Nuestra Estructura Democratica y Participativa
El trabajo del Centro se desempeña en diferentes espacios, que son semi autónomos pero que juntos conforman un solo Centro. Son los seis cuadros del Centro (Voluntari@s, Coordinadores y Maestrxs, Comunidad en Acción, Frente, Colaboraciones Transnacionales, y Mesa) donde se realiza trabajo que a su vez debe ser cultural, económico y político. La estructura, las decisiones y la comunicación varían dentro de cada cuadro, pero entre ellos funciona así:
Todas las decisiones del Centro se llevan a cabo por consenso, es decir, se llevará a cabo cuanto diálogo, propuestas y enmiendas sean necesarias para que tod@s esten de acuerdo, o por lo menos que ninguna persona bloquee la decisión. Además, solo debe un@ “bloquear” el consenso con un argumento sustancial de que dicha decisión iría en contra de los principios del Centro. Las decisiones dentro del Comité Central son principalmente de coordinación, pero no de gobernanza general ni de cambios estructurales, ya que estas deben ser llevadas a aprobación de l@s voluntari@s de base.
La más grande autoridad del Centro son l@s voluntari@s de base--todas aquellas personas que tienen un compromiso con El Centro y participan a través de uno de los cuadros. Cada mes toman decisiones que conciernen a todo el Centro, tales como metas colectivas y gobernanza del espacio dentro de la reunión de voluntari@s de base. Es necesario que, para tener una decisión representativa de todo el Centro, las reuniones de voluntari@s de base tengan amplia y suficiente participación de cada cuadro. Es por esto que se reitera la responsabilidad de cada Responsable en mantener informad@s a tod@s sus participantes.
El Centro siempre ha sido compuesto por voluntari@s, sin embargo a través de los años y crecimiento de la organización se ha requerido proveer estipendios y tener contratistas independientes para proyectos específicos y temporales, por ejemplo para la organización comunitaria con aliados, la contabilidad, la administración del edificio y para la coordinación general. Estas posiciones no sustituyen la estructura del Comité Central y l@s voluntari@s de base. Al contrario, deben ser un apoyo a la estructura actual. El Centro debe poder seguir funcionando aunque no se tenga todo “el personal” pagado. Además, todas las posiciones pagadas pueden ser rotativas; a partir de una evaluación, se pueden elegir y abrir las posiciones dentro de cierto plazo
“In 2003, el Centro’s volunteer base grew tremendously and took the lead in calling for a transformation of the structure and decision-making processes at el Centro to more closely reflect the values of community empowerment and leadership that the mission described. The process lasted until 2005 and built on the research of other structures, including traditional nonprofits, students organizations, labor unions, indigenous organizations, uses y costumbres, and zapatista caracoles.”
Six Cuadros
Voluntarios: a general assembly that takes place once a week at el Centro, bringing together both new and old volunteers. Once a month el Centro holds a Voluntarios de Base meeting where mesa, teachers, coordinators, comite central and other core volunteers come together.
Maestros/Coordinators: El Centro has created over 20 of its own programs and classes. Teachers and coordinators gather once a month, in addition to their own classes, and discuss issues and questions regarding to teaching and programming.
Frente: El Centro’s work goes beyond the programming within the space, and into the communities that make up our base. el Frente is made up of different local organizing efforts including immigrant, tenant, and cultural rights.
Community partners: el Centro has been housing different organizations —both nonprofit and other forms of organization since its first space in 2002. Groups working in working on a range of fields, including theatre, education, day labor organizing, immigrant rights have met and contributed to the rent of the space. This shared space required having a separate space for community partners to gather and discuss their concerns and needs.
Transnational collaborations: El Centro understands that our comment issues do not begin at this side of the border, and much of our community still has members in other countries. Thus, el Centro has a transnational arm of the organization to ensure the participation of transnational organizations, and groups on the other side of the border
Mesa: Having a board of directors is a requirement for all nonprofit organizations in addition to our bylaws. El Centro has a board of directors, including a chair, secretary and treasurer. Our “mesa” is responsible for our legal, political, and economic accountability.
COMITE CENTRAL
Comite Central is the center or inner working of el Centro (like the spoke of a wheel). It’s the connection between all the different cuadros of el Centro and inspired by the Zapatista caracoles.
Each cuadro chooses their own responsable who then is the representative in comite central. Each cuadro has their own process for choosing their responsable. Together the comite central is responsable for the communication, outreach, integration, and support that takes place throughout the organization. Responsables have duties for their cuadro (individual) and for the comite central (collective). This includes facilitating meeting for their own cuadro while also attending comite central meetings and handling conflicts between different needs of the space.
“HYPER-DEMOCRATIC: EL CENTRO CULTURAL DE MEXICO
Serving recent Mexican immigrants to Santa Ana, El Centro Cultural organizes music, dance, art, English, literacy, theater classes, and space for community participation in rented downtown quarters. It celebrates the Son Jarocho culture of the Veracruz region using stringed and percussive instruments called jaranas made in Veracruz and played at fandangos— festivals based on traditional music and dance. Inclusive of all art forms, El Centro classes range from older women knitting together to young people experimenting with contemporary American music and spoken word.
El Centro is not a place where people are taught culture but where people teach their own culture to others. About 50 people actively participate as voluntarios—unpaid teachers, administrators, coordinators, and organizers who are considered owners rather than staff of the organization. Since community members help organize activities, El Centro makes no distinction between the community served and those working in the organization.
El Centro Cultural’s governance structure is unusual but meets nonprofit requirements. Six cuadros (organized groups), each with a volunteer leader who must consult with cuadro members, meet to make decisions. For instance, all teachers are required to attend their cuadro decision-making sessions on programming. Another cuadro handles financial matters, but does not control financial decision-making. Decisions about the space and organization as a whole are made at large inter- generational volunteer meetings through consensus, offering all members a sense of ownership while raising the visibility of volunteer teachers and administrators. The structure is open, bilingual, and rotates facilitation and leadership positions.”