YVE Ethiopia CGA Date Announcement
Mesfin Hailemariam
Hi all OC members and concerned bodies,
With very high level of motivation, we have carried out our 3rd OC meeting on Sunday Dec 02, which resulted in the crucial moment of our announcement to carry out CGA on December 22nd with all the essential steps to be taken within the next 20 days with an inclusive participation of all OC members and would-be GA members,
I want all of you to please have a look at the details of our meeting procession in the attached email / below this email.
OC guys please check out the last piece of text for WG tasks
Thank you!
Mesfin
Young Volunteers for Environment (YVE) – Ethiopia
Minutes of 3rd OC Meeting
Meeting No.: 04/12
Date: 12/2/2012
Time: 11:00AM –1:00PM
Venue: Wabe Shebelle Hotel Addis Ababa
Present were:
1. Eden Demissie,
2. Abel Teshome,
3. Tenafakiw Sori,
4. Mesfin Hailemariam,
Absent:
5. Nebiat Nigatu (Excused)
Agenda:
1. Discussing the results of our week’s tasks
2. Appointing the rest of positions within OC members apart from the already elected position of focal point and delegating members into Working Groups
Positions like Secretary, Finance Manager, Information Officer and Logistics Officers
3. Discussion on finalizing the preparation of all the legal documents / by laws, application/registration forms etc,
4. Elaborating terms of the action plan for 3 years as required by the legal agency in the country based on YVE’s action plan
5. Establishing creation plan
6. Developing chronogram for the achievement of the final creation of the association prior to official recognition.
7. Discussion and planning on preparing CGA logistics
8. Setting date & time for CGA (later informing it to the IS with all the legal texts accompanying)
9. Setting the next meeting schedule
Following the arrival of OC members, the quorum was checked and the meeting was opened aiming to tackle the case of frequented absence of one of OC members (Nebiat Negatu) from the beginning before proceeding to the agenda. Consequently, considering their inability to find Mr. Nebiat for explanation on his absence and the need to fill in the gap created, participants decided to replace him with two vibrant young women Heran and Yeabsira reputed for their active involvement in organizing youth events and their connection with NGOs each suggested by committee members Eden Demisse and Abel Teshome respectively pending their approval/acceptance to involve in our noble cause and participate in OC.
Then after deciding on new OC members, the participants proceeded discussing on the days agenda after a brief explanation given by the focal point on the various types of NGOs to form and their formation procedures to clarify doubts raised by members in which way YVE should be formed in Ethiopia which after all is through the procedures put by the legal agency in the country (Charities and Societies Agency) to form a charitable association in the country.
1. Discussing on the results of our week’s tasks
Significant level of background knowledge and informationwas gathered by everyone on their allocated tasks especially regarding the information and materials needed to set up YVE as a legal charitable association and on the situation of other NGOs working on the environment. The achievements were praised by the committee and the rest of information needed was ordered t be fulfilled within short time in our upcoming task activities.
2. Appointing the rest of positions within OC members apart from the already elected position of focal point and delegating members into Working Group and Positions like Secretary, Finance Manager, Information Officer and Logistics Officers
After discussing on the agenda for a while and explanations given on the need to appoint the rest of the stated positions among OC members and the need to have work divisions with tasks in to working groups, the participants directly went to the election and task allocation process. As a result the following decisions were made in a democratically conducted election method:
- Secretary position was given to Eden
- Finance Management position owas given to our newly elected members, Heran and Yeabsira for their prospected abilities to possibly raise small amounts funds needed to conduct CGA from their connection /interaction abilities with possible donors. One of them will handle fund raising while the other will manage the finances acquired.
- Information Officer position was awarded to Abel
- Logistics Officer position was also given to Tenafakiw
Then the participants moved on to tasking themselves into the different Working Groups to lead the procession of conducting CGA in an organized way. The tasks of each WG s were explained and individuals were assigned based on the consensus met by every members in the following manner.
- Constitution WG was agreed upon to be led by Tenafakiw and Mesfin
- Action Plan WG was also made to be led by Mesfin and Tenafakiw
- Partnership WG was decided to be led by our new members Heran and Yeabsira
- Organisation WG was to be led by Eden and Abel
*Each WG leaders were ordered to know their tasks well from the guidelines provided. It was also reiterated that every other member is to involve in all tasks equally in the WGs with only the leadership and responsibility provided by the allocated personnel.
