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SIETAR EUROPA STATUTES & BY-LAWS

STATUTES OF SIETAR EUROPA

ARTICLE 1 - NAME
A Society by the name of SIETAR Europa is established as a non-profit non-governmental, international organization in Europe. It is affiliated to the Global Network of SIETAR Organisations around the world.

ARTICLE 2 - SEAT
The Society is registered as a 'Vereniging met volledige rechtsbevoegdheid' (A society with complete jurisdiction) at the Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands. The office - a virtual office- can be located anywhere in Europe. The Board of Directors decides on the location of the SIETAR Europa office.

ARTICLE 3 - WORKING LANGUAGES
The main language of the Society shall be English. Information can be disseminated and communication is encouraged in national languages.

ARTICLE 4 - PURPOSE
We subscribe to the mission of the Global Network of SIETAR Organisations around the world and our goals are manifested as follows:

  • To enhance the awareness of intercultural issues in policy-making, business and education
  • To contribute to the solution of societal problems by facilitating communication between peoples of different cultures,
  • To provide multi-disciplinary, professional expertise in intercultural issues in practice and research by establishing a network of intercultural specialists,
  • To contribute to the development of standards for interculturalism,
  • To support publications as well as personal professional exchanges and projects through regional and international conferences.

ARTICLE 5 - MEMBERSHIP
SIETAR Europa, from here on called "The Society", shall have as members:

  • the national and regional SIETAR associations in Europe,
  • direct members, not belonging to a national SIETAR organisation residing in Europe committed to the mission of SIETAR Europa.

In both categories the members can be:

  • personal members,
  • institutional members,

The Board of Directors reserves the right to terminate membership when deemed necessary in the interest of the Society. The member in question will be informed in writing of the pending decision and has the right to appeal the decision of termination.

Membership fees are determined by the General Assembly for the following fiscal year.

ARTICLE 6 - GOVERNING BODIES
The governing bodies of the Society shall be:

  • The General Assembly
  • The Board of Directors

ARTICLE 7 - GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly comprises all the members of the Society but only full members, honorary members and sustaining members have the right to vote.

Voting can take place in plenum in the General Assembly meeting, or by e-mail when the GA is not scheduled to physically meet.

Proxies are permitted but no member may have more than five votes.

Decisions are taken by simple majority of the voting members present or represented by proxy unless specified differently in these statutes.

The General Assembly is consulted minimally once a year, or whenever it is deemed necessary by the Board of Directors, or whenever it is requested by one fourth of the members.

The letter of invitation to a General Assembly meeting must be sent out at least two months before the date of the General Assembly.

The General Assembly shall be chaired by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors or by another person appointed by the General Assembly.

ARTICLE 8 - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Society is administered by a Board of Directors, comprising not fewer than 7 and no more than 21 persons, all of whom must be full members of the Society. The Directors are elected by the General Assembly for two years and may be re-elected for no more than two consecutive terms of office. The term of the office of the outgoing Directors expires at the close of the meeting of the General Assembly at which their successors have been elected.

The Board of Directors consists of:

  1. one member of every national SIETAR elected or nominated by its national SIETAR
  2. two direct members elected by the General Assembly

The election process is as follows:

  1. Each National SIETAR Organisation elects or nominates one of its Board Members as a member of the SIETAR Europa Board.
  2. The general Assembly elects two members to the Board from among its direct members (refer to article 7).

The Board of Directors will designate its chairperson and other officers from among its midst: vice-president, treasurer and secretary.

The Board shall meet at least once a year or whenever deemed necessary by the Chairperson or requested by one third of the Directors. Its meetings are valid when at least half of the Directors are present. Decisions are taken by simple majority of the Board of Directors present.

Board meetings can be attended by members.

If an elected Board member of one of the national SIETARs cannot be present at a board meeting and/or other board activities, this board member will be replaced by another member of the same national SIETAR.

The Board shall have full managerial and administrative powers, unless otherwise decided by the General Assembly. The Board may delegate these powers to an Executive Secretary and to other administrators.

ARTICLE 9 - BUDGET AND AUDITORS
The fiscal year of the Society runs from January 1st to December 31st. Membership dues are paid annually.

The accounts and finances of the Society shall be controlled by two auditors at least once a year. The Auditors are elected by the General Assembly and shall present the General Assembly a written report.

The financial resources of the Society shall consists of

  • membership fees
  • contributions and donations
  • any other income.

ARTICLE 10 - AMENDMENTS AND DISSOLUTION
A motion amending the Statutes or By-Laws or dissolving the Society must be presented either by the Board of Directors or by one fourth of the full members.

Haarlem, The Netherlands, March 16, 1991.

Budapest,Hungary, May 24, 2003

SIETAR EUROPA BY-LAWS

ARTICLE 1 - PURPOSE
All activities of the organization must be in accordance with the aims specified in Article 4 of the SIETAR EUROPA statutes.

