Information exchange for advocates of Direct Democracy from the whole world
Hellenic Direct Democracy Movement Greece
Hellenic Direct Democracy Movement
CHARTER
http://www.ear-hellas.gr/ear1/index-en.php?type=doc&f=charter
PREAMBLE
We, the citizens of Hellas in morals and in ethos, heirs and participants of the Hellenic Paedia, aware of the traditional and fundamental principles of Constructive Criticism, Fertile controversy, Research, Freedom, National Independence and Direct Democratic Process. We, the citizens of Hellas in morals and in ethos, deeply concerned about the present and the future of our homeland and our nation. We, the citizens of Hellas in morals and in ethos, fed up and indignant with the decay and the decline of our political system, we ascertain the following:
This deplorable sociopolitical establishment nationally and internationally, the worst kind of decline and alienation can only be overturned by an imperforate cultural movement aiming at intervening politically and socially. This socio-cultural movement is the only means of fully restoring the ethics and the morals in this country. A movement inspired by the values and merits of ancient Greece can decisively bring about the necessary humanitarian changes based on the political and diachronic asseverations of the ancient Greek philosophers.
The creation of such a movement is our primary duty since it emerges from the knowledge of Hellenic history and is compelled by our patriotic and democratic ideals of our nation. The time has come to politically and consciously restore Hellenism.
Committed to our diachronic democratic ideals, we, free-thinkers and patriots, have a historical duty that is directly derived from our ideological and natural ancestors such as the classical Greek philosophers, the Hellenes who contributed to the European Enlightment, the democratic Hellenic illuminators of the multitude and our national poets, have no option but to follow the path of reason that all the above mentioned have taught us so as to fight for the Hellenic civilization and culture that constitute the basis not only of the European but also of the global civilization.
We are defenders of human dignity and Humanism, of the Political Equality, of Direct Democracy, of Peace, of National Independence. In other words, we are defenders of Free Thinking.
We are opposed to all kinds of dogmatism the way it is expressed by the political, religious and social elements of decay.
With discretion and by having realized that we constitute the modern link that has been connecting for centuries all the free thinking and unbowed Hellenes, we undertake the responsibility to serve our movement with respect to the values of our ancestors and concern about the future generations. We declare that we will serve our movement to defend the rights of our country and our nation and we vote for the following charter.
Article 1. ' Foundation.
Our movement of cultural, social and political intervention was unanimously agreed to be founded on 15th, January 2006 and bare the name EAR (ELLINIKON ANANEOTIKON REVMA) -Hellenic Direct Democracy Movement (HDDM).
Article 2. Central Office-Emblem
Our central Office is located in Athens (88, Academias Street) but ideologically is placed at Delphi. HDDM's emblem has the olive green color and it is portrayed by the capital letter ' Epsilon, "E" and framed by a branch of an olive tree on its left.
Article 3. International and national relations - collaborations.
The EAR-HDDM does not participate in international unions or political movements, since it considers that no known -ism has some acquaintance or keeps pace with the foundations of Hellenism in terms of its political cosmotheory (weltanschauung). However, under certain circumstances and conditions it might collaborate with movements and cultural institutions in Greece and abroad provided that they adopt and serve its fundamental values.
Article 4. Fundamental values and objectives
The Movement is in favor of Direct Democracy. With its actions, it promotes the humanitarian values emanating from the Hellenic Culture and the Hellenic Education - Philosophy. It seeks:
PEACE: "The love for peace is divine and every effort to cease the war is indeed a Hellenic act." (Plutarch)
DEMOCRACY: "Poverty in Democracy is much more preferable to what is called prosperity by the tyrants as freedom is more preferable to slavery." (Democritus)
PATRIOTISM: "Struggle means fighting for your country". (Thucidides)
NATIONAL SOLIDARITY: "The civil war is bad for both winners and losers because the damage is the same for both of them". (Democritus).
"Big achievements are the products of amity". (Democritus).
MERITOCRACY: "When the bad ones obtain power, the more incapable they are, the more brainless they become since they are filled with audacity and imprudence." (Democritus)
"It is intolerable to be governed by someone inferior." (Democritus)
"For the fools, it is better to be ruled than to rule." (Democritus)
JUSTICE: "Only the ones who hate injustice are loved by the Gods." (Democritus)
"Injustice is the habit of arrogantly disregarding the laws." (Plato).
"Injustice sows hatred and creates dissension among men." (Plato).
