Bye-Laws of the Christian Relief

and Development Association

CRDA

Preamble

  • Whereas, the General Assembly of the Christian Relief and Development Association has adapted the Revised Memorandum of Association;

  • Whereas, the Revised Memorandum of Association empowers the General Assembly to approve the Bye-laws of the Association;

  • Now, therefore the General Assembly hereby approves these Bye-laws.

 1.  Definitions

  1. "Association" means the Christian Relief and Development Association.
  2. "Memorandum of Association" and "Bye-laws" mean the Memorandum of Association and Bye-laws of the Association.
  3. "Organization" means a voluntary organization, religion-based agency, network and/or civil society organization, other than the Association, engaged in humanitarian, relief, rehabilitation, and/or development activities.
  4. "General Assembly," "Executive Committee", and "Secretariat" mean the General Assembly, the Executive Committee and the Secretariat of the Association.

 2.  Application for Membership

Any voluntary organization fulfilling the requirements specified in Articles 5 and 6 the Memorandum of Association may apply for CRDA Associate Membership by completing an application form and submitting same to the Secretariat together with a copy of each of the following supporting documents.

  1. Its Certificate of Authorization (Registration Certificate) from the Ministry of Justice or authorized offices at Federal level.
  2. Its Memorandum of Association and Bye-laws.
  3. Its operational agreement with Federal or Regional appropriate government offices.
  4. Annual activities, financial report and previous year’s audit report.
  5. The registry of minutes of the Executive Board or General Assembly (where it applies).
  6. Letters of support (reference) from three organizations that are full members of the Association.

 3.  Examination of Application by the Secretariat

  1. The Secretariat shall examine the application and supporting documents submitted under Article 2 above to determine whether:

a)  The statements and information contained in the application and the          supporting documents are accurate and authentic; and
b)  Such documents comply in all particulars with the requirements of the relevant law.

  1. The Secretariat may also crosscheck the information supplied through visits to the applicant’s head office or project site.
  2. The contact body for the Secretariat during the screening process shall be the Executive Board/Committee or the country director of the applying agency, as the case may be.
  3. Where, upon examination, the Secretariat find that the application or any of the supporting documents or particulars are incomplete or substantially fail to meet the requirements imposed by law or these Bye-laws, it shall advise the applicant in writing as to the relevant shortfalls and such remedial measures in respect thereof as may be necessary.
  4. Where the Secretariat finds the application or any of the supporting documents or particulars are complete and meets the requirements, it shall submit a report to the Executive Committee together with its recommendation.
  5. The Executive Committee after reviewing the recommendation of the Secretariat shall submit its own recommendation to the next meeting of the General Assembly of the Association.
  6. The General Assembly may or may not approve the recommendation of the Executive Committee for good reason. In any event, the applicant shall be notified in writing of the decision of the General Assembly.
  7. Review of applications for membership and responses thereto shall be made on a quarterly basis.

 4.  Admission of Honorary Members

Based on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the General assembly may confer the status of Honorary Member upon non-member civil society organizations or individuals that have rendered exceptional services to the Association or to disadvantaged members of society.

 5.  Membership Fees

  1. Pursuant to the provisions of sub-articles 5.1.5 and 23.1 of the Memorandum of Association, every member of the Association shall pay an annual Membership Fee that is to be used for the Secretariat Administration.
  2. The minimum amount of annual fee to be paid by the different categories of the membership will be set by the General Assembly based on the recommendation of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee, based on expressed needs, may initiate and review the minimum amount of membership fees.
  3. Membership fees shall be paid during the first quarter of each year.
  4. New members that are accepted in the first half of a year shall pay the membership fee of year joined, and those accepted in the second half will start paying from the next year.
  5. Organizations or individuals accepted as Honorary Members may pay self-decided annual solidarity fee to the Association.

