ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE

The Nubian Leadership CircleWashington, DC

(202) 922-6527

Sadiki Kambon, Convener

PROPOSED STRUCTURE OF THE NUBIAN LEADERSHIP CIRCLESECTION ONE – PURPOSE AND MISSION

NAME OF ORGANIZATION

The name of the organization shall be the Nubian Leadership NLC, hereinafter, referred to as the N.L.C.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Nubian Leadership NLC will function as an alliance of Afrikan/Black local organizations and leaders with an identifiable constituency having local, regional, national, and international implications. The primary mandate of the NLC is to build an alliance of Umoja (Unity) among Afrikan/Black organizations to provide a structure that promotes a “power base” that protects and defends our rights. This would require our coming together with the mindset of Afrikan/Black people!

Build unity among Afrikan/Black people and to provide a structure to enhance unity among Afrikan/Black organizations to build a power base to promote, protect and defend the interests of Afrikan/Black people and the Pan Afrikan world.

Serve as a convener for local, regional, national, and international organizations and leaders with an identifiable constituency, which serve and represent the interest of the Afrikan/Black community.

Facilitate the development and implementation of an action agenda of initiatives, programs and projects mutually agreed to by NLC participants

Provide a forum for the honest and respectful exchange of view on issues, policies, strategies and tactics.

Offer a mechanism for private/internal discussion and resolution of conflicts between organizations and leaders.

Provide technical assistance for local summits and facilitate more effective working relationships between organizations and leaders.

Serve as a clearinghouse and network for information exchange to encourage more effective coordination and specialization between organizations working to meet the needs of the Afrikan/Black community.

Build a broad-based network of local, regional, national, and international organizations and leaders united in their commitment to take action for self-determination and a higher quality of human life through fundamental cultural, economic, educational, political and social change.

SECTION TWO – ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE

OPERATIONAL UNITY

The NLC is based on the concept of operational unity, recognizing that there are a wide range of organizations within the national Afrikan/Black community with diverse ideologies and methods of approach.

The essential principle of operational unity is “unity without uniformity”. In functional terms, operational unity allows organizations to retain their autonomy and independence while working collaboratively and collectively in the best interest of the national Afrikan/Black community on issues, programs, projects, and initiatives on which there is mutual agreement.

The maintenance of operational unity requires that the NLC only advocate positions and undertake initiatives around which there is broad consensus and agreement among NLC participants.

PRINCIPLES OF COOPERATION

Mutual respect for all participating organizations and persons, including genuine respect for differences, and yet principled struggle to promote maximum unity and cooperation within that diversity.

Respect and protection of NLC confidentiality by all participants.

Rejection of any efforts to turn the NLC into a unitary, monolithic organization which imposes a singular leadership or ideology on NLC participants.

Strict respect and practice of the principle of collective leadership in decision-making.

Collective work and responsibility in all activities.

Principled and peaceful struggle and settlement of all disputes and issues: with free, full, honest, and respectful discussion before decisions are made.

There must be a three-fourths (75%) vote of the existing NLC participants to change any infrastructure components of the NLC.

SECTION THREE – GOVERNANCE

COMMITTEE AND NATIONAL OFFICERS

NLC Convener

NLC Co-Facilitators (2)

National Financial Secretary

National Secretary

Co-Chairs – Moral and Spiritual Renewal

Co-Chairs – Council of Elders

Co-Chairs – Economic Development

Co-Chairs – Afrikan/Black Traditional family

Co-Chairs – Land/Farming

Co-Chairs – Media/Communications

Co-Chairs – Reparations

Co-Chairs – Law and Justice

Co-Chairs – Education/Health

Co-Chairs – International Affairs/Human Rights

NLC Convener – The Convener shall be the National Spokesperson of the NLC. The Convener shall convene all meetings of the Coordinating Council and national leadership. The Convener shall issue, after proper consultation, all official policy statements and press statements representing the position or policy of the NLC. Where NLC representation is requested, it shall be the responsibility of the Convener to appoint said representation. The Convener shall use authority of the office to facilitate full implementation of resolutions and plans adopted at NLC meetings.

NLC Co-Facilitators – The Co-Facilitators: male and female, shall be the Chief Executives of the NLC in the absence and/or inability of the Convener to function. The Co-Facilitators shall work in cooperation with each other to solicit reports and make periodic reviews of national work and advise the National Coordinating Committee as to the progress or problems. The Co-Facilitators shall help to facilitate the internal communications within NLC leadership and facilitate closer communications and work whenever needed.

National Financial Secretary – The Treasurer shall serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the NLC. The Treasurer shall maintain records and reports of all financial income and expenditures. The Treasurer shall monitor all financial matters affecting the NLC and shall establish a checking account and all of the necessary record keeping procedures that will enable the Treasurer to produce written financial reports on a quarterly basis.

