By-Laws of Writers Against the War on Gaza
Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG) is a political organization, hereafter referred to as the Organization, that is dedicated to building an anti-Zionist, anti-imperialist cultural front. These By-Laws serve to outline WAWOG’s organizational activity and structure; set expectations for members across a breadth of roles, including leadership roles; establish protocols and practices for strategic decision-making; and articulate standards for comradeship and conduct.
The work of the Organization is guided by our six Principles of Unity, which we derive from the history of the enduring struggle for Palestinian liberation, and which are listed below.
The Right to Return
We know that the Nakba never ended. We also know the Nakba will end. It will end with the dismantling of the Zionist project and the return of the Palestinian people to their homes and their historical lands. As the revolutionary fighter Leila Khaled reminds us, “The key for liberation is the land and the return of refugees.”
The Right to Resist
We support the Palestinian right to armed resistance as part of the national liberation struggle. We believe it is important to popularize the history of this struggle by telling the stories of the martyrs who died in its service, from Izz al-Din al-Qassam to Yahya Sinwar, Abu Jildeh to Basil al-Araj. We decry the state repression of pro-Palestinian speech that is brought to bear most heavily on those who openly support the right of the oppressed to resist their oppressors.
The Anti-Normalization of Zionism
We understand that the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement has played a strategic role in materially and culturally isolating and delegitimizing “Israel” over the past two decades. We believe that the academic and cultural boycott of Israel must be advanced through several means, from political education to persuasion to confrontation, and must also be supported through the creation of alternative social and political spaces and by new modes of cultural production.
A Multiplicity of Tactics
We endorse a multiplicity of tactics, from picketing to civil disobedience to event disruption to higher-risk action. We reject ‘outside agitator’ narratives that seek to divide and undermine those struggling together for liberation. “No one way works,” the poet Diane DiPrima wrote. “It will take all of us shoving at the thing from all sides to bring it down.”
Building a Mass Movement
Our efforts to build a revolutionary cultural front require the participation of workers and organizers spanning many sector formations, particularly — but not exclusively — in the sectors of media, academia, and the arts. We understand that the culture industry has long carried water for imperialism, and that cultural production must be appropriated and retooled to serve the broader objectives of the Palestinian national liberation struggle within both petit bourgeois and proletarian social formations.
We work alongside and in service to several Palestinian-led organizations and Palestine solidarity groups. We believe in joint struggle, including with the Black liberation and Land Back movements, and we stand firmly as a popular cradle for the militancy of the dispossessed against the state and the empire.
Emptying the Prisons
Prisoner’s liberation is a central demand of the Palestinian revolutionary movement, shared by all factions of the regional resistance as well as the masses in exile and diaspora. Furthermore, opposition to the capitalist carceral order and its racist logic is at the heart of many vital solidarities, such as that between Black people in the U.S. and Palestinians under siege and occupation. We endeavor towards these Black and Palestinian traditions of refusal, resistance, and abolition. The world we are fighting for is a world without prisons.
The work of our Organization is further governed by five Principles of Action, listed below.
Organize Culture Workers
Confront Zionism and Normalization in Cultural Spaces
Strengthen the Infrastructure of the Palestinian Liberation Movement
Support the Collective Resilience of the Palestinian People
Defend Against the Forces of Reaction
ARTICLE I
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Purpose
Membership in Writers Against the War on Gaza, or the Organization, entails a commitment to struggling together until Palestine is free. An empowered, responsible membership body serves to advance the struggle through the exchange and practice of skills, methods, knowledge, strategies, and tactics, as well as through political education and activity intended to promote and advance the cause of Palestinian liberation across the social formations to which we belong, the industries in which we labor, and the places in which we live.
Membership means collectivism. By prioritizing the long struggle for the liberation of oppressed peoples over the individual desires that shore up capitalist modes of cultural production, culture workers can be transformed from sentimental allies into long-term strugglers for the cause, thereby changing the nature of culture in the West. Transformation extends from the individual to the societal and the structural through collective work, supported and made sustainable by collectively agreed-upon processes and structures, within the Organization.
Section 2 Admittance
WAWOG is open to members who share our political vision and our organizational priorities and who participate in an onboarding process and orientation program that is intended to maintain the Organization’s effectiveness, sustainability, and security. Any potential member must demonstrate not only a deep commitment to our Principles of Unity, but also a readiness to energetically and consistently take up work in line with our Principles of Action.
