Our Constitution

Constitution for Danish – Ugandan Friendship Association (DUFA)

1 .Vision

To build bridges between the people of Uganda and Denmark by promoting intercultural understanding and intercultural co-operation between the Nations

2 Mission

  1. To create fora in Denmark where Danes and Ugandans can meet.
  2. To inform the public in Denmark about the association and the importance of intercultural co-operation.
  3. To create contacts to suitable partners in Uganda and to support small development initiatives.
  4. Exchange knowledge and skills between the two parties.
  5. To do lobby and advocacy work in Denmark for development assistance

3 Building of the Association

Subs. 1:
Everybody who agrees to the association’s purpose and wants to support its work, can be admitted as a member.
Subs. 2:
The General Assembly is the highest authority of the association. It is held at least once a year, in the first two months after the end of the financial year. All members of the Association have admittance and the right of voting.
The annual general assembly is following an agenda, which shall at least contain the following points:

  1. Election of chairman of the assembly
  2. Election of the secretary of the assembly
  3. Report of last year’s activities by the chairman of the executive committee
  4. Presentation of accounts by the treasurer, and stipulation of next year’s membership fee
  5. Incoming proposals
  6. Discussion of the new year’s activities
  7. Election of executive committee members
  8. Election of internal auditor and substitute
  9. Any other business

Elections and voting take place under common democratic rules: one voice per member.
The executive committee calls for the general assembly at min. two weeks notice through the members newsletter.
Proposals have to be sent to the executive committee 8 days before the general assembly at latest.
The executive committee may call for an extraordinary general assembly after its own decision or on request from at least 1/5 of the members.

Subs.3:
The executive committee consists of chairperson, vice – chairperson, treasurer, secretary and 3 ordinary members, 1 substitute

Subs. 4:
Role and responsibilities of the chairs:

The chairperson is the head of the organisation. He/she chairs the board meetings and makes the agenda together with the vice-chairperson for the general assembly. The chairperson, together with the other members of the executive committee, shall lay down strategies for recruiting members and to fundraise to the benefit of the organisation. The chairperson is a signatory to the bank.

The vice-chairperson shall substitute the chairperson, assist in making the agenda for the general assembly and take up any other task appointed by the chairperson.

The treasurer shall keep the accounts, assist in keeping record of the memberbase and is a signatory to the bank. He/she shall, together with the rest of the executive committee, lay down strategies for fundraising to the benefit of the organisation.

The secretary is responsible for taking the minutes form the executive committee meetings and to make the newsletter. He/she shall keep records of the memberbase and shall, together with the rest of the executive committee, lay down strategies for fundraising to the benefit of the organisation.

Subs. 5:
The executive committee has the overall responsibility of the running of the association and is responsible of the finance of the association. It has 7 members. In addition one substitute is elected. Members of the executive committee are elected for a period of two years; only at the general assembly in 2005 one member is elected for one year. The substitute is elected each year.

Subs. 6:
The executive committee is constituting itself and lays down its own plan of business.
It can appoint permanent or temporary subcommittees
Decisions are made by majority. However, full agreement should be aimed at, whenever making important decisions.

Subs. 7:
DUFA is a national wide association divided into regions according to the locality of members. Each region can have its own sub committees, and each region elects a member to represent them at the board.

Subs. 8:
Each subcommittee has to have a minimum of three members, and each subcommittee shall have a chairperson, who is responsible for the documentation and feed back to the executive committee

Subs. 9:
The executive committee has meetings 4 times a year, and as required in addition.
Communication to the members is through a quarterly newsletter, contenting among other news brief reports of the EC meetings. In addition, information meetings are held for the members.

4 Partners

The association can co-operate with every legal popular group in Denmark and Uganda, who is respecting the purposes of the association and aims at a democratic structure.

5 Economy

The association is financed by members subscription, gifts, donations and subsidies from foundations and the government.
The membership fee is stipulated during the annual GA.
The annual financial report is following the calendar year, and has to be approved by the GA.

6 Change of constitution

The conventions can be amended following the decision during a GA, when at least two third of the members present are voting for a change.

7 Dissolution

The dissolution of the association may occur after the EC’s decision and during a following GA, where the majority of the EC must be present, and where two thirds of the members present are voting for a dissolution.
The capital of the association is transferred to another organisation of public utility with assembling purposes, after decision of the GA.
February 2005

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