple majority of the membership.
5. When a general membership poll is undertaken, three attempts will be made to contact all sponsoring organizations and caucuses to participate in the poll. If a response to the poll is not received by a specified deadline, it will be considered an abstention.
B. Other Levels of Network Affiliation
1. Endorsing Organizations Endorsing organizations are groups that may
use network resources, and help publicize network activities but choose not
to participate as a sponsoring organization. The names of endorsing
organizations will apear on NNOMY materials.
2. Individual Participation
Individuals may participate in NNOMY and are encouraged to use NNOMY as a forum for discussion. An individual who wishes to propose an action can post it on the NNOMY list serve for consideration by the member organizations. If an action requires a decision by the Steering Committee a request must be endorsed by an existing sponsorship organization or caucus, which may then officially submit the proposal to the Steering Committee.
C. The NNOMY Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is the decision-making body for NNOMY. Steering Committee members represent sponsoring organizations and include the permanent members below, plus additional slots for other membership organizations and identity caucuses if appropriate.
1. Steering Committee size and eligibility: There shall be 12 groups represented on Steering Committee. Eight shall be sponsoring organizations and up to four shall be selected from various identity caucuses.
2. Six Sponsoring organizations have permanent membership on the Steering Committee:
a. AFSC – National
b. Coalition Against Militarism in our Schools (CAMS)
c. Youth Activists; Youth Allies Network (YA-YA Net)
d. Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO)
e. Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft (COMD)
f. Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities (Project YANO)
3. Up to four members shall be chosen from identity caucuses (more can be added if deemed necessary by the current Steering Committee. Identity caucuses and sponsoring organizations shall have the same rights and responsibilities on the Steering Committee. The minimum requirement for the establishment of an identity caucus is three or more people. Examples of identity caucuses might be:
a. Women and the Military
b. Latino
c. People of Color
d. Youth of Color
e. Youth outreach
f. LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Intersexed, Queer)
g. Immigrants
h. Veterans/military families
4. Additional Steering Committee members may be added as NNOMY grows in order to ensure a broader, more diverse Steering Committee.
5. Steering Committee members serve for a two-year term and can be re-elected.
6. Steering Committee members shall be selected by sponsoring organizations and identity caucuses at national network meetings or by remote balloting by the network.
7. The Sponsoring organizations and caucuses elected to the Steering
Committee are responsible for selecting their representatives to the
Steering Committee. An organization or caucus that is not represented for
two consecutive Steering Committee meetings or conference calls will be
asked to select a new representative or may risk losing its committee
membership.
8. The Steering Committee can vote to remove or replace an organization or caucus that misses either three consecutive or more than half of the Steering Committee or conference calls in a twelve month period.
9. No more than two people from the same sponsoring organization can serve as representatives to the Steering Committee.
10. At least two members of the Steering Committee should be under the age of 25. NNOMY shall strive to achieve gender and racial equity for Steering Committee membership and urges member organizations to bear this in mind when selecting representatives to the Steering Committee.
11. No one may simultaneously represent a sponsoring organization and an identity caucus on the Steering Committee.
12. The Steering Committee will have co-facilitators to share work coordination.
13. New sponsoring organizations and caucuses may be added to the NNOMY General Membership by a majority vote of the Steering Committee.
14. The Steering Committee will make non-policy decisions between national meetings of the General Membership.
15. A Steering Committee quorum is one more than half the SC membership. A simple majority of the quorum is needed for SC decisions.
16. Sponsoring organizations and caucuses may review decisions made by the steering committee to permit an organization to become a member if an objection is raised that was not anticipated by the Steering Committee.
D. Finances
1. Financial contributions are not a prerequisite for participation by sponsoring organizations, caucuses, endorsing organizations, and individuals.
2. The suggested annual contribution is a minimum of $50 for local groups
and $100 for national groups.
3. All financial decisions will be made by the sponsoring organizations, except
those delegated to the Steering Committee (with agreed-upon restrictions).
4. Funds will be disbursed by a designated organization, which will present quarterly financial
statements to the Steering Committee and made available to sponsoring organizations.
E. General Meetings
1. The General Membership shall endeavor to meet at least once every two
years.
2. The exact number of meetings, agenda, locations, etc. shall be determined by the Steering
Committee with input from the General Membership.
3. Proposed agendas, proposals to be considered, and meeting minutes shall be circulated
to the NNOMY member organizations and caucuses to allow discussion and transparency of
steering committee actions.
