New structure created to unleash 2020 Vision Campaign’s potential
November 22, 2007
It was the Association’s first General Meeting and it had the responsibility to approve the Statutes of the Association in conformity with Belgian law; to nominate and elect members of the Association’s Board of Directors, and designate Secretariat officials.
All of this was done, and on 22 November the Executive Officials of Mayors for Peace, in their capacity as founding members of the 2020 Vision Campaign, signed the Statutes in a small ceremony in the Palazzo Vecchio.
Members of the Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign association are the Mayors Akiba Tadatoshi (Hiroshima), Taue Tomihisa (Nagasaki), Donald Plusquellic (Akron - Ohio), Catherine Margate (Malakoff), Leonardo Dominici (Firenze), Glynn Evans (Manchester), Luc Dehaene (Ypres) and former Mayor Patrik Vankrunkelsven (Laakdal).
In essence, nothing more than an Executive ‘subcommittee’ has been created to broaden leadership responsibility for the 2020 Vision Campaign. But more thorough institutional arrangements were necessary for several reasons. First, the grace period during which the International Secretariat of the 2020 Vision Campaign could operate out of the Ypres City Hall without a formal legal status in Belgium was approaching its end. Second, to receive financial contributions from overseas, specific legal requirements had to be fulfilled. Third, the Campaign needed to streamline its decision-making process in order to be able to quickly take advantage of new political opportunities.
The provisions of the Statutes ensure that the 2020 Vision Campaign remains under the leadership of Mayors for Peace. Indeed, it was decided that all the aspects of the Association would be subject to the review of the 2009 General Conference, so that all Mayors for Peace members could judge for themselves that the Campaign Association was responsive not only to the Mayors for Peace Executive Conference (who, as in Florence, constitute its membership and hold its annual General Meetings), but also to the entire membership of Mayors for Peace. The possibility of inviting representatives of civil society organizations to be Association members or even serve on the Board was discussed in Florence, but it was decided to defer that question to a later date, perhaps 2009, when the basic operation of the Association had be sufficiently tested.
The foremost challenge facing the Association is to inspire the confidence of Mayors for Peace members generally in the effective direction of the 2020 Vision Campaign and the soundness of its financial operations. The coming years will be a trial period when more and more cities start pitching in and checking up on the overall results. The campaign staff will need to demonstrate strong organizational capacity and the bookkeeper, auditor, and treasurer will need to show sound fiscal policy. As trust grows, we are hoping that the new funds coming from cities will at first match and, by 2010, double the funds currently provided by Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nationally-based fundraising drives among member cities will be conducted in around ten countries in 2008.
Funds will also be sought from grant giving institutions and individuals. Anyone wishing to contribute or to share useful advice on where to go for grants is asked to be in contact with the Ypres Secretariat.
In essence, nothing more than an Executive ‘subcommittee’ has been created to broaden leadership responsibility for the 2020 Vision Campaign. But more thorough institutional arrangements were necessary for several reasons. First, the grace period during which the International Secretariat of the 2020 Vision Campaign could operate out of the Ypres City Hall without a formal legal status in Belgium was approaching its end. Second, to receive financial contributions from overseas, specific legal requirements had to be fulfilled. Third, the Campaign needed to streamline its decision-making process in order to be able to quickly take advantage of new political opportunities.
The provisions of the Statutes ensure that the 2020 Vision Campaign remains under the leadership of Mayors for Peace. Indeed, it was decided that all the aspects of the Association would be subject to the review of the 2009 General Conference, so that all Mayors for Peace members could judge for themselves that the Campaign Association was responsive not only to the Mayors for Peace Executive Conference (who, as in Florence, constitute its membership and hold its annual General Meetings), but also to the entire membership of Mayors for Peace. The possibility of inviting representatives of civil society organizations to be Association members or even serve on the Board was discussed in Florence, but it was decided to defer that question to a later date, perhaps 2009, when the basic operation of the Association had be sufficiently tested.
The foremost challenge facing the Association is to inspire the confidence of Mayors for Peace members generally in the effective direction of the 2020 Vision Campaign and the soundness of its financial operations. The coming years will be a trial period when more and more cities start pitching in and checking up on the overall results. The campaign staff will need to demonstrate strong organizational capacity and the bookkeeper, auditor, and treasurer will need to show sound fiscal policy. As trust grows, we are hoping that the new funds coming from cities will at first match and, by 2010, double the funds currently provided by Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nationally-based fundraising drives among member cities will be conducted in around ten countries in 2008.