3. Discussion on finalizing the preparation of all the legal documents / by laws, application/registration forms etc,
Here on this topic the assigned WG leaders Mesfin and Tenafakiw were given the assignment of coming up with their draft papers until the next meeting (Dec 9) with the consultation of all other OC and would-be GA members.
4. Elaborating terms of the action plan for 3 years as required by the legal agency in the country based on YVE’s action plan
Here also the specified WG leaders Tenafakiw and Mesfin were requested to come up with their draft 1 year action plan to be presented at the CGA and later devising the 3 year project proposal demanded by the Charities and Societies Agency to register a new NGO with the inclusive participation of IS and all OC and GA members.
5. Establishing creation plan
Within this topic, an abiding order was given for each WG to devise their own action plan and come up with their draft results by the next meeting which is on Dec 9 and then the OC will put its finalized general action plan by then.
6. Developing chronogram for the achievement of the final creation of the association prior to official recognition.
This task was also agreed upon to be conducted in a similar way of the precious agenda of establishing an action plan which is to be devised based on the resulted obtained from there.
7. Discussion and planning on preparing CGA logistics
Here the allocated Logistics officer (Tenafakiw Sori) will be helping the Organisation WG leaders Eden and Abel with his own resources. While Eden and Abel were required to come up with details of their weeks achievements and action plans on Dec 9 our next meeting.
The other crucial point reached on this topic was that all 4 existing OC members and if possible accompanied by their newly elected members will be making a trip to the EPA (Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia) on Wednesday to facilitate the provision of CGA venue withing the EPA premises and to have their representative present on the CGA as well as requesting any further assistance from the agency. Plan B was also devised here to talk to another prospected interested and helpful NGO called Mary Joy on this day as recommended by Abel.
8. Setting date & time for CGA (later informing it to the IS with all the legal texts accompanying)
Then followed the crucial announcement of fixing December 22nd in being the date to conduct CGA. All members agreed on the need to plan ahead and to strive to achieve their goal of effectively conducting CGA and making real YVE in the needy Ethiopia on this date. The announcement was made with high level of energy and motivation coming from all four participating OC members. Cheering up followed and photos taken to remember this day Dec 2nd as being the crucial day when a huge step forward was taken to declare the creation of YVE in Ethiopia on December 22nd with all OC members committing themselves in all the essential steps needed to be taken within the next 20 days with several meetings and activities to be carried out to make everything possible in an organized manner.
9. Setting the next meeting schedule
Despite the intension of all OC members to be meeting on the coming Wednesday Dec 5 on their planned trip to EPA on their logistical and organisation WG mission, all participants agreed to meet on Dec 9 to come up with concrete results with every detail of their allocated tasks by then.
Finally more discussions followed on the agreed points and with the high level of motivation the meeting was adjourned until the next one on December 9th on the same place and time.
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Details of the functioning of the four Working Groups set aside on the 3rd meeting:
1 - Working Group on the Constitution:
- Who will read YVE’ s statutes and adapt them to the national context.
- It must enquire about the national NGO registration process.
- Seek information from whoever is accountable for the civil.
NB: The rules of procedures do not have to drafted at the start of the association and may be
written later.
2 - Working Group on the Action Plan:
- Who will read the YVE 2012-2016 Action Plan and will pick YVE’s relevant
activities to accomplish with your resources at the country level.
- It is also possible to benefit from previous national offices’ initiatives, for instance
the national office of Rwanda: they must conduct a research on the situation of the
environment and NGOs in the country and draft a 5 page document clearly stating
YVE’s potential action in the country over a year.
3 - Working Group on Partnerships:
- Who inquires about existing financial partners, potential NGO partners scouting,
potential personalities and individuals interested in the idea of a pan African youth
organisation focusing on sustainable development, existing youth
or environmental organizations
- Develop a field of work, possible synergies to build, ways to access funds,
networking etc.
4 - Working Group on the Organisation: who prepares the CGA: choosing the date,
invitations, program, photocopied documents and YVE leaflets, venue choice, media
coverage if possible, master of ceremony, food and cocktail, report, list of participants, list of
voters, election rules, speech drafting, Skype installations should a staff member from YVE
intervene, pictures, YVE Facebook page, other social media, video projection, etc.