INEPS - Statutes

THE REVISED TEXT OF THE INEPS STATUTES AFTER THE DECISION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN THE 17th INEPS CONGRESS - MOSCOW

Definition of productive Learning

Productive Learning is an educational process leading to the development of a person’s role in the community as well as bringing about change within the community itself. The process is realized by an itinerary of product oriented activities in real life situations and by an educational experience within a group that is facilitated by educators. (The Process consists of a series of apprenticeships with external resources in real life situations combined with an educational experience within a group that is facilitated by educators.)

Article 1

The international association is called International Network of Productive Learning Projects and Schools (INEPS).

Article 2

The aims of INEPS are:

  1. To prepare our youth for peace, cooperation, respect and equality.
  2. To develop, to make known and disseminate the philosophy and the advantages of Productive Learning (PL).
  3. To develop the methodology and practices of PL.
  4. To foster cooperation between its members.
  5. To organize meetings, conferences and seminars to publish books or pamphlets, to use the modern media (web pages etc.) and to do everything that leads to the achievement of the above main aims.

Article 3

INEPS is a non profit organization.

Article 4

Members who are eligible to join INEPS are institutions, movements or groups that practice PL or want to practice it in the future, or individual persons that work in relation with these institutions or have developed PL projects.
One cannot be both individual member and part of an institution member.
Participating members are those who have paid the fee.

Article 5

The internal structure consists of: The General Assembly (GA) and the Administration Council (AC)

Article 6

The General Assembly

The GA consists of all members of INEPS who have joined the network before December 31st of last year and have paid the fee. The GA is the supreme organ of INEPS and meets at least once a year during the annual Congresses of INEPS.  It can also meet if and when the AC decides or if 51 % of the members who have paid their annual fees agree for a meeting. The eligible members of the GA make decisions that the AC has to manage. The membership fee is proposed by the AC to the GA but can only be implemented by decision of the GA. The GA decides about any reform of the statutes.

Whatever issue is not prescribed or defined to the roles of the AC, and the AC members (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer), is decided at the GA. Institutions have two (2) votes. Personal members have one (1) vote.
Each institution has the obligation to define who are the two (2) members who represent the institution to the voting at the GA. The GA is open for anyone to participate but the decisions are taken only by the nominated members of each institution.

The AC is responsible for appointing a Chairman and a Secretary (who cannot be members of the AC) to officiate over the GA Meeting. The Chairman announces the agenda themes which have been given to him by the AC, facilitates the procedure and calls for volunteers to compose the three members election committee by members who don’t candidate to the AC.
The Secretary keeps minutes of the GA Meeting and presents them to the AC.
The three member election committee have the duty to call for candidates, prepare the ballots and run the elections, checking the lists of the nominated members to vote. Those INEPS members who are not able to be present at the elections can send their name to be included in the candidates list. All INEPS members can be elected but they cannot elect if they are absent from the elections. The elections take place every two years. The elections are done secretly and the members who have paid their fees to INEPS are allowed to vote. The names of the candidates are written on pieces of paper  and every member may select about five (5) or seven (7) names depending on the size of the AC. Apart from the elections of the AC members, there is also a list of candidates for the controllers of financial affairs who are not AC members. Three (3) persons are elected and their duty is to balance, review the budget and give their report for the two years passed in the GA before the elections.

Article 7

INEPS Meetings (IM)

IM are called meetings which have an informal character and help to gather members to talk about different issues of INEPS. The IM’s can be held more often and usually cover subjects such as - the policy and life of the associations or projects that involve INEPS, the economic situation and future plans. The IM’s are held by members of the AC on every occasion they meet with the members of INEPS e.g. IPLE seminars, Youth Congresses of INEPS. The AC is informed about these meetings and the proposals discussed. Binding decisions can’t be made by the IM’s.

Article 8

The Administration Council (AC)

The AC is elected by the GA for two years. It consists of 5 to 7 members with a view of reflecting the diversity of INEPS (geography and methods). The sessions of the AC are open to all members of INEPS but the decisions are taken only by the elected members of the AC.

The duties of the AC are:

  1. The AC makes decisions on INEPS affairs except those referred above as duties of the GA. All decisions taken by the AC are subjected to review and approval of the next GA.
  2. The AC puts into effect the program of activities decided by the GA.
  3. The AC promotes studies and research about Productive Learning
  4. Organizes the annual Congress and is responsible for the planning and context (seminars, workshops etc.) together with the host institution. The AC can also ask for help from the members of INEPS.
  5. AC decides on joining or participating with other organizations for the promotion of the INEPS aims and can also involve INEPS in national and transnational projects for the same reasons, between General Assembly meetings. These initiatives will be either approved or disapproved at the next scheduled GA meeting.
  6. The AC is responsible for the economic management and the best investment of the INEPS income to further the aims of INEPS, which mainly comes from membership fees and European projects. It is also responsible for reporting of activities.
  7. The AC decides the extension of INEPS and approval or rejection of new members.
  8. If any member of the AC wishes to present an issue then he or she must inform the other members of the AC for discussion and their approval.
  9. The AC has the obligation to communicate regularly.

Article 9

The AC elects among its members the President, the Vice President, the Secretary and the Treasurer. A 2nd Vice President is chosen as the person among the members of AC and INEPS who will host the next INEPS Congress. His / her role is to inform and consult about organizing the annual Congress in his / her country.

The duties of the AC members are:

The President

  1. Coordinates the AC meetings and activities
  2. Establishes the program of the AC based on the proposals made by the members
  3. Represents INEPS
  4. Takes care with the Secretary for the realization of the decisions

The Vice President

  1. Replaces the President in all his duties when he/she is  absent

The Secretary

  1. Keeps the minutes of the AC meetings and the IM’s
  2. Cooperates with the President in helping to implement decisions and carry them out

The Treasurer

  1. Is responsible for keeping the financial records and takes care for the fees of members and all financial affair of INEPS

The members

  1. According to the decisions of the GA and the AC they take on and share various responsibilities among themselves.

Article 10

Advisory Group

The Advisory group consists of the initiators and former AC members of INEPS who are still participating members. They act as advisors to the AC when the AC members call on them at their meetings and may give feedback to the procedure of the meetings.

Moscow 25/4/2005