Justice Party

In the Public Interest

Prospectus and Action Plan

Twelve December Two Thousand Eleven

Justice Party
Prospectus and Action Plan - In the Public Interest
A prospectus and action plan for co-founding the Justice Party as a major new political party dedicated to waging justice and creating a World that works for everyone.

I.

Context & Rationale

More than 235 years ago a group of courageous patriots got together and decided to take a stand against the tyranny of their colonialist rulers. The "act of declaration" they took was an awesome moment in which our forbearers took a stand with great risks. They understood that the outcomes were uncertain, yet they stepped forward with a bold commitment to ensure that all Americans living then and in future generations would have the opportunity to live under a government that protected the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Despite the immense triumphs of our nation over the past two centuries, as we enter the second decade of the 21st century, we are alarmed with the grave state of our nation. For many Americans the idea of the American Dream is collapsing right before them. It has become evident to us that the current system is unworkable and that we can no longer resign ourselves to cynicism and settling for the status quo. Our current two-party political system is completely broken to the extent that our leaders at the local, state, and national level, including President Obama, his administration, and the U.S. Congress are utterly incapable of effectively serving the interests of the American people. The founders of the Justice Party believe that the chief cause of this failure is the systemic corruption that allows corporate and concentrated-wealth interests to wholly control the two dominant political parties and our entire political system. We believe that the recent US Supreme Court Decision, Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, that allows corporations to make unlimited and secret corporate expenditures for specific candidates, will further entrench corporate control of our political system. Moreover, we believe that a diversity of political voices is essential at this moment in history, as the rules governing our political system and the current two party systems are designed to sustain entrenched corporate-driven power. Ultimately, this problem can only be fixed through a reform of the U.S. Constitution. We believe that our country urgently needs a political discourse among diverse and crosspartisan citizens to join forces to address the pressing immediate and long-term challenges that the country faces. At this juncture, we believe that all disenfranchised and disillusioned Americans, including those from within all existing political parties, along with those not currently active in the political system, have a moral responsibility to seek immediate solutions to the problems our country is facing. Our actions in this moment of history will have a lasting impact on the lives of citizens living in this time, as well as, upon the lives of their children, grandchildren, and subsequent generations. This document is a prospectus for the Justice Party which we envision as a major new political party that will be a major political force for decades to come. The Justice Party seeks governing authority at the local, state, Congressional and Presidential levels,

beginning in the 2012 election cycle. The Justice Party is being created as a new 21st century political vehicle to allow all citizens to work together to bring innovative resultsoriented, justice-based solutions to the political debate as soon as possible. We are filled with hope, we are taking a stand, we are taking risks, and we are taking bold action now!

II. Proposed Justice Party Founding Principles1

As co-founders of the Justice Party, we are joining forces based on a set of shared principles: We are patriots. We believe in the greatness of Americas national ideals. We believe America has an indispensable purpose in the World: to demonstrate, by example, the power of peace, freedom, equal opportunity, and justice for all; We are dedicated to bringing integrity to the intentions of founding documents of our nation including the Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. We are dedicated to advancing justice, peace, and freedom. America was founded in freedomfreedom to speak, to worship, to choose whatever path to happiness suits us bestbut that freedom comes with an equal responsibility to country, community, family, and the World. We believe that justice-based values are what enable a free and just society to regain its strength. These values are pragmatism tied to principle; honesty and integrity; hard work and personal initiative; self-sacrifice and self-discipline; fairness and compassion; competitive striving and fair play; a desire to serve the nation and advance justice in solidarity with the rest of the World. We believe that we should measure the nations progress by whether every citizen has a fair shot. We believe that all citizens should have the opportunity to advance on the basis of talent and merit, and by the degree to which we promote the common success of all of our citizens. Additionally, we believe that we should measure the nations progress towards addressing complex global challenges, including disease, illiteracy, climate change, poverty, and strategic insecurities as central priorities towards advancing Americas moral leadership.

We believe that we should measure a citizens worth by contribution to country and community, not by wealth or power. Those Americans who benefited most should contribute in proportion to their good fortune and serving others should be esteemed more highly than serving self.

III.

Proposed Founding Objectives

Objective 1: Economic & Jobs Justice Reverse the quickly growing economic disparity among Americans through comprehensive tax reform, significant housing and jobs bills (particularly green jobs), justice for workers, and fair treatment of seniors, veterans and others whose

DerivedinpartfromTheTruePatriot,APamphlet,byEricLiuandNickHanauer

resources are in jeopardy. We are committed to the proposition that social and economic justice is an essential and vital American value. Objective 2: Electoral Justice Ending political hate, polarization and demonization through significant electoral reform that promotes direct democracy by changing the way elections are financed and how Congress allocates resources is critical for achieving a just society. Objective 3: U.S. & Global Health Justice U.S. healthcare reform that moves the U.S. rapidly towards a performance-based healthcare system that is cost-effective and efficient. At the global level, mobilize support for full funding of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB & Malaria to end the scourge of these global pandemics and build health systems. Objective 4: Environmental Justice Stabilize concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while ensuring that economic development and food production are enabled in a sustainable manner.

IV. Action Plan

The initial Co-Founders of the Justice Party National Committee are joining together to form the Justice Party Steering Committee, Sub-Committees and State/Geographic Committees. Decision-making will be made by consensus or through a majority rule of members needed to approve any decision or policy. All structures and positions are considered provisional, pending approval of the delegates at the Founding Convention.