Funds will also be sought from grant giving institutions and individuals. Anyone wishing to contribute or to share useful advice on where to go for grants is asked to be in contact with the Ypres Secretariat.
Members of the Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign association are the Mayors Akiba Tadatoshi (Hiroshima), Taue Tomihisa (Nagasaki), Donald Plusquellic (Akron - Ohio), Catherine Margate (Malakoff), Leonardo Dominici (Firenze), Glynn Evans (Manchester), Luc Dehaene (Ypres) and former Mayor Patrik Vankrunkelsven (Laakdal).
In essence, nothing more than an Executive ‘subcommittee’ has been created to broaden leadership responsibility for the 2020 Vision Campaign. But more thorough institutional arrangements were necessary for several reasons. First, the grace period during which the International Secretariat of the 2020 Vision Campaign could operate out of the Ypres City Hall without a formal legal status in Belgium was approaching its end. Second, to receive financial contributions from overseas, specific legal requirements had to be fulfilled. Third, the Campaign needed to streamline its decision-making process in order to be able to quickly take advantage of new political opportunities.
The provisions of the Statutes ensure that the 2020 Vision Campaign remains under the leadership of Mayors for Peace. Indeed, it was decided that all the aspects of the Association would be subject to the review of the 2009 General Conference, so that all Mayors for Peace members could judge for themselves that the Campaign Association was responsive not only to the Mayors for Peace Executive Conference (who, as in Florence, constitute its membership and hold its annual General Meetings), but also to the entire membership of Mayors for Peace. The possibility of inviting representatives of civil society organizations to be Association members or even serve on the Board was discussed in Florence, but it was decided to defer that question to a later date, perhaps 2009, when the basic operation of the Association had be sufficiently tested.
The foremost challenge facing the Association is to inspire the confidence of Mayors for Peace members generally in the effective direction of the 2020 Vision Campaign and the soundness of its financial operations. The coming years will be a trial period when more and more cities start pitching in and checking up on the overall results. The campaign staff will need to demonstrate strong organizational capacity and the bookkeeper, auditor, and treasurer will need to show sound fiscal policy. As trust grows, we are hoping that the new funds coming from cities will at first match and, by 2010, double the funds currently provided by Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nationally-based fundraising drives among member cities will be conducted in around ten countries in 2008.
Funds will also be sought from grant giving institutions and individuals. Anyone wishing to contribute or to share useful advice on where to go for grants is asked to be in contact with the Ypres Secretariat.
In essence, nothing more than an Executive ‘subcommittee’ has been created to broaden leadership responsibility for the 2020 Vision Campaign. But more thorough institutional arrangements were necessary for several reasons. First, the grace period during which the International Secretariat of the 2020 Vision Campaign could operate out of the Ypres City Hall without a formal legal status in Belgium was approaching its end. Second, to receive financial contributions from overseas, specific legal requirements had to be fulfilled. Third, the Campaign needed to streamline its decision-making process in order to be able to quickly take advantage of new political opportunities.
The provisions of the Statutes ensure that the 2020 Vision Campaign remains under the leadership of Mayors for Peace. Indeed, it was decided that all the aspects of the Association would be subject to the review of the 2009 General Conference, so that all Mayors for Peace members could judge for themselves that the Campaign Association was responsive not only to the Mayors for Peace Executive Conference (who, as in Florence, constitute its membership and hold its annual General Meetings), but also to the entire membership of Mayors for Peace. The possibility of inviting representatives of civil society organizations to be Association members or even serve on the Board was discussed in Florence, but it was decided to defer that question to a later date, perhaps 2009, when the basic operation of the Association had be sufficiently tested.
The foremost challenge facing the Association is to inspire the confidence of Mayors for Peace members generally in the effective direction of the 2020 Vision Campaign and the soundness of its financial operations. The coming years will be a trial period when more and more cities start pitching in and checking up on the overall results. The campaign staff will need to demonstrate strong organizational capacity and the bookkeeper, auditor, and treasurer will need to show sound fiscal policy. As trust grows, we are hoping that the new funds coming from cities will at first match and, by 2010, double the funds currently provided by Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nationally-based fundraising drives among member cities will be conducted in around ten countries in 2008.
Funds will also be sought from grant giving institutions and individuals. Anyone wishing to contribute or to share useful advice on where to go for grants is asked to be in contact with the Ypres Secretariat.
