Politeia

Agreement on

the establishment of a partnership for the

development of international Civil Society

through political education and debate

We, the members of

• Conferencia Mariano Otero, Mexico
• Conférence Olivaint de Belgique (1)
• Conférence Olivaint, France
• European Centre of Youth Cooperation of Warsaw University, Poland
• Euroidea, Bulgaria
• European Circle of Croatia
• Foro Generacion del 78, Spain
• Hungarian Political Science Association – Youth Section, Hungary
• Pro Democracy Association, Romania
• Studentenforum im Tönissteiner Kreis e.V., Germany
• Union Méditerranéenne, Italian branch

a)      Aware that Europe and the world will require an international civil society able to contribute to new forms of governance ;

b)     Underlining that new forms of governance are required to tackle long-term issues continuously before they become pressing ;

c)   Convinced that European and international youth are amongst the best capable of working toward sustainable cooperation and understanding among peoples ;

d)   Wishing to further and nurture that process ;

e)   Conscious of the educational requirements to achieve the stated goals given that there is still a great lack of information and inter-cultural understanding among youth ;

f)    Committed to standing up against all forms of ethnic, religious, and cultural hatred.

Agree as follows :

Chapter I – Partnership and its objectives

Art. 1

1. A partnership is set up at the international level between the signatories. It shall not replace existing structures, but is meant rather to complement them, nor does it affect the statute and internal activities of the member organizations.
2. In order to stress the importance of political involvement amongst young people aged between 18 (eighteen) and 35 (thirty-five), the partnership will bear the name “Politeia”.

Art. 2 

1. The partnership aims at promoting the development of European and international civil society at youth level by contributing to political debate and encouraging encounter and exchange between people of different nationality, background and culture.
2. The signatories shall collaborate to provide their members with practical education in international and inter-cultural issues.
3. The multilateral character of “Politeia” shall encourage every signatory to benefit from and keep in touch with people from regions they are traditionally less involved with.
   

Chapter II – Implementation of the partnership

Art. 3

1. Each signatory designates a liaison officer or committee that will coordinate communication between the signatories. They shall meet as the Secretariat of “Politeia” and communicate regularly.
2. The Secretariat may not take decisions binding upon the signatories.
3. The signatories will make an effort to seek sources of financing.

Art. 4 

1. The participation of “Politeia” in political debate shall take place through :
   a)     free consultancy services on inter-cultural matters for governments, international governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and businesses,
   b)      press communiqués and other freely accessible means of communication with the public.
2. The promotion of encounter of young people shall be achieved through international conferences to which young qualified people from abroad will be invited for debate on international and inter-cultural issues.
3. Each signatory shall publish an electronic newsletter on the internal events and developments in their respective organization as well as a news brief on recent events and developments in the signatory’s country of origin on a regular basis according to an established quarterly calendar which will serve as a basis for the a forementioned consultancy services.
4. These will be made available through an Internet-based platform.

Art. 5

1. The signatories shall partipate in at least one common event per year, which is to be hosted by a different member organization each year.
2.  Common activities shall be open to all the members of the signatory organizations and any young person designated by them.
3. Members shall also have access to regular meetings and events organized by the signatories.
4. This kind of participation does not imply any financial obligation for the hosting organization.

Art. 6

Access for members of signatories may be however restricted in the following cases :

1. Administrative meetings where no substantial debate or discussion takes place.
2. Meetings of a signatory with former members or the organization it is affiliated to.
3. Events organized exclusively for members of one signatory by the organization it is affiliated to.

Art. 7

1. For purposes of communication, the signatories set up an Internet-based platform accessible to all members.
2. Any member is provided with the information required to get directly in touch with any member of another signatory, contingent upon the individual members’ consent.

Art. 8 

1. A single “Politeia” membership card will be issued to all individual members.
   
2. Individual membership requires membership in one of the “Politeia”  associations.
   

Chapter III – Scope of obligations, acceptance, entry into force.

Art. 9 

1. Nothing in this agreement shall be interpreted as restricting the liberty of a signatory to enter into strengthened bilateral cooperation with another signatory or into agreement with an association external to “Politeia”.
2. This agreement does not seek to impose any obligation upon individual members of signatories who remain free not to participate in specific “Politeia” activities.

Art. 10

1. “Politeia” may be enlarged to include further associations provided they have an international outlook and are independent of any political or religious group.
2. Any such enlargement requires consent not only of the new party but also of two thirds of the previous members. Each member will have 1 (one) vote.
3. A candidate organization whose country of origin is already represented in “Politeia” will need in addition the consent of the signatory representing the country in question in order to become a member.
4. Suspension firstly and expulsion ultimately of a signatory party from “Politeia” can only be effected by two thirds of the other members.
5. A signing party may unilateraly withdraw from the agreement at any time.

Art. 11

1. The modification of any of the points of this agreement will require unanimity from the signatories.
2. This agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expression of consent to be bound by at least three signatories.
3. An expression of consent may require a formal ratification procedure on the part of some of the signing parties.

(1) Regarding Conférence Olivaint de Belgique : due to conflicting agendas this International Student Academy did not benefit from a COB  participation. Still all participants agree that COB should be considered one of the founding members of Politeia, depending on COB agreement of course.

Friday, 12 July 2002

Paris, France