Constitution

Ethiopian National Congress (ENC) Bylaws

Contents:

Core Values:

MISSION:  

1.    To promote the democratic, educational, social, cultural and economic equality of rights of all Ethiopians

2.    To advocate for democratic rights and good governance, and mediate conflicts for national unity.

VISION:

1.    A society in which the democratic rights of all Ethiopians are respected and there is no dictatorship.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

1. To educate and elevate awareness of individual, constitutional and legal rights.

2.  To facilitate the unity of civic association in the Diaspora and Ethiopia and to help launch effective development and education programs.

3. To advocate for, engage in and facilitate in  negotiations, reconciliations, and conflict resolution activities among political and/or civic organization

4. To advocate for and launch programs that impact on the socio economic well being of society and the respect of human rights in Ethiopia

5. To strive for and seek the enactment and enforcement of federal, state and local laws securing civil rights.

6. To increase membership and organizational capacity of ENC  

ARTICLE 1: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

ARTICLE 2: GENERAL ASSEMBLY

ARTICLE 3: THE EXECUTIVFE BOARD

ARTICLE 4: CHAIR PERSON

Article 5: Secretary

Article 6: Membership Development Committee

Article 7: Fundraising committee

Article 8: Public Relation Committee

ARTICLE 1: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Ethiopian National Congress (hereafter referred to as the ENC) was established in 1997 in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. It has evolved through the last decade to transition and situate itself for the new challenge facing the country. As in many other similarly constituted civil society organizations, it has its share of difficulties retaining and engaging members and as such has creatively incorporated and availed itself the amenities of modern technology to allow it to partially exist and survive as a virtual organization in the worldwide web while maintaining a dedicated few to man its projects and activities.  Thus, individual members are distributed geographically and connected by information technology affording it an instantaneous virtual/worldwide web presence. Its corporate headquarter is located in the United States with supportive functions aided by such technology around the world. Therefore, ENC’s structure reflects these realities: the virtual and physical functions of its mission and activities. 

The Ethiopian National Congress shall have the following organizational structure to carry out its activities:

·         The General Assembly

·         The Executive Board

ARTICLE 2: THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The General Assembly (hereafter the GA) is composed of all members of the Ethiopian National Congress, irrespective of their location.

Powers of the General Assembly:

The GA is the supreme body of the ENC and it shall protect and defend the Constitution. The regular meeting of the General Assembly shall be held Bi-annually. Special meetings of the General Assembly may be held as required to discuss urgent issues that may arise during the year.

ARTICLE 3: The Executive Board

The Executive Board officials are elected by the General Assembly to execute the decisions of the General Assembly and to run the affairs of the organization. The Executive Board is the highest executive body under the General Assembly. The main duties of the Executive Board is planning, operating and monitoring the administrative and financial affairs of the organization, and providing various essential services of the ENC. It shall execute its duties in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the ENC.

The Executive Board shall be comprised of five members consisting of a chairperson, a secretary, a public relations officer, membership committee chairperson, and Fundraising Chair person.

ARTICLE 4: Chair Person

The chairperson chairs the meetings of the Board, coordinates the activities of the board and provides leadership to the Executive Board.

ARTICLE 5: Secretary:

The secretary records and distributes the minutes to the members of Executive Board and GA on timely basis and serves as custodian of the records and documents of the organization. The secretary also assists the Public relations Officer in organizing documents of the organization.

ARTICLE 6: Membership Development Committee

 ·         Members of Ethiopian National Congress are motivated by the ideals of civil duties and responsibilities to bring change in the lives of Ethiopians and others in Ethiopia as well as in the Diaspora. The ENC believes in the power of civic participation in promoting democracy, justice, peace and respect of human rights. 

An Ethiopian who has reached the majority age of 18, or the spouse of such an Ethiopian, or such an individual whose origin can be traced to Ethiopia, or such Ethiopians holding passports, travel documents or residence documents of other countries, are entitled to be members of the ENC. Membership shall be based on the unconditional acceptance of the constitution of the ENC. From time to time, Associate Membership and Honorary Membership may be granted at the discretion of the Executive Board to foreign nationals who support the mission of the ENC. Membership fees may be waived for honorary members.

Job Description for Membership Committee Chair

 ·         Develop/Revise Annual Membership Recruitment and Retention Plan

·         Establish and implement goals of membership recruitment and retention plan.

·         Contact prospective members by phone or email to invite them to join ENC

·         Respond to members’ grievance calls and solicit feedback for improvement.

·         Contact delinquent members prior to cancellation and encourage them to renew.

·         Plan and implement an annual member-get-a-member campaign

·         Greet and introduce new members and prospective members through website or newsletter.

 ARTICLE 7: Fundraising Committee

 ·         Organize on line or geographical fundraising activities from time to time

·         Recruits members with networking and fundraising skills

·         Develops periodic plans to organize two fundraising events annually

·         Organize Fundraising Activities:

·         On Line Auction of artifacts, rare books, equipments etc.

·         Book Fairs Salvage, Recycling

·         T-shirt, Sweatshirt, Fashion Shows etc.

 Job Description for Fundraising Chairman

•  ·         Assign specific tasks to members of the committee such as invitations, publicity, tickets, food, work schedule, phone calling, entertainment, equipment, games, clean up, etc.

·         Files annual and Tax return reports.

·         Studies and establishes relationships with grant makers, files grant proposals, and do necessary follow-ups.

 ARTICLE 8: Public Relations Committee

 ·         Planning a marketing stratagem for developing, packaging and delivering a message or product for the public. Public Relations encompass a variety of marketing activities that strengthen our credibility, enhance our image, and develop good will. These are usually targeted at an audience. Public Relations involve communicating who we are, what we do, why we do it, and how we make a difference.

·         Desired Background Capabilities of a PR:

·         Thorough knowledge of the mission, history and programs of ENC

·         Excellent communication and inter-personal relationship building skills

·         Willing to be held accountable of his performance to the ENC

·         Ability to think outside the box

·         Marketing and or public relations experience is a plus

·         Sound IT skills and web management

 Job Description for Public Relations Officer:

 ·         Develop marketing plan with specific goals, techniques and deadlines

·         Develop a public relations/marketing plan to communicate with internal and external audiences and promote ENC

·         Recruit and form a qualified committee to carry out the responsibilities of Public Relations functions effectively

·         Act as a spokesperson of the organization

·         Create promotional material and solicit the help of graphic designers, photographers to make sure all communications reflect the standards and mission of the organization.

·         Prepare and distribute all communications/promotional materials such as News releases, on line bulletin stories, Flyers and Posters as needed

·         Serve as a liaison to build relationship bridges between the ENC and public media, local community, civic organizations, and political organizations.

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