CONSTITUTION.md

#Constitution

##Freedom To Fulfill The Purpose

You are free to take any action that fulfills the purpose of the organization and the roles that you hold - as long as you do not break a Rule; and you seek to uphold the values and principles of the constitution.

##Proposal Process

If you are experiencing a tension or problem with the constitution you can propose an amendment. You can make your proposal in a github pull request or at a meeting. The proposal must be proposed to the people affected by the proposal and they must have the opportunity to object.

This is the proposal adoption process for meetings:

0. A Facilitator facilitates the process if it is an in person meeting. If no Facilitators are present, someone else can step up to facilitate but that person should not merge pull requests at the end.
1. For each un-merged proposal pull request, the facilitator takes these steps:
2. The person experiencing the need for change (the author of the pull request) reads their proposal to the group of affected people. They explain why the change is needed and what the proposal is, and why it is un-merged.
3. The facilitator asks if anyone has clarifying questions and lets people ask their questions and get answers.
4. The facilitator asks each group member for a reaction. A simple "no reaction" or a thumbs up is perfectly acceptable and speeds the process up.
5. The facilitator asks each group member whether they object or not. The group member responds with “objection” or “no objection”. Only objections that are based on the belief that the proposal would cause significant harm are valid. Valid objections are resolved between the proposer and the objector. The proposer chooses how to amend their proposal based on suggestions. Modified proposals are then re-presented to the group for objections.
6. If there are no valid objections then the proposal is adopted.
7. The Facilitator merges the pull request.

This is the proposal process for github pull requests:

1. The proposer creates a new github pull request for the proposal.
2. The tension that is to be addressed by the proposal is a) included in the commit message for Roles or b) as part of the description of a Rule.
3. The change is announced to all Members on the slack #governance channel.
4. Members can respond with clarifications, reactions, and blocking objections. Any Member can abstain from participating.
5. Valid objections must include a reason that the proposal is believed to be harmful and not safe enough to try; it must also include either 1) a thumbs down emoji 2) the words "objection" or 3) a "-1".
6. Any facilitator can decree that the proposal is adopted if there is evidence that the final proposal has been seen by those who are significantly affected and there are no valid objections to the final version of the proposal for two days.
7. Anyone can request that the pull request be discussed in-person in the next governance meeting.
8. The proposer or facilitator can require that the pull request be discussed in-person in the next governance meeting.

Proposals that are adopted can be further modified through the proposal adoption process.

##Rules

Rules govern the resources of the organization. They are decided through the proposal process.

##Roles

Roles and their accountabilities are defined through proposals. Roles are defined separately from people.

People are assigned to roles by a person with a “role assigner” role. A person can be assigned to multiple roles. A person can resign from roles they do not wish to hold. People are only accountable for roles they hold.

##Processes

Processes include roles, their interactions and decisions in achieving an outcome.

##Members

Members of the organization can participate in the proposal adoption process, hold a role, or employ the organization's resources; non-members cannot. Membership can be granted or revoked by a person who holds the “Role Assigner” role.