Other chapters
The mutualist practice of World Community.
Functionning of World Community.
1. ONE GOAL : A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION
When the World Community was created it could have been easy to be content with just announcing that there was financing of collective projects Actually the deprived populations will be able to make the means of production their own again when they resort to moves prepared by the group, that is collective. But if we kept to groups only, it might have jeopardized free expression and persons taking charge in those areas where there is political supervision of groups. The World Community could not take such a risk so we chose to direct our work towards persons enjoying the individual rights granted within a cooperative society.
The solidarity between the peoples the World Community wants to promote thus springs from the solidarity between persons who, through the World Community, acknowledge their own rights linked to their individual circumstances, pledges and projects. This actually means truly promoting individual responsibility and working towards human dignity.
The stress put on individual links between the World Community and its members does not lead to individualism but to the contrary : the solidarity between the peoples, the main goal of the World Community, would be empty if it were not based upon the solidarity between the members who are neighbors, belong to a group, a village or a cooperative enterprise. When they get together the members add up their respective rights. They are free and responsible for themselves in their moves. The group becomes capable of thinking about its own development and achieve it for the sake of the community.
2. THE WORLD Community IS A TRANSNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE ORGANIZATION
To fight hunger thanks to a "transnational cooperative organization" is an idea, a fact which engages sympathy and creates hope. This is where the World Community is different and inventive in its approach. But we must be sure of making its practice equal to the ambition of its name - mutual cooperative services - and really follow suit. We have succeeded in that line
2.1. First, the World Community applies the principles of the Rochdale Weavers, the initiators of the first cooperative groups, that is :
- it functions to the benefit of the whole group of its members,
- joining is voluntary, within the means of the less affluent persons and without any discrimination,
- the functioning is democratic as all the members have the same rights (one person = one vote) to share in the decisions and control,
- there is also provision for working with other cooperative organizations on local, national or international scale.
2.2. In the same way as the cooperative movement was born 140-150 years ago brought about by the vital necessity of fighting the aggressive capitalism of the beginning of the industrial era, the World Community, nowadays, is created to allow its members to live and resist the excesses of the multi- or transnational capitalism that is not regulated by any supervision.
2.3. Any cooperative organization is an "artificial person" that is it exists with reference to laws. The World Community relates to two kinds of legal systems :
à the transnational organizations (Regional Centers, World Federal Assembly, Council of Administration) are under the authority of the PEOPLES' CONGRESS, the first and only transnational democratic institution dedicated to the promotion of world law ;
à the local organizations operate under the provisions of the relevant national laws.
2.3. Finally, the purposes of the Friendly Society include assurance, saving, credit, aid... The World Community has at least two aspects : it is a true assurance against hunger to those who are overtaken by the ominous famine, the World Community grants, upon condition of the presentation of a development project, guarantees (or funds) and equally it may agree to loans for which purpose, it is constituted as a Mutual Loan Society.
3.1. The cooperation which the World Community practices is founded in the first place on the financial participation of all the members. The amount contributed by each of the members being left to the free choice of each, however, corresponds to a fundamental and mutual justice.
3.1.1. The minimum subscription takes account of the standard of life of each. The poorest members are thus on an equality with others, no matter which country they inhabit.
3.1.2. The members who have benefited from the financing of a project commit themselves to the repayment of the portion of that sum which has been granted in the form of a loan. These repayments are added to their subscriptions and thus they permit the financing of other projects in other parts of the planet. In this way, by means of this mutual financing, the development of one community benefits the development -of other groups of people who have taken or are capable of un-dertaking similar commitments.
3.1.3. Members commit themselves to subscribe for an annual sum which is markedly higher than the minimum annual subscription. Most often these people belong to developed societies that are beneficiaries of the systems of exploitation whose origin dates from the colonial period. Aware of the inequalities created by these s; stems, such people participate as far as they are agile in the recycling of wealth. By their high voluntary subscriptions they recognize their share of collective responsibility and repay to Global Solidarity a part of the wealth raised from the "Economically Dominated Regions".
3.2. The mutual cooperation which the World Community practices is founded in the second place on Law. Not only World Law produced by the PEOPLES' CONGRESS and which has been discussed above but also and especially the Individual Right of each member in relation to the World Community.
3.2.1. Each individual member of an association has, on an equality with other members, a right to grants from this association. On the global plan the individual rights of financial order cannot be referred to a national currency. This is why, for calculating the minimum subscription level, the World Community has taken upon itself to define an index with reference to the standard of living, to which one can refer in order to calculate the amount of the grants.
3.2.2. Each member at the time of joining has in return the right to make propositions, the right to vote at consultations and elections, the right to free information and the right of inspection over all activities of the World Community.
3.3. The cooperation which the World Community practise is founded in the third place on information. The mutual information constitutes the principal objective of the bulletin "MONDA SOLIDARECO" published quarterly in several languages. As a natural extension of the financial engagement, the bulletin permits solidarity between the peoples to become real, that is to say, trusting, mutual and effective and it can be put into action on a global scale, the members of a region perceive how those from elsewhere can promote their own models of development, what road they propose themselves for their community or individual openings. By this bulletin, the simple and effective techniques employed by the members from one place can be known, adapted and applied in another.
Members
local groups
Regional Centers
World Federal Assembly
Administration Council
Executive Bureau
World Council
1.- ORGANIZATION
1.1. To become a member of the World Community Community against Hunger the requisite is to pledge oneself to pay one's share (punctually) - upon agreement that share bears the name of a "personal tax against hunger" and the minimum contribution is the daily food ration of a person.
1.2. Every member of the Community has a right to vote, a right to proposals, a right to examine the different activities. Any member may receive help from the Community.
In a small area, individual members may organize Associations.
1.3. Regional centers are organized at world level. They are administered by at least two persons elected by the members living in that region. The elected people's mission is to :
- monitor the activities of the World Community in the area where they have been elected ;
- represent that area to the session of the Community General Assembly and before the Bureau ;
- communicate to the Bureau the projects accepted in the area - distribute the funds,
- see to the conformity of implementation of the project,
- see that the decisions of the General Assembly are properly implemented.
The Executive Bureau is elected by the General Assembly which meets every two years. It sees to the smooth running of the organization. Its members are elected every six years and a third of them are renewable every two years.
The Non-Governmental Associations or Organizations (NGOs) can present and support projects, including when they are to be debated in the General Assembly.
Other chapters
The mutualist practice of World Community.
Functionning of World Community.
The Executive Bureau oversees all sums of money in the different bank accounts open under the name of the WORLD COMMUNITY AGAINST HUNGER. The written documents regarding every debit or credit dealing are to be forwarded directly and regularly.
The exact knowledge of bank balances, of individual commitments and of loans paid off allows the Bureau to establish the necessary planning for future requirements.
on credit :
- the subscriptions (or personal taxes against hunger) are regularly paid by the members on one of the banking accounts,
- the amounts of paid off loans at settlement dates,
- the grants and gifts given by organizations or persons (these do not mean any special rights for the givers).
on debit :
- 65 % minimum for financing the development projects, including the necessary preliminary studies (whether social, economic, ecological or geological condition are favorable) and the supervision ;
- 20 % maximum kept for urgent food help ;
- 15 % maximum for administration and information expenses.
3 - HOW TO OBTAIN A FINANCIAL ADVANCE ?