We are compiling what we hope will be a comprehensive list of "tenets" - "purposes and principles" - for the Coffee Party, taken from suggestions and draft statements brought to us by participants.

You are invited to contribute to this process. You can upload documents that pertain to this question, or add purposes and principles directly to this process in a bullet-point form. To upload a document, sign in to a group, and click the "Documents" link.

We are not aiming to create a rigid list or set of categories, where everybody must agree. We are simply attempting to gather the wide-ranging insights and perspectives of our members, in the language they bring to us, as we explore new ways to work together. This process will help us understand the interests and passions of our members and clearly identify our common ground.

We are including

• Principles of the Coffee Party (we will refine and organize these as we receive them)
• Purposes, goals and objectives of the Coffee Party (what should we be doing or trying to accomplish?)
• Principles or guidelines for unity (what holds us together as a community and as a nation?)
• Core values (what guides us - how do we make choices?)
• Agreement on principles for working together (how can we be successful as a group?)
• Principles of community (what is community, what are its basic principles?)

As our list of particular purposes and principles becomes comprehensive and detailed (and yes, overlapping and redundant and quite long), we will work together to refine them into simpler composite statements.

After you sign in, you will be able to select the points that "resonate" for you, or add new points.

Please check off points where you feel you can agree.

1		We believe in the use of emperical data to help drive our cause.
2		non-violence
3		Simplicity and clarity of language and process especially in law
4		We engage in respectful dialogue, because we do not fear differing beliefs, opinions, and ideoligies. We agree to disagree. We seek relationship over power.
5		The Coffee Party is many things to many people.
6		Extremists and/or special interests, if/when not acting in line with basic human rights (e.g., when motivated by unsubstantiated fears/hate and/or profit motives) skew/distort the wants and needs of most Americans. In short, they thwart the will of the People.
7		Wake up — stand up – rise up!
8		Our decision process is governed by a 75 % majority vote of our members
9		There is no "The" government only "Our" government
10		We are non-partisan and do not endorse candidates, political parties or platforms; We endorse the ideas of our elected official or candidates for office when their positions adhere to Coffee Party pr
11		To be optimistic in the Future of America
12		Extremists and special interests [skew][distort] the wants and needs of the majority of Americans. In short, they thwart the will of the People.
13		If candidates, parties, special interests or the media obscure the facts for their own purposes, a fair election is not possible.
14		Partisan labels create the illusion of division among the American people and obscure the real problem in our politics today: the disproportionate and corrupting influence of corporations and special interests in our government.
15		There is no "the Government" only OUR Government
16		Our job is to try our best to cut through the noise and see the essence of issues. What are the principles at stake, aside from the political posturing?
17		The Coffee Party is working to build healthy communities throughout the USA.
18		We hereby [reject][declare our unity against] the politics of division.
19		We recognize our differences but also believe that good government can be attained for all only through the pursuit of a common good.
20		We are Americans first and foremost — not centrists, conservatives or progressives.
21		We can devise new internet applications that will help address long-term critical problems.
22		No matter our individual political views, we are all patriots, and in these divided times we must rise above partisanship and unite against the politics of division and the money which enables it.
23		We must be aggressive about cutting through propaganda and determining the facts. We support politicians who level with the American public, and hold accountable those who don’t.
24		Money is not speech. Campaign contributions are not protected by the First Amendment as free speech.
25		Those who seek to divide the people for political gain are putting partisanship before patriotism.
26		We may have honest disagreements about public policy, and every election will find some of us on the losing side. But we are Americans first and foremost.
27		We reject campaign tactics that divide the American people and pit us against one another just to win an election. In order to restore democracy in America and “promote the general welfare,” we must stand united.
28		We can help lead a revolution in USA politics, setting an inspired example.
29		We need to rise above the partisanship of political labels, which raise false barriers and obscure the real issues; we need to make the cognitive shift from being political adversaries to being collaborators.
30		We practice grassroots Democracy
31		As a people, we must work together toward solutions which respect and draw from our diverse values, and not allow partisan forces to distort our differences and drive wedges of fear and hatred between us.
32		Engaging in the politics of division, even in the name of patriotism, is fundamentally unpatriotic.
33		We are a spontaneous and collective expression of our desire to forge a culture of civic engagement.
34		We need the majority of Americans actively engaged in the political process in order for our government to reflect the will of the people. The absence of active engagement by the citizenry createsa power vacuum in the system which is filled by special interests.
35		We recognize that negative campaigning is designed to distract us from the facts, and to divide us for politican gain. We refuse to be divided.
36		We do not require or adhere to any preexisting ideology.
37		We must come together to address our differences and find common ground for solutions — not let political parties and special interests drive us apart.
38		We must use the enduring gift of democracy to meet the challenges we face as a nation.
39		We need to push back at fearmongering and negative attacks, and refuse to be influenced by political ads designed to manipulate our emotions.
40		We respect every person’s right to political expression, but we reject the cynical exploitation of people’s fears and prejudices for political advantage.
41		The Coffee Party is a call to unity.
42		The USA is highly diverse, but we are still one people, one nation.
43		We accept no money from corporations, special interest groups, lobbyists, or other partisan sources
44		As voters, we must support leaders who work toward positive solutions that benefit all Americans, and hold accountable those who obstruct them.
45		We are Americans willing to put aside our differences for the sake of our country.
46		We educate and inform citizens, sharing fact based research
47		We hope to transform our disappointment in our current political system into a force that will return our nation to a course of popular governance.
48		We want a society in which democracy is treated as sacrosanct and ordinary citizens participate out of a desire to contribute to society.
49		We are building a culture of trust and cooperation throughout the entire USA.
50		We avoid the use of inflammatory rhetoric.
51		The Coffee Party is a call to action.
52		We encourage deliberation guided by reason among the many viewpoints held by our members.
53		We can combine informed deliberation with effective advocacy and activism.
54		We help educate citizens.
55		We hope to contribute to society through responsible and reasonable deliberation.
56		We The People have the right to peacefully alter, abolish or remake government that has become ineffective in serving the people
57		Corporations are not people.
58		We develop and advocate solutions to issues based on critical thinking, vetted facts, and logic, not narrow ideology
59		We do not engage in "name calling". We treat all people with respect.
60		We base our policies and advocacy on unbiased and expert information sources.
61		The government is not the enemy - we are the government
62		We help inform citizens.
63		We are working together to change the political culture of the USA.
64		We believe that faithful deliberation from multiple vantage points is the best way to achieve the common good.
65		We draw from diverse backgrounds and diverse perspectives.
66		The Coffee Party is made up of people acting independently of political parties, corporations or political lobbying networks.
67		We celebrate diversity and respectful discussion.
68		We see our diversity as a strength, not a weakness.
69		We are diverse - ethnically, geographically, politically, in age and in experience.
70		We are solution-oriented, not blame-oriented.

