PPI: Statutes Review

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Purpose
Provide an overview of potential areas for amendment in the current PPI statutes, and general organisational structure.

PPI statutes can be found here.

Scratchpad
If you want to throw ideas out there but not add them as final to this page, a pad has been created for discussion.

Ambiguity
If you find any ambiguous language in the statutes, or clunkiness that could lead to confusion to a non-native (or even native) English reader, please add it below.


 * Use of the term "postal vote" when this is interpreted as an online vote in most cases. This should be considered for update.
 * Reword the Preamble to state "Pirate Parties International exists to help establish, support and promote Pirate Parties around the world, and to encourage communication and cooperation between its members and with other organizations."

Missing articles

 * No article defining what language(s) legal documents of the organisation must be legally translated to. (By convention this has been English)
 * There is no definitions section. Definitions the statutes could do with:
 * Definition of simple and absolute majority, including what constitutes quorum when abstains are counted.
 * No mechanism for members to have formal input outside of the General Assemblies which occur too infrequently.
 * No requirement that remote delegates are able to interact as much as feasible for all official aspects of GAs.
 * No mechanism for an ordinary member to convert to an observer member; only option is resignation
 * No mechanism provided for selection of delegates to organisations of which PPI is a member to (eg WTO, WIPO, etc)
 * No provision for regional representatives.
 * No provisions explicitly allowing an online GA, nor allowing the members to determine the mechanism of the conduct of said GA.
 * Unclear jurisdiction; PPI is not PPI HQ.
 * Very limited guidance provided as to how board elections are to be handled, including nominations. (Convention shows that this is hard to get right with standing orders alone.)
 * If such an article were to be based on current convention, nominations should be limited to two per member.

Board communication requirements

 * No standard is set for the roles of the board.
 * Such standards could include a monthly brief being mailed to all members.
 * No definitions of when a member is allowed to see the membership register, including formal contact details and who the "registered delegate(s)" are for a given party.
 * No requirement for the board to publish their policies and processes; consider perhaps a by-law mechanism for this purpose? Consider things like the recent "postal vote" we've seen.

Member-driven activities

 * No formal mechanism provided to request the formation of a working group or committee for any purpose desired by a member.

Non-gender neutral language

 * "co-chairmen" yet at times the pronoun "her" is used; use gender neutral language: "chairpersons", "they", "their", or avoid pronouns altogether.

XVI Funding

 * Very ambiguous; has already led to significant issues.

XI(4) "e-democracy"

 * System hasn't been utilised at all, statutes give the discussions almost no power.
 * The term initiative required definition in a footnote, should probably just amend the wording to not require it.

Resignations

 * No mechanism is provided for the acknowledgement and/or acceptance of resignations from positions within PPI. The Board has in the past refused to acknowledge resignations.

Spelling and grammar

 * De-capitalise anything that isn't a proper noun.
 * Capitalise anything that is a proper noun.

Membership Register

 * Current wording of 1.4.6 (or VIII) Membership Register


 * 1) The Board keeps a Membership register at the PPI Headquarters of Pirate Parties International. This register lists the name, legal form, address of the registered office, identity of the representative and, where applicable, the registration number in accordance with existing legislation and regulations. All Members may consult this register at  the registered office of the PPI Headquarters.


 * Proposed new wording


 * 1) The Board keeps a membership register on the website of Pirate Parties International. This register lists the name, legal form, address of the registered office, identity of the representative and, where applicable, the registration number in accordance with existing legislation and regulations. The register must remain made publicly available at all times.