Direct contact
The Board
Chairman
Viktor Skog
Vice Chairman
Theodor Walve
Treasurer
Sunil Maganti
Program Coordinator
Jonathan Björkman
Program Coordinator
Astijus (Alex) Zukauskas
Travel Coordinator
Karin Larsson
Travel Coordinator
Signe-Boline Altofte Svendsen
Podcast Coordinator
Filip Nord
Head of Marketing
Tilde Lundin
Statues
§ 1 The Firm
§ 2 The associations purpose and operation
2.1 UPF Växjö has the purpose of spreading knowledge and debate about current foreign policy and international issues.
2.2 UPFs value system is based on strong beliefs in democracy, human rights, equality, freedom, justice and sustainability.
UPF must strive to uphold the aforementioned values in our activity.
2.3 UPF Växjö:s core operation consists of planning lectures during which, people from different interest areas are invited.
The operation is completed with events, projects, publications, trips as mentioned in an operational plan.
§ 3 The associations headquarters
3.1 The association has its headquarters at the Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
§ 4 Membership
4.1 Membership is granted to anyone who supports the association's statutes and has paid the membership fee.
4.2 The membership fee is established during the annual meeting.
4.3 A member who wishes to resign their membership must notify the UPF board in writing and will thereafter be removed as a member and get a confirmation from said board.
Paid fees are non-refundable.
4.4 A member who evidently violates the association's statutes, hinders its activity, opposes and/or harms its purpose may be expelled.
The exclusion is decided by the annual meeting with a qualified majority (2/3) after the said member has had the opportunity to speak before the annual meeting.
If a board member is to be excluded, they do not have the right to vote.
The board can, during the transition period, pending an annual meeting, exclude a member from the association's activity until the matter is resolved.
4.5 Members have an exclusive right to vote during the annual meeting, run for positions on the board and commissions of trust.
As well as submit motions to board meetings and annual meetings.
4.6 In accordance with the GDPR legislation, the association shall not retain personal information after the association no longer needs the information to achieve its purpose.
Therefore, the board shall delete personal information from the documents created at the end of each operational year.
It is permitted to save statistical data which can facilitate the next board, provided that the data cannot be linked to specific individuals.
By becoming members, individuals agree that their personal data will be processed in accordance with the aforementioned regulations.
Individuals have the right to know what information has been registered.
And if a member chooses to terminate their membership, they have the right to request that the information be deleted immediately.
§ 5 Organisation
5.1 The association's decision-making bodies are, the annual meeting, the board, and, if the board decides, an extra annual meeting.
The association's controlling body is the auditors or the auditor group.
The auditor is appointed by the annual meeting and nominated by the nomination committee.
5.2 The organisation's operational year covers the period from the 1st of July until the 30th of June.
§ 6 Annual meeting
6.1 The annual meeting is the association's highest decision-making organ.
The annual meeting must be held annually, at the end of the operational year.
6.2 All members and auditors are invited to the annual meeting.
The responsibility falls upon the board to formally invite all members and auditors to said annual meeting.
The notice must be posted at the latest, two (2) weeks ahead of the meeting.
6.3 Membership entitles you to one (1) vote.
6.4 Power of attorney.
6.4.1 A signatory has the authority to sign documents on behalf of all signatories if all signatories are not available on-site to sign the documents.
6.4.2 A member who cannot attend the annual meeting has the right to vote by proxy, thereby granting another physically present member their vote on the matter.
The power of attorney must be presented to the meeting chairman and be minuted in the protocol.
The power of attorney must include both the signature of the grantor and the date of the signature.
6.5 Open voting applies unless requested otherwise.
In a vote, the vote count is always based on the total number of card votes.
Abstained votes are not counted. Decisions are made by simple majority except in the cases where otherwise stipulated.
6.6 In the event of a tie between two (2) personal elections, the nomination committee's proposal carries the most weight and thus serves as the deciding vote.
If no candidate was proposed by the nomination committee before the meeting's opening, the personal election shall be decided by drawing lots.
6.7 In the case of three (3) or more candidates in a personal election, a new vote shall be held, where the candidate with the fewest votes from the first vote is eliminated for the second vote.