Chapters of WAWOG may establish their own additional protocols and criteria for bringing members into physical and virtual organizing spaces. The work of the Organization is further supported by our Community members, who may attend and volunteer at events, engage in ad hoc opportunities to take action against Zionism, and participate in non-sensitive discussions about local matters (see , or support select campaigns, projects, and initiatives on a time-bound basis (see Article VIII on Working Groups). Potential members in our locales should consider whether the level of commitment they can make to the Organization renders them best suited for Chapter or for Community membership.
Section 3 Responsibilities
Membership in WAWOG accords access to organizational resources, including but not limited to membership chats, communication channels, meeting and discussion spaces, Chapter and Committee documents, and project management materials. Members participate in shaping and advancing the activity of the Organization through their contributions to these spaces and resources, and through their involvement in specific decision-making scenarios outlined in this document.
Given this stake and access within the Organization, members are expected to be actively engaged in the meetings, projects, and outputs of the Chapters, Committees, and Working Groups to which they belong. Members are expected to regularly sign up for responsibilities and tasks in accordance with their skills and capacities, to communicate with their Committee or Chapter Chairs if they find themselves unable to fulfill those responsibilities in a timely manner, and to ask other Committee or Chapter members for support if they find themselves overtasked.
Section 4 General Membership Meetings
General Membership meets monthly to share updates on various campaigns and projects, to discuss strategies and tactics in accordance with Principles of Unity and Action, and to vote on organizational matters. The Steering Committee works with the Organizing Committee to set agendas for General Membership meetings. In addition to scheduled monthly meetings, the Steering Committee may call emergency meetings to strategize in response to major developments on the ground.
General Membership meetings take place by encrypted video call.
Section 5 Membership Liaisons
Each Chapter must appoint or elect one or two Membership Liaisons to fulfill the duties outlined in the Membership Guidelines.
Each Committee must appoint one Membership Liaison for the same purpose. Committee Chairs are responsible for appointing Membership Liaisons.
Committee or Chapter members are eligible to be Membership Liaisons if they have been active and engaged in Committee or Chapter work for at least three months. Membership Liaisons serve in six-month terms, renewable indefinitely. Membership Liaisons work within the Membership Team and are supported in their duties by a Membership Coordinator and members of the Steering Committee.
Membership Liaisons are part of the organization’s membership development strategy and are responsible for consistently evaluating membership development and participation, training and onboarding members, and keeping Committee/Chapter rosters updated. Members of the Steering Committee will work with the Membership Liaisons to assess holistic membership and development needs and, if requested, to assist with re-engagement and removal.
Section 6 Re-engagement
Any member who misses three consecutive general meetings, or who consistently fails to contribute to Committee or Chapter work for three months or more, will be considered inactive. A Membership Liaison will attempt to establish contact with inactive members to discuss the circumstances of inactivity. They will work together to identify a timeline for re-engagement. If requested by the member or if contact is not able to be made, the Membership Liaison will initiate removal procedures.
Section 7 Resignation & Leave
Members may resign or take leave from the Organization at any time and for any reason. Resigning members, or those taking a leave of more than three months, must relinquish access to organizational resources and organizing spaces, but are encouraged to remain part of the Community (see Article VII, if applicable).
A Membership Liaison will request a meeting with a member who is resigning or taking leave to discuss their reasons for departure and to ensure that the member will not retain access to internal documents and. This meeting may take place by phone or in person. If the resigning member does not respond to this request or does not wish to meet with the Membership Liaison, removal will proceed and re-admittance will be barred.
Section 8 Comradeship & Conduct
Each Chapter and Committee will naturally develop its own discursive norms, but all members are expected to choose their words with care, to assume the best of each other even in difficult hours, and to practice criticism and self-criticism in equal measure. The expectation is not that we will all conduct ourselves perfectly at every moment, but that we will strive to limit, and if necessary apologize for, instances of uncomradely behavior — that is to say, instances in which we forget that we are united by a cause.
Because the cause that unites us is the Palestinian cause, WAWOG is committed to cultivating a space that Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim writers and culture workers want to join and are able to participate in to the fullest extent. Because the Palestinian cause is imbricated with anti-colonial and Third World struggles across the globe, including in the internal colonies of the United States and Canada, we are likewise committed to building an organizing home for Black and Indigenous writers and culture workers. Racist, white supremacist, and anti-Black language will not be tolerated in our organizing spaces.
Members of the Organization are expected to remember that they belong to a movement and to conduct themselves accordingly at all times. How a member speaks and behaves outside the Organization — particularly in movement spaces, at public events held by our movement partners, and on public social media accounts — can reflect on the entire membership body. It is important to respectfully engage with others in the movement, even or especially during moments of political and organizational disagreement, in order to preserve our ability to work together across tendencies but toward the same goals.
