AIEJI By-Laws, Barcelona 2007
1. Name.

1. The AIEJI association’s name is: INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL EDUCATORS

2. SOCIAL EDUCATORS are professionals with a formal education or training who work with children, youth and adults. The populations include persons and/or communities who are in need of socio-educational actions. Social educators practice in a variety of settings through individual actions, residential institutions and community based programs in the respect of professional ethics. They practice a broad range of roles including direct care, training, supervision and leadership positions, consultation and research in the socio-educational field.

3. The Association is a non-profit association established under the laws of Switzerland. Its headquarters can be transferred to any location by decision of the Executive Board.

4. Only members are authorized to use AIEJI’s logo in their publications.

2. Purposes and Goals

Article 2.1. – Purposes
The purpose of the association is to emphasize and promote the philosophy of social education and its uniqueness in being actively involved in partnership with clients,
working with them, not only individually but in groups, families, communities, in the milieu, towards the development of their strengths and in resolving personal, social,
and community difficulties.

The purposes then are to :

1. Unite social educators from all countries and promote quality practice that seeks to ensure the best for people served by the profession.

2. Encourage the richness of diversity by promoting the working together of people of different backgrounds and cultures through the international membership of AIEJI.

3. Contribute to the development of professional education and training to increase the competence of all social educators.

4. Promote the organization of the social education profession and encourage networking among AIEJI members to increase international collaboration.

5. Emphasize professional practice and educational methods based on the United Nation’s declarations of human and children’s rights.

Article 2.2. : – Goals
The association will seek to carry out its stated purposes by means of :

1. Encouraging the creation of social educator associations in countries in which there are no such organizations.

2. Organizing international congresses, colloquia, seminars of a general, interregional or regional nature.

3. Promoting international exchange of persons, ideas and contribute to the study of protection of persons nationally and internationally and to facilitate contacts for its members with educational experiences carried out around the world.

4. Promoting the development and utilization of knowledge through research, publication, exchange of documentation concerning social education, human welfare, and collaboration on practical and scientific publication in the field.

5. By working together with the United Nations and its specialized institutions as well as with other international or national organizations, whether intergovernmental, governmental or not.

6. Any other means appropriate to the purposes and goals of this international
association.

3. Membership and members

Article 3.1 – Members.
The following may be members of the Association:

1. Membership associations of social educators.

2. Organizations, agencies, institutions, educational and training centers or foundations providing social educational services or in direct support to children, youth and dults.

3. Individuals: Social educators with formal education as well as other professionals working as social educators – and others who are interested in the work of the ssociation and in supporting its purposes.

Article 3.2 – Associations and organizations as Members.

1. Associations and organizations as defined in Articles 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 – submitting a written request with documents (i.e. By-Laws, reports of current activities)supporting their application for membership may be accepted as members by the Board, which decides on the terms of approval.

2. If a request for membership has been denied, the applicant has the right of appeal to the General Assembly.

Article 3.3. – Honorary Status.

1. The General Assembly may give the title of honorary member to individuals ho have provided exemplary services to the Association, to the profession of
social education, or to people in difficulties.

2. The title of Honorary President may be attributed by the General Assembly to former presidents of the Association, who have performed exemplary service.

3. Honorary members and Honorary Presidents are invited to participate in discussions of the General Assembly as non-voting members.

4. The title of Honorary member shall be lost by resignation or by decision of the General Assembly.

Article 3.4. – Loss of membership
Members shall lose their membership under the following conditions:

1. By written resignation sent to the General Secretary.

2. By removal for ethical reasons or noncompliance with the member’s obligations in the event of any action contrary to the AIEJI’s purposes. The member has the right to enter a plea before the Executive Committee, and to defend his/her position before the General Assembly. While this is not celebrated, his/her condition of member will be suspended, while keeping his/her obligations and the right to information, but not the right to vote.

3. By failure to pay dues, according to Article 4.1.2.

4. Dues and other financial matters.

Article 4.1. – Dues.

1. Members shall pay yearly dues as established by the General Assembly. Presidents Emeritus and Honorary members shall be exempted from payment of dues.

2. Members failing to pay their dues within 90 days after receiving the call for payment shall be notified by the Association. If payment is not received by the end of the current year, membership will be discontinued. The Board may exercise discretion and not suspend membership when special circumstances exist.

3. In the case of non-payment of dues, the condition of full rights member will be recovered when all dues pending are paid.”

Article 4.2. – Fiscal Year.
The financial year corresponds to that of the calendar year.

Article 4.3. – Financial Requirements.

1. Meetings of all types, whether organized by the International Association or by others on behalf of the Association, must be self-financed.

2. The Association’s financial commitments shall be ensured by its financial resources, excluding any of its members’ personal responsibility.

5. General Assembly.

Article 5.1. – General Assembly.

1. In the Association, the sovereign power is exercised by the General Assembly. The President presides over the General Assembly and the General Secretary prepares the papers for the meeting.