 6.  Rights of Members

  1. A full member may:

a)  attend and vote at General Assembly meetings
b)  be eligible for elections as an officer of the Association

  1. An associate member may attend and vote at General Assembly meetings but shall neither elect nor be elected for a seat in the Executive Committee.
  2. An Honorary Member may attend and forward opinions at General Assembly meetings. Honorary members have the right to participate in meetings of the General Assembly, without the right to vote.

 7.  Register of members

The Association shall keep a register of members wherein shall be entered:

  1. The name, address and the type of membership of each member;
  2. The date on which each member became a member or ceased to be a member;
  3. Any other details that may be entered with the approval of the Executive Committee.

 8.  Meetings of the General Assembly

  1. Ordinary meetings of the General Assembly shall be held every two months.
  2. Special Annual Meetings of the General Assembly shall be held within two months after the end of the fiscal year of the Association. The meeting shall deliberate on the Association's annual report, auditors report, plan and budget, the appointment of auditors and such other relevant policy issues.
  3. Extra-ordinary meetings of the General Assembly shall be convened:

a)  Upon the request of one-third of the members
b)  Upon the decision of the Executive Committee
c)  Upon the request of the Executive Director or the external auditors

 9.  Notice of Meetings of the General Assembly, Representation and Voting

  1. Written notice shall be given at least one week before a meeting of the General Assembly is convened. A copy of the agenda shall be attached to such notice.
  2. Every member organization shall delegate in writing a person who shall represent it on the General Assembly. Such person shall be the head of the member organization or a senior person who is directly answerable to the head.
  3. Every member shall have one vote at meetings of the General Assembly, except in the cases provided for under Article 5.2 of the Memorandum of Association.

10.  Election Procedure and Electoral Committee

  1. Based on the recommendation of the Executive Committee and the approval of the General Assembly the Association shall have a five person Electoral Committee the core task of which is to be facilitating elections for seats in the Executive Committee.
  2. The Terms of Offices of the Members in the Committee shall be for that particular election.
  3. Upon the completion of the term of office of the Executive Committee Members, election of their replacement will be an agenda in the forthcoming Membership Meeting.
  4. The Electoral Committee ensures that a Nomination Form reaches all Full Members as per the provisions in sub-article (9, i) and submitted to the CRDA Secretariat on or before the deadline.
  5. The Electoral Committee is also responsible for the collection of the Nomination Forms, collating and presenting the summary at the General Assembly.
  6. Every Full Member shall have the right to nominate its own representative or that of other full member agency's to the seats in the Executive Committee.
  7. In cases where nomination of representative of other agency is done getting the consent of the nominee will be the responsibility of the Electoral Committee.
  8. During the election, every full member shall be provided with a Voting Paper with the names of the nominees and a reminder note to the voting Members.
  9. Out of the nominees listed on the Voting Paper, each Member shall mark its own choice of nominees as per the instruction on the form.
  10. The Voting Paper shall have a reminder note for the voters to consider the diversity of the membership and ensure credible representation (International/national, faith-based, rural/urban, Gender, environment, etc.)
  11. Upon counting the results from the election sheet those who got the simple majority voting will be serving in the Executive Committee.
  12. To ensure continuity of functioning in the Committee a staggering election and replacement method shall be applied, i.e., it will be arranged in such a way that only half of the Committee members get replaced during one election.

11.  The Executive Committee

  1. Without prejudice to the Memorandum of Association, the Executive Committee shall make its own rules of procedure for calling and holding its ordinary, special and extraordinary meetings.
  2. In the event where a member is absent for three consecutive meetings of the Committee or a vacancy occurs, the Executive Committee shall have power to invite the forerunner from the previous election who shall hold office until the next election.
  3. Members of the Executive Committee shall receive no special benefit for their services as members thereof.

12.  Termination of Membership

A member ceases to be a member:

  1. In the event it ceases its activities or it is dissolved,
  2. Upon its expulsion under Article 13 thereof;
  3. Upon its resignation under Article 14 hereof; or
  4. Upon failure to pay its annual membership fee for (2) two consecutive years.

