Articles of Association

Statutes of AWOLI e. V.

Name, registered office, financial year

  1. The association Génération du Tiers Monde is now called AWOLI.
    AWOLI stands for African Way of Life.
    At the same time, AWOLI means “Who are you?”, “Who is there?” in some African languages.
  2. The association must be entered in the register of associations.
  3. The association is based in Constance on Lake Constance.
    Address: Mittelsberg 2, 78465 Constance.
    The registered office of the association can be moved to another municipality if more than 2/3 of the members agree.
  4. The association’s financial year runs from
    May 18 to May 17 of the following year.

Purpose of the association

The association has the following purposes:

  • Enabling and facilitating coexistence between different cultures by providing the opportunity to get to know each other better through multiple event meetings,
  • Promote sisterhood and brotherhood, friendly relations between 3rd world countries by cooperating with different aid organizations in these countries to achieve the same goal,
  • Promote friendly and long-lasting relations between the developed world and 3rd world countries with mutual respect and cooperation with the developed world,
  • Fight against social inequality, diseases (malaria, AIDS, etc.) by setting up first aid clinics,
  • Encouraging Africans to return by working with African governments to facilitate the conditions for return,
  • Promotion of school, sport and African culture, by building schools and donating sports shoes in the sports school,
  • Encouraging the desire for research by awakening the desire in young people during their education.

Non-profit status

  1. The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes within the meaning of the section “Tax-privileged purposes” of the German Tax Code.
    The purpose of the association is to promote international understanding and development aid.
  2. The association, which does not pursue its own economic purposes, is selflessly active and does not seek to make a profit.
    The association’s funds may only be used for the purposes set out in the articles of association.
    Members do not receive any benefits from the association’s funds.
    No person may benefit from expenses that are alien to the purpose of the association or from disproportionately high remuneration.
  3. The purpose of the Articles of Association is realized in particular by raising funds through contributions, donations and events that serve to promote the supported purpose.

Finances of the association

The income of the association is made up of:

  1. Donations
  2. Membership fees
  3. Income from events

Acquisition of membership

  1. Any natural person who has reached the age of seven can become a member of the association.
    In the case of minors, the consent or signature of the legal representative is required.
  2. The prerequisite for acquiring membership is a written application for admission, which must be addressed to the Board of Directors.
    The General Meeting decides on admission at its own discretion.
    There is no obligation to inform the applicant of the reasons if the application is rejected.
  3. At the proposal of at least 5 members of the Association, the General Meeting may appoint persons who have rendered outstanding services to the Association as honorary members.

Duration and termination of membership

  1. Membership must be renewed in writing at the end of each financial year with a notice period of 8 weeks before the end of the financial year.
    If membership is not renewed, it shall be suspended.
    The member concerned is then neither entitled to vote nor eligible for election.
    If membership is suspended for 2 consecutive years, the person concerned is automatically excluded from the association; reinstatement is then only possible with a new written application.
  2. Membership ends upon death, expulsion or resignation from the association.
  3. If a member has culpably and grossly violated the interests of the association, they may be expelled from the association.
    The General Meeting decides on expulsion with a majority of three quarters of the valid votes cast.
    The decision must be justified in writing and sent to the member.
    Before the resolution is passed, the member must be given the opportunity to make an oral or written statement.
  4. Resignation is effected by written declaration to the Executive Board.
    It can only be declared at the end of a financial year, whereby the notice period of two months must be observed.
  5. Honorary membership expires upon revocation by the General Meeting, written resignation or death.

Membership fees

  1. Annual membership fees are charged to the members of the association.
  2. The amount and due date of contributions are determined by the General Meeting at the beginning of each financial year in accordance with the proposal of the Finance Committee.
  3. In appropriate cases, the General Meeting may authorize the payment of contributions in full or in part.
  4. Honorary members and members whose membership is suspended are exempt from the obligation to pay the annual membership fee.

Organs of the association

The bodies of the association are The General Meeting, the Board of Directors, the Advisory Board and the Finance Committee.

General meeting

  1. Each member has one vote at the General Meeting.
    To exercise the right to vote, another member may be authorized in writing separately for each General Meeting; however, one member may not represent more than two third-party votes.
  2. The general meeting takes place every two months.
    It is convened by the Executive Board in writing, giving one week’s notice (submission deadline) and stating the agenda.
    Any member may submit a written request to the Executive Board to add items to the agenda no later than one day before the meeting.
    The chairman of the meeting must announce the addition at the beginning of the general meeting.
  3. The General Meeting is chaired by the Chairman or, if he is unable to attend, by the Secretary General or, if he is unable to attend, by the Treasurer.
    If no member of the Board of Directors is present, the meeting shall appoint the chairperson.
  4. The general meeting is quorate if at least one third of all association members are present.
    If there is no quorum, the Executive Board is obliged to convene a second General Meeting with the same agenda within two weeks.
    This shall constitute a quorum regardless of the number of members present.
    This must be indicated in the invitation.
    However, the presence of at least two thirds of the members is required for the election or deselection of the Executive Board or amendment of the Articles of Association.
  5. The General Meeting generally passes resolutions with a simple majority of the valid votes cast.
    However, a majority of three quarters of the valid votes cast is required to amend the articles of association, and a majority of nine tenths is required to dissolve the association.
    A resolution to change the purpose of the association can only be passed with the consent of all members.
  6. A record must be kept of the resolutions passed at the general meeting.
    At a minimum, it should contain the nature of the resolutions, the voting results, the date and the names of those who are to certify the resolutions of the General Meeting.
    The Secretary General shall authenticate the minutes or, if he is unable to do so, the Treasurer.
    If the General Secretary and the Treasurer are not present, the General Assembly shall appoint a secretary from among its members.

