Internal Rules of Procedure

Title I — Ethics of « We-ism » and Integrity

Article 1 — Primacy of the « We » and conflicts of interest

Pursuant to Art. 21 of the Statutes and Principle 2 of the Charter, every director, full member or delegate for day-to-day management must:

• declare in writing, before 31 January of each year, any direct or indirect personal interest connected with the ASBL's activities;
• withdraw from the meeting and abstain from voting on any decision concerning a relative up to the 2nd degree, a spouse, or an organisation in which they hold an interest.

Failure to comply with these obligations constitutes conduct contrary to the values of « We-ism » and may give rise to exclusion [Art. 10 Statutes]. Zero tolerance applies with regard to corruption, in accordance with Principle 7 (Economy of Sharing).

Article 2 — Anti-money laundering and ethical financing

In accordance with Art. 12 of the Statutes and Principle 7 of the Charter:

• systematic screening of donors, partners, suppliers and service providers above €1,000 against UN, EU and OFAC (United States) sanctions lists, including verification of the absence of ties to terrorist organisations or armed groups listed thereon;
• absolute prohibition on receiving or transferring funds to persons or entities linked to war crimes, crimes against humanity, or armed groups;
• obligations relating to the UBO register are governed by Article 24 of these Internal Rules.

Title II — Human Dignity and the Weaving Word

Article 3 — PSEA: Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Pursuant to Principles 3 (Weaving Word) and 4 (Awakened Listening) of the Charter:

• absolute prohibition of any sexual relationship, harassment, or exploitation between TUZAFRIKA personnel and a beneficiary;
• immediate precautionary suspension of the person concerned;
• any act potentially constituting a criminal offence is reported without delay to the judicial authorities; the prior mediation provided for in Art. 31 of the Statutes does not apply to criminal offences;
• the College of Founders [Art. 17 Statutes] is called upon solely for the internal disciplinary aspect, with due respect for the rights of the defence.

Article 3bis — Beneficiary complaints mechanism

Distinct from the internal alert channel referred to in Art. 5, a complaints channel is made available to beneficiaries and communities affected by TUZAFRIKA's activities: complaint@tuzafrika.org, together with an oral relay through field mediators, in the spirit of Awakened Listening (Principle 4 of the Charter). Every complaint is acknowledged within 7 calendar days and receives a reasoned response within two months. The mechanism is accessible in the local languages of the areas of operation and requires no written formality for persons who cannot read or write.

Article 4 — Child protection

• the two-adult rule is mandatory for any activity involving minors;
• a criminal record extract (Model 2) is required for any position involving regular contact with minors.

These measures embody Principle 10 (Embodiment by Example).

Article 5 — « Weaving Word » whistleblowing mechanism

• confidential channel: alert@tuzafrika.org, managed by the College of Founders [Art. 17 Statutes];
• whistleblower protection: no sanction or reprisal, in accordance with Principle 6 (Realism of Forgiveness).

Article 5bis — Handling of alerts

Acknowledgement of receipt within 7 calendar days. Investigation concluded within a maximum of 3 months, with a right of response for the person concerned, in accordance with the rights of the defence enshrined in Art. 10 of the Statutes.

Title III — Economy of Sharing and Financial Management

Article 6 — Resources consistent with the purpose

Reiterating Art. 12 of the Statutes: resources derive from membership fees, dues, donations, legacies, subsidies, and income from ancillary activities. Every resource must serve the non-profit purpose defined in Art. 5 of the Statutes.

Article 6bis — Cost eligibility and overhead

Expenditure charged to project funding complies with the eligibility rules of the applicable agreement. Unless otherwise provided by a donor, an overhead rate of up to 7% of direct costs may be applied to cover the association's operating costs. Any expenditure not explicitly provided for under a funding agreement is covered by the association's own resources, in accordance with Art. 12 of the Statutes.

Article 7 — Separation of duties

In accordance with Principle 7 (Economy of Sharing): no one may combine the functions of expenditure initiator, approver, and payer. The Treasurer [Art. 19 Statutes] may not approve their own expense claims.