Section 9 Accountability
Members of WAWOG are accountable first and foremost to the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause. Secondly, and as a direct consequence of this primary accountability, we are accountable to the Palestine solidarity movement, which includes not only the Organization but all groups, organizations, and collectives fighting for the liberation of Palestine. Being accountable to the cause means honoring our commitments when we can. Being accountable to the movement and to the Organization means the same, but it also means communicating honestly with our comrades when those commitments exceed our capacities, or when our capacities change.
All members are expected to abide by and uphold political and organizational decisions made by the Steering and Organizing Committees in accordance with the purposes and responsibilities outlined in the By-Laws (see Article II, Sections 1 and 6; and Article III, Sections 1 and 5) and in consultation with Palestinian political leadership both inside and outside the Organization. All members are further expected to abide by and uphold the decisions reached by a majority vote of General Membership.
Members are entitled and encouraged to seek full, clear explanations for decisions made or announced by members of the Steering and Organizing Committees, who are required to fulfill such requests except in cases where fuller explanation is foreclosed by a security concern.
Members are encouraged to practice a culture of mutual accountability within the Organization.
Section 10 Conflict
Part of the work of the Organization is to sharpen and hone our analyses, strategies, and tactics through study and struggle, including line struggle. Members of the Organization therefore hold a shared responsibility to overcome conflict avoidance and practice techniques of conflict resolution in order to fully and collectively participate in the urgent, necessary, and often challenging political discussions that inform liberatory work. Members are expected to prioritize the health of the Organization over and above their personal satisfaction, and, in keeping with this expectation, to either resolve disagreements and disputes to the best of their mutual ability or to practice acceptance in cases where a dispute cannot be fully resolved. Conflict is inevitable, but should not become intractable.
Chapters of WAWOG are responsible for developing and upholding Community Agreements in all physical and virtual organizing spaces delimited by the Chapter and Community, for redressing any harm that arises from the violation of these Community Agreements, and for resolving conflicts between Chapter/Community members. Chapter Chairs are encouraged but not required to consult the Steering Committee in cases where a conflict becomes difficult to manage and thus threatens the health of the Organization.
Committee Chairs are required to inform the Steering Committee about cases of intractable conflict within their Committees, even or especially if Chairs themselves are parties to the conflict. Members of the Steering Committee are not responsible for personally mediating these conflicts, except in cases where they are asked to do so, but rather for finding and assigning appropriate mediators, whether inside or outside the Organization, who will work to resolve the conflict so that our work can continue.
Members of the Steering Committee are responsible for investigating conflicts that hinder our work within the space of the Organizing Committee, and, if necessary, for initiating mediation between Organizing Committee members.
Members of the Steering Committee are elected and empowered to adjudicate political and organizational disputes, such as those arising through conflictual discussion of strategy and tactics or through differential interpretations of our organizing principles and political lines, but are not elected or empowered to adjudicate disputes that are personal in nature, such as those produced through social, sexual, or otherwise extra-organizational relationships. Steering Committee members are also not responsible for redressing situations in which a political or organizational disagreement gives rise to a personalized sense of grievance. In cases where the line between the political and the personal is indistinct, members are encouraged to seek advice from a Chair or a Membership Liaison on how to proceed.
Section 12 Removal
When a member’s conduct clearly threatens the effectiveness and security of the Organization or repeatedly violates our locally determined Community Agreements, it may become advisable for that member to be removed. Such a removal may happen pursuant to a recommendation of the Steering Committee, which will first work with the Membership Team to ensure all avenues for conflict resolution and mediation have been exhausted, or it may happen in situations where mediation is refused. A two-thirds majority vote of the Organizing Committee is required for member removal.
Any member who commits severe harm to another member or members will be immediately suspended from their activities in the Organization and required to undergo an accountability process overseen by the Steering Committee. Depending on the outcome of this process, the member in question may be permanently expelled. A two-thirds majority vote of the Organizing Committee is required for permanent expulsion.
Actions that constitute severe harm include, and are presently limited to, knowing endangerment; physical violence, including sexual violence; and doxxing or willful disclosure of personal or organizational information.
Section 13 Security
Security within the Organization is understood to be a collective responsibility and a daily practice that is essential to the integrity of our work and the preservation of our movement. Because much of the work of the Organization occurs in virtual spaces, all members of the Organization are expected to abide by the digital security practices and protocols outlined in the Security Guidelines, which are produced by the Operations Team in consultation with members of the Steering Committee and will be updated regularly as technologies and conditions change. Members are expected to take special precautions with their personal devices when traveling across borders or when anticipating encounters with Zionists and/or agents of the state. Members are required to attend at least one organization-wide security training per year.