2. The General Assembly shall convene at least every four years, by notice from the Board to the membership two months prior to the meeting date. This notice must present the Assembly’s agenda. The agenda shall contain as a minimum the following points :
• Acceptance of proper formalities about the General Assembly.
• Approval Minutes of previous General Assembly.
• Report of the Board.
• Report of the Treasurer.
• Report of the audit committee.
• Proposals for new business.
• Elections.
• Member dues.
• Next General Assembly.

3. The General Assembly shall decide on auditors’ reports, the Board’s proposals aiming to reach the Associations’ goals as well as on proposals submitted to the Board three months prior to the General Assembly.

4. The General Assembly shall elect members of the Board, by the majority of members present or represented by proxy. Members of the elected Board elect the President and the officers.

5. The General Assembly shall elect, in addition to the Board, two members at large who shall verify the Association’s financial accounts.

6. The General Assembly shall establish member dues for the coming period.

7. The General Assembly’s decisions shall be decided by a majority vote, except for those provided for in Articles 7.1 and 7.2 in these By-Laws.

8. Special meetings of the General Assembly shall be called by a written request of a majority of the Board or by a written request by 20 % of the membership. Special meeting notice shall be sent to the members of the Association two months prior to the date of such a meeting. The business transacted at such a meeting shall be confined to the topic or topics sent out and stated in the meeting call.

Article 5.2. – Voting

1. The associations cited in Article 3.1.1 shall be represented at the General Assembly. The group of associations of each state has 80 votes. 20 additional votes are given to associations reaching the maximum yearly payment of dues.

2. The organizations cited in Article 3.1.2 shall be represented at the General Assembly. Organizations have 10 votes each. 5 additional votes are given to agencies reaching the maximum yearly payment of dues.

3. Individual members cited in article 3.1.3 each have 1 vote.

4. Voting by correspondence is possible, when necessary, during the period between regular General Assembly meetings. A period of one month shall be
granted to members so that they may announce their decision.

5. Voting by proxy is allowed. A member, not being able to attend the General Assembly, may designate another member to cast a vote. A member may
represent only two other members by proxy.

6.The Board

Article 6.1. – The Board – Responsibilities

1. The Board shall conduct the Association’s business in its political and technical aspects. It shall be responsible to apply the directives and decisions of the General assembly. It shall be responsible as a college for all the activities it implements.

2. The elected members of the Board shall establish an Executive Committee with the functions of President, General Secretary, Treasurer and the Responsible/Managers of the Regional Bureaux. Additionally, the Board may delegate defined assignments to specific members of the Board or to the members of the Association at large.

3. The Board may adopt Rules and Procedures for the conduct of its business as shall be deemed advisable and may in the execution of the powers granted appoint technical advisors as it considers necessary.

4. The Executive Committee must do a yearly working plan, and will provide it with the corresponding budget.

5. Technical Advisors, Project Leaders can be invited for consultation with the General Assembly if not invited in another capacity.

Article 6.2. – The Board – Composition

1. The Executive Board will be made up of from nine to nineteen members from at least six countries elected by the General Assembly. Member associations and organizations may present candidates if they are 3.1.1 or 3.1.2 members of the Association. Individual members, category 3.1.3, submit their own proposals for candidature to the Board and the General Assembly.

2. No more than two members on the Board may represent a country. If more than two candidates presented from one country are elected, the two candidates receiving the most votes will take the seats on the Board.

3. The term for members of the Board shall be four years. Incumbent members can be re-elected.

4. Membership of the Board will be terminated if the member fails to attend meetings less often than once per year – or fails to pay dues. The Board may excuse absence under special circumstances. In the event a member is excluded, the Board shall fill the position by inviting the candidate receiving the most votes of those not elected at the last General Assembly to join the Board.

5. The Board shall have two Standing Committees :
• An Executive Committee according to Article 6.1.2.
• An Audit Committee according to Article 5.1.5.

And Ad hoc Committees:
The Board may designate ad hoc Committees from time to time as deemed necessary.
There will be Regional Bureaux at the continents, with a responsible manager chosen among the members of the Board.
The President may temporarily create working groups when necessary.

6. The Board shall convene as often as necessary, however at least twice a
year.

Article 6.3. – Voting and Quorum

1. Each member of the Board shall have one vote.

2. The Members of the Board cannot be represented. There must be at least 51% of the members of the Board present to comprise a quorum for taking action. In the event of a tie vote, the President shall have the deciding vote.

Article 6.4. – Civil and Legal Representation
The President and General Secretary shall jointly represent the Association in all civil and legal action.

7. Amendments and dissolution

Article 7.1. – Amendments
Proposals aiming to bring about any amendment to the By-Laws shall be submitted to the membership two months prior to the date of the General Assembly. Any amendment to the By-Laws shall require a majority of 2/3 of the votes present or represented.

Article 7.2. – Dissolution

1. A proposal aiming to dissolve the Association shall only be able to be examined in a General Assembly announced with this specific aim at least two months prior to the date of the meeting. This proposal shall only be accepted by the majority vote of 2/3 of the members present or represented.

2. If dissolution is decided, the General Assembly shall then appoint a commission of three members in charge of liquidating the Association’s assets and debts. The Association shall decide on the distribution of the amounts resulting from the Association’s dissolution. These sums shall be assigned, free of charge, to an International Association working in the field of social education.

Download by-laws here