Who takes the decisions in the RCCD?
Our decision-making body is the General Assembly (GA), which is composed by all RCCD members who meet once a year, after a month on official notification for the GA meeting place and time in the National State Gazette of Bulgaria. Each member has the full voting rights to elect democratically the three members of the RCCD Board of Directors for the next five years.
The GA also discusses and accepts the Annual Working Plan for the next year and approves the Annual Report from the previous year.
As most of the RCCD members are young people from all over the country, who are also the decision-makers of the organization, we consider the Rhodopes Center for Community Development to be a national youth organization.
Articles of Association of RHODOPES CENTER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Article I - Name
The name of this Association shall be RHODOPЕS CENTER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (hereafter referred to as "the Association” and using also the abbreviation “RCCD").
Article II - Non Profit and independence
The association is not organized for pecuniary profit or financial gain, and no part of its assets, income, or profit shall be distributable to, or inure to the benefit of, its members, directors, or officers except to the extent permitted under law.
The association is independent from any control, ideological and political influence by national and local governments, state agencies, institutions, other non-profit organisations, or donors.
Article III – Public Benefit and Transparency
The association is registered for public benefit at the Central Register of Bulgarian Not for Profit Organizations.
The Association is committed to open and transparent policy. Via the Central Register’s Yearly Report to the Bulgarian General Public and also via the Yearly Report to the Rhodops Communities, published in all community languages in the region, the Association is informing the general public about its strategic plans, realized projects and events and Association’s financial status.
Article IV - Principal Office
The principle office of the association shall be at
3 Vystanicheska STR, City of Smolian, County of Bulgaria.
Article V - Aims and Objectives
The Association aims at:
v Increasing social justice, individual well-being and reducing negative impacts of intolerance and segregation in the region of Rhodopes;
v Building sustainable community resources, leadership and partnerships to serve the needs of all people living in the region of Rhodopes.
v Promoting and building a culture of human rights, multiculturalism and toleration in the communities in the region of Rhodopes.
v Promoting the asset-based community development, that avoids paternalism and dependence by stimulating the discovering, mapping and mobilizing of all local community assets and this way helping the Rhodopes communities become stronger and more self-reliant.
The objectives of this Association shall be:
- To organize meetings and conduct research in order to identify problems, locate resources, analyse local power structures and assess human needs within the Rhodopes` communities.
- To empower local individuals, groups and organizations by providing them with the skills they need to effect change in their own communities.
- To mobilise local non-formal groups, businesses, governmental and non-governmental institutions and organizations to contribute with human and financial resources for sustainable community development in the region of Rhodopes.
- To organize civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities.
- To seek and ensure national and international funding and expertise to help local organizational capacity building.
- To provide services and distribute grands to local non-formal groups and non-governmental organizations working to satisfy the Rhodopes` community needs.
- To promote and facilitate community-based participatory research, a form of research, which engages a community fully in the process of problem definition/issue selection, research design, conducting research, and interpreting the results.
To advance the work on community cohesion and sustainable development The Association works on:
v Organizing contact making events with community foundations and non-formal groups working in the Rhodopes within Bulgaria and also in the region of Rhodopes within Greece and Turkey.
v Promoting and facilitating activities for cross-border cooperation for improving the quality of life of all people in the Rhodopes.
v Organizing open forums, discussions, lectures and conferences on Rhodopes community issues.
v Organizing educational programs, improving the community knowledge of human rights, multiculturalism and toleration.
v Facilitating community research and encouraging other original work, contributing to understanding community cultures and building community trust.
v Encouraging the creation and promotion of art products, reflecting specific community culture.
v Protection and preservation of local archaeological and cultural heritage in the Rhodopes.
Publishing papers and reports and disseminating knowledge and experience on the Rhodopes in particular and community development in general.
Article VI – Powers
In furtherance of the objects described above, but not in limitation thereof, the association shall have power to collect and disseminate statistics and other information, to conduct investigations, to engage in various fund-raising activities, to conduct promotion activities, including advertising and publicity, in or by suitable manner or media, to realize educational activities and art events and to hold such property as is necessary to accomplish its purposes.
