3. RESOLUTION TO REORGANIZE
Whereas, the founding articles and bylaws of the Committees of Correspondence clearly state the freedom and autonomy of the state, regional and local Committees of Correspondence; and
Whereas, we are in a period of political development, nationally, internationally, and historically, which demands the freedom of experimentation, expression, research, observation and contemplation; and
Whereas, top-down authoritarianism within progressive organization, once called "democratic centralism," has been sharply and comprehensively discredited by the exposure of the errors and failures of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and others under its influence; and
Whereas, top-down authoritarianism within progressive organization, once called "democratic centralism," has been exposed in it weaknesses and errors by the long irrelevance of the Communist Party, USA, and other Left organizations in the United States, and by their inability to respond to historical events, to which it was fundamentally necessary to respond; and
Whereas, the original Committees of Correspondence first formed in 1763 and blossomed in Massachusetts in 1772 with over 80 committees by the end of 1773 and for which we are named, which became the revolutionary committees of the 13 original British colonies in the Americas, were independent of each other, related loosely through a common goal, the liberty of these colonies from British oppression, and which had no central authority (prior to the formation of additional revolutionary activities); and
Whereas, modern communications, including the Internet and email, telephones, facsimiles, and surface and air mail, make a central command center unnecessary for relationships and communication between the individual Committees of Correspondence; Whereas the Committees of Correspondence has been losing members in recent years; and
Whereas, the Committees of Correspondence has been losing members and local Committees in recent years, without any evidence of reversal; and
Whereas, the economic burden of supporting a national staff and officers which are not capable of reversing losses nor are essential to defining effective directions is unacceptable to an organization such as the Committees of Correspondence, and
Whereas, the present national staff and national officers of the Committees of Correspondence have not provided leadership to the organization and its members sufficient to overcome these discrepancies and take the organization forward after eight years of existence, and
Whereas, some of the national staff and officers of the Committees of Correspondence have wasted time and effort over these years in sectarian in-fighting with other Left organizations, in spite of repeated calls from the national body to work together with them and even to unite with some; and
Whereas, the national staff and some national officers of the Committees of Correspondence have favored development of some Committees and have neglected others, and
Whereas, the national staff and some national officers of the Committees of Correspondence have clung to old ideas and terms which alienate us from the mainstream of Americans; and
Whereas, the national staff and some national officers of the Committees of Correspondence have attacked state, regional and local Committees of Correspondence, in an effort to limit the thinking, actions and representations of those Committees; and
Therefore, be it resolved that the Committees of Correspondence reorganize themselves into individual local, state and regional Committees of Correspondence (under whatever names) with no central officers or staff; and
Therefore, be it resolved that the individual Committees of Correspondence use the various contemporary means of communication to form continuing relationships, bearing themselves the costs of that communication; and
Therefore, be it resolved that a majority of those Committees of Correspondence can call a national convention when they decide, organizing it according to their wisdom and assessing themselves for the costs of such convention; and
Therefore, be it resolved that these Committees of Correspondence, together, singly, or in groups, may establish whatever task forces or working groups it may wish, by democratic decision making, using the communications systems available or by meeting; and
Therefore, be it resolved that any moneys, property, funds or foundations presently owned by the central body of the Committees of Correspondence be reestablished and governed or distributed in a manner to be determined by a vote of the individual Committees of Correspondence.
Resolution submitted by Jack Zylman, NCC representative at large and member of the Metro DC Committees of Correspondence.
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