A/ Values
Evolutio-International favours an approach supporting development based essentially on the respect and the promotion of fundamental rights, as for example, the right to live in a healthy environment, to have access to resources, to work etc. to help underprivileged people overcome their precarious situation and build together a better life. In order to strengthen the impact of this right based approach among underprivileged communities; Evolutio-International is directed at small groups based on the following values:
Art.1.
Our values are those defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1948, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, the American Convention on Human Rights of 1969, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Woman of 1979, the African Convention on Human and People’s Rights 1981 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989.
Art. 2
No local initiative/project in contradiction with one or more of the fundamental rights mentioned in the international instruments mentioned in art 1 will be supported.
Art.3
a) The organisation isn’t aimed to any political or religious goal. The main objectives are to generate Social capital and support underprivileged groups.
b) The organisation is only entitled to the refund of its expenses as well as a modest retribution for its administrative work. Thus, its activity isn’t lucrative.
Art.4
All interventions of our organisation will be based on the fundamental respect of individuals and cultural specificities. Thus, the associates of the network’s partners will preferably originate from the country.
B./ Local projects and initiatives
Nowadays, with the emancipation of emerging countries, the use of the word “project” is less appreciated for the description of international cooperation activities. At the time of decolonisation, the word “project” remained associated to a development mission promoted mostly by industrialised countries. These projects often didn’t take into consideration the fundamental needs of the local populations and were frequently carried out for experimental purposes leading to harmful consequences for some of those countries.
Today, referring to project means a concept, a precise plan of action that Evolutio-International, or its local partner organisations, creates to achieve a positive impact on the chosen underprivileged groups. While referring to the “support of local initiatives”, we mean that local groups will come up with a suggestion of their own that we will support if it follows our major objectives. The aim is to support people that have ideas but lack the resources to implement them.
Art. 5
Any local project/initiative must have a minimal duration (durability issue) allowing the achievement of the defined objectives.
Art. 6
We only support groups of persons, including families.
Art. 7
The local project/initiative mustn’t resort to speculation or anything immoral
Art. 8
No project/ initiative having the potential to harm other people will be supported. Shall it appear that a local project/initiative generates a negative impact on local communities, in contradiction with our constitutive goals relative to article 3 of the status, the financial or other kind of support could immediately be suspended or stopped.
Art. 9
The supported local projects/initiatives will be carried out to the extent possible with local material resources.
Art. 10
Under no circumstances shall children be hired to carry out a task in a local project/initiative. Nevertheless a local project/initiative aimed to promote work for adolescents over fifteen can be supported.
C/ Financing
Art.11
The refund of the credit is important as it allows an effective and durable reinvestment of the money in new projects/initiatives (dynamism issue)
Art. 12
In order to guarantee the good functioning of Evolutio-International, a modest participation to the administrative charges could prove necessary.
Art. 13
The refund of a loan for private or public local project/initiative (ex. a project in partnership with a school) can be carried out through cash payments, in nature or in Social capital (ex. to commit oneself to instruct free of charges a few people). This issue will be negotiated separately for each case.
Art. 14
The expenses for a local project/initiative must be transparent and verifiable at any time. This requires that the participants to the project or initiators of a local activity hold an expense book.
Art. 15
A regular contract must be established between the participants to a project/initiative of a local activity and the referee at Evolutio-International responsible for the coordinators/supervisors of the project.
Art. 16
The refund of the loan must be carried out in solidarity with each other, which means on behalf of a group of beneficiaries. However, if the refund isn’t possible, the Executive committee of Evolutio International will examine the reasons and reserves itself the right to suspend or even give up on the refund of the credit, notably in case of “force majeure” (drought, death, illness, insect invasion etc.)
D. /Financing of Evolutio-International by a third party
In order to allow Evolutio-International to finance its activities, and remain independent and true to its values, the organisation is obliged to diversify its resources. This way the funds can come from the public as well as the private sector. Nowadays, there are always more companies that commit themselves to a sort of social responsibility and support non-lucrative organisations. Evolutio -International is pleased with this trend but for credibility and coherence reasons it can’t accept financial help from a company pursuing an economic activity which isn’t conform to the values and investigation areas of Evolutio-International.
Before that Evolutio-International accepts any kind of support it must previously check that a few stipulations are respected.
I. Sponsoring
Art 17
a. The acceptation of any kind of support will not prevent Evolutio-International to reserve all rights to take position on practices and mode of action (independence issue)
b. The Financial support of a third person doesn’t allow him to intervene in the work of a local project/initiative.
Art. 18
By “financial support” we mean everything that is in the area of donation or sponsorship (public and/or private), subsides, legs, and other free provision (or at a reduced price) that a company, a private institution or a public community offers us.
Art. 19
We distinguish between sponsorship and any other kind of support from a company or private institution.
1. By “sponsorship” we mean any kind of collaboration between Evolutio-International and a company or a private institution that allows both parties to gain a certain profit (winner-winner situation). Thus if Evolutio-International presents itself to the public with sponsors (such as public notices, announcements etc) it would allow Evoltio-International, thanks to its ethical and social dimension to become in a certain way a advertisement support for the sponsor (company). That’s the reason why the acceptation of the support must be connected to a certain amount of restrictive criteria.
a. Thus any sponsor will be accepted accept if its activity is manifestly contrary to our fields of activity (health, basic education, environment, culture, economy; see article 3 of the status). The primary aim or interest of Evolutio-International remains a human, social, respectful and dignified development.
b. Any sponsor from the weapon industry, the sector of harmful goods (tobacco. alcohol, etc.), nuclear energy, fossil energy as well as money games (casinos etc.) are excluded as prospective sponsors.
Art.20
The name and the logo of each sponsor will be mentioned in the documents (web site etc.) related to the local project/ initiative which it (co-) supports or the infrastructure of Evolutio-International it (co-) finances.
II. Other type of support from companies and private institutions.
Art.21
Different forms of support from companies or private institutions don’t (or shouldn’t) give right to a provision in return. This refers mostly to monetary donations, gifts in nature, provision of services (as for example free announcements etc.) resources from the collaborator of a company or a foundation owned by a company
a. Regarding companies with an activity obviously contrary to the sectors of activity and aims of Evolutio-International, only gifts in nature or private financial resources of collaborators can be accepted.
III. Tactful right of Evolutio-International to refuse support
Evolutio-International has a tactful right to refuse support from a company which’s activity could potentially go against the activities and the goals of the organisation.