Article VII - Membership
(a) Active Membership. Anyone is eligible to become an active member of this association, with full voting and other privilege, provided the person is qualified under such rules as the membership committee may provide.
(b) Association Membership. Anyone interested in the activities of the association may be awarded an associate membership under such terms and with such privileges as the membership committee may determine.
(c) Voting. Each active member shall be entitled to one vote in the affairs of the association. Proxy voting is permitted.
(d) Nominations. Any person, committed to strive for the aims of the association may be nominated for membership by any member.
Article VIII - MEMBERS RIGHTS
The Association members have the right to:
- Participate in the Association activities;
- Participate and vote at the General Assembly;
- Be elected at management positions in the Association;
- Receive the Information bulletin of the Association.
The membership rights, except for the property rights, are non-transferable in case of death or discontinuation of membership.
Article IX - MEMBERS OBLIGATIONS
Members are obliged to:
Strive to achieve the aims of the association;
Obey the Statutes and the decisions of the general assembly and the executive committee. ;
Deposit regularly and in time the membership dues.
If a Code of Conduct or similar is adopted by the association, then members shall abide by the Code.
Article X – Termination of Membership
A member may resign upon giving 90 days written notice to the administrative address of the Association.
The General Assembly may terminate any member by following the due processes set down in the Articles or these Statuses.
Article XI - Dues
The Executive Committee will establish yearly dues sufficient to maintain the Association. Dues may be varied from year to year, but dues shall be the same for all active members. Any member who defaults in payment may be dropped from membership. Such a member may apply for reinstatement in the Association subject to approval by the Executive Committee.
Article XII - General Assembly
(a) General Assembly: Annual Meeting. There shall be an annual meeting of the association during the month of October, unless otherwise ordered by the executive committee, for electing officers, receiving reports, and transacting other business. Meetings shall be open to all members. Notice of these meetings shall be mailed to the last recorded address of each member at least 30 days before the time appointed for the meeting.
(b) Quorum. Fifty one percent of the members of this association, when present at any meeting, shall constitute a quorum, and in case there is less than this number, the presiding officer may adjourn from time to time until a quorum is present.
Article XIII - Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is composed by 3 members for a 5-year period of time.
All members of the Executive Committee are Rhodopes` community members.
The Executive Committee is organized from the Director least 2 times a year or by Call of 1/3rd of the General Assembly ‘s members.
The Executive Committee:
- Organizes the implementation of decisions;
- Accepts annual strategic development plans and reports to the general public;
- Accepts new members;
- Realizes with advisability the management of funds;
- Executes the functions assigned by the General Assembly;
The Executive Committee is represented by its Director who is authorized to officially represent the Association.
Article XIV - Prohibitions
None of the activities (substantial or otherwise) of the association shall be carrying on political propaganda, or participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.
The association is not organized or operated for the benefit of private interests.
Article XV - Duration
The duration of the existence of the association shall be perpetual.
Article XVI - Non-discrimination
The association does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, age, national and ethnic origin in its membership.
Article XVII - Amendments to Articles
These articles may be amended or repealed, in whole or in part, by a majority vote at any duly organized meeting of the association.
Article XVIII - TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL REGULATIONS
These articles are approved by the General assembly of the Rhodopes Center for Community Development, held on 29.09.2006 in Smolian.
RCCD STRUCTURE
The formal governing bodies of RCCD are:
o The Council of all RCCD members.
o The Executive Board (3 persons with mandate of 5 years).
We are a non-governmental organization, registered for public benefit in the Regional Court of Smolian, Bulgaria.
Our geographic scope is National.
We work as a not-for-profit non-governmental organization.
Who are the members of RCCD?
Our members are mostly (more than 70 %) young people aged 18 to 35, coming from rural or mountainous areas, urban ghettos, ethnic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, women and girls and many others who suffer exclusion in the society.