Structure of Citizens Network
for Sustainable Development

The following is a description of the structure of Citizens Network. As our national conversation on the new proposed initiatives proceeds, we will be changing and adopting this structure to facilitate implementation of a new strategy and long term plan.

The Citizens Network structure is designed:

To strengthen the movement for sustainable development across the United States: by creating a directory of members and/or their organizations, including descriptions of activities, ongoing involvement in sustainable development, success stories, requests for information and so forth; by creating a database of same; by supporting the creation and operation of regional Citizen Networks, and national Working Groups; by organizing yearly meetings of the Citizens Network; by stimulating and supporting citizen work in environmental and social justice; other...

To connect the U.S. sustainable movement to decision makers at the state and national levels; by supporting participation in and acting as a Citizens Watch for PCSD; by organizing meetings that bring together government decision makers and CitNet members ; by organizing an annual General Meeting; by receiving and disseminating information about local and national initiatives concerned with sustainable development;

To stimulate, organize and facilitate citizen input in the global movement for sustainable development; by facilitating citizen participation in CSD; by facilitating citizen participation in the preparation of US national reports; by facilitating expert NGO input into the ongoing work of the CSD and its subsidiaries; by organizing and/or supporting the organization of parallel citizen consultations on CSD agenda items; by informing CitNet members about the NGO and NGO/Government sustainable development movement experience in other countries, focusing especially on South-North dialogue.

The Citizens Network for Sustainable Development consists of its members and the Membership Assembly, National Working Groups, Regional Networks and Coordinators, National Steering Committee, and Executive Committee.

I. Membership

Members shall be any organization or individual concerned with actions and policies addressing issues of sustainability, equitable distribution of resources, equitable distribution of responsibility for the sustainable use and management of resources, environmental democracy and social and economic justice. All members will pay dues. Members are invited to meet yearly at the Annual General Meeting.

II. Assembly

The Assembly consists of all dues paying or dues-subsidized Network members. The Assembly will be an arena for discussion, and debate, for the development when desirable and appropriate of coalitions within the Network, and for the advancement of the sustainable development movement. The Assembly will meet yearly.

III. National Working Groups

National Working Groups are issues or function-oriented, voluntary groups of CitNet members and are. self-organized. National Working Groups work in collaboration with the Executive Committee to carry out the goals of the Network. The National Working Groups are the primary working components of the Network, and will initiate policy and policy implementation of the Network in collaboration with the National Steering Committee.

National Working Group members will actively recruit individuals for CitNet membership and serve in the National Working Groups to ensure sectoral, ethnic, cultural, gender and age diversity. National Working Group members will recruit members to encourage and support grassroots participation.

A National Working Group will not claim to represent anyone other than the National Working Group itself.

Each Working Group will elects its Chair or Co-chairs, who will serve on the National Steering Committee for the period of one year, and who will devote substantial time and effort into the working group.

New National Working Groups can be created by any group of CitNet members who will present a brief description of their goals, working procedures, targets and deadlines, and membership to the National Steering Committee. The National Steering Committee can accept the new Working Group by a majority vote.

Any member of the CitNet may join an ongoing working group or create a new working group.

IV. Regional Coordinators and Networks

CitNet actively encourages the formation of regional CitNets to facilitate regional sustainability work and to facilitate information gathering and sharing.

The methods of regional organization are to be determined by the Regions themselves and the Regional Coordinator, but each Regional Coordinator will send information about each Region's organization and activities to the National Steering Committee to be circulated to other Regions regularly through the newsletter and/or email.

Each Region is encouraged to design its own sustainable development goals and programs with support from the Executive Committee as long as the general goals and purposes of CitNet are carried out by the Region.

Each Region will be encouraged to seek local funding for its needs, but the Executive Committee will give full support to these efforts. It may be decided that a portion of CitNet membership dues will be returned to the Regions.

Any member of CitNet is strongly encouraged to participate and/or initiate Regional activities and to work with a Regional Coordinator and Regional Network to further the goals of the Network Coordinator, but each Regional Coordinator will send information about how each region organizes itself as well as details on the activities of the Regional Groups and their members to the National Steering Committee to be circulated to other regions regularly through the newsletter and/or e-mail.

Membership in National Steering Committee:

Members of the National Steering Committee are the chairpersons of the Working Groups and the Regional Coordinators.

V. National Steering Committee

• The National Steering Committee is responsible for: developing and maintaining the purpose and direction of the Network; fund raising; organizing and facilitating the yearly meeting of the Membership Assembly; and supporting the activities of the Working Groups, Regional Groups, and the Membership Assembly.
• The National Steering Committee will elect the members of the Executive Committee,.
• The National Steering Committee elects its own chairperson.
• The National Steering Committee is responsible for development of Network procedures in response to the ongoing formation of local, national and international agencies, commissions, etc. concerned with sustainable development. (i.e. developing a list of members from whom would be chosen appropriate CitNet delegates for specific conferences.)
• The National Steering Committee members are expected to share the work of publishing the newsletter, and to provide institutional support to the Network as needed. (For example, members with institutional support may volunteer to financially sponsor for a month at a time Network conference calls, arrange for printing and mailing the newsletter, provide office space if needed, etc.)
• National Steering Committee Members are the chairpersons of the National Working Groups and the Regional Coordinators plus two at-large members to be named by the Steering Committee.

VI. Executive Committee :

• The Executive Committee is responsible for day to day working of the Network, and has authority to make executive decisions as required in the Network Programs.
• The Executive Committee may designate its officers as needed. (secretary, co-chairs, etc.)
• The Executive Committee is elected by the National Steering Committee.
• Members will serve for a period of one year.
• Executive Committee members must be willing to devote substantial time to CitNet work.

Caveats

The Network should neither act nor be seen as the sole voice of the NGO perspective, or as representing anything other than its members insofar as they are in agreement.

The Network should function to promote the broadest, most inclusive citizen participation and input.

The Network itself will not advocate positions other than those described in the Network mission statement., but rather Network members will pursue advocacy measures and policy positions on a sign-on basis.

The Network would encourage the development and advocacy of positions and coalitions by member NGOs and Working Groups.

The Network should avoid duplicating the efforts of other NGOs/networks. This description of the structure of the CitNet shall be reviewed yearly to ensure that it corresponds and facilitates the work of the Network and its members.

Currently through this interim period of reorganization, the CitNet Executive Committee consists of a Director, Sharyle Patton, and Members: Peter Adriance, Michael McCoy, Mary Steinmaus, Noah Maffitt, Susan Boyd, Tom Rogers, Angela Park and Jeff Barber.