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 | Recognizing the need for a vibrant free press in The Gambia | |
| Cognisant of the difficult conditions under which the private | |
| media operate in The Gambia | ||
| Recognizing the pivotal role of a free press in the development | |
| and stability of a country | ||
| Desirous of helping the free media in The Gambia and | |
| contributing to the development of our country |
We have decided to come together voluntarily to form The Gambia
Press Union - United States Branch (GPU-USA)
GPU-USA shall be a model of democracy, civility and tolerance for the
global society. All members shall reserve the inalienable right to freely
debate, agree or disagree, in acceptable language; without rancour and
GPU-USA shall be a model of democracy, civility and tolerance for the
without fear or favour, to express their opinions on matters affecting
the organization or its activities or any issues it is involved in. No
Gambian public, government officials and all other sections of the
member shall be censored, shouted down, or otherwise maltreated for
the legitimate expression of their views and opinions. Persons using
foul or defamatory language shall be publicly reprimanded and if
necessary, excluded from the activities of the organization.
Thus, the organization's Motto shall be: CIVILITY AT ALL TIMES!!
2. Aims and Objectives
GPU-USA shall :
| Endeavour to support its parent body, The Gambia Press Union, | |
| Banjul morally and financially | ||
| Encourage and defend freedom of the press, of speech and of | |
| association in The Gambia as guaranteed in the Constitution of 1997 | ||
| Promote unity and understanding among all Gambians | |
| Work closely with The Gambia Press Union, Banjul and network | |
| with other media and human rights groups both at home and abroad | ||
| Promote solidarity among media professionals and between | |
| media professionals and other civil society groups in The Gambia and elsewhere in the work of promoting human rights and the rule of law in our country. |
3. MEMBERSHIP
| Full Membership of the Union shall be open to all former and | |
| present Gambian journalists and journalists who have worked in The Gambia and are currently resident in the United States, Canada and anywhere in the world | ||
| Associate Membership shall be open to all lovers of press | |
| freedom and the rule of law regardless of professional affiliation or national origin | ||
| GPU-USA shall invite persons dedicated to press freedom and | |
| the rule of law to join the organization as associate members or patrons |
4. ORGANS AND FUNCTIONS
The organs of the GPU-USA shall comprise the General Body and
the
Executive Committee, as well as any other ad hoc committees that may
be created.
The Executive Committee shall have powers to establish ad hoc
committees and to co-opt Associate members on an advisory capacity
as and when necessary
Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by simple
majority.
5. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
The general membership shall comprise all due-paying full members
of the organization. It is the highest decision making body of the
organization.
6. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall be composed of the following offices:
- Secretary General
- Deputy Secretary General
- Public Relations Secretary
- Social Activities Secretary
- Treasurer
- Auditor
| All members of the Executive shall serve a one two-year term. | |
| Executive Committee members may seek, or be nominated, to | |
| serve a second two-year term. | ||
| No Executive Committee member shall seek office or be | |
| nominated for a third consecutive term in the same office. | ||
| An Executive Committee member may be nominated or seek to | |
| serve on the Committee in a different capacity from the one that he/she has previously served. For example, the Deputy Secretary General or any other Executive Committee member may seek or be nominated to serve as Secretary General after their two two-year terms. | ||
| There shall be a handing over period of at least one month | |
| during which outgoing members shall tutor incoming executive members on the scope and nature of the responsibilities of their new offices | ||
| The Executive Committee is responsible for the proper and | |
| effective running of the affairs of GPU-USA. | ||
| The Executive Committee shall, in addition to two other | |
| members nominated by the general body, make up the Governing Board of the organization |
6b. ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
| The election of Executive Committee members shall be held | |
| every other January, when the term of office of the incumbent Executive expires. Election shall be by nomination and simple majority | ||
| In the event that an Executive Committee member leaves office | |
| before the end of his/her term, a by-election shall be held within one month for his/her replacement |
7. OFFICIALS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
- The Secretary General shall provide the necessary leadership for
the organization. In consultation with other members of the
Executive Committee, he/she shall initiate contacts, propose
activities, write letters on behalf of the organization and handle
other leadership issues as they arise. - The Deputy Secretary General shall be responsible for the
recording and dissemination of minutes from all meetings. He /
She shall also, in consultation with other members of the
Executive Committee, be responsible for convening meetings of
GPU-USA or the Executive Committee. In the absence of the
Secretary General, he/she shall be responsible for the execution
of the Secretary General's responsibilities as outlined in "A"
above. He / she shall, in consultation with the treasurer, book
conference calls and send to the GPU-USA or the Executive
Committee, as the case may be, the information required to
participate in such teleconferences. Teleconferences may be
either for Executive Committee meetings or for general body
meetings. - The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the organization’s
accounts and all monies due shall be payable to him/her.
