The launch meeting of Neurodivergent Labour took the following decisions to enable the establishment of the new organisation. Each was proposed, debated and several amendments were made and some rejected before the final decisions were taken.
1. Organisation and Name
We agree to found an organisation with the name ‘Neurodivergent Labour’.
2. Aims
Neurodivergent Labour aims to:
• develop socialist policy on neurological diversity;
• win support for Labour among neurodivergent people and their supporters;
• campaign against discrimination, exclusion, oppression and injustice and for equality for neurodivergent people;
• provide support to neurodivergent Labour Party members who are experiencing discrimination; and
• work to make the Labour Party more accessible to its neurodiverse membership.
3. The Labour Party Autism / Neurodiversity Manifesto
We endorse the Labour Party Autism / Neurodiversity Manifesto and will campaign for its implementation by a Labour government. We look forward to deciding at a future time that the term ‘neurodiversity’ is widely-enough understood to rename the document the Labour Party Neurodiversity Manifesto.
4. Neurodiversity
We believe that humanity is neurologically diverse; different people have different ways of thinking and understanding the world. Developmental conditions including ADHD, dyslexia, autism, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and others are neurological differences.
We want neurodiversity to be accepted and celebrated and oppose the assumption that non-typical neurologies (neurodivergent conditions) need to be prevented, suppressed or ‘cured’.
We accept that conditions such as these are natural forms of neurodiversity and that neurodivergent individuals will have strengths which stem from their neurotype(s) but will face unnecessary barriers to education, employment and independent living if unsupported.
Neurodivergent people are at risk of developing additional mental health issues as they try to navigate neurotypical environments and search for acceptance, but neurodivergent conditions are not in themselves mental health conditions.
5. Membership
Full membership of Neurodivergent Labour is open to individual Labour Party members who are neurodivergent (diagnosed, seeking diagnosis or self-identified).
Neurodivergent people who believe that they have been unfairly excluded from Labour Party membership may discuss their situation with the organising group.
The founding AGM will decide any additional membership categories (eg supporters, organisations) and subscription rates. Until then, as an interim, neurodivergent people may join without charge.
6. Volunteer groups
At this launch meeting, we welcomed volunteers for two groups:
• an Organising Group to arrange the founding Annual General Meeting, draft a constitution and set up membership; and
• a Manifesto Group to promote our Labour Party Autism / Neurodiversity Manifesto and its policies.
We agreed to elect a convenor for each of these two groups.
7. Founding AGM
We agree to hold a founding Annual General Meeting open to all Neurodivergent Labour members before the end of 2019, which will:
• adopt a full constitution;
• debate and decide policies; and
• elect officers and representatives.
Neurodivergent Labour 2019 www.ndlabour.com