A.

Justice Party Steering Committee (JP-SC)

The Justice Party Steering Committee (JP-SC) is a committed group of Americans who are dedicated to the formation of the Justice Party as a major new political party that can achieve governing authority at the local, state, and national levels, as soon as possible, starting in the 2012 Election cycle. The Justice Party Steering Committee will oversee the work and be responsible for decision-making on all strategies and plans of the SubCommittees, State/Geographic Committees, and Action Teams that are formed to take forward particular priorities.

B.

Justice Party Sub-Committees

The initial Justice Party Sub-Committees being formed are: 1. Justice Party Governance Sub-Committee: The Justice Party Governance SubCommittee will be charged to develop the Justice Party National Committee Charter, bylaws, structure and governance proposal, including staffing of the Party. The Justice Party Governance Sub-Committee will develop a nomination process for national level candidates, and a certification process for the Congressional, state, and local-level candidates. 2. Justice Party State/Geographic Sub-Committee: The Justice Party National Committee is actively calling for the formation of State and other Geographic Committees as soon as possible. Other geographic Committees are to be formed in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Territories, and Native American tribal nations. Initially, the Justice Party State/Geographic Committees will be charged with establishing a diverse committee, elect officers, develop a charter, bylaws, and rules, acquire certification from the Justice Party National Committee, identifying delegates to attend the 2012 Founding and Platform Conventions, lead the Force for Justice: Ballot Access and Get Out the Vote initiatives, and to identify and certify candidates for local, state, and Congressional candidates. 3. Voices for Justice Sub-Committee: The Voices for Justice Sub-Committee will seek to mobilize diverse groups of Americans to support the Justice Party. The Voices for Justice Sub-Committee will develop and implement a crosspartisan outreach strategy. The Voices for Justice Sub-Committee will network intensively with Occupy Together Movement and other movements to promote convergence of ideas, principles, and policies. The Voices for Justice concept will be developed to support a deliberative dialogue of diverse range of views in support of generating the 2012 Justice Party Platform. 4. Force for Justice: Ballot Access and Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) SubCommittee: The Force for Justice: Ballot Access and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Sub-Committee is charged to lead efforts to ensure that the Justice Party is on the ballot in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories in the 2012 election cycle. Additionally, this Sub-Committee will be responsible for a national Get-Out-The-Vote effort. The first phase priorities are: Priorities for Formation: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Utah, and Vermont. 5. Justice Party Legal and Finance Sub-Committee: The Justice Party Legal and Finance Sub-Committee will be charged with establishing the legal structure and bylaws of the new party should be developed. Additionally, the legal committee should lead efforts to develop a state-by-state action plan for getting onto the ballot for the 2012 and 2014 election cycles. Additionally, the Legal Committee will establish rules and procedures for the operations of the Justice party, including financial and administrative management systems. 6. Justice Party Founding Convention Sub-Committee: The Justice Party Convention Sub-Committee will be responsible for the detailed planning, including rules for decision-making, agenda, logistics, media/communications, venue, documentation, and use of participatory decision-making technologies.
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7. Justice Party Fundraising Sub-Committee: The Justice Party Fundraising SubCommittee will be charged with developing an interim fundraising policy that will be reviewed and approved by the Justice Party Steering Committee. Subsequently, the Fundraising Committee will develop a fundraising policy for the Justice Party and a resource mobilization plan, included a web-based fundraising strategy. 8. Justice Party Platform Sub-Committee: The Justice Party Platform SubCommittee will oversee the formation of the Justice Party Platform Issue Committees and the process for negotiating and developing the 2012 Justice Party Platform by July 2012.

C. Justice Party Founding Convention, February 17-19, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah
A total of 1500 people are being targeted for participation. Proportionally representative delegations from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, US territories, and Native American tribal nations will participate. The specific outcomes of the Justice Party Founding Convention include: Agree on the Justice Party Prospectus and Action Plan Agree on the Justice Party Charter and bylaws Agree on Justice Party rules, structure, and governance, including certification of State/Geographic Committees and candidates Elect Members and Officers of the Justice Party National Committee Agree and approve Justice Party Fundraising policy and guidelines Nominate Justice Party Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates Agree on the Justice Party Strategy for 2012 Electoral Victory Form and Charge the Justice Party Platform Issue Committees Agree on the plan to convene a Justice Party National Platform Assembly/Convention in July 2012 in Philadelphia, Pa, to adopt the Justice Partys 2012 Platform

Provisional Program
Day 1, 17 February 2012, Committee Meetings Committee Meetings, all day Arrival of Delegates Evening Reception for Delegates

Day 2, 18 February 2012, Founding Convention Adoption of Rules Election of Committees & Officers Nomination speeches for President & Vice-President candidates Evening Dinner Day 3, 19 February 2012, Founding Convention Form Platform Issue Committees Adopt Plan for Platform Convention, proposed for 1-3 July, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Nominate President and Vice-President Candidates D.

Justice Party Formation Team

The Justice Party National Committee Formation Team will be charged with managing the day to day operations of the party and to support the work of the Steering Committee and Sub-Committees. Initially, members are serving as volunteers. As soon as possible, a paid staff of the Justice Party National Committee will be established.

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