1. Association name and domicile
The name of the Association is Free Movement and its domicile is Helsinki.
2. Purpose and nature of the Association’s activities
Free Movement is a politically and religiously independent association that takes action for universal freedom of movement and the equality of all people. The purpose of the Association is to advocate for an open world and improve the fulfilment of human and basic rights. The Association is committed to act against all forms of racism and discrimination. To further its cause, the Association produces and shares information about migration and provides material support for migrants who need it. The Association can also participate in various social activities; help provide social and legal counselling in immigration issues; provide training; organise general briefings, advocacy campaigns and free-time activities; produce content on the Internet and publish literature, magazines and other types of publications. To support its activities, the Association can accept donations and testaments, own real property that is necessary to its activities and, with the permission of the person concerned, organise fund-raising campaigns. The Association collaborates with other groups, communities and individuals who share the Association’s goals. In discussions about migration, citizenship and borders, the Association aims to amplify especially the voices of people under immigration controls. The Association can also support other associations’ and groups’ activities which aim at improving freedom of movement and migrant rights, such as counselling and activism.
3. Members
A person can become an ordinary member of the Association if they accept the operating principles, purpose and rules of the Association and pay the membership fee set by the General Meeting of the Association.
In the General Meeting, every ordinary member has one (1) vote.
A legal entity or community which supports the Association’s purpose can become a support member by paying an annual support member fee which is set by the General Meeting.
At the General Meeting, support members of the Association have a presence and a speaking right but no right to vote.
The amount of the annual membership fee is decided by the General Meeting. New ordinary and support members to the Association are accepted by the Board of the Association.
4. Resignation and being deemed as resigned
Members have a right to resign from the Association either by giving a written notification to the Board or its chairperson or by announcing their resignation to be recorded in the minutes of a meeting.
The Board can deem a member resigned if the member has not paid their overdue membership fee or has otherwise not fulfilled the obligations they have committed to by joining the Association or if the member’s actions in or outside the Association have considerably damaged the Association or if the member no longer fulfils the membership criteria specified by law or the rules of the Association.
5. Sign-up and membership fee
The General Meeting decides the amount of the annual membership fee, the reduced membership fee and the support membership fee. People of limited means can pay the reduced membership fee. The support membership fee is graduated based on the size of the member community.
6. Board
The Association’s affairs are handled by the Board consisting of a chairperson, who is elected by the Autumn General Meeting for a one-year term, and 4–10 members, who are elected for a two-year term. In each Autumn General Meeting, half of the Board members resign. A resigning Board member can be re-elected.
If a member is permanently prevented from acting as a Board member, the Autumn General Meeting can elect a replacement for them. In that case, the new Board member’s turn to resign is determined by the resignation turn of the Board member whom they replaced. The Board elects a vice chairperson among themselves and a treasurer and other required functionaries within or outside the Board.
The Board meets at the invitation of the chairperson or, if they are prevented, the vice chairperson. The Board meets when they deem it necessary or when at least half of the Board members demand a meeting.
The Board has quorum when the chairperson or the vice chairperson and two Board members are present. Voting is decided by simple majority. If a vote is even, the chairperson’s vote is decisive. In an election, the result is determined by a raffle.
The Board’s term of operation is one calendar year.
7. Authority to sign
Authority to sign on behalf of the Association is given to the chairperson, the vice chairperson, the secretary and the treasurer, to each alone.
8. Accounting period and audit
The accounting period of the Association is one calendar year.
A financial statement along with required documents must be turned over to operations inspectors at least six weeks before the General Meeting. The operations inspectors have to turn over their operations report to the Board at least two weeks before the General Meeting.
9. Association meetings
If the Board or the Association so decide, members can participate in the Association meetings via mail or a telecommunications link or some other technical device during or before the meeting.
The Association holds two General Meetings per year. The Spring General Meeting is held between January and May and the Autumn General Meeting between September and December on a date decided by the Board.
An extra meeting is held if an Association meeting decides so or if the Board deems it necessary or if at least one-tenth (1/10) of the members who are entitled to vote make a written demand to the Board to hold a meeting about a specific matter. The meeting has to be held in 30 days from the demand having been presented to the Board.
In the Association meetings, every ordinary member has one (1) vote.
The decision of the Association meeting is, unless the rules state otherwise, the opinion supported by more than half of those entitled to vote. If a vote is even, the chairperson’s vote is decisive. In an election, the result is determined by a raffle.
10. Convening an Association meeting
The Board has to convene the Association meetings by sending an invitation to the Association members at least seven days before the meeting by mail, email or announcing the meeting on the Association website.
11. General Meetings
In the Association Spring Meeting, the following matters are addressed:
Opening the meeting
Appointing the chair, the secretary, two examiners of the minutes and, if necessary, two vote counters
Establishing the legality and quorum of the meeting
Approving the meeting agenda
Presenting the financial statement, annual report and the report of the operations inspectors
Deciding on approving the financial statement and discharging the Board and other accountable parties from liability
Addressing other issues mentioned in the meeting invitation.
In the Association Autumn Meeting, the following matters are addressed:
Opening the meeting
Appointing the chair, the secretary, two examiners of the minutes and, if necessary, two vote counters
Establishing the legality and quorum of the meeting
Approving the meeting agenda
Deciding on approving the plan of operations, the budget and the amount of the membership fees for the following calendar year
Deciding on the number of Board members
Electing the Board chair, Board members to replace those in turn to resign and approving possible new members
Deciding on the number of operations inspectors
Electing 1–2 operations inspectors and their deputies
Addressing other issues mentioned in the meeting invitation.
If an Association member wants to have an issue addressed in the Association Spring or Autumn General Meeting, they have to give the Board a written notice about it well in advance so that the issue can be included in the meeting invitation.
12. Changing the rules and dissolving the Association
A decision on changing the rules and dissolving the Association has to made in the Association meeting with at least a three-fourths (¾) majority vote.
The meeting invitation has to include a mention about changing the rules or dissolving the Association.
If the Association dissolves, the Association funds will be used to further the cause of the Association in a manner decided by the meeting that makes the decision to dissolve the Association. If the Association is disbanded, the funds will be used for the aforementioned purpose as well.
13. Transitional provision
In the Autumn General Meeting following the acceptance of these rules, the Association members will elect a Board of which at least half are determined to resign in one year either based on their own wish or by raffle, and the rest are determined to begin their first two-year term.
