Committees

Administrative

The Administrative Committee is responsible for handling our chapter’s routine administrative functions such as chapter communications, technology infrastructure, membership data maintenance, and new member onboarding. The Administrative Committee is chaired by the Communications Coordinator and the Membership Coordinators of the Coordinating Committee.

Coordinating

The Coordinating Committee (CC) coordinates and oversees the work of the variety of Working Groups and Committees, which are the focuses of DSA Boston’s organizing efforts, and has responsibility for hosting General Meetings. It also makes political decisions for the chapter in between General Meetings and the Annual convention. The CC is composed of the two Co-Chairs, who are the leadership and public face of the chapter, the Treasurer, the Communications Coordinator, two Membership Coordinators, the Clerk, and four at-large elected committee members.

Direct Action, De-escalation & Security

Direct Action, De-escalation & Security (DADS) provides trainings, materials, and assistance to DSA members engaging in protests and direct actions, manages event safety for chapter-wide events such as General Meetings, and disseminates skills related to security (digital, informational, and physical), de-escalation, and anti-harassment throughout the chapter. DADS works in coalition with other Boston-area organizations to monitor and counter the far right whenever they threaten our organizing.

Full membership in DADS requires training and vetting; however, any chapter member in good standing may join the Auxiliary Underground Network of Tactical Supports (AUNTS) group to receive notice of training and volunteer opportunities, or the demo team, which focuses on putting together chapter-specific contingents at rallies and marches.

General Meeting Planning

The General Meeting Planning Committee (GMPC) plans our general meetings. General Meetings generally take place on the third Saturday of the month. The General Meeting Planning Committee communicates via group chat and meets as needed.

Harassment & Grievance Officers

The Harassment and Grievance Officers (HGOs) are four elected officers within Boston DSA who addresses incidents of harassment within the Chapter. The HGOs seek to resolve conflict between Boston DSA members and address breaches of the Boston DSA Code of Conduct.

The HGOs provide informal mediation to members in conflict and also formally investigate and respond to reports of misconduct via the Boston DSA Resolutions Procedure. Members always have the option to seek mediation or other assistance and advice from the HGOs before, or instead of, beginning the formal Resolutions Process.

Transformative Justice

The Transformative Justice Committee (TJC) of the Boston chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (BDSA) was created in 2021 through the February chapter-wide priority proposal process. The Steering Committee of BDSA voted to make the TJC a permanent committee in November 2021.

“Any organization, no matter its political platform, will face conflict and harm between its members. But if confronted with courage, care, and thoughtfulness, these painful episodes don’t have to weaken our movement or wound our comrades. Transformative justice (TJ) provides an anti-carceral, survivor-centered framework to respond to harm without creating more of it. It teaches us to forge deeper solidarity from moments of friction. Integrating TJ principles into our approach to conflict & harm will equip us to bridge gaps between opposing groups before they become insurmountable and prevent the loss of our comrades to unresolved strife and disregarded abuse.” – from the TJC Internal Priority Proposal to the Boston chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.