About us
The initiative to form a Namibian friendship association in Sweden was taken in March, 2000, when Namibia celebrated 10 years of Independence.
December 31, 2000, we were happy and proud to have 96 paid up members, living all over Sweden, representing a wide range of occupations, experience, knowledge and interests.
We are Namibians, Swedes and a little of both - some have lived in Sweden for many, many years, some have just arrived - some have worked in/with Namibia for 50 years, some have just discovered Namibia.
We send an email newsletter to our members and friends as often as we find news on Namibia and southern Africa, approximately once a week.
We organise get togethers at least four times a year - the Annual Genreal Meeting in March, with a lecture, dinner and dance - a picnic in May in the lovely Haga park in Stockholm - another get together in August - sometimes we give a November Party - and finally we have a Christmas party in December.
We work closely with the friendship societies for Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe in Sweden. Together we celebrate Christmas in December and for the last four years we've had joint activities, lectures, dinner, performances and dancing, in connection to our Annual General Meetings in March.
Our annual membership fee for single membership is 150 SKR , family membership 250 SKR, organisations/companies 500 SKR, payable to our postgiro account 134 49 07 - 9.
Our postal address is: Box 1347, 18125 Lidingö, Sweden.
The Namibia Society in Sweden and Sverige Namibia Föreningen
1. Objectives
The Society shall work for an active contact between Swedes and Namibians as well as between our two countries, Sweden and Namibia.
The Society shall work for an exchange of experiences, ideas and information on Namibia and encourage friendship, co-operation and solidarity between the two peoples.
The Society shall work for an exchange between the two countries in different areas, such as culture, education and science, enterprise co-operation and trade, travels and tourism.
The Society shall co-operate with other Societies in Sweden of the same kind, as well as other Namibian societies in the Nordic countries.
The Society shall be non-partisan on political and religious issues, and uncommitted to any other society, association or organisation. The Society is non-profitable.
2. Membership
Anyone who accepts the objectives of the Society and has paid the membership fee is regarded as being a member.
3. Termination of Membership
Membership may be terminated by resignation or expulsion.
Resignation occurs at the request of the member. Paid annual membership fees will not be reimbursed.
A member who opposes the objectives of the Society may be expelled immediately by decision of the Board.
4. Membership Fee
The membership fee is determined at the Annual Meeting of the Society.
Payment of the membership fee gives a voting right at the Annual Meeting. Members will be invoiced for payment of the fee at the beginning of the Society’s financial year.
5. The Annual Meeting
- the Annual Meeting is the Society’s highest decision-making body
- the Annual Meeting will be held before the end of March each year
- Notice of the Annual Meeting will be posted to all members at the latest one month before the date of the meeting
- all the paid-up members of the Society are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting
- the Society’s current affairs are managed by the Board
- the Society’s financial year coincides with the calendar year and its operational year begins immediately after the Annual Meeting.
6. Agenda of the Annual Meeting
1. The Meeting is declared open
2. Election of the Chair and Minutes Secretary of the Meeting
3. Ratification of the agenda of the Annual Meeting
4. Election of two members to ratify the Minutes along with the Chair and to count votes
5. Ratification of due and proper notice of the Annual Meeting
6. Ratification of voting list
7. Annual Report of the Society and the Auditors’ Report
8. Adoption of the Annual Accounts and Balance Statement
9. Exemption of the Board from liability
10. Election of Board members and their deputies
11.Election of the Chair of the Society
12. Election of the auditors and substitute auditor
13. Election of the nomination committee for next year’s Annual Meeting
14. Setting of the membership fee
15. Information from the Board
16. Members’ motions and proposals of the Board
17. Other questions submitted in advance of the Meeting
18. Closure
A programme should be organised jointly with the meeting.
7. The Board
The Board and its Chair are elected for the period of one year.
The Society will strive to achieve gender balance on the Board.
The Board will allocate the other elected executive members to their respective posts at the Board’s first constitutive meeting after the Annual Meeting.
The affairs of the Society are managed by the Board, which, including the Chair and the executive members, shall consist of no fewer than five and no more than seven members. Deputy members may also be appointed to the Board.
The Board meets when called by the Chair or at the request of at least three Board members.
The Notice of a Board Meeting shall state the agenda of the meeting.
Decisions are taken by simple majority vote, unless otherwise determined in the Constitution. The Chair has a casting vote, should a vote be even.
8. Tasks of the Board
- to take due care of the Society’s affairs and objectives
- to settle membership issues
- to be responsible for the activities of the Society and to set the fees for the same
- to take responsibility for contacts with the broad society and media
- to carry out investigations, to discuss and pronounce upon incoming proposals and to act as a reference authority whenever relevant
- to take responsibility for the Society’s assets and to keep the books of the Society’s accounts, which will be closed as per December 31st each year
- to issue an Annual Report along with an Annual Statement of Accounts and a Balance Statement, as well as to issue a Budget Proposal for the coming year-
- to ensure otherwise that the Society’s activities are carried out with sufficient personnel and financial resources and within the limits of its available means.
9. Amendments to the Constitution
Amendments to this Constitution require to be passed by two successive meetings of the Society, of which one shall be the Annual Meeting. The second meeting must be held at least one and at the most three months after the first meeting. Decision will be taken by a two-third majority vote of the members present at each meeting.
The dissolution of the Society requires the same procedure as for amendments to the Constitution, but shall also include a decision on the disposition of the assets of the Society.
10. Authorised Signatories
The Society’s authorised signatories shall be two persons appointed by the Board among the Board, each one allowed to sign on the behalf of the Society. The Society’s liability is limited to the amount of its assets.
11. Audit
Each calendar year, the Society’s properly closed books, inclusive of the instruments and documents thereto pertaining, the Treasurer’s Report and the Annual Report shall be submitted to the auditors for vetting before the end of January the following year. The auditors shall by the 20th February issue a written statement of their audit and therewith clearly either exempt or refuse the Board from liability.
12. Extraordinary Annual Meeting
An extraordinary Annual Meeting may be called if the Board or at least one fifth of the members so request.
The Society’s Constitution is written in both English and Swedish and both are equally binding.
The above Constitution was passed by the Society’s first Annual General Meeting, March 24th, 2001.
David Wirmark, AGM Chairperson
To the Constitution above was added that the Society is situated in Lidingö, Stockholms län, by the Society’s Annual General Meeting, March 13th, 2004.
Sten Rylander, AGM Chairperson