ARTICLE 2 - WORKING LANGUAGES
Although English is the working language of the Society, other languages of Europe are accepted. Meetings, conferences and other activities can be conducted in other languages, with or without translation, as long as these other languages are accepted by all members present.

ARTICLE 3 - MEMBERSHIP
Members shall be classified as stated here within:

  • Full members: institutions, couples or individuals who are residents of a European country and who work in the intercultural field.
  • Associate members: institutions, couples or individuals who work in the intercultural field but who are not residents of a European country.
  • Honorary members: persons who have made a remarkable contribution to the advancement of the intercultural field.
  • Sustaining members: institutions or persons that have made a substantial financial contribution to the Society.

The Society welcomes all people according to the classifications above. Members are admitted on reception of a completed application form and payment of the annual membership fee. No member shall profit materially from organizing anything in the name of the Society. The membership directory shall be for members only and shall not be circulated for commercial, political or religious purposes. Membership shall expire by resignation or three months after the beginning of the fiscal year when no renewal fee has been paid after one reminder. This shall result in automatic deletion from the mailing list.

ARTICLE 4 - MEMBERSHIP FEES
Membership fees shall be paid on an annual basis and shall be determined by the General Assembly. The yearly dues shall entitle the members to the SIETAR EUROPA Newsletter and the membership directory.

Students, unemployed, and retired persons residing in Europe are eligible to pay Associate membership fees but maintain Full membership status.

A Spouse/Partner membership fee is available on the basis of a full membership only. The spouse pays 35% of the full membership fee. This entitles the couple to one set of all mailings at a single address and otherwise all privileges of Full membership for both individuals.

Fees paid after 1 November shall cover membership for the following fiscal year.

ARTICLE 5 - THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly is the highest governing authority in the Society.

The following matters shall be dealt with by the General Assembly:

  • approval of the financial reports and budgets
  • determination of direct membership fees
  • election of direct members for the Board of Directors
  • election of the Auditors
  • determination of the seat of the Society
  • determination of the priorities of the Society
  • amendments to the statutes and by-laws
  • dissolution of the Society

Full, honorary and sustaining members shall each have one vote in the General Assembly. The quorum for the General Assembly shall be 25% of the total membership. If a quorum is not present, then a second meeting may be called in which no quorum is required.

ARTICLE 6 - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board shall be responsible for the administration and organization of the Society according to the statutes and by-laws.
The following matters shall be dealt with by the Board of Directors:

  • election of the Chairperson and of the other officers, however, the Chairperson must have been a member of the Board for at least one year
  • supervision of fiscal and management issues
  • preparation of financial reports and budget for General Assembly
  • establishment and management of a secretariat, if necessary
  • admission and exclusion of members, within the provisions under Article 5 of the statutes and Article 3 of the by-laws.

In case of legal counsel and action, the Board will operate under the law of the country where the course of action is taking place.

ARTICLE 7 - NOMINATIONS
The Nomination Committee shall be appointed annually at the General Assembly meeting. It shall consist of at least three members-at-large. This committee will solicit nominations for the election of direct members of the Board of Directors. It shall ensure a balance on the Board of professions and genders as well as representatives from as many European countries as possible.

A nomination slate shall be distributed to members with voting rights at least 2 months before the General Assembly and elections are to be carried out by written ballot before the annual General Assembly meeting. The newly elected Board of Directors shall take office at the first General Assembly meeting after the elections.

ARTICLE 8 - AFFILIATIONS / ASSOCIATE RELATIONSHIPS
SIETAR Europa, in accordance with the goals and aims of the Society, stated in Article 4 of the Society's statutes, may establish associate relationships with organizations in related fields.

ARTICLE 9 - COMMITTEES
The Board of Directors shall approve committees, tasks forces, etc. established for the purpose of securing funding or for the development of projects that will enhance the intercultural field, in accordance with Article 4 of the statutes.

ARTICLE 10 - AMENDMENTS AND DISSOLUTION
The statutes and by-laws can only be amended by a vote of the General Assembly.

The Board of Directors shall notify all members at least two months in advance of any meeting of the General Assembly held in order to consider dissolution of the Society or any amendments to the statutes or by-laws. The majority required to pass such a motion is 51% of voting members. The vote may be taken by correspondence and all ballots must be received within 90 days from the date the letter is sent to the entire membership.

The General Assembly, or the Board of Directors in the case of a ballot by correspondence, shall determine the manner of dissolution and liquidation of the Society.

Prague, The Czech Republic, March 11, 1995.

Budapest,Hungary, May 24, 2003

SIETAR EUROPA GUIDELINES

GUIDELINES FOR THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

A. THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE
The Nominations committee (NC) consists of at least three persons representing different geographical, ethnic and professional background. The members are elected during the annual general assembly meeting of SIETAR-Europa (SE). When electing the committee both continuity and renewal should be considered. Only members of SE may be members of the NC.

