ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF “ MANOS UNIDAS””

Text approved by the XCIX Plenary Assembly

(April 23rd -27th, 2012)

INTRODUCTION

The campaign against hunger was launched by the FAO and has its origin in the Manifest of the Global Union of the Catholic Female Organizations (UMOFC), from 1995, which stated as follows: “We know and want it to be known, that there are life solutions, and if the global conscience reacts, after a few generations, the frontiers of hunger will have disappeared…” And concluded saying: “We declare war on Hunger”.

Women from the Spanish Catholic Action answered to this call which denounced the “bread, cultural and God hunger that a great part of the humanity is suffering”. They made their first Campaign against Hunger in 1960, from which the current “Manos Unidas” has been configured.

CHAPTER 1

IDENTITY

.. Article 1.

“Manos Unidas -Campaign against Hunger Catholic Committee” is also called “Manos Unidas - Campaign against Hunger”, or briefly “Manos Unidas”.

. Article 2 .

1-“Manos Unidas” is a National Public Association of the Faithful, build as a legal entity, according to the Canon Law by the Spanish Episcopal Conference during its XXX Plenary Assembly, celebrated in Madrid on November 20thto 25th, 1978.

2-“Manos Unidas” is the Catholic Church Association in Spain for aid, promotion, and development on the developing countries, by agreement of the Spanish Episcopal Conference on its XXIX Plenary Assembly, on June19th to 24th, 1978, and is linked to the Secular Ministry Episcopal Commission (CEAS) on the grounds of its origin in the Catholic Action.

3-“Manos Unidas” is in turn a Non-Governmental Organization for Development (ONGD), made of volunteers, catholic, secular, non profitable and benefit.

. Article 3 .

1-“Manos Unidas” has its own legal personality, both canon and civil, hence it can accept, acquire, own, manage, tax, mortgage, alienate and apply state of any kind to the fulfilment of its purposes. Its Tax ID Number (CIF) is: G- 28567790.

2-It is duly registered at the Religious Entities Registry of the Department of Justice with number 271, special Section C, dated on March 5th, 1981; and the Official Registry according to the Law 23/1998, of July 7th, of International Cooperation for Development.

3-It has been declared of Public Utility by the Department of Justice by virtue of the Warrant of October 17th, 1995.

. Article 4 .

Its registered office is located in Madrid, Barquillo St., 38. Any change of the registered office address must be always made within the territory of Madrid (CCAA), and without requiring a modification of the Statutes. It must be approved by the General Assembly and notified to the General Secretariat of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

. Article 5 .

1-The purpose of “Manos Unidas” is the fight against hunger, and the causes that provoke it, so that anyone can be “able to be a responsible agent of its own material, improvement, moral progress and spiritual development by itself”(Populorum Progressio, 34).

2-Fighting against the hunger is to fight against the deficient nutrition, food insecurity, misery, underdevelopment and deficient education, produced by the following causes, among others: injustice, lack of solidarity in the distribution of the goods and opportunities between people and towns, the ignorance, prejudices, lack of solidarity, indifference, and the crisis of human and Christian values.

. Article 6 .

In order to pursue its aim, inspired by the Gospel and the Social Doctrine of the Church, “Manos Unidas” maintains two working lines:

- To raise awareness and denounce the existence of hunger and underdevelopment, its causes and its possible remedies.

-To raise economic means in order to finance the programs, plans and projects for integral development aimed at the attention of these necessities.

. Article 7 .

1-These working lines will be concreted into agricultural, sanitary, educative, and social development projects, as well as, women promotion, emergency actions, and humanitarian aid when it may be demanded for exceptional circumstances. It all will be carried out by every labour and activity which may help to the integral liberation of the man on these developing countries, with special care to the environment.

2-The collaboration of “Manos Unidas” will not be aimed in any case at belligerent or partisan purposes, or anything that may imply any kind of violence or aggression to any human being or nature.

3-“Manos Unidas” has freedom on the approval or denial of each project, election of the objectives and determination of the projects, associations or individuals with whom it may collaborate, as well as on the establishment of the requisites, all this, according to the present Statutes and all established by law.

. Article 8 .

In order to pursue its aim, “Manos Unidas” can act by itself or in cooperation and coordination with other similar organizations, and will assist any victim of the said problems, without distinction as to race, sex, country, ideology or religion.

. Article 9 .

1-The duration of each Campaign will be of a natural year. The national collection will be celebrated the second Sunday of February, and the voluntary fasting will be the Friday previous to the said Sunday, notwithstanding the authority of the Episcopal Conference to establish another different date, once heard the Association.

2-Its activity should be permanently developing:

  • The study, approval, and follow-up of the projects.
  • The fields of awareness and education on development, aimed at the members of the organization, volunteers, hired personal, teachers, educational agents and the population in general.

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