National Secretary – The Secretary shall be responsible for the overall recordkeeping of the NLC. The Secretary shall also serve as the historian of the organization. The Secretary shall oversee the secretaries of the various committee chairs.

Committee Chairpersons – The Committee Chairpersons shall be responsible for organizing committee work made up of representatives who serve on their respective committees. The Committee Chairpersons shall prepare written committee reports to describe the status of Committee work to be presented at each NLC summit. The Committee Chairperson shall maintain a roster of their committee members and communicate on a regular basis (at least bi-monthly) with the National Convener and the Co-Facilitators.

NATIONAL NLC COORDINATING COUNCIL

NLC Convener

NLC Co-Facilitators (2)

National Secretary

National Financial Secretary

Committee Chairpersons

The NLC Shall have significant youth representation at all levels.

The NLOC shall develop local, regional, national, and international organizations balance in the leadership representation and structure.

THE NLC ADVISORY STRUCTURE

Council of Elders – The National Coordinating Council shall recommend and in cooperation with NLC participants select and appoint respected leaders, and historians, whom they deem honorable and appropriate to advise the Coordinating Council in specific areas of work. Members of the Council of Elders shall be consulted to provide technical information and possible strategies and tactics for NLC consideration. They may also be used as resource personal when needed to facilitate resolution of internal conflict. They may also serve as observers at National Coordinating Council and NLC Summit meetings.

Honorary Board – The National Coordinating Council shall, in collaboration with NLC participants, select and appoint key supporters, contributors, and leaders whom they deem committed to plan the development of NLC. The Honorary Board agrees to convene at least twice a year to accept responsibility for broadening the base of support and expanding the capacity of the NLC to carry out its work and mission.

ELECTIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND TERMS OF OFFICE

The NLC Convener shall serve the NLC for four years and shall be elected by the democratic vote of the national body.

The NLC Co-Facilitators, National Financial Secretary and National Secretary shall all serve for four years and shall be elected by the democratic vote of the national body.

The Committee Chairpersons shall serve for two years and shall be elected by democratic vote of the respective committees.

National Representative, the Council of Elders, and Honorary Board shall serve renewable two-year terms. The National Coordinating Committee shall recommend and in cooperation with NLC participants, select and appoint these members.

MEMBERSHIP IN THE NLC

Membership in the NLC is inclusive of the broadest possible spectrum of local, regional, national, and international organizations; leaders and resource people who agree with the goals and objectives of the summit, practice operational unity, subscribe to the principles of cooperation embodied in the constitutions and by-laws and meet the following criteria:

National Afrikan/Black and Pan-African organizations and leaders with an identifiable constituency.

Afrikan/Black organizations who accept the constitution and by-laws, structure, and all policies of the NLC.

Other membership categories developed and determined by the NLC and ratified according to amendment procedures set forth in the constitution, including associate members and youth.

The Coordinating Council shall be empowered to settle any appeals or disputes as to membership in the NLC that is raised by any organization who allege they have been denied membership unjustly. The Coordinating Council should appoint a sub-committee to establish a written appeals procedure.

DUES AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Each certified, voting participating organization would be responsible for annual national dues (amount to be determined at national summits).

Each certified individual participant at each national summit would be responsible for NLC registration fees (amount to be determined at national summits).

NLC MEETINGS

National Summit – The national leadership (i.e., Convener and Co-Facilitators) and Coordinating Council shall schedule at least two National Summits per year. Summit sites are to be chosen by proposals submitted to and approved by the National Coordinating Council prior to the next National Summit.

The Coordinating Council of the NLC should meet at least quarterly, including the two National Summits convened each year, to review work, define policy, and evaluate the progress and development of the NLC. The National Convener, Co-Facilitators and National Secretary are the officers responsible for meetings and communications with the Coordinating Council. If an emergency arises, the National Convener, or the Co-Facilitators jointly, or a simple majority of the Coordinating Committee may call a special meeting of NLC leadership.

AMENDMENTS

Once this document is adopted it can only be changed by a three-fourths (75%) vote of all the membership. The Coordinating Council should schedule periodic reviews of this document so that its perfections and adaptation to organizational needs are reflected.

If a crisis occurs in the interpretation of the organizational infrastructure, the Coordinating Council has the responsibility to appoint a Special Committee to review the conflicting issues and make a recommendation back to the Coordinating Council so that the dispute may be resolved.

Rights of NLC Participants – NLC members have a right to honest, open and majority based leadership and voting privileges. NLC participants have the right to know and take part in the decision-making process and are allowed to express themselves on all issues. They have a right to regular disclosure of all financial matters. All participants have a right to qualify for leadership of office holding consideration.

1. The NLC Coordinating Council shall establish a Judiciary Review Committee who shall be mandated to devise policies and procedures to censure or remove national officers prior to the next annual National Summit. The National Coordinating Council must ratify the procedure.