Members are encouraged to hold each accountable to the practices, protocols, and principles outlined in the Security Guidelines, and to do so in a comradely manner. If a member perceives another member or members to be acting in such a way as to compromise collective security, this concern should be raised directly with the member(s) in question before being communicated to the Operations Team.
ARTICLE II
STEERING COMMITTEE
Section 1 Purpose
The Steering Committee sets political and organizational goals in accordance with the movement partners to whom we hold ourselves accountable, ensuring that our collective work is aligned with those goals. This includes facilitating the work of the Organizing Committee; working with the Membership Team to develop onboarding processes and engage General Membership; planning General Meetings; building and sustaining our external relationships with movement partners; guiding the development of Organization-wide campaigns or efforts that thread the needle between multiple locales or multiple Committees; and making decisions in specific scenarios outlined in this document.
Section 2 Composition
The Steering Committee is composed of five members, each of whom must belong to two Committees and one Chapter during their terms. Any changes to the composition of the Steering Committee must be ratified by the Organizing Committee.
Section 3 Election
All five members of the Steering Committee must be nominated and elected by General Membership through a process outlined and overseen by the Operations Team.
Section 4 Term Limits
Members of the Steering Committee serve in six-month terms, renewable for up to three more terms for a total of two years maximum. Elections will be held to replace Steering Committee members who reach their term limit or choose not to renew their terms. Steering Committee members must inform the Organizing Committee of their decision to renew or not renew at least one month prior to the end of the current term.
Section 5 Eligibility
Members must be active in at least one Committee and one Chapter for a minimum of one year before running for a position on the Steering Committee. Candidates cannot serve on the Steering Committee while chairing a Committee or Chapter or leading a Working Group.
Section 6 Responsibilities
The Steering Committee meets once a week. Steering Committee members are expected to attend each of these weekly meetings, barring travel or illness. Steering Committee members are also expected to attend every meeting of the Organizing Committee, barring travel, illness, or scheduling conflicts in which the conflicting meeting or commitment takes precedence according to our political and/or organizational goals. Each Steering Committee member is responsible for bringing to these meetings any and all political and organizational questions and concerns from membership.
If a member of the Steering Committee is unable to fulfill their responsibilities or be responsive to membership for a period of more than 48 hours, they must communicate the terms of their non-availability to the other members of the Steering Committee, as well as to the Organizing Committee, in advance.
Section 7 Removal & Resignation
Members of the Steering Committee who are consistently unable to fulfill their responsibilities or who obstruct the work they are elected to facilitate may be removed from their positions pursuant to the recommendation of the Organizing Committee. A simple majority vote by General Membership is required to ratify the removal of a Steering Committee member.
Steering Committee members may resign at any time, but are encouraged to give at least one month’s notice. Members of the Steering Committee must communicate their reason(s) for resignation to the Organizing Committee, who will discuss and, if necessary, vote on how the resignation should be communicated to General Membership.
Following the removal or resignation of a Steering Committee member, the Operations Team will initiate an election process through which to fill the newly vacated seat.
ARTICLE III
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Section 1 Purpose
The Organizing Committee of WAWOG functions as a space to share information on the activity of different Committees and Chapters, and to bring the activity from these different parts of the Organization into strategic alignment. Additionally, voting members of the Organizing Committee are elected by their Committee/Chapter constituencies to vote in specific measures and scenarios outlined in this document.
Section 2 Composition
The Organizing Committee is composed of the following voting and non-voting members.
a. Committee Chairs: Each Committee of WAWOG elects two chairs as voting members of the Organizing Committee. Additional chairs may serve as non-voting members if approved by a simple majority of the voting members of the Organizing Committee.
b. Chapter Chairs: Each Chapter of WAWOG elects one or two chairs, depending on the size and needs of the Chapter. One Chapter Chair may serve as a voting member of the Organizing Committee, while the other may serve as a non-voting member.
c: Leads & Liaisons: The New York War Crimes Editorial Collective is presently led by two of its members, one of whom serves on the Organizing Committee. The Editorial Collective Lead is a voting member if elected by the Collective and a non-voting member if appointed.
The Operations Team is presently led by two of its members, who, because they were elected, serve as voting members of the Organizing Committee. Once the present restructuring of the Operations Team is complete, and following a proposal that will be reviewed and ratified by the Organizing Committee, its Leads may be appointed rather than elected.