"Justice is better for the soul itself." (Plato)
RESPECT FOR THE LAWS: "The citizens should fight to defend the laws the same way they fight to defend the Walls of the city." (Heraclitus)
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: "Every man has the right to choose the people and the Gods that he honors." (Euripides)
"Concerning the Gods, I am unable to know if they exist or if they don't exist. Neither do I know who they are. There are many things that prevent you from knowing and the subject itself is very dark while human life is very short." (Protagoras)
SEX EQUALITY: "The virtue of man coincides with the virtue of woman". (Plutarch)
HELLENIC PAEDIA (EDUCATION): "Education for those who prosper is a jewel and for those who are misfortunate is a haven of refuge." (Democritus)
"Education is another sun for those who are educated." (Heraclitus)
JUST ADMINISTRATION: "The true ruler wasn't born to look after his own self-interest but the interest of those he rules" (Plato)
FREEDOM: "People think that are unequal in everything but if they are equal in something, that something is freedom." (Aristotle).
"It is better to live one hour and be free than to live forty years in slavery and imprisonment." (Regas Ferreos)
Article 5. EAR-(HDDM) Membership.
1. People over 18 years old who are of Hellenic Extract regardless of their citizenship are eligible to become members.
2. Other nationals are also eligible to become members provided that they are adults, have Hellenic Paedia (education) and agree with the values and the aims of the movement.
3. Greek nationals who have not fulfilled their military obligations and are 31 years old or younger cannot join our movement and in case they are already members, their membership is automatically cancelled. This does not apply to those who have been exempted from the army due to poor health and those who attend medical schools.
4. Every new member should be nominated by two older members and his/her membership should be approved by the majority (plenum) of his/her local branch where he/she wishes to belong.
5. Members of our movement cannot be individuals who participate in occult organizations, secret societies, secret political or philosophical clubs and minority organizations, which openly or covertly engage in activities that harm the notion of Hellenism.
6. Our members can quit and withdraw from the movement anytime they please, by submitting a written resignation to the plenum of the EAR-HDDM branch where they belong.
7. Men and women are registered equally in our movement. Our movement is strongly opposed to sex, racial, ethnic, and religious or any other form of discrimination and oppression.
Article 6. Rights and Obligations of our Members
1. All of our members participate and act equally in every form of sociopolitical action that the movement takes.
2. They elect their representatives and are elected in all the Bodies.
3. They equally and equivalently participate in the processes of decision-making.
4. All members have access to all the information that relate to the political decisions and the political or cultural actions of the movement.
5. They promptly and meticulously pay their subscription.
6. They do not announce in public or disclose to third parties matters that concern the decisions and the functions of the movement.
7. They participate actively in every EAR-HDDM action, political or cultural.
Article 7. Organizational Structure
The importance of local branches-organizations of our Movement is for EAR-HDDM a subject of fundamental importance and priority. Modern Greece was built on an Athenian centralized basis while the rest of the regions were forced to play a secondary or inferior role in the country's politics following most of the time the initiatives taken by the Athens based government model. However, this has not happened with EAR-HDDM. The notion of need as it is defined by the ancient Greek conception, the regional second wind, and the movements from all over Greece, were the primary elements that led to the creation of the united Hellenic power that EAR-HDDM represents today. Concerned Hellenes from Macedonia, Hipirus, Thrace, central Greece, Crete and the islands, even Hellenes from abroad led the facts to a common call for national unity and decision. The united front of resistance. Being a movement of pan-hellenic range and ecumenical orientation, for the cultural, political and social exaltation of our nation, the EAR-HDDM supports its local branches since it considers them the lungs of its organizational structure.
1. Each local branch is structured according to the municipality or the municipal district where it belongs. One to twenty members constitute the core that make up every local branch. The number of members of every branch cannot be more than 80 registered individuals. That means that a certain municipality or municipal district may have more than one branch.
2. District Organization: The local branches and the cores of a district in the country constitute the District Branch. The offices of each district branch are located in the capital of every district.
3. National Organization: It consists of all EAR-HDDM members and it reflects its policies and actions through internal referendum. The political council or a written petition by the 2/3 of the movement members in the central committee may decide to call for an internal referendum.
4. Branches Abroad: In every geographical location of the planet outside the borders of Greece, our movement may establish branches. There may be one or more branches in a city. The district branch will consist of all the local branches in the country. In every country, the offices of the district branch will be located where the majority of our members live. If the number of our members in a specific country is too large, the political council may decide to establish two district branches in the same country.
