Community Guidelines

Membership in the Coalition

The Abortion Rights Coalition is intended to be a space for rebuilding a mass movement that can win basic human rights of bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. Any organization that agrees with this goal may decide to send representatives to participate in the coalition. Such an organization, after consistent participation and support in ARC activities and with explicit agreement from both their internal decision-making bodies and ARC’s membership, may be considered a part of the “coalition.” Anyone who does not represent an organization may simply join as an individual and participate in coalition activities at any time.

Flexibility in organizing

This coalitional space will prioritize discussion and developing trusting relationships based on shared political goals above formal rules. As the world continues to change, our organizational needs and strategy must change in response. This coalition’s greatest strength is the shared knowledge and experience of all those involved, and we depend on ourselves to make decisions that guide our work together. A subcommittee may be formed around any ongoing project. This is a living document and is subject to change according to the coalition's needs. Members are able to propose amendments to be passed with a supermajority vote at any time.

Meetings

All meetings and coalition spaces should be democratically run. Attendees will be jointly responsible for the meeting’s success. A facilitator and a note taker will maintain the agenda and ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to participate. A timekeeper can also help keep meetings efficient by keeping contributions to 3 minutes and offering time reminders. Agendas will be approved at the beginning of each meeting through a discussion and vote.

Large meetings will use “stack,” in which the facilitator keeps a list of people waiting to speak (the “stack”) in the order that they request to join a discussion. If they wish, the facilitator may use discretion to prioritize speakers from marginalized backgrounds, first-time speakers, or those with subject-matter expertise. Direct responses may skip stack only if kept to a minimum and are not guaranteed to be honored. A hybrid option will always be available for meetings. 

Democratic decision-making

Most decisions will be made through simple majority vote (>50%), unless a participant calls for a super majority vote (>66%) and the change is passed by the room. Such votes require a quorum represented by over 50% of the Central Committee and a matching number of other members plus three. Major decisions (i.e. changing group structure) will default to super majority votes. A brief, written proposal sent prior to a meeting is helpful when asking the group to make a contentious decision, and allows for counter-proposals and amendments, or for members who cannot attend a meeting to contribute their thoughts.

All attendees at a meeting are encouraged to vote. There will be a discussion before each vote, giving everyone a chance to inform their perspectives and others who may disagree the space to speak. Unless a decision must be reached immediately, the vote will additionally be extended to members who were unable to attend the meeting and stay open for two business days unless a longer period is required. The note taker will present their notes about the meeting's discussion to the group, which members who were present in the meeting are encouraged to review to ensure accuracy. A central committee member will then make a voting form (e.g. Google Forms, Microsoft Forms) available to members and coalition organizations with a clearly communicated deadline. In situations where a decision must be reached immediately, voting will take place in meetings with results communicated to the rest of the membership immediately following. 

If needed, participants may utilize a digital poll between meetings. In order to be eligible to vote, members must have attended at least one ARC event or meeting in the previous 12 months. Until a tracking system can be devised, this will be implemented using the honor system. In Major Changes to Group Structure, Organizations will only be represented by their respective liaisons and that will reflect the organizational position. 

Central Sub-Committee

The Central Sub-Committee is a body of core organizers within the coalition, elected as a slate, including as many people as the coalition decides is necessary. This slate should prioritize a team who can work well together. A slate should be limited to 3-7 members.

This committee will be expected to be accountable and transparent to the larger coalition for the following: urgent decisions between coalition meetings, ensuring agendas and notes are shared for every meeting, communication between other subcommittees, and financial responsibilities. A re-election may be proposed for a vote at any time as long as an alternative slate is included in the proposal. Recalls may be proposed with specific cause.

To ensure equitable representation and center the voices of those most impacted by reproductive oppression, a minimum of 20 percent (20%) of all occupied seats on the Steering Committee shall be held by individuals who identify as people of color. This commitment shall be actively upheld through inclusive recruitment, nomination, and election processes, to the best of their ability. The Coalition shall annually review its compliance with this mandate and implement strategies to meet and maintain this standard.