The following constitution has been prepared by members of anamed Tanzania. The founders of anamed Tanzania have all taken part in a week-long seminar conducted by anamed international. Their constitution is presented here as a source of help to other national groups that wish to become a formal network or organisation.

anamed Tanzania - Constitution

1. Name and Address of the organisation

Name: anamed Tanzania (anamed: action for natural medicine)

Address: P.O.Box 447, Musoma, Mara Region

The office is in Musama-Makoko

2. Aims of the organisation

See below.

anamed Tanzania is part of anamed International

Schafweide 77, 71364 Winnenden, Germany.

It is Christian organisation and its work is modelled on Jesus Ministry, particularly as portrayed in John 9:1-7 where Jesus used locally available resources to heal a blind man.

anamed seminars are open to people of all Christian traditions and all faiths.

anamed Tanzania is a non-profit organisation and its work is exclusively for humanitarian purposes.

The resources, skills and time of anamed Tanzania and its collaborators may only be used for the aims and purposes as defined in this constitution.

No Person may benefit in any way from activities which are contrary to these aims.

3. Financing

The work of the organisation is financed through donations and the contributions of the members.

The minimum membership fee is decided by the General Meeting of the members.

4. Membership

Members are adults or organisations who are committed to the aims and objectives of the organisation as described in paragraph 2.

The requirements of membership are decided by the Board. Members are entitled to attend General Meetings and to make proposals to the meeting.

a) Membership of individuals

membership may cease through:

• death
• resignation, which must be submitted to the Board in writing.
• exclusion, which must have good reasons and be the decision of the Board.

b) Membership of organisations

I) anamed groups which are found all over Tanzania are also members.

To be an anamed group, the group must:

• be committed to the aims and objectives of the organisation as described in paragraph 2.
• be actively engaged in practical work in pursuit of the aims and objectives.
• have been founded following a seminar led by the Coordinator of anamed International or his/her delegate and with that person's approval.
• send a report to anamed Tanzania at least two times a year.

II) The name anamed may only be used by a group that has humanitarian purposes. It may be used neither as a brand name nor by a factory established for the commercial production of medicines.

III) anamed groups are entitled to send representatives to attend General meetings, who may make proposals to the meeting on behalf of the group.

IV) The membership of an anamed group ceases if it is no longer engaged in any activities that meet the aims and objectives of anamed.

V) The formally recognised groups are only those anamed groups that appear on the list of anamed on the anamed Tanzania homepage.

5. Organs of the organisation

The organs of the organisation are the General Meeting and the Board.

6. The General Meeting

I) The General Meeting must take place at least once per year. It is called by the chairman or vice chairman if the chairman i.e. incapacitated. The members must be given notice in writing of the meeting et least four weeks before the meeting.

II) The meeting is chaired by the chairman.

The meeting is empowered to make decisions, irrespective of how many members attend.

III) The General Meeting elects the Board and its officers and appoints the auditor. The meeting receives their reports and gives its formal approval.

The meeting must handle the proposals brought by its members.

IV) The General Meeting makes decisions through agreements and votes. A simple majority is required for each decision, which is accepted unless it conflicts with this constitution.

Each member has one vote. If they are unable to attend a meeting, members are allowed neither to send a representative nor to ask another to vote on their behalf.

V) Agreements and votes are conducted openly, unless there is a proposal to the contrary.

7. Board

The Board shall meet at least three times a year.

It shall consist of the chairman, vice chairman, treasurer and minute secretary.

Depending on the number of members of the organisation the numbers of Board members may be increased.

The chairman, or if incapacitated the vice chairman, is responsible for the administration of the organisation.

The Board is elected for a period of three years and remains in office until the next election.

Re-election is possible.

The Board may appoint an Executive Secretary to be responsible for the day to day work of one or all the projects.

Because anamed Tanzania is a charitable organisation, the work of the Board members is undertaken entirely without payment.

The Board may pay appropriate remuneration for any work done on its behalf, e.g. to the Executive Secretary.

8. Changes in the constitution

Proposed changes to the constitution must be presented in writing to the members at the same time that they receive their invitation to a General Meeting.

A decision to change the constitution, or to wind up the organisation, requires the agreement of at least three quarters of the members present.

9. Dissolution of the organisation

A proposal to wind up the organisation must be made at least four weeks before the date of the General Meeting.

Upon the dissolution of the organisation, or if it looses its purposes, all assets will be transferred to anamed International.

10. anamed groups Tanzania-wide

This constitution is valid for all anamed groups throughout Tanzania.

anamed groups are free to apply for funding worldwide in the name of the anamed group on condition

a) that the project lies within the aims and objectives of anamed Tanzania and

b) that a copy of the application is given to anamed Tanzania. Any material acquired as a result of funding applications made in the name of an anamed group however, remain property of the anamed group, but must not become the property of individual people and in case of dissolution of the anamed group becomes the property of anamed Tanzania.

All members of anamed groups work without payment.

The Board may pay appropriate remuneration for any work done on its behalf, e.g. Executive Secretary. To avoid any complications following the end of the employment, any contract must be for one year only, but may be renewed by mutual agreement. Following the departure of any paid person, any materials acquired by a local anamed group remain the property of anamed Tanzania and may not be given to that person nor sold in order to pay any fees or expenses to that person.

In the event of any grievances any paid personnel must resolve the problem by approaching the anamed Board. No complaints may be made to the national authorities. This must be made clear to all paid personnel before they commence their duties.

anamed Tanzania - Aims and Objectives

1. To improve the health provision in Tanzania, by

I) establishing gardens of healing plants for demonstration and fields for cultivation.

II) developing recipes for making natural medicines from locally available healing plants.

III) supporting the establishment of pharmacies, both in hospitals and the community that specialise in locally produced natural medicines that are inexpensive and easy to use.

IV) encouraging existing pharmacies to stock and promote natural medicines.

V) undertaking research into alternative treatments for malaria, e.g. by promoting the cultivation and use of Artemisia annua.

VI) the publication and distribution of books, posters and seeds.

2. To support local people in developing self-confidence and increasing their knowledge, by

I) conducting seminars in natural medicine, based on Primary Health Care, for formally trained health workers, e.g. doctors, nurses, traditional healers, community workers, administrators and other non-medical people.

II) to promote the use of natural medicine in schools and other institutions.

III) enabling health workers and traditional healers to agree on an "Ethical Code of Conduct" and on the means whereby they can collaborate for the good of the region.

IV) questioning and opposing dangerous practises, even if they are part of the local tradition.

3. To support people in becoming more active in the care of the environment, by

I) giving instructions on the appropriate disposal of waste.

II) encouraging churches to be involved in the protection of the environment.

III) proposing alternatives to the use of herbicides and pesticides.

IV) undertaking research and promoting the utilisation of water hyacinths and thereby creating value out of a biological catastrophe.

4. To oppose processes of negative development, by

I) supporting people in growing and using their own plants and seeds in the face of the threat of the patenting of the seeds and use of healing plants by multi-national corporations.

II) campaigning against the manufacture and distribution of soaps and creams that contain mercury and other dangerous chemicals.

III) opposing the dumping of unhealthy or dangerous products.

IV) building capacity to use locally available resources.

5. To promote ecumenical collaboration between religious health services, by

I) reflecting together an how to reach harmony with God, ourselves, each other and the whole creation.

II) learning from the ways in which Jesus healed.

III) studying the importance of spiritual and physical healing.

6. To promote local, national and international cooperation and peace, by

I) participating in international, national and local networks for the exchange of knowledge about healing plants and natural medicines.

II) conducting seminars in refugee camps and areas of conflict involving people of different local factions.