The voting process is repeated until only one (1) candidate remains.
If the vote between the last two (2) candidates results in a tie, the nomination by the election committee will be decisive.
Provided that one of the remaining candidates is nominated by the election committee.
If none of the remaining candidates are nominated by the nomination committee, the system of drawing lots will be used.
6.8 Regarding the matter of liability and trust in the board, it does not have voting rights.
6.9 An inspector shall be appointed by vote at each annual meeting.
The inspectors task is to highlight and support the associations activities, facilitate the handover of the board, and contribute with previous experience and information.
The position does not need to be announced, and the election is prepared by the association before the annual meeting.
If the inspector resigns or passes away, their position can be filled by the board at an extraordinary annual meeting until the next annual meeting.
6.10 Motions
6.10.1 Motions for an annual meeting can be submitted by all members of the association.
It must be submitted to the chairman at least seven (7) working days before the meeting. Motions can only be revoked by a decision from a majority.
The responsibility falls on the board to promptly inform all members of the association about the submitted motions.
Incoming motions shall be minuted in protocol during the annual meeting.
6.10.2 Late-submitted motions and proposals can be raised if the annual meeting decides so and with a three-quarters (3/4) majority.
6.10.3 If the board presents a proposal, it must be made available to the members no later than seven (7) days before the annual meeting.
Any responses to motions shall, in these cases, be accompanied. Proposals can only be revoked by a decision from a majority.
6.11 Conducting the annual meeting:
Election of secretary for the annual meeting
Election of two protocol adjusters, also acting as vote counters
Election of meeting chairman
Question of the proper announcement of the annual meeting
Establishment of the voter list and verification of any proxies
Approval of the Annual meeting's agenda
Handling of submitted motions and proposals
Determination of membership fee
Presentation of the operational plan, annual report, financial statements, and audit, which is not included in an extraordinary general meeting
Question of discharge of liability for the outgoing board
Election of a new board, auditor, and nomination committee for the upcoming operational year
Other matters
Closing of the meeting
6.12 The annual meeting must be minuted and the minutes must be made available to the members no later than two (2) months after the conclusion of the annual meeting.
A copy of the minutes can be requested from the association's chairman or secretary.
§ 7 Extra annual meeting
7.1 An extra annual meeting shall be called if at least three (3) board members, the auditor, or one-quarter (1/4) or at least ten (10) of the association's members so request.
7.2 An extra annual meeting cannot, however, be requested earlier than twenty-one (21) days after the regular annual meeting.
7.3 In the notice for the extra annual meeting, it must be clear which matters will be addressed.
No other matters can be raised.
Otherwise, the same applies as under § 6.
§ 8 The board
8.1 The board is the association's highest decision-making body between annual meetings.
It consists of the members elected at the annual meeting.
The positions of chairperson, treasurer, and secretary must always be present.
8.2 The board may assign another member or group of members, outside the board, to handle a specific matter.
8.3 The board makes decisions when at least half, but at least three (3) of all elected members, participate in the meeting.
In the event of a tie, the chairperson has the casting vote.
8.4 Notice of the board meeting must be provided to all members at least three (3) days before the meeting.
8.5 Tasks
It is the board's responsibility to manage the association's finances, administration, other assets, and ongoing operations.
The board shall also draft and present an annual report at the annual meeting.
A report on activities must include:
Information about the association's activities during the previous operational year
Information about the number of recorded meetings during the operational year
A list of all board members for the operational year along with their areas of responsibility
Information about the number of members at the end of the operational year, and
An account of any amendments to the bylaws during the operational year.
8.6 Options for the board
8.6.1 The board has the right to make appointments to the board during the current operational year up until the beginning of the next operational year if a vacancy arises.
8.6.2 Additions to the board must be made unanimously.
Appointments to the board must be made unanimously.
The board also has the right to appoint, temporarily or permanently, any member or members it finds suitable for the association's activities.
