Bylaws

§ 1. Name and Place

The name of the organisation is Twiga and it is situated in Lund with members all over Sweden.

§ 2. Goals and Focus Areas

Twiga is a Swedish non-profit non-governmental organisation working with international development cooperation, popular adult education and opinion making. Twiga is a non-political and non-religious organisation.

The work is based on the fact that the global resources are divided in an unfair way. Twiga cooperates preferably with other organisations at grass root level. Twiga does not support projects with the sole aim of benefitting individuals.

Any project within Twiga shall lead to development and thereby generate something that will remain after the project has been completed, for example knowledge or an increased influence for marginalised groups. Twiga does not work with life extending measures, unless they lead to a sustainable development. Twiga strives towards the independence of our cooperation partners, i e they should not in any away be dependent of Twiga for future development.

The cooperation projects aim to increase democratic development and equality between men and women as well as between different ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The work of Twiga shall also strive towards an ecological holistic view, which leads to a sustainable development for humans and the environment by promoting and developing the use of local resources.

Through a mutual exchange of knowledge and a grass root perspective, we wish to acquire and supply knowledge about peoples’ various living conditions.

The work of Twiga is financed through fundraising, gifts, sales, activities and contributions from foundations, funds and Twiga’s general resources.

Twiga strives towards minimising administrative costs, which shall be covered by the members’ annual fees and by resources collected for that purpose.

§ 3 Membership

3:1 Membership is open to anyone who wants to work in the spirit of the organisation and who pays the annual fee appointed by the annual meeting.

3:2 Every member has the right to attend, make statements, give suggestions and vote on general members’ meetings.

3:3 Membership can only be signed for the whole financial year. Paid membership fee is valid for the current financial year if nothing else has been stated.

3:4 Any member can be excluded if he or she acts in a way that hurts the organisation. The board has the right to suspend a member while waiting for the members’ meeting. The members’ meeting makes the decision regarding a possible exclusion. The member concerned has all the rights of a member during this meeting.

§ 4 Members’Meetings

4:1 General members’ meetings are the highest decisive organ of the organisation. A member has the right to make suggestions before and during these meetings.

4:2 In addition to the regular annual meeting, members’ meetings are held when the board considers it necessary.

4:3 When at least a fourth of the members in writing demands that a members’ meeting is held, the board shall within two weeks call for a general members’ meeting. At this meeting, only the issues stated in the written request shall be handled.

4:4 Notice to attend a members’ meeting shall reach the members at least a month before the meeting. Notice to attend the annual meeting shall reach the members at least two months before the meeting. Exceptions regarding shorter time of notice can be made for meetings according to 4:3, in cooperation with the members who submit the written request.

4:5 Decisions are made with the aim of consensus. If necessary decisions are made with a simple majority; supported by at least half of the present members. Exceptions are made regarding questions under § 8 and § 9.

§ 5 Annual Meeting

5:1 The ordinary annual meeting is held at the latest three months after the financial period has ended. A member who wishes to have an issue handled by the annual meeting shall write a bill that reaches the board at least one month before the meeting. All bills and any comments from the board together with the annual report and the financial report shall be available for printing at http://www.twiga.se two weeks before the meeting or can be acquired by email or letter from the board. A reminder of this shall be included in the notice to attend the meeting.

5:2 Right to vote at an ordinary annual meeting handling the previous financial year is given to anyone who has been a member during that year.

5:3 Following items shall be handled during an ordinary annual meeting. The order of the items cannot be changed. 1. Approval of the eligibility of the meeting. 2. Election of chairperson, secretary, approvers and vote counters. 3. The board’s annual report. 4. The board’s financial report. 5. Audit report. 6. Freedom from liability for the resigning board. 7.Bills. 8. Plan for the future. 9. Annual fee. 10. Other items. 11. Election of chairperson for 1 year. 12. Election of board members for 2 years. 13.Election of auditor(s) and auditor substitute(s) 14. Election of election committee. 15. Other elections.

§ 6 The Board

6:1 The by the annual meeting appointed board is assigned to lead the work of the organisation according to the bylaws, and decisions made by general members’ meetings.

6:2 The board consists of the number of members and substitutes that the annual meetings decides. The chairperson of the organisation who has been elected by the annual meeting is also the chairperson of the board. The board itself appoints a treasurer and secretary. Other posts if necessary.

6:3 The board appoints the persons authorized to sign for the organisation.

6:4 The board is decisive when all members and substitutes have been noticed, and at least half of the board members are present. Substitutes participate fully in the work of the board, but only have the right to vote when he or she replaces an absent board member. If there is an equal amount of votes for two different sides, then the chairperson’s vote does not count. Decisions are made with the aim of consensus. If necessary decisions are made with a simple majority.

6:5 The board shall handle the finances in a correct and easily accessible way. All board meetings shall be entered in the minutes and the minutes shall be accessible for any member who wishes to read them.

6:6 The board can approve and disapprove of any subgroups for geographical or other reasons. The board decides these groups’ authority and focus in cooperation with concerned members. The authority of subgroups is regulated in policy documents that have been written by the board in cooperation with the subgroups.

§ 7 The Financial Period and Audit

7:1 The organisation’s financial year is January 1st to December 31st.

7:2 The organisation’s activities and finances is reviewed by auditors appointed at the annual meeting.

§ 8 Changes of Bylaws

Changing of these bylaws can only be made if a bill is written to the annual meeting and at the meeting is supported by at least two-thirds of the votes.

§ 9 The Disbandment of the Organisation

To disband the organisation, two-thirds majority of the votes at two following general members’ meetings is needed. Any assets shall then be transferred to another organisation that works according to § 2, and this decision is made by a simple majority.

 

These bylaws were accepted at the annual meeting of Twiga 2008-03-29 .