RULES FOR THE ATHENA NETWORK

1. The Steering Committee members are responsible for decision-making as described below.
   
2. The Network Coordinating Team [Coordinating Director and co-chairs] will assess new members for ATHENA by reviewing an individual’s or organization’s work history or policies on pertinent issues. Criteria used to “vet” new members include their unconditional endorsement of the ATHENA Network mission statement.
   
3. The Network Coordinating Team, or a designated ATHENA member, will be responsible for maintaining and updating the website and accounting to donors and members for all monies received and disbursed

Examples of joint documents are texts produced for and with third parties (e.g., guidelines for the Toronto AIDS Conference abstract committees), documentation about ATHENA activities (e.g., the report on the retreat in July 2005) or ATHENA “position papers” on a particular topic).

1. The writing/production of joint documents can be initiated by Steering Committee members or other members of the ATHENA network. Responsibility for finalizing a joint document will be delegated to 1-3 people who volunteer for this task.
   
2. When ATHENA members collaborate to produce a document, members will have a chance to offer text, suggestions for content and wording and other comments. Those who initiate work on the document will set a deadline by which members’ input must be received.
   
3. After all input has been received, a final draft of the document will be made and sent to all members. It will be assumed that any members who do NOT send further comments within a two-week period are in agreement with the text.
   
4. If any further comments or suggestions are received, the “finalization team or writer” will incorporate the input and again send out a final draft for approval.
   
5. Final documents will list the authors (writing and finalization teams) and be published by the ATHENA Network. If non-ATHENA organizations were very involved in producing the document, they will be cited in Acknowledgments.
   
6. Documents may be produced jointly with non-ATHENA members.
7. If any ATHENA member objects to a document carrying the ATHENA Network designation, the document will be published by the ATHENA Network Steering Committee rather than the Network.

Network activities can include actions such as core collaborative projects; convening local, regional or global forums; proposing and offering workshops, panels or seminars to be held at national, regional or global meetings; initiating working groups and developing joint platforms on key priority issues; suggesting speakers for panels who will represent ATHENA (in addition to their own organization); and, supporting Network members to participate in international consultations and policy development.

1. One or more ATHENA Network members may propose and carry out an activity, identifying it as an ATHENA activity provided it fits within the ATHENA Network mission statement and has Steering Committee approval.
   
2. When ATHENA is asked to suggest speakers or participants for international consultations, the Steering Committee will ask members who would like to be considered for the task and then choose a person (or more than one as the case may be) from among those (self)-nominated.

The ATHENA Network may be asked to sign on to statements (e.g., a joint NGO submission to a UN Commission or a letter to governmental or intergovernmental body such as a National AIDS Commission or UNAIDS). When ATHENA members attend an international consultation, they may be asked to co-sign a declaration (e.g., the New York Call to Commitment).

1. Because some ATHENA member organizations cannot permit other entities to sign documents in their name, the ATHENA Network as such will not sign on to statements and declarations unless all member organizations have explicitly given their endorsement.
   
2. The ATHENA Network Steering Committee may sign onto statements since the Steering Committee comprises individuals and not organizations. In this way, the ATHENA Network does not “speak” for organizational members but it can express opinions held by a majority of members.
   
3. ATHENA Network members will have at least one (preferably two) weeks to send in their approval or to voice any concerns they may have about a statement that will be signed by the Network or Steering Committee.
   
4. ATHENA representatives who attend meetings or consultations can sign statements or declarations produced there on behalf of the Steering Committee if a majority of the Committee agrees with the statement. In other cases, the ATHENA representative may sign as follows: “[Person x] for the ATHENA Network Steering Committee, pending final approval.”