Article 7bis — Payments and traceability

• bank transfer is the standard method;
• Mobile Money is permitted only through a professional account in the name of TUZAFRIKA ASBL, with a receipt, transaction identifier, and approval by two directors, in accordance with the dual-signature principle of Art. 23 of the Statutes;
• cash payments are limited to €300 per month, with a stub receipt book and dual signature.

Article 7ter — Procurement and purchasing

• direct agreement: from €0 to €500;
• three written quotes: from €501 to €25,000;
• open tender with award minutes: above €25,000;
• any purchase exceeding €5,000 requires the joint signature of two directors [Art. 23 Statutes].

Article 7quater — Audit

An external audit by an accredited company auditor is mandatory if annual income exceeds €100,000 or if required by a donor. The report is presented to the general assembly [Art. 26 Statutes].

Article 7quinquies — Asset management and inventory

Any durable good (IT equipment, vehicle, equipment) acquired with own funds or project funds is recorded in a fixed-asset register maintained by the Treasurer, specifying the date of acquisition, the source of funding, the place of use, and the designated custodian. A physical inventory is carried out annually. At the end of a project, the disposal of assets funded by a donor is determined in accordance with the applicable funding agreement.

Article 7sexies — Sub-granting and subcontracting

Where TUZAFRIKA passes on all or part of a funding grant to a local partner or a third-party organisation for the implementation of an activity, this relationship is governed by a written agreement specifying the purpose, the amount, the reporting and justification obligations, and the screening clauses provided for in Art. 2 of these Rules. The sub-granted partner commits to respecting the principles of the Companions' Charter for the duration of the agreement, without this entailing membership of the association. TUZAFRIKA remains solely responsible to the donor for the proper use of sub-granted funds.

Article 8 — Per diem

Per diems cover only the actual costs of a mission, based on European Union scales. They may not generate any personal profit.

Article 9 — Archiving

Accounting records are kept for seven years at the registered office [Art. 28 Statutes], with encrypted digital backup. Where a funding agreement requires a different retention period for records relating to a specific project, the longer of the two periods applies.

Title IV — Active Presence and Security

Article 10 — Duty of Care

Pursuant to Principle 5 (Active Presence):

• HEAT (Hostile Environment Awareness Training) is mandatory before any deployment to a red zone, as classified by the Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs;
• a « Proof of Life » protocol is activated for areas at risk of abduction;
• health care and repatriation insurance is mandatory for any international travel, in accordance with Article 12ter of these Rules.

Article 11 — GDPR and cybersecurity

• data processing complies with the GDPR and the Belgian law of 30 July 2018; a Data Protection Officer (DPO) is appointed by the administrative body;
• two-factor authentication is mandatory on all of TUZAFRIKA's cloud access points.

These measures protect the « Weaving Word » referred to in Art. 6, point 5, of the Statutes.

Title V — Human Resources and Companions

Article 12 — Useful-Existence recruitment

• recruitment based on competence and adherence to the Charter, without discrimination;
• direct hierarchical relationships between relatives up to the 2nd degree or spouses are prohibited, save for a reasoned exception granted by the administrative body [Principle 2, Primacy of the We].

Article 12bis — Applicable law

Employment contracts are governed by the labour law of the country of performance. In Belgium: the law of 3 July 1978 on employment contracts.

Article 12ter — Volunteering

Volunteers are covered by the law of 3 July 2005 on the rights of volunteers. Civil liability insurance as well as health care and repatriation insurance are mandatory for missions outside Belgium. Volunteers sign the Companions' Charter.

Article 13 — Discipline and Forgiveness

• scale of sanctions: formal warning, suspension, exclusion [Art. 10 Statutes];
• every sanction respects the rights of the defence and, for non-criminal internal disputes, is preceded by mediation from the College of Founders [Art. 31 Statutes], embodying Principle 6 (Realism of Forgiveness).

Title VI — Intellectual Property and the Weaving Word

Article 14 — Copyright

• all works produced for TUZAFRIKA belong to the ASBL, within the framework of its social object [Art. 6 Statutes];
• TUZAFRIKA favours the Creative Commons BY-SA licence for the sharing of knowledge, in accordance with Principle 7 (Economy of Sharing).

Article 15 — Right to one's image

Written informed consent is mandatory before any capture or dissemination of a beneficiary's image. For minors: dual consent, both parental and from the child. This is the « Weaving Word » applied.

