SECTION I
Incorporation – registered office – duration – nature
Art. 1
The Association named “Salviamo il Popolo Eritreo” (ASPER)
[Let’s save the Eritrean People] is hereby incorporated, a non-profit
making organization for the protection of the human rights of the Eritrean
people.
Art. 2
The association has its registered office in Naples, e-mail: asper2004@hotmail.com.
The Executive Board has the faculty of opening secondary offices in
Italy and abroad.
Art. 3
The duration of the association is of 50 (fifty) years.
Art. 4
The association will act for the protection of the human rights of
the Eritrean People in full respect of the Declaration signed by the
Member-States of the Organization of the United Nations and universally
accepted. The association does not have any profit-making intention
and is apolitical. It is independent with regard to any organization,
trade union, professional and political group but intends to have a
privileged relationship with the bodies directly interested in acknowledging
human rights and the promotion of conditions beneficial for the process
of the democratisation of Eritrea and for the salvation of its people.
SECTION II
Aims
Art. 5
The Association includes in its institutional aims:
a) to coordinate and promote initiatives that can help Eritrean immigrants
in Italy to obtain information, documentation and regularization of
their position;
b) to raise the awareness of the Italian governmental authorities so
that:
entry of Eritreans is facilitated and the status of political refugee
of Eritreans who are forced to flee Eritrea due to political persecution
is recognized;
c) the special law of 1990 which guarantees the right to stay in Italy
for Somali citizens as they are from a former colony is extended to
Eritreans;
Eritrean citizens who so request are granted the right to have unconditional
entry into Italy, residence status and Italian nationality, in the
respect of the agreements signed on the establishment of the United
Nationals towards previously colonized countries and recalling that
in 1890 Eritrea was declared an overseas Italian province and the natives
formed an effective part of Italy;
the moral debt of Italy to the Eritrean people is recognised for the
damage caused to the populations of Eritrea from 1890 until the end
of the Second World War, in terms of human lives lost, instability
and connected issues;
help is given to the families of Eritreans who fought alongside the
Italians for the defence of the Italian flag and the Eritrean war dead
are remembered as is normally the case for the Italian war dead, during
official celebrations;
d) to organize peaceful marches and demonstrations in the competent
venues to assert universal human rights for the Eritrean people;
e) to protest peacefully against all those who deny the recognition
and the rights of the Eritrean People or who support the dictatorial
regime in force in Eritrea highlighted by the European resolution of
07/02/02;
f) to unite and mobilize other associations, organizations, physical
individuals and experts, for the purpose of accelerating the process
of development and democratisation of Eritrea;
g) to contact and raise awareness of the national and international
humanitarian bodies for the purpose of entering into direct contact
with the populations of Eritrea and provide for adequate aid in situations
of emergency;
h) to contact and raise the awareness of social services and centres,
research institutes, schools and universities to facilitate the inclusion
of Eritrean citizens who intend to undertake studies or learn trades
that may be useful for the development of Eritrea;
i) to contact and raise the awareness of hospitals to guarantee appropriate
healthcare for Eritreans in need of care. as well as to twin Italian
and Eritrean hospitals and create reciprocity of health and cultural
exchanges;
j) to delegate persons so that, without any profit-making intention,
they help Eritreans in dealing with the bureaucratic formalities in
the respect of the legislation currently in force and any special laws
for the protection of the rights of the Eritrean people;
g) to organize conferences, events, meetings, lectures, debates, round
tables, workshops and also carry out every connected, related and dependent
act on the needs relative to the implementation of the institutional
aims, as well as every operation that may in any way be pertinent to
the aims of the Association.
SECTION III
Bodies of the Association
Art. 6
The following are bodies of the Association:
- the Members
- the Meeting
- the Executive Board
- the Chairman
- the Coordinator
Chapter I
The Members
Art. 7
Founder Members are those who established the Association taking part
in the deed of incorporation.
Supporting Members and Ordinary Members are appointed with the majority
approval of the Executive Board and are all those Italian and foreign
citizens (without discrimination of nationality, language, gender,
religion, ethnic group) who have applied for membership and who are
over eighteen years of age, who do not have interests in contrast with
those of the Association and take part in the Meeting with the right
of vote.
Art. 8
Membership ceases: a) due to the winding up of the Association;
b) due to resignation accepted by the Executive Board; for breach
of
the Association’s articles of association and rules; d) for
unworthy action; due to death.
Chapter II
The Meeting
Art. 9
The Members’ Meetings are Ordinary and Extraordinary, The
Founder Members, the Supporting Members and the Ordinary Members
attend the
Meetings with the right of vote. Proxies are not accepted. The
Meetings pass resolution on subjects reserved to them by the articles
of association
or which are in any case submitted to their examination.
They are called by the Chairman who chairs them, by means of a notice
to be sent at least fifteen days before the date established for the
meeting and containing the indications on the venue, the date, the
time and the subjects to be discussed.
Art. 10
The Meeting regularly called and established represents all the Members,
its resolutions, taken in compliance with the Articles of Association
are compulsory for all the Members, including those who are absent
and dissenting.