Communities that intend to become Chapters (see Article VI, Section 2) may be temporarily represented by Liaisons on the Organizing Committee. These Community Liaisons will be appointed rather than elected and will not be voting members of the Organizing Committee. Community liaisons may not serve on the Organizing Committee for a period of time longer than six months.
d. Steering Committee Members: All five members of the Steering Committee sit as voting members of the Organizing Committee.
Section 3 Election
Members of the Organizing Committee are elected into their roles through a process outlined and overseen by the Operations Team. Our current process is described in the Chair Election Guidelines.
Section 4 Term Limits
Members of the Organizing Committee serve in six-month terms, renewable for up to three more terms for a total of two years maximum (unless otherwise specified in Section 2 of this Article). Committee and Chapter Chairs must re-run for election each term.
Section 5 Responsibilities
The Organizing Committee meets every two weeks. If a sitting chair cannot attend an Organizing Committee meeting, they must inform the Organizing Committee prior to the start of the meeting. All chairs must review notes from Organizing Committee meetings and commit to taking action as agreed in our meetings. If a chair misses three consecutive Organizing Committee meetings without explanation, the Steering Committee may recommend to the Organizing Committee that the chair be removed.
Additional non-mandatory meetings of the Organizing Committee may be held as needed to discuss urgent and important organizational questions.
Chairs are responsible for educating themselves and the members of their Committees and Chapters on political matters relevant to the Palestinian national liberation struggle.
Chairs are expected to routinely participate in discussions around our political and organizational goals, to bring the activities and needs of their Committee and Chapter members into these discussions, and to communicate strategic decisions and priorities to their Committees and Chapters. Chairs are further expected to submit reports on the recent activity of their Committees and Chapters to the Organizing Committee at least once per month. These responsibilities are further clarified and outlined in the Organizing Committee Guidelines.
If a chair is unavailable to fulfill their responsibilities for any period of time longer than 48 hours, they must communicate the terms of their non-availability to the members of their Committee or Chapter, as well as to the other members of the Organizing Committee, in advance.
Section 6 Removal & Resignation
Committee and Chapter Chairs may be removed from their positions by their Committees or Chapters through the processes outlined in Article V, Section 5 and Article VI, Section 6. Members of the Organizing Committee may also be removed from their positions if two thirds of the voting members of the Organizing Committee support the removal.
If members of the Organizing Committee feel an elected Committee or Chapter Chair is consistently failing to perform their duties, those concerns should first be shared with the Chair in question and then discussed in the space of an Organizing Committee meeting. If these concerns cannot be addressed or resolved among Organizing Committee members, the Steering Committee will recommend a plan for redress that may include the possibility of removal.
Members of the Organizing Committee may resign at any time and for any reason, but are encouraged to give at least one month’s notice to the Organizing Committee and to communicate their reasoning to the Committee or Chapter on which they serve. Following a resignation, the Membership Liaison for the Committee or Chapter will initiate an election process through which to fill the vacated Chair seat.
In cases of unexpected and protracted vacancy, for instance after the sudden resignation or removal of a Committee or Chapter Chair, the Steering Committee may ask a Membership Liaison to serve on the Organizing Committee until the Chair seat can be filled.
ARTICLE IV
EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE
Section 1 Purpose
The Editorial Collective works to produce new issues of The New York War Crimes, a movement paper through which we broadcast stories from the frontlines of the war on Gaza, the West Bank, and other sites of endogenous resistance to Zionism and U.S. imperialism; educate readers on the history of the struggle for Palestinian liberation; develop and communicate the political lines of the Palestine solidarity movement; and share timely political and geopolitical analysis.
Section 2 Composition
The Editorial Collective is composed of members who possess specific skills and knowledge needed for the production of the paper and who demonstrate a high level of commitment to both the project and the movement it serves. Leadership of the Editorial Collective is determined internally.
Admittance into the Editorial Collective must be approved by its leadership.
Section 3 Finances
The operating budget for The New York War Crimes is developed by members of the Editorial Collective in consultation with the Steering Committee. The New York War Crimes budget is separate from the organizational budget and does not need approval from general membership.
Section 4 Fundraising
Fundraising methods are determined internally by the Editorial Collective. All members of the Editorial Collective are expected to assist with the development and fulfillment of these methods to ensure the sustainability of the project.
ARTICLE V
COMMITTEES
Section 1 Purpose
Each of WAWOG’s Committees has a distinct and conjunctive role to play in advancing our political and organizational goals. The Committee, which is formed through and defined by its permanently necessary function(s), is like a vital organ in the larger organizing body: If one dissolves, it must be replaced with another, better-functioning organ, or the Organization will be incomplete.
