Dear CC Contact Persons,
The materials for the Trustee Selection Process and Proposed Bylaw Amendments are close to being completed for you. By this time next week (Friday, October 28), you will receive another email giving you links to the website and to download the guides and forms.
Hopefully, you have already begun to schedule a meeting of your CC members during November or Decemeber. During this meeting, you will discuss the Trustee Selection Process and your CC’s responsibilities. You will also decide if your CC is eligible to vote, supports the proposed changes to the URI Bylaws and if you want to nominate a candidate.
CCs often ask about being "certified" and eligible to vote. The following is provided so that you can begin to reflect upon this aspect as we approach the start of the process.
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Why should Cooperation Circles (CCs) participate in Trustee Selection 2011-2012?
The URI Bylaws state that 50% of eligible CCs in each region must participate in order for the vote to count. It is very important to the success of regional representation that every eligible CC votes.
Why do the URI Bylaws give CCs the right to elect trustees to the Global Council?
URI believes that CC members are the primary stakeholders in URI and therefore should have primary responsibility to choose its trustees. URI believes that a democratically elected Global Council will best serve the interests of the whole URI.
What is at stake during this selection process?
URI is a global organization dedicated to putting spiritual and democratic values into practice. Each time the URI world community participates successfully in a trustworthy, democratic process that crosses national, religious, and cultural boundaries to elect its trustees, the URI is practicing its core values. Each CC’s sincere effort is needed to pioneer effective global governance for URI and to contribute to a bold new model of global participation and leadership.
What is required for a CC to be eligible to vote?
CCs must meet these requirements to be eligible to vote:
- The CC is comprised of at least seven (7) individuals and/or groups;
- The CC has members from at least three (3) different religions, spiritual expressions and/or indigenous traditions;
- The CC fully subscribes to the Preamble, Purpose and Principles as set forth in the Bylaws; and
- The CC is structured in accordance with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles.
Every CC is required to assess its purpose, activities and involvement, and make a reasonable decision if it is still fulfilling its aspirations and serving its purpose.
If our CC still exists but it has not been active, are we allowed to vote?
If a CC faces challenges and/or is questioning its effectiveness, the CC is encouraged to initiate a conversation with the regional coordinator. If your CC is no longer active and does not intend to be, it should ask to be removed as a URI member.
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Thank you for your time and consideration of this message. Please be sure to share this with all the members of your CC. Also, let me know that you have read all the way through this message by clicking here.
Sincerely,
Mark Mancao
