PSC Annual General Meeting 2022
Saturday 19 March 2022
10am – 4:30pm
Our Annual General Meeting is where PSC members, branches and affiliated organisations come together to decide our next steps as a movement. The event will hear from leading campaigners in both Palestine and Britain, includes multiple breakout sessions and the opportunity to vote to set our policies, priorities and to elect our volunteer leadership for the year ahead.
Due to the Covid situation, as at the 2021 AGM, this year’s event will be entirely online. Drawing on the experience of last year’s successful online AGM, we have sought to use the numerous opportunities created by the online format, rather than simply seeking to replicate the format of previous in-person meetings, whilst meeting all our constitutional requirements.
We have aimed to produce an exciting and accessible day of learning and discussion that can include all members, so whether you have joined us at past AGMs or not, please register to play a part in shaping our work for Palestine.
Ahead of the AGM on Saturday 19th March 2022 there are numerous ways for you to take part:
- Register to attend, whether as an individual member or as a delegate from your branch or affiliated organisation
- Submit a motion or amendment
- Stand for election to the PSC Executive Committee
The full agenda will be released in due course, but provisional plans are for the day to be split into four sessions with comfort and lunch breaks in between. Sessions will include speakers from Palestine, a choice of break-out sessions, a lunchtime cook-along plus the formal democratic business of PSC such as reports on the year’s activities and the organisation’s finances, debates on the annual plan proposed by the Executive in consultation with branches, motions submitted by members and the election of the new Executive Committee.
To find out more about the AGM process, please see the following sections:
Registration
All PSC individual members are entitled to attend the AGM, as are delegates from PSC branches and affiliated organisations. To be entitled to vote you, or your organisation, must be a fully paid-up member by Friday 17 December 2021. If you are unsure of whether your membership is up to date please register and we will be in touch if any payment is due. Online registration is open until Friday 11 March at 6pm. Postal registration closes on Wednesday 16 March at 5pm.
All individual members receive one vote. Branches and affiliated organisations receive one vote, except for national organisations with over 100,000 members which are entitled to 3 votes. One person may hold their own vote plus those of a branch or affiliate but will be required to cast all votes they hold in the same way during each vote.
If you wish to cast your individual vote as a member alongside any votes on behalf of a branch or affiliate, please complete both forms.
REGISTER ON BEHALF OF YOUR BRANCH OR AFFILIATE
Motions process
Prior to the AGM, the Executive Committee in consultation with Branch representatives attending our regular Branch Forums will compile PSC’s Annual Plan. This proposal is put to the AGM for approval and forms the core of our planned work over the coming year. In addition to the Annual Plan, the AGM can consider motions which, if passed, are integrated into the plan.
The shift to an online AGM with the ability to instantly count electronic votes has allowed us to give members more of a say over which motions are prioritised for debate, with a vote early in the agenda.
However we anticipate the shift to the online format may somewhat slow the pace of debate and are therefore asking that before submitting a motion, members and branches carefully consider whether there might be alternative ways to raise the subject at the AGM, including through speaking to the relevant section of the Annual Plan. Similarly, when considering amendments, we request members reflect on their necessity.
Motions must be submitted using the following form by 5pm on Friday 21 January 2022. After the distribution of motions, any amendments must be submitted using the following form by 5pm on Friday 11 March 2022.
To allow for a more accessible debate, please keep all motions below 300 words and all amendments below 100 words.
To submit a motion or amendment, please use the following form:
Elections to the PSC Executive Committee
The AGM elects members to serve on PSC’s Executive Committee and help lead the campaign until the next AGM. The Executive meets in full at least six times a year with members also taking on diverse areas of work, from campaign planning and organisational oversight to representing us externally or contributing to building PSC in different areas of society. Most meetings take place virtually.
The positions available are Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Trade Union Liaison Officer, Campaign Officer, Publications Officer, plus 8 general Executive Members.
Please note as mandated by last year’s AGM, a Constitutional working group has been addressing changes to PSC’s Constitution. Proposals from this process will be put in a motion to this AGM. This is likely to include a constitutional amendment to remove the roles of Campaigns Officer and Publication Officer.
All members in good standing who have been PSC members since 17 September 2021 or before are eligible to stand.
If you wish to stand for election, you must complete the following form by 5pm on Friday 21 January, including providing details of a proposer, seconder and a statement in support of your candidacy. We will also be asking candidates to submit a video for distribution ahead of the AGM, details of which will be provided to candidates after the close of nominations.
Other information
The event will take the format of a live video stream, with a linked voting platform. Voting will take place in the normal way at the end of each item and therefore each person voting will need to have their own internet-connected device (laptop, tablet or phone) on which to already be logged in and ready to cast their vote. If you are to hold multiple votes (eg. one as an individual and one on behalf of your branch) you will only need one device and each time you cast a vote as all votes you hold will need to be cast for the same option – your vote will then given the relevant weight.
For any queries in relation to the AGM, please contact the PSC office via info@palestinecampaign.org.
Deadlines
- Friday 17 September 2021: Candidates for election to the Executive Committee must be members by this date to be eligible for election.
- Friday 17 December 2021: To vote at AGM as an individual, you must be a current member by this date.
- Friday 21 January 2022 at 5pm: Close of submissions of motions and election nominations.
- Friday 4 February 2022: A report including the annual plan, proposed motions and election nominations will be published by this date.
- Friday 11 March 2022 at 5pm: Close of receipt of amendments to motions.
- Friday 11 March 2022 at 6pm: Close of online registration for those attending the AGM.
- Wednesday 16 March 2022 5pm: Closing date for postal registrations to attend the AGM.
- Saturday 19 March 2022: Annual General Meeting, 10am-4:30pm