He/she shall be required to submit an annual statement of
accounts to the General body as well as lay the audited accounts
before the Executive Committee for scrutiny. - The Public Relations Secretary and Social Secretary shall, in
consultation with the Executive Committee, be jointly
responsible for seeking out potential partners and selling the
message of the Gambia Press Union to outside parties such as
groups. They shall work closely with the Secretary General in the
organizing of symposia, fund-raising activities, demonstrations
and other social activities GPU-USA shall be engaged in. - The Auditor shall audit the accounts of the Union every
November and post his/her report to the GPU-USA mailing list in
December.
8. MEETINGS
| There shall be an Annual General Meeting of GPU-USA. The | |
| date of the meeting shall be agreed upon by consultation among all members. | ||
| The Executive Committee shall meet as and when necessary, | |
| either physically or through teleconferencing. | ||
| The Annual General Meeting shall receive and examine reports | |
| by the Secretary General and other members of the Executive Committee on the activities of the GPU-USA during the year under review |
9. QUORUM
In the absence of a all members of either the general body or
executive committee, any members attending any meeting of the
organization - general or executive - shall constitute a quorum. All
decisions taken at such a meeting shall be binding on all members at
that level.
10. DECISIONS
- All decisions of the GPU-USA shall be taken by consensus or by
a simple majority. The modalities for voting on any issue shall
be determined by the feasibility of methods at the time. - At physical meetings, voting shall be by secret ballot. In the
event of a tie, the Secretary General shall have a deciding vote. - On most other matters and in the absence of a physical
presence of members, voting shall be done online, on the GPU-
USA Listserv (gpuna@gambiatalk.com). Modalities for such a
method shall be explained when the need arises. A simple
majority shall carry the vote on any issue.
11. FUNDS
The GPU-USA shall derive its funds from either or all of the following
sources:
- Membership dues
- Donations and contributions
- Other fund raising activities sanctioned by the general
membership
| All members shall pay a membership fee of $20 (Twenty US | |
| Dollars) per month with effect from December, 2005. Members in Canada and Europe shall pay an equivalent amount in their currencies | ||
| All members MUST pay their dues by the 15th of each month | |
| following the month for which the payment is due. The Treasurer MUST, on the 16th of each month, publish on the GPU-USA Listserv, the names of members who have not paid their dues. A late fee of $5 shall be imposed after the 15th of each month. | ||
| Failure to pay basic dues or refusal to pay late fees for two | |
| consecutive months shall result in removal from the GPU-USA Listserv and exclusion from GPU-USA activities until all dues are paid in full. | ||
| Persons who accept Associate Membership of GPU-USA shall be | |
| expected to contribute a minimum of $10 per month. Larger contributions are encouraged and welcome. | ||
| Associate members who habitually fail to contribute shall be | |
| deemed to have lost interest in the activities of GPU-USA and shall accordingly be excluded from its activities. | ||
| The mailing address of the Treasurer shall be posted on the | |
| Listserv as soon as feasible. All contributions must be sent to that address or paid into an account number to be also posted on the Listserv. | ||
| All monies collected by the Treasurer shall be paid into the | |
| organization's bank account. | ||
| The Secretary General, Social Secretary and Treasurer shall be | |
| the signatories to the organization's bank account. | ||
| No monies shall be withdrawn from the account unless | |
| authorised by the general membership. In cases of emergency, the Executive Committee shall authorize disbursement of funds and the general membership advised of such withdrawal as soon as possible. | ||
| Financial misconduct at any level of the organization shall be | |
| cause for immediate expulsion, general exposure and other punitive actions as may be deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee and general membership. | ||
| Any member subjected to disciplinary measures shall reserve | |
| the right to petition the Executive Committee for a review. |
12. REQUESTS FOR FUNDS
All requests for funds from GPU-USA shall be made in writing to the
Secretary General. The Secretary General shall table this request before
the Executive Committee for discussion and possible approval or
rejection
13. ADOPTION and AMENDMENTS
- This constitution shall be adopted after review by general
members and after amendments have been made as per
members’ concerns, suggestions. Subsequent amendments
shall be discussed and executed as the need arises. - All proposals for amendment of the Constitution shall be done
in writing and submitted to the general body via the GPU-USA
Listserv for debate
14. DISSOLUTION
In the event that the GPU-USA faces dissolution for any reason, all its
assets and properties shall be surrendered to its parent body, The
Gambia Press Union, Banjul.
DONE IN WASHINGTON, DC, THIS 6TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2005
Our Constitution
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| Motto: Civility At All Times |