  1. The NC appoints a president among its members. S/he is responsible for the communication with the Board of Directors. (BD) and the members of the committee. S/he organizes the meetings of the committee. The meetings may be held by telecommunication.
  2. One person from the BD is appointed as contact person ensuring the communication between the BD and NC. This person cannot be a member of the NC but as a member of the BD, s/he is responsible for the nominations.

B. DUTIES OF THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

  1. The NC must follow the statutes and by-laws of SE.
  2. The NC should publish a "Call for Nominations" specifying the duties of the direct members representative to the BD, and required qualifications of the nominees 4 months before the elections. The information must then be sent to the NC 3 months before the elections. Only people who have been members of SE at least one year can be nominated.
  3. The selected nomination slate and ballots shall be distributed to SE members with voting rights. The marked ballots should be returned within a fixed date to ensure that the SE membership can elect its leadership before the end of the year (at least 2 months before the annual General Assembly meeting" (Art.7, By-laws). The result of the election must be communicated to the BD and the newly elected members as soon as possible and announced at the General Assembly meeting in spring
  4. The two persons (or one, in case of a single vacancy) with the largest number of votes will be elected to the BD. Once the Board vacancy or vacancies have been filled by the person(s) with the highest number of votes, the Direct Member candidate with the next highest number of votes will serve as substitute if one of the Direct Board members is not able to attend a given Board meeting or chooses to resign from the Board. Members of the BD may be re-elected according to the by-laws.
  5. The newly elected BD shall take office at the first General Assembly meeting after the elections.
    The NC must keep a continual record on the members of BD.

GUIDELINES FOR COMMITTEES & WORKING GROUPS IN SIETAR EUROPA

  1. Activities of any individual member or group of members which are carried out under the name of SIETAR Europa are under the responsibility of the Board of Directors of SIETAR Europa.
  2. (A) member(s) of the board can be designated as liaison between the working groups and the board.
  3. The working group (plus board members) are responsible for developing the plans, timetable, content and budget of the activity, which are submitted to the board for ultimate approval.
  4. The organizing group bears full responsibility for an eventual deficit, unless a different arrangement has been negotiated beforehand.
  5. The allocation of responsibilities will be formalized in a letter of agreement.

GUIDELINES FOR FORMING NEW LOCAL OR REGIONAL GROUPS

A. PREMEABLE
  1. SIETAR Europa will encourage the formation of local, national or regional groups (abbreviated SL) affiliated to SIETAR Europa. Such new groups must be in general accordance with the Statutes and By-laws of SE. Any such group has to identify its objects and must accept the mission of SE. Any such group must be established as a non-profit organization.
  2. The name of SIETAR Europa is lawfully protected in Europe. To use the name of SIETAR and to be affiliated, these groups must be legally established and approved by the SE Board.

B. PROCEDURE FOR FORMING NEW GROUPS

  1. At least three SE-members must agree to establish a provisional initial committee. The committee submits proposals for:
    - Statutes and By-laws for the SL.
    - Fee structure and organizational relationship to SE.
  2. The committee organizes a meeting of potential members to start the new SL. At this meeting elections of a local board with a president, secretary and treasurer will take place. It decides on Statutes and By-laws according to their local legal requirements (SE Statutes and By-laws may serve as a model), membership fees, and an action plan.
  3. The membership categories must correspond to the SE membership categories. The fee covers local membership and membership of SE. The share of SE in the local membership fees should not be less than 25% and no more than 40% (not less than 10 Euro) of the local membership fee. To support the start up of the SL, SE can waive the SE share for the first year. The fee structure concerning SE has to be accepted by the SE Board, so there should be contacts between the initial committee and the SE Board before submitting a proposal to the foundation meeting.
  4. When established, the SL presents its credentials (Statutes, By-laws, fee-structure, membership list, etc) to the SE-Board for approval. If there is no agreement between the SE Board and the SL, the proposal shall be submitted to the next General Assembly. Until the decision of the General Assembly the SL cannot legally use the name of SIETAR.
  5. The SL must keep a membership directory and update it every three months or at the request to SE secretariat.
  6. The SL should provide information on its activities at the annual SE symposium and through the website.
  7. All SLs should keep the SE secretariat appraised of their activities, events, publications, etc. The SE secretariat, in turn, will advise the Global Network of the information received from the SLs.
  8. The SE secretariat will have a coordinating function between SL concerning issues of general interest or of SE interest. If any SL groups organize bi-lateral activities, they keep the SE secretariat informed.
  9. Any SL member has equivalent membership rights (information, documentation, benefits, elections) with SE. Any SE membership documentation is provided by the SL secretariat.
  10. Once a new national SIETAR is legally formed, this new national SIETAR can immediately elect one of its members to be part of the Board of directors of SIETAR Europa.

For more practical information, on starting a new SIETAR local group, go to our pages on how to start a new SIETAR and/or contact the SIETAR Europa Office.