Management Board

  1. The Board of Directors consists of the Chairman of the Board, the Secretary General and the Treasurer.
  2. Board members should fulfill the following conditions
  3. – impeccable role model function
  4. – At least 2 years membership
  5. The association is represented by the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Secretary General.
    Both are authorized to represent the association individually.
    In appropriate cases, the Board of Directors or the General Meeting may authorize a member to represent the association.
  6. The Board of Directors adopts resolutions at meetings convened by the Chairman or, if he is unable to do so, by the Secretary General, who shall notify the agenda.
    The notice period of three days should be observed.
  7. The Board of Directors is quorate if at least two are present.
    Resolutions are passed by a majority of the valid votes cast.
    In the event of a tie, the Chairman has the casting vote; in his absence, the Secretary General has the casting vote.
    The Executive Board may pass resolutions by written procedure if all members of the Executive Board agree to the subject of the resolution.
  8. The Executive Board is responsible for all matters of the association, unless they are assigned to another body.
    Its tasks include in particular
  9. – Preparing and convening the General Meeting and drawing up the agenda,
  10. – The implementation of the resolutions of the General Meeting,
  11. – The preparation of an annual report to be submitted to the General Meeting after the end of the financial year.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board is the link between the General Meeting and the Board of Directors.

Tasks

  • Advisory function
  • Concerns about the survival of the association in times of crisis
  • Discharge of the Executive Board
  • Preparation of an annual report at the end of the financial year, which must be submitted to the General Meeting.


Membership fees

The Advisory Board consists of three persons and is elected on the same day as the Board of Directors for a term of three financial years.
It appoints its own spokesperson.
Members of the Advisory Board should fulfill the following conditions:

  • At least three years membership in the association,
  • Active participation in the general meetings,
  • Complete payment of membership fees.

Finance Committee

Task

  • Developing the association’s financial goals
  • Financial control and duty to provide information to the General Meeting.
    To this end, the Treasurer is obliged to disclose the cash books to the Finance Committee and to attend its meetings as required, although he/she does not have the right to vote.
  • Preparation of an annual report at the end of the financial year, which must be submitted to the General Meeting.


Membership

The Finance Committee consists of three persons and is elected on the same day as the Board of Directors for a term of three financial years.
It appoints its own spokesperson.
Members of the Finance Committee should fulfill the following conditions:

  • At least one year membership in the association,
  • Active participation in member meetings,
  • Complete payment of membership fees.

Elections

  1. The Board of Directors, the Advisory Board and the Finance Committee are elected by the General Meeting for a term of three years.
    However, they remain in office until new elections are held.
  2. The elections must be announced 8 weeks before the election date.
    Proposals must then be addressed to the Advisory Board in writing no later than two weeks before the election date.
    If the election date is postponed, the candidacy deadline is also postponed accordingly.
    After sorting and checking, a list of candidates is drawn up and sent to the members with the invitation.
    In appropriate cases (e.g. no written application) and at the discretion of the election officer, candidacies for the Advisory Board and Finance Committee may still be accepted on the day of the election.
  3. The Board of Directors is elected as a team.
  4. Members of the Advisory Board and the Finance Committee are elected individually.
  5. The candidate who receives more than half of the valid votes cast is elected.
    If no candidate has received more than half of the valid votes cast, a run-off vote is held between the two candidates who have received the most votes.
    In the event of an equal number of votes, the election shall be decided by lot to be drawn by the chairman of the meeting.
    Elections are held by secret ballot.

Protocol

  1. The resolutions passed by the Association’s bodies must be recorded in writing and signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Secretary General.
  2. If resolutions are recorded in writing in the cases provided for by the Articles of Association, they shall also be recorded in minutes signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Secretary General.

Liability

  1. The liability of the association and the members of the Executive Board is limited to a deliberate breach of duty by the members of the Executive Board.
    Liability for negligent behavior of the bodies and for any fault of the vicarious agents towards the members of the association is excluded.
    Insofar as claims for damages by association members against the association or against acting association members are in question, the injured party must also prove the fault of the person acting on behalf of the association and the causality between the breach of duty and the damage.
    Direct liability of the association members, in particular the Executive Board, for claims for damages against the association is excluded.
  2. The association is obliged to indemnify the members of the Executive Board against all claims against them arising from their activities for the association, unless the claims are based on a deliberate breach of duty.

Dissolution of the association

  1. The association is established for an unlimited duration.
  2. The dissolution of the association can only be decided at a general meeting with a majority of nine tenths of the valid votes cast if at least two thirds of the members are present.
  3. After dissolution, the association is liquidated.
  4. Unless the General Meeting decides otherwise, the persons named in 3) are the liquidators authorized to represent the company.
  5. The assets available after the liquidation of the liquidators shall be transferred to another tax-privileged corporation for use for the generally worthy charitable purposes mentioned in § 2 of the above Articles of Association within the meaning of § 52 AO. The General Meeting shall decide to which tax-privileged corporation the Association’s assets shall be allocated.
  6. The above provisions shall apply accordingly if the association is dissolved for any other reason, loses its legal capacity or the tax-privileged purpose ceases to exist.
  7. The members may not receive any shares of the association’s assets upon dissolution of the association.

Place of jurisdiction

The exclusive place of jurisdiction for all claims and disputes between the association and the members is the registered office of the association.