Please check off points where you feel you can agree.

1		One person one vote
2		To replace the 80% of the current congress with new members from outside the plutocracy by 2020.
3		Drive a "Political Correction" that is built on a new level of individual civic responsibility where the people implement measures and metrics to assure our representatives and our goverment are providing us the best "value" for our investment in our government.
4		We are busy people with families, jobs, and interests that require our time and attention so we require that our democratic process and our activism to be as "user friendly" as possible
5		Improve communication by learning and practicing good listening skills.
6		Build a National Alliance for American Community, interconnecting thousands of organizations, agencies and individuals.
7		We must bring the American people together, because the fragmentation of the grassroots leaves the people at the mercy of the corporations.
8		Convene the collective intelligence of the American electorate and bring it to bear on our common concerns.
9		Put a spending cap on elections so no party can ever buy an election
10		We challenge Americans to come together to change the political culture.
11		Eliminate special interest, corporate and foreign interference in our politics and government.
12		We will articulate goals for America which we all have in common, and devise and define new ways to achieve them.
13		We will rise above the "us versus them" approach to government.
14		Create ways to bring all Americans together.
15		Advocate for Open Primaries to allow Independent voters' voices to be heard
16		Devise and discuss new practical solutions to address problems which concern all Americans.
17		Institute public financing of federal and state elections.
18		Encourage and support a larger, more diverse pool of candidates to run for public office.
19		Require our representatives to practice integrity and responsibility in all aspects of public service.
20		The ends 'do not' justify the means. We will encourage a return to an ethical political 'process'.
21		Alert citizens to the crisis of democracy and the corporate takeover of our government has created.
22		Identify and expose media bias in reporting
23		Promote voter education and engagement to end the two-party control of our political system.
24		Target and mitigate distrust and deceit in the political conversation
25		To positively impact and change the current political dialogue
26		Expand the influence of the People in America's political arena
27		Organize Americans to take control of their government away from big corporations.
28		Reinvigorate USA politics and our civic life.
29		Overturn the Supreme Court decision granting corporate personhood.
30		Foster civility and political debate.

