GPNY working groups provide a way to increase grassroots participation in Green Party activism and membership. They engage Greens who have similar activist interests or who share specific identities and who want to discuss the issues that affect them and organize around these issues in line with the GPNY platform.

The GPNY Executive Committee (EC), subject to review by the State Committee (SC), may create or recognize a working group that meets the requirements described below. The EC may decline to recognize or rescind recognition of a working group that does not meet these requirements.

What types of Working Groups are there?
Working groups can be formed around specific issues (e.g., anything from anti-fracking to state-run banks, to cannabis legalization, to ending police brutality, animal rights, etc.). Working groups can also be based on issues of interest to a particular constituency aka identity politics (e.g., Women, Blacks, LGBTQ, Latinx, etc.). 

What sorts of activities do Working Groups engage in?
Examples of appropriate working group activities include but are not limited to: Developing issue activist campaigns, planning events (such as protests and press conferences), articulating GPNY positions on the issues that they are involved with, building a network of people interested in these issues, and helping to create social bonds among the people participating in a working group. Working groups can draft press releases for review and approval by the GPNY Executive Committee (EC) concerning the issues they are working on. They may also make presentations at GPNY State Committee (SC) meetings. Working groups do not have a vote on matters before the SC but their views shall be taken into consideration when it comes to a discussion of their particular issues.

How do I start a Working Group?
A proposal to the EC to constitute a working group must include the following: 

1. The names of at least five enrolled Greens from at least 3 different GPNY affiliated county organizations who commit to active service as voting members of the working group. No person may serve as a voting member on more than 2 working groups (similar to the GPNY policy relating to service on committees). 
2. A commitment to elect a registered Green as chair who will also serve as the liaison between the working group and the EC. An individual may not serve as the chair/EC liaison on more than 1 working group.
3. A phone number and an email address so that interested Greens or non-Greens can join the working group. 
4. A listserv address to facilitate discussions of the working group on their issues, and facilitate campaigns, and events. 
5. A statement of mission setting forth broadly anticipated and/or planned activities. The mission should be approved by consensus or by majority vote if consensus cannot be achieved.
6. A commitment to hold regular meetings or conference calls at a mutually convenient time and to provide either minutes or a summary of action items. 

Can non-Greens be involved?
Yes. Volunteers and Non-Greens in GPNY working groups will not have voting rights but they may contribute to the working group’s discussions and activities.

What is the relationship of working groups to the state committee? 
Working groups are mandated to email a short written summary or report to the state party Secretary [secretary( at )gpny.org], to be included in the meeting packet before every SC meeting. At the EC's discretion, working groups can make a presentation or report at an SC meeting. Additionally, a working group may request to make a presentation or report at an SC meeting as long as they go through the usual agenda submission process set forth in the GPNY rules.

GPNY Climate Action Working Group

This working group has disbanded and has now reformed as a GPNY Committee under the leadership of David Sutliff-Atias (email datias34( at )gmail.com).