Article 16 — Visual identity

The logo described in Art. 2 of the Statutes and the graphic charter are the property of TUZAFRIKA ASBL. Any external use is subject to the written agreement of the Chair. As the logo is defined in the statutes, any modification thereof constitutes a statutory amendment and falls within the competence of the general assembly, under the quorum and majority conditions of Art. 15 of the Statutes.

Article 17 — Communication and duty of reserve

• only spokespersons mandated by the administrative body [Art. 24 Statutes] may speak on behalf of TUZAFRIKA;
• Companions' personal accounts must comply with the duty of reserve: no statement contrary to the Charter [Principle 3, Weaving Word].

Title VII — Governance and the Knot of Destinies

Article 18 — Collegial organisation

The administrative body operates on a collegial basis [Art. 20 Statutes]. Decisions are taken by consensus; a vote is held in the event of deadlock.

Article 19 — Delegations

Any delegation of power [Art. 24 Statutes] is made in writing, limited in time (12 months maximum) and in amount (€10,000 maximum), renewable by the administrative body.

Article 20 — College of Founders

The advisory and mediating role of the College is defined in Art. 17 of the Statutes. It ensures the doctrinal conformity of every decision with « We-ism ». It is automatically called upon in the event of a serious crisis, or at the request of one-third of the full members.

Article 20bis — Scientific Council

The role and composition of the Scientific Council are defined in Art. 17bis of the Statutes. Its members — philosophers, researchers, sociologists, historians and peace specialists — are appointed by the administrative body for a three-year renewable term. As an advisory body with no decision-making power, it issues written opinions on any doctrinal question submitted by the administrative body or the general assembly.

Article 20ter — Ethics Committee

The role of the Ethics Committee is defined in Art. 17ter of the Statutes. It is composed of at least three members, including at least one full member and one individual from outside the association, appointed by the administrative body for a three-year renewable term. It may be called upon by any full member, any Companion, or on its own initiative, on any matter relating to the fidelity of the teaching, practice or dissemination of We-ism to its founding principles and to the Companions' Charter. It issues a reasoned opinion within two months.

Title VIII — Final Provisions

Article 21 — Members

Reiterating Art. 8 of the Statutes: only full members vote. Associate members sign the Charter but do not hold voting rights.

Article 22 — Membership fees

Membership fees are set by the general assembly, within the statutory cap of €500 per year [Art. 11 Statutes]. Non-payment after two reminders and a further period of 30 days constitutes presumed resignation, notified by the administrative body [Art. 10 Statutes].

Article 23 — Electronic voting

Electronic voting is permitted under Art. 16 of the Statutes, via a platform guaranteeing the identification of voters and the timestamping of votes.

Article 24 — UBO transparency

The Treasurer registers the association's beneficial owners in the UBO register of the FPS Finance within 30 days of incorporation, and updates the information within 30 days of any change, in accordance with Art. 28 of the Statutes and applicable legislation. Annual confirmation of the register is carried out within the statutory deadlines.

Article 25 — Impact report

In fulfilment of the statutory accountability obligation [Art. 6 Statutes], the administrative body publishes an annual impact report measuring Useful-Existence: beneficiaries reached, peace woven, destinies knotted. It is presented to the general assembly together with the annual accounts [Art. 26 Statutes].

Article 25bis — SDG programming framework

The impact report is prepared on the basis of the association's SDG Programming and Results Framework, which translates the social object [Art. 6 Statutes] into official indicators of the global SDG framework and aligned project indicators, in accordance with the international framework defined in Art. 5 of the Statutes. This framework is adopted and updated by the administrative body; its data is disaggregated by sex, age and disability status, in accordance with the principle of leaving no one behind.

Article 26 — Environmental commitment

Pursuant to the cross-cutting gender-climate commitment set out in Art. 6 of the Statutes, TUZAFRIKA offsets the carbon footprint of its missions and favours local and circular suppliers, in line with Principle 8 (Knot of Destinies): the Earth is our common frontier.

Article 27 — Adoption and revision

These Internal Rules of Procedure are adopted by the general assembly [Art. 13 Statutes]. Any revision requires a simple majority of the general assembly [Art. 15 Statutes]. They enter into force on 25 May 2025.