Committees serve to build capacity among people with similar skills and collective political will among people with similar tendencies, thus strengthening the full membership body and preparing our Organization to fight longer, harder battles.
Section 2 Committee Formation
WAWOG’s Committees include Communications, Cultural Boycott, Popular Education, and Worker Action.
New Committees can be established when at least 10 members make a proposal for Committee formation, outlining an operational structure and charter of purpose. Proposals must distinguish why a new strategic focus for the Organization would best be served by a new Committee, rather than by connection with an existing Committee’s work or through the formation of a Working Group.
Committee proposals are first submitted to the Steering Committee for comment, then presented in a General Membership meeting for additional discussion and feedback. Following review, General Membership will vote to approve or refuse a Committee.
Section 3 Committee Maintenance
Each Committee must have a Membership Liaison who serves on the Membership Team; two chairs who serve on the Organizing Committee; and at least 12 active and engaged members (including the aforementioned named roles). Additionally, each Committee must be regularly engaged in campaigns, projects, and initiatives that support our political and organizational goals. Committees that fail to meet these requirements despite best efforts at re-engagement and recruitment will be dissolved or reconstituted pursuant to the recommendation of the Steering Committee. A vote by simple majority of attending members in an Organizing Committee meeting is required to overturn the dissolution of a Committee.
Section 4 Committee Membership
Regular meeting attendance and participation in Committee-wide discussions and initiatives are required to maintain good standing as a Committee member. If a Committee member misses three consecutive Committee meetings without explanation and/or fails to contribute to the work of the Committee for one month or more, a Membership Liaison will attempt re-engagement. A member who cannot maintain good standing even after attempts at re-engagement may be removed from the Committee pursuant to the decision of the Chairs and the Membership Liaison. A simple majority vote by attending members in a Committee meeting is required to overturn the removal of a Committee member.
Section 5 Committee Chairs
Committee Chairs are elected through a process outlined and overseen by the Operations Team (see Article III, Section 3). Chairs are responsible for maintaining broad, active participation in the Committee’s work, and for reporting on that work to the Organizing Committee (see Article III, Sections 1 and 5) as well as to General Membership.
If members of a Committee feel a chair is not fulfilling their responsibilities, they may vote to remove the chair by simple majority. A subsequent plan for identifying and electing new Chairs should be communicated to the Steering Committee.
Committee Chairs are encouraged to identify, cultivate, and train future leaders within the Committee.
Section 6 Committee Meetings
Committees must meet at least twice a month. Committee meetings may take place over (encrypted) Zoom, Jitsi, or Signal call, depending on the sensitivity of the subjects under discussion.
ARTICLE VI
CHAPTERS
Section 1 Purpose
WAWOG’s local Chapters advance an anti-Zionist, anti-imperialist cultural front through actions and activities that are both informed by the political goals of the Organization and specific to the city or locale where Chapter members are organized. Chapter work is predominantly defined as work that cannot be done online, including but not limited to in-person events, rallies, vigils, and protests. Chapter members are encouraged to support the local actions and activities of our movement partners as capacity permits.
Section 2 Chapter Formation
Present Chapters of WAWOG include New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Toronto. New Chapters can be established in a locale in which a Community has been operating for at least six months if at least 10 members make a proposal for Chapter formation, outlining an operational structure and priorities for a first year of activity. The proposal is first submitted to the Steering Committee for comment, then presented to the General Membership for additional discussion and feedback. Following review, General Membership will vote to approve or refuse a Chapter.
Section 3 Chapter Structure
Beyond the protocols and practices established herein, Chapters may determine their own internal structures in accordance with their local contexts in order to advance projects, campaigns, and initiatives, including those undertaken in coalition with movement partners, at the local level.
Section 4 Chapter Maintenance
Each local Chapter must have a Membership Liaison who serves on the Membership Team; one or two chairs who serve on the Organizing Committee; and at least 12 active and engaged members who work together on local campaigns, projects, initiatives, and events in alignment with our Principles of Unity and Action.
A Chapter that fails to meet these requirements for three months or more may be dissolved into a Community pursuant to a recommendation by the Steering Committee. A vote by simple majority of attending members in a General Membership meeting is required to overturn the dissolution of a Chapter.