13.  Expulsion

  1. A member may be expelled from the Association by decision of the General Assembly if it:

a)  Failed to remain a voluntary and humanitarian organization in its operation.
b)  Is removed from being signatory to the Ethiopian NGO Code of Conduct.
c)  Failed to pay fees fixed by the Membership for a period of more than two years.
d)  Lost its legal status for operation in Ethiopia.

  1. The member, whose expulsion has been requested, shall be invited to submit a written statement to the Executive Committee, within one month of dispatch of a registered letter, notifying it of proposed expulsion and the grounds thereof.
  2. If it so requests in its written statement, the member shall have the right to be heard by the Executive Committee.
  3. The Executive Committee shall investigate the ground of expulsion of the member and submit its report to the General assembly.
  4. The General Assembly shall decide to expel the member or that the member be given a warning or that it be suspended until it fulfils its obligations as the case may be.
  5. The member shall be notified in writing of the decision of the General Assembly.

14.  Resignation

Any member wishing to resign from the Association shall give notice of this in writing to the Executive Committee within the first half of the financial year of the Association. Its resignation becomes effective only at the end of the financial year during which notification of resignation is given.

15. Readmission

Re-admission requests of terminated Member agencies, excepting those expelled as per Article 13 shall be treated and screened as new applications. Requests of readmission require strong evidence or commitment of change to be accepted and remain a member.

16.  Hearing of Complaints

  1. Any Member of the Association may submit its complaints;

a)  To the General Assembly against the decision of the Executive Committee or its failure to act pursuant to the Memorandum of Association or the decision of the General Assembly or;
b)  To the Executive Committee against the decision of the Secretariat or its failure to act pursuant to the Memorandum of Association, or against the decisions of the Executive Committee.

  1. Complaints shall be submitted within 12 months from the time of the occurrence of the cause-giving rise to the complaint.
  2. In the case of complaints under Sub-Article (16,i - a) of this Article, the General Assembly shall set up a Committee of three of its members, which shall investigate the complaint and submit a report at the next meeting of the General Assembly.
  3. The General Assembly shall decide on the complaint after hearing the report referred to in Sub-Article (16, iii) of this Article, The Executive Committee shall be given the opportunity to defend itself against the complaint.
  4. In the case of complaint under Sub-Article (16,i - b) of this Article, the Executive Committee shall decide upon the complaint, or as the case may be, submit its recommendation for the decision of the General Assembly.
  5. Any decision under this Article shall be notified in writing to the concerned parties.

17.  Privileges of Members

  1. Members may request for and be granted financial and material supports and technical services provided by the Association, which promote their institutional objectives in accordance with the Guideline for CRDA Services ratified by the General Assembly and other amendments made to this by the Executive Committee.
  2. CRDA shall give priority to requests coming from groups of Members across programme interest and geographical focus.
  3. Full members will be given priority in CRDA training programs and Workshops.
  4. Honorary Members may participate in conferences, workshops and seminars organized by the Association and get access to information at the Association.

18.  Assistance to Non-Members

  1. Based upon recommendations of the Secretariat the Executive Committee is empowered to assess and approve or decline requests for assistance by organizations that are not members of the Association. Such requests that do not relate to the Objective and Mission of the Association may be declined by the Secretariat.
  2. CRDA’s support to governmental agencies for enhancement of partnership between Government and NGOs shall be limited to Federal and Regional levels only.
  3. Requests for supports indicated above, Sub-Article (18.ii), shall be entertained only upon verification of strong interest and involvement of NGOs in the respective objective area.

19. Guidelines

The Executive Committee shall assess and approve Guidelines prepared by the Secretariat for the provision of financial and other types of assistance to members.

20.  Repeal

The revised bye-laws issues on March 24, 2000 is repealed and replaced by these further revised Bye-laws

Done at Addis Ababa, on Monday, January 21 of 2002

The General Assembly

 

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