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All:

Below is the "Majority Report" from the Diversity Committee based the results of its meeting yesterday, Saturday, March 29. It is also in the attachment. This report appeared after the Minority Report from the meeting, but for reasons I do not understand has not been circulated on lists.

I am sending it to as many lists of which I am a member. Please feel free to circulate it widely.

This document needs to be evaluated because it represents the decisions of the majority of the Diversity Committee.

Larry Romsted
WBAI Land

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Draft Diversity Language for Pacifica National Bylaws

1. Policy Statement for the Committees of Inclusion (not voted on)

The Pacifica Foundation, a media outlet providing education and alternative information over the public airwaves, uniquely provides training and broadcast accessibility to underrepresented and disenfranchised communities. The Pacifica Foundation is committed to non-discrimination throughout all of its stations and offices. In addition to Pacifica's commitment to underrepresented and disenfranchised communities is a broader commitment to diversity, equal access, promotion of peace and social justice, and ending of oppression and economic injustice in all its forms.

In the past, The Pacifica Foundation has not been able to achieve sufficient diversity in its staffing, volunteer committees, and programming. As a remedy, the Pacifica Foundation requires all signal area stations, management, staff, and boards to pursue diversity goals as set forth in the Pacifica Foundation Bylaws (see below). In addition, operational guidelines shall establish goals covering groups that are considered to be disenfranchised and/or underrepresented based on their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other categories.

2. The Bylaws Diversity Language (Voted to include)

The Pacifica Foundation shall require throughout its institutional structures, diversity requirements in all its management, programming, boards, staff, and operations.

There shall be established a standing committee of the Pacifica National Board (PNB) called the "PNB Committee of Inclusion" to (a) monitor diversity of the national staff and national committees, (b) monitor diversity goals throughout all Pacifica network stations, and (c) communicate closely with local Committees of Inclusion committees regarding progress toward their diversity goals. The PNB Committee of Inclusion shall be comprised of three members from each local Committee of Inclusion.

There shall be established in each of the Pacifica local signal areas a local Committee of Inclusion that is a subcommittee of the PNB Committee of Inclusion to monitor inclusion of under-represented communities in their station programming, volunteer staff, and paid staff. They will also monitor election candidates and will work with the local Outreach, Diversity, and Election committee to improve the diversity of election candidates.

Local Committees of Inclusion shall help establish and monitor diversity goals in consultation with station management and volunteer committees. These diversity goals will be published and maintained in each respective signal area. Communities deemed to be under-represented by the local Committees of Inclusion will be identified and the extent of their under-representation shall be communicated to the PNB, the respective LSB, station management, and the local Outreach committee. Station management and the outreach committee will be expected to consider these communities in their future decisions about staffing, programming, committee membership, and candidate outreach.

Local station management and committees shall report quarterly to the local Committees of Inclusion, the PNB, and the LSBs on the status of diversity goals within their respective signal areas. The PNB shall query and monitor signal areas with identified under-represented communities about their plans for addressing these communities. Where necessary and with due notice, the PNB will suggest or direct managers and committees to implement specific changes to improve the status of under-represented communities in their respective signal areas. The PNB will assist and encourage station managers and committees in finding new ways to improve recruitment efforts in their respective signal areas in an effort to achieve diversity goals.

The Committees of Inclusion shall serve as a liaison to and between management, volunteers, listener-sponsors and the community at large to establish and maintain a goal of at least 50% women and 50% people of color in all Pacifica programming, committee membership, and candidate outreach. The local Committees of Inclusion will each consist of 15 members, four of whom should be members of the LSB. The membership of Committees of Inclusion shall consist of at least 50% women and 50% people of color and shall include other disenfranchised or underrepresented groups.

All Committees of Inclusion shall operate in adherence to the Pacifica Foundation Bylaws and policies. The Pacifica Foundation shall establish a policy document entitled "Committees of Inclusion Operational Guidelines" that describes the committees' charge and policies regarding implementation of that charge.

3. Bylaws Election Process language (Voted to Include)

At the close of each election's nomination period, the pool of candidates will be evaluated by the Committee of Inclusion to assess if diversity goals have been met. If the Committee of Inclusion decides that the diversity goals of the candidate pool have not been met, the nomination period will be extended for two weeks, up to two consecutive extensions. During each extension period, the Outreach Committee and Committee of Inclusion will be expected to conduct additional outreach efforts to underrepresented groups to enhance the diversity of the pool of candidates. After two consecutive extensions, the election must go forward. The candidate pool shall consist of at least 50% women and 50% people of color and shall include other disenfranchised or underrepresented groups.

4. Corrective Measures Language (Voted to Include)

If after the local election is held, LSB diversity goals are not achieved, the highest vote getters who are women and/or people of color will be seated. The local LSBs can seat up to five additional persons for one election cycle. The exact number of persons to be seated will be governed by the number needed to meet diversity goals as previously specified by the Committee of Inclusion. If after the LSB election is held, PNB diversity goals are not achieved, the highest vote getters who are women and/or people of color will be seated. One person from each station area will be selected.

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• Diversity bylaw committee documents