Art. 11
The Ordinary Meeting is called each year by the Chairman of the Association
by 31st May and whenever he deems it necessary. It is the task of the
Meeting: 1) to approve the financial statement (final and budget) of
the period; 2) to discuss on any other matter submitted to its examination.
The Ordinary Meeting is regularly formed, at its first call however
many attendees are present. The Ordinary Meeting always passes resolution
on the absolute majority of the attendees. In the case of equal votes,
the vote of the Chairman of the Association prevails.
Art. 12
The Extraordinary Meeting is called by the Chairman of the Association
in the same ways as those established for the convocation of the
Ordinary Meeting, for special requirements, on the initiative of
the Chairman
or on the request of at least two-thirds of the members: It is
competent on: 1) modification of the rules of the articles of association,
2) revocation of the Chairman; 3) winding up of the Association
and
appointment
of receivers, 4) and any other topics that it will be deemed as
opportune for discussion by the Meeting. The Meeting is validly
established
at the first call when two-thirds of the members are present and
at the
second call when half the members plus one are present. The Meeting
passes resolutions with the absolute majority of the attendees.
In the event of equal votes, the Chairman’s vote is decisive.
For the revocation of the Chairman, for the modifications of essential
rules of the articles of association and for the winding up of
the Association, the unanimity of the voters present is required.
Members who have regularly paid their membership fees may attend the
Ordinary Meeting and the Extraordinary Meeting. Each Founding Member,
Supporting Member and Ordinary Member is entitled to one vote.
Chapter III
The Executive Board
Art. 13
The Executive Board is made up of the Chairman and at least two Directors.
The First Board is appointed by the deed of incorporation. No compensation
is due for the appointment, except reimbursement of expenses for service.
Art. 14
The Executive Doard meets at least every three months on the convocation
of the Chairman or on the request, forwarded to the latter, by at least
half of its members, who must indicate the topics to be discussed.
The notice of call to be sent to all the members of the Board at least
fifteen days prior to the date established for the meeting, must always
be made in writing and must contain the venue, the date and the time
of the meeting as well as the indication of the items on the agenda.
The meetings of the Executive Board are valid when half of its members
and the Chairman are present, The resolutions are taken ordinarily
by the majority.
Chapter IV
The Chairman
Art. 15
The Chairman is elected by the members’ Meeting from the
Founding Members and may be revoked only in the ways laid down
by art. 12.
The First Chairman is appointed with the deed of incorporation,
remains in office for three years and may be re-elected. The Chairman
appoints
from the members of the Executive Board a Deputy Chairman who replaces
him with the same powers due to him in the event of absence or
impediment, and a Treasurer who manages the accounts.
Art. 16
The Chairman has powers of representation before third parties and
has all the powers of ordinary and extraordinary administration, with
the faculty of signature with no exclusions or reservations, on the
subjects not strictly reserved for the Meeting or the Executive Board.
In particular his duties include the final accounts to be submitted
to the approval of the Meeting or the Executive Board, the preparation
of internal rules, issuing proxies and powers of attorney, managing
the implementation of resolutions of the Meeting and reporting on his
operations to the Executive Board and to the first Meeting.
Chapter V
The Coordinator
The Coordinator is appointed directly by the Executive Board for the
purpose of organizing and coordinating the activities laid down by
these articles of association, including at offices established in
different places and to represent, without political exploitation,
the Association before third parties. No compensation is due for the
appointment except the reimbursement of expenses for service.
SECTION IV
Administration
Art. 17
The financial resources of the Association derive from the membership
fees paid annually by the Members. The value of the fees is established
by the Executive Board both for the Founding Members and for the Supporting
and Ordinary Members.
Art. 18
The ordinary and extraordinary administration of the Association is
assigned by the Chairman to the Treasurer.
Art. 19
The period closes on 31st December of each calendar year and at the
end of each period the Chairman will proceed with drawing up the economic
and financial statement which must be submitted to the approval of
the Meeting within five months of the end of the period.
SECTION V
Final provisions
Art. 20
If the Association were to be wound up for any reason whatsoever, the
Meeting will appoint one or more receivers establishing their powers.
Art. 21
For everything that is not expressly foreseen by these articles of
association, the rules of the Civil Code and of the other laws of the
State regulating Associations are applicable.
These Articles of Association, translated into the official languages
of Eritrea (Tigrigna and Arabic), English and French, will be distributed
over the internet and by e-mail.
A true copy of these Articles of Association will be notified to the
following authorities of the Republic of Italy:
President of the Republic
The President of the Senate – Parliament
The Prime Minister
The President of the Constitutional Court
Ministers: Justice, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Social
Affairs
National and international bodies:
EU Commission
EU Parliament
International Court of Appeal for Human Rights
United Nations’ High Commission for Refugees – U.N.C.H.R.
Official Journal of the State – Republic of Italy
National Association for Repatriated Veterans of Africa – A.N.R.R.A.
International Red Cross
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch – HRW
