After the dissolution of the third Council, the staff team began a process of learning from what worked and what didn’t. In 2024-5, REI conducted a number of consultation sessions with members and national network organisers, and a survey, and these form the basis of the new governance structure launching in 2026.
We’ve made a number of changes to governance of our movement – to make it a more representative movement, where members are
- empowered enough to hold it to account;
- strengthened and organised enough to collaboratively provide direction;
- and able to show leadership in critical moments.
We will maintain a membership and affiliation model that supports both individual participation and collective organising across different geographies, institutions and sectors.
Our at-least yearly Annual General Meeting will provide an opportunity for the wider membership to hold the International Members’ Council, Trustee Board and Staff Team to account.
Below are the structures that underpin our governance. For more detail, please refer directly to our Constitution and Standing Orders.
Individual Members are the core democratic members of the REI network. Members must
- be at least 18 years old;
- be under the age of 35;
- complete the relevant membership process; and
- pay the applicable membership contribution (fee) unless granted a free or subsidised membership.
Individuals will vote for their Council representative.
Those over the age of 35 will be Solidarity Members, and will no longer have voting rights but can continue to participate in the movement and groups.
Councils are recognised representative structures within Rethinking Economics International and form the constituencies represented on the International Members’ Council.
The creation of Councils is intended to:
- grant voting and proposal rights within REI;
- support the adoption and implementation of REI’s strategy;
- strengthen coordination across groups within a given geography; and
- prevent competing networks within the same geography from contesting representation.
The purpose of a Council is to coordinate and direct the development of the movement within its constituency in support of REI’s mission to build a movement of young people organising, educating and agitating for an economics that works for all.
Each Council must:
- operate democratically and in line with the values of Rethinking Economics;
- maintain a governing body that makes decisions using transparent and established democratic methods;
- ensure that at least 50% of its decision-making body are Individual Members under the age of 35 at the start of their terms;
- respond to resolutions submitted by affiliated University Groups;
- elect one delegate to the International Members’ Council; and
- be able to submit resolutions to the International Members’ Council.
Councils must accept and consider resolutions submitted by University Groups within their constituency.
The International Members’ Council shall consist of one delegate from each recognised Council.
The International Members’ Council shall:
- represent the interests of REI’s member constituencies;
- help define and review REI’s strategy and theory of change;
- consider and decide motions and resolutions brought to it;
- oversee the prioritisation of membership income, subject to the legal and fiduciary responsibilities of the Trustee Board;
- make decisions on affiliated groups, Council recognition and constituency matters within its remit;
- hold the Staff Team politically accountable for the implementation of member-led decisions.
The purpose of our groups is to collect members who rethink, reteach and rebuild economics in their environment. That means University groups rethink the economics of their university, City Groups rethink the economics of their city and Regional/National Groups rethink the economics of their region/country. We do this by supporting them to Educate, Agitate and Organise in their locality.
For all our groups, we need to root our activities in political education through events, newsletters, blogs, discussion articles and social media. This will help to craft the group’s critical economic voice in their ecosystem, identifying where the global economic system is being reproduced locally. This will help to identify campaigning and organising opportunities.
Regional Networks are geographically defined organisations, networks or collectives advancing the mission of Rethinking Economics International within a defined regional, national or state boundary but which have not yet been granted Council status. Council status will give them the ability to propose motions to the International Members Council. As Councils or as Regional Networks, they support their network of groups, organising gatherings or conferences to unite the movement. They also campaign and convene on national policy issues that mobilise all their members and target national government.
University Groups are affiliated groups based at tertiary or higher education institutions. University Groups campaign to change the economics curriculum and organise to build power with members and other campus groups that are challenging the economic and political system of the university. They have power to raise motions or resolutions to their Council or the International Members Council.
A City Group is a collection of Individual Members of REI based in a single city who organise together for local participation, discussion, and action in furtherance of REI’s mission. At the moment, they don’t have formal power in the governance structure as they are new but this will be reviewed at upcoming General Meetings. They can organise assemblies open to the wider public, engaging the populace in policy discussions and how money is being spent locally. They can advocate and convene with local politicians on policies and campaigns they organise from the grassroots.