8.7 Item
8.7.1 Does not apply to the positions of chairman, treasurer, secretary, and auditor.
If the chairman, treasurer, auditor, or secretary resigns during the operational year, they shall instead be appointed through an extraordinary annual meeting
8.8 If the chairman resigns, the vice chairman will fill the chairman's role until an extra annual meeting takes place.
8.9 A board member can be excluded from the board by the remaining board members if they actively oppose the association's activities, purpose, or goals.
Exclusion of a board member can also occur in the case of serious actions that damage the trust and/or credibility of the board member.
8.10 In the event of the exclusion of a board member, the vote shall be conducted without the affected board member in the room.
The vote shall be secret, and for the exclusion of the board member to take place, the exclusion must be approved by three-quarters (3/4) of the board.
8.11 Voting rules in the board
8.11.1 Only regular members have the right to vote. Where nothing else is stipulated, a simple majority applies.
In the event of a tie, the chairperson has the casting vote, except in the case of a personal election where a draw of lots shall decide.
Elections for personal positions shall be conducted by open voting unless otherwise requested by any eligible voter.
If that happens, a secret ballot is assumed.
8.12 Board members have the right to resign from their position with one month's notice from the time the chairman has been informed.
8.13 A board member who has been expelled from the board by the remaining board members shall not be covered by regulation 8.12, but shall be granted immediate discharge upon expulsion.
§ 9 Nomination Committee
9.1 The annual meeting appoints a number of association members to the nomination committee.
The nomination committee shall consist of at least two (2) people, who are thereby prevented from being elected to the incoming board or auditor.
9.2 The nomination committee should consist of at least one (1) member who has not previously been a member of the board of UPF Växjö.
9.3 Members of the nomination committee cannot be elected to the nomination committee during the same year they have been active board members in UPF Växjö.
9.4 Before the annual meeting, the nomination committee presents a list of candidates for the incoming board.
9.5 The nomination committee shall also assist the board with any potential additions to the board.
§ 10 Statues and interpretation of the statues
10.1 Amendments to these statutes may only be made through two (2) identical decisions by the annual meeting or an extraordinary meeting.
Decisions must be approved by at least three-quarters (3/4) of the voting members.
In special situations, as deemed relevant by the association's board members, a board member has the right to propose a temporary adjustment, amendment, or exception.
To the association's statutes or policies.
The duration and specification of the amendment must be clarified before the vote on such an amendment.
By filling out a specific temporary motion proposal that will be available to all board members.
The mentioned adaptation, amendment, or exemption shall be voted on by all current board members at the time of the proposal, during a regular meeting.
The proposal must win the majority of votes to be adopted.
When the duration of the amendment or update of the bylaws has expired, the association will revert back to the policies and bylaws that existed prior to the proposition.
10.2 If there is any ambiguity in how the statutes should be interpreted.
The board shall make a decision on the matter, after consulting with the auditor, until the matter can be reviewed by the annual meeting.
A confirmed interpretation shall be attached to the ordinary statutes.
10.3 In case of ambiguities regarding the interpretation of the statutes between the Swedish and English versions, the interpretation based on the Swedish version shall prevail.
§ 11 Audit
11.1 The auditor or audit group is appointed by the annual meeting.
11.2 It is the auditor's duty to review the outgoing board's accounts and management at the end of the operational year.
The auditor submits their report at the regular annual meeting, and the report must be sent to the outgoing board no later than five (5) days before the annual meeting.
11.3 The auditor or the auditor group has the right, whenever they wish, to access UF Växjö's accounts, minutes, and other documents, as well as to attend the association's board meetings.
§ 12 Dissolution of the association
12.1 The association is dissolved by two (2) identical decisions which must be approved by three-quarters (3/4) of the participants at the annual meeting or extraordinary annual meeting.
This can be prevented if at least three (3) members wish to continue the association's activities.
12.2 A proposal for dissolution shall be sent to the members in connection with the notice of the annual meeting or an extra meeting.
12.3 If any of the association's assets remain after the final decision on dissolution, after all debts have been settled.
These funds shall be transferred to the Utrikespolitiska Förbundet Sveriges Fund, managed by the Utrikespolitiska Förbundet Sverige.
For the re-establishment of the dissolved foreign policy association.