Section 5 Chapter Membership
Being a member of WAWOG who lives in a city where we have a Chapter does not automatically entitle one to Chapter membership. Regular meeting attendance and participation in local events and activities are required to maintain good standing as a local Chapter member. Beyond these requirements, Chapters may establish their own additional criteria for good standing. A member who cannot meet these criteria may be removed from the Chapter if a simple majority of Chapter members support the removal.
Section 6 Chapter Chairs
Chapter Chairs are elected through a process outlined and overseen by the Operations Team (see Article III, Section 3). Chairs are responsible for maintaining broad, active participation in the Chapter’s work, reporting on that work to the Organizing Committee and General Membership, bringing organization-wide efforts to their membership to strategize around locally, and maintaining communication with other Chapter chairs to coordinate local efforts.
If members of a Chapter feel a chair is not fulfilling their responsibilities, they may vote to remove the chair by a simple majority of attending members in a Chapter meeting. A vote for chair removal and subsequent plan for identifying new Chapter leadership should be communicated to the Steering Committee.
Section 7 Chapter Meetings
Chapters are expected to meet at least twice a month, with at least one meeting per month being held in person.
ARTICLE VII
COMMUNITIES
Section 1 Purpose
Communities within WAWOG allow for broader local participation in the anti-Zionist cultural front we are building and create space for local comrades to engage with and learn about the work of the Organization. Communities are established by Chapters in their locales. Communities may also form in locales without Chapters, and may become Chapters through the process outlined in Article VI, Section 2.
Section 2 Community Formation & Maintenance
Each Chapter is expected to establish at least one virtual space — like an encrypted chat or email listserv — for the purpose of gathering Chapter members together with other, sometimes newer, comrades in the movement for Palestinian liberation. This space will be known as the Community. Some, but not all, Community members may be on the path to full membership.
Members of the Organization who live in a locale without a Chapter may coordinate with the Steering Committee to form a Community. Communities are encouraged to support the work of the Organization through various efforts, including but not limited to the distribution of The New York War Crimes and the planning of New York War Crimes community readings. Communities that have been active for more than three months can make a proposal for Chapter formation (see Article VI, Section 2).
Members of the Organization are expected to share about all public local events, actions, and activities of the Organization within the Community space, and to solicit volunteers as needed and appropriate. Members of the Organization and the Community are further encouraged to share about the local events, actions, and activities of other politically aligned groups.
Chapters are expected to engage Community members through regular in-person cultural events, such as readings and screenings, organized by the Chapter.
Section 3 Community Membership
A Community member is a comrade who shares our political lines and organizing goals, and wants to participate in our events, even though they are not (or not yet) a member of WAWOG. Each Community member must be known to one or more Chapter members and vetoed by none.
Section 4 Community Member Removal
If a Community member repeatedly violates the Community Agreements or seriously threatens the security of the Community, a Chapter Chair or Membership Liaison may remove them from the Community chat. A vote by simple majority of attending members in a local Chapter meeting is required to overturn a Community member’s removal.
ARTICLE VIII
WORKING GROUPS
Section 1 Purpose
Working Groups allow members from different parts of the Organization to act together upon a particular target, toward a specific set of goals, over a certain period of time. Working Groups are open to Community members and comrades in the movement who possess the skills, resources, knowledge, and commitment required to advance these aims. Some Working Groups may require Community members to go through a group-specific vetting process, especially if the work is sensitive. Each Working Group is defined by a project, campaign, or initiative, not by the identities or political tendencies of its members. Working Groups as defined herein are temporally, not locally, bound.
Section 2 Working Group Formation
Any member may propose a Working Group by submitting a proposal in writing to the Steering Committee. After receiving a proposal for a new Working Group, the Steering Committee must approve or refuse the creation of the Working Group within two weeks. The Steering Committee may bring the Working Group proposal to the Organizing Committee for further discussion and review. A proposing member is entitled to request an expedited approval process if necessary for the project, campaign, or initiative at hand.
Refusal does not mean that the work of the Working Group cannot happen, but rather that the work as proposed is not aligned with our political or organizational goals and/or exceeds our organizational capacity at the time of the proposal and therefore cannot be supported with organizational resources. A vote by simple majority of attending members in a General Membership meeting is required to overturn the refusal of a Working Group.
The Steering Committee may advise that a proposed Working Group become a Subcommittee instead, especially if the work of the proposed group is not target-specific or temporally bound.
Section 3 Working Group Maintenance
In order for a Working Group to maintain its status as such within the Organization, at least five members must be actively engaged in the work of the group. Additionally, once the Working Group meets its initial goals, members must decide whether the Working Group should continue as such or whether its members should disperse and potentially regroup under the aegis of another campaign, project, or initiative.