Please check off points where you feel you can agree.

1		We are willing to ask the big, audacious questions that need to be asked without malice or contempt.
2		We are a community of individual American's that love our country and are concerned about our future.
3		In a democracy we are ALL leaders by nature.
4		A "unity campaign" can be most effectively organized under a "white label" -- an alliance of networks not under the control of any one group.
5		Believe in the people of America. Rise up and get involved in your community and national issues for the betterment of America and Americans.
6		We agree to disagree, even when another Coffe Party member has views far different than our own. We engage in respectful dialogue, because we do not fear different opinions, beliefs, ideologies.
7		We need all hands on deck in order to create the most effective solutions and so we can steer directly towards a sustainable future with all our might.
8		Our country is not only a melting pot ethnically, but also politically.
9		We have common cause, and we are on common ground.
10		We should hold in high regard the value of our diverse process.
11		As Americans, we are all in the same boat.
12		There is no place for pure partisanship in a democracy because there will always be more than one political party or perspective in the US.
13		There will always be more than one political party or perspective in the US.
14		While we cannot always be united in our ideal solutions for any given issue, we must be united in our preservation of our nation.
15		Where we find common ground, We the People must come together as a community to work for the common good.
16		Disagreement cannot be allowed to spoil the integrity of the most effective solutions.
17		E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One.
18		United We Stand, Divided We Fall.
19		We all are responsible for holding our nation together.
20		We must lead by example, and consider everybody else our partners in this process.
21		Our members of Congress need not be from our own party to properly serve our interests as their constituents.
22		Disagreeing in part should not be a cause for obstructing the whole.
23		Participation is the essence of democracy; performing our civic duties is patriotic.
24		We will respect those with whom we disagree.
25		We do not need to agree on every single issue to do good works together for our nation.

Please check off points where you feel you can agree.

1		We are willing to put aside our personal bias and ideology in favor of finding common ground. This is possible when we utilize our empathy for one another and put our commitment to compassion and civility above the ego need to be right on an issue.
2		To accept the views of others without dismissing or demonizing them
3		Acceptance: I agree to suspend judgment as best I can.
4		Brevity: I agree to be brief and give everyone a chance to speak.
5		Curiosity: I will seek to understand rather than persuade.
6		Sincerity: I will speak from my heart and personal experience.
7		Open-mindedness: I agree to listen to and respect all points of view.
8		Discovery: I will question assumptions and look for new insights.

Please check off points where you feel you can agree.

1		Wisdom: "Give me the strength to change what I can, to leave alone what I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference."
2		Individual Freedom: We seek to maximize individual freedom, and do what we can to empower the freedom of the individual, without compromise to the context of the larger unity.
3		Healing and Forgiveness: Strive to overcome the "us against them" mentality; minimize blame. "Let the past be prologue".
4		Virtue: Strive to be good. It is not always easy to do, but it is true and beautiful, and connects human beings to the core power of the universe. Be as loving and gentle and kind as possible.
5		Unity-in-Diversity: This is a big world, of tremendous diversity, but there are many aspects of reality which we share; we can identify those commonalities and build relationships based on them.
6		Democracy: Decisions affecting the group should be made by the group; majority opinion should be respected, but must be constrained by principle.
7		Inclusivity: Everyone who wishes to be is included in our community; there are no a priori conditions for involvement or participation.
8		Science: Wherever possible, ideas and hypotheses should be carefully tested, according to well-defined and explicit principles; scientific methods should be applied in any context where applicable.
9		The Ethic of Reciprocity: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Golden Rule).
10		Diversity: Humanity is highly diverse, in innumerable ways; we embrace diversity, and see in it a source of strength and vitality
11		Trust: Be as trusting and as open as possible to your fellow human beings; begin a new relationship by being friendly and open and receptive, and do not judge someone on the basis of their background or social group.
12		Cooperation and Team-Building: We all have different roles to play within the context of a larger whole; combine the specialized expertise of individuals.
13		Objective Interpretation: Read and listen accurately, to what people actually say. Do not project interpretations of their meaning based on ungrounded assumptions.
14		Personal Responsibility: Insofar as possible, each person must take responsibility for their own welfare and well-being. In this context, remember that "all men are brothers" ("all people are brothers and sisters").
15		Dialogue: We relate to each other as equals; there is no implicit a priori authority; everyone is a student as well as a teacher.