The Steering Committee may dissolve any Working Group that either is not fulfilling its purpose or is working at cross-purposes with the rest of the Organization. A vote by simple majority of attending members in a General Membership meeting is required to overturn the dissolution of a Working Group.
Section 4 Working Group Meetings
Working Groups meet as needed and on an internally decided schedule. Working Group meetings take place by encrypted video call.
ARTICLE IX
FINANCES & FUNDRAISING
Section 1 Finance Structure
WAWOG is fiscally sponsored.
Section 2 Finance Subcommittee
A Finance Team will be established. All members of the Finance Team will be appointed and vetted by the Steering Committee.
Section 3 Fundraising
The Finance Team will develop a plan for fundraising to meet the internal needs of the Organization. This plan will be reviewed by the Steering Committee before being ratified by the Organizing Committee, and a Fundraising Team may be established to advance the plan in consultation with the Finance Team.
Section 4 Drafting, Reviewing, and Approving Annual Budget
Members of the Finance Team are responsible for soliciting input from Committee and Chapter Chairs to annually draft an internal budget for the Organization. The Finance Team will present this draft budget to voting members of the Organizing Committee. If a member of the Organizing Committee wishes to propose a change to the draft budget, they must present specific line item amendments for consideration. Voting members of the Organizing Committee will then vote on the draft budget as a whole, alongside any proposed amendments, with each measure passing or failing via simple majority. If the draft budget as a whole fails to pass, the Finance Team will be responsible for preparing a new draft budget for a new vote. The procedure continues until the budget is voted into approval.
Section 4 Financial Disbursements
The Finance Team will establish a system for disbursing funds, making expenditures, and adhering to the collectively agreed-upon budget with WAWOG’s fiscal sponsor. This system will be as transparent to membership as our Security Guidelines — pursuant to the recommendations of security consultants inside and outside the Organization — may allow.
Section 5 Reviewing & Approving Non-budgeted Expenses
In the course of the organization’s activity, opportunities will arise that require expense beyond the approved budget. If funds are available, the Finance Team is empowered to approve non-budgeted expenses under $2,000. Non-budgeted expenses above $2,000 must be voted into approval via simple majority among the voting members of the Organizing Committee.
ARTICLE X
ENDORSEMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Section 1 Endorsements
All members may present a request for endorsement. A request for endorsement should be passed on to voting members of the Organizing Committee, who should endeavor to vote or decline a request by simple majority within 48 hours. If more than 48 hours have passed without objection, the request for endorsement is considered approved. Given the generally short turnaround for endorsements, rejected requests cannot be repealed. However, instances of rejected endorsement requests can form important grounds for organizational discussion on specific partnerships, collaborations, and affiliations.
All external uses of the organization’s name and logo are considered endorsements.
Section 2 Partnerships
WAWOG engages in many different kinds of partnership — including endorsement, co-presentation, coalitional activity, and more evolved strategic collaboration. None of these models of partnership are intended as wholesale endorsement of other organizations’ politics or methods. Chapters and Communities may identify their own rationales for engaging or disengaging from partnerships on a case-by-case basis, but are expected to remember our Principles of Unity and Action when making these decisions.
ARTICLE XI
VOTING PROCEDURES
Section 1 Voting Quorum
Votes within the Organizing Committee require participation from at least two thirds of the voting members. Votes held within General Membership meetings will be decided by a simple majority among the attending members. Anonymized, electronic votes among General Membership outside of meetings will be decided by a simple majority after an identified deadline for voting completion, such as 48 hours.
Section 2 Voting Procedure
To hold a vote, one member must submit a motion, followed by a second from a different member. Members may vote in favor, against, or abstain.
Section 3 Voting within General Membership
General Membership may vote in specific measures and scenarios outlined in this document. These include, but are not limited to, the establishment of a new Committee or Chapter; a new Organization-wide project, campaign, or fundraising initiative; a new Principle of Unity or Action, or an amendment to existing Principles; and amendments to the By-Laws.
ARTICLE XII
AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS
Section 1 Proposing an Amendment
Any group of members may propose an amendment to the By-Laws. A proposed amendment should first be submitted to the Steering Committee by a group of at least 12 current members. Following review and discussion by members of the Steering and Organizing Committees, the proposed amendment is then submitted to attending members in the space of a General Membership meeting.
Section 2 Voting on Amendments
Following the presentation of a proposed amendment in a General Membership meeting, that amendment will be submitted to the full membership electronically, and members will be given at least one week to vote. The amendment passes with a simple majority of votes, and the By-Laws will be updated pursuant to the amendment.