Article 8 The Bodies of the Movement:
1. Local Secretariat. All members of the local branch elect it openly and it consists of three members and two substitute ones. The electoral process is the following: One of the present members is selected through the ballot draw process to preside over the electoral process and a second member is also randomly through the ballot process) selected to observe the proceedings and to keep the transcripts of the electoral process. The presiding member calls all those who wish to be candidates and their names are written on a chart alphabetically. Then, the presiding member calls each member to verbally name two members that he/she wishes to become members of the local secretariat. Each member has the right to name only two candidates. In case the member is a candidate himself, he has not the right to nominate himself. The electoral secretary counts the verbal votes of each candidate by drawing lines next to his/her name. Each line represents one vote. At the end of the electoral process, the first five candidates constitute the Local Secretariat and its two substitute members. Then, three ballots are made bearing the names of the first three candidates in votes. The electoral secretary draws the ballots while the members are all present. The candidate that comes out of the first ballot becomes the Secretary of the Local Branch, the second one becomes the person in charge of the local branch's organization and the third becomes the treasurer. Then, the electoral secretary and the transcripts keeper draw a document which analytically contains all the candidates that took part in the electoral process and the number of votes each one received, who were elected and which posts they took, they sign and stamp it using the movement's rubber stamp and send a copy to the Political Council either by registered mail or fax. The service duration of the Local Secretariat is one year. The electoral process can take place only if the 2/3 of the members is present while the ones who are absent cannot be candidates. Of course, the sovereign body of each Local Branch is the 2/3 majority session which either in the monthly regular assemblies or in unscheduled assemblies is the only responsible authority that decides and coordinates the course of action of the movement provided that it is aided by all the movement's members. Responsible for the unscheduled majority sessions of the local branch is the local secretariat, which also bears the responsibility to schedule the daily provisions and the regular and the unscheduled majority sessions. An unscheduled session may also take place if 1/3 of the Local Branch demands it in written form and submit it to the Local Secretariat. In every majority session regular or unscheduled, a presiding member is selected (through the ballot draw process) to coordinate the process.
2. District Secretariat: It consists of all the regular members (the trilateral committees of each local branch) and has one-year service duration. It consists of a secretary, a member in charge of the district's organization and a treasurer. The rest are regular members. The 2/3 majority session consisting of all the district members constitute the authority in charge of every district which either in a six month period or in unscheduled sessions is the only authority that decides the course of action that the District Secretariat should take and coordinate with the aid of all members. In addition, an unscheduled meeting may be demanded by the 1/3 of the district members by submitting it in written form to the District Secretariat. The 1/3 of the District members may also determine the topics of the daily provision. The Local Secretariat bears the obligation to schedule the demanded District Majority Session.
3. The Central Committee: It consists of 100 members, which are elected openly from the "Hellenic Public" (that is how the Movement's Convention is called). The members of the Central Committee openly elect the Political Council. The same way is elected the National Committees of Action and Control such as a) National Committee of Statute Observation b) National Committee of Cultural Action c) National Committee of Solidarity d) National Committee of Instructive Action and e) National Committee of Financial Control. The Central Committee meets regularly every six months but it can also meet without schedule in case the Political Council demands it. In addition, an unscheduled meeting of the Central Committee may take place if 1/3 (34 members) of each members demand it by submitting a letter of application to the Political Council demanding the issues for the daily provision. The central Committee forms a quorum when 2/3 (68) of its members are present.
During the Central Committee meetings the Political council whose three members are chosen by ballot to preside over the meetings, undertakes the presiding role. One acts as the president and three as the secretaries responsible for keeping the transcripts. The Central Committee members do not have the right to vote "white". All the decisions of Central Committee are based on the principle of majority between the quorums of its members. The service of Central Committee is fixed between two conventions.
4. The Political Council: The Political Council is the Supreme executive body of the EAR-HDDM. The 100 members of the Central Committee elect it and it is responsible for representing aggregately the political decisions of the movement and shaping the strategies that the movement will have to follow between the two conventions (Hellenic Public). The Political council consists of the President of the EAR-HDDM, three secretaries (Secretary of Organization, Secretary of Enlightenment, and Secretary of Financial Matters) and eight (8) simple members. All the Political Council members are elected by the Central Committee (the total number of the Political Council is 12). All the Political Council Members (12) are considered equal among them and the President is considered the first among equals.
The P.S. functions with the responsibility of its three secretaries, who also convene and determine the daily provision as well as the speakers. Of course, apart from the three secretaries, any other member of P.C. can call for other discussion issues provided that they are placed before the determination of the daily provision and approved by the majority of the PC members. All the decisions of the Political Council are based on the majority principle (the quorum of his members), where each member has the right of vote for every issue. The P.S. has quorum when they are present the 2/3 (8 present) its members. The members of the Political Council do not have the right to vote "white". The electoral process of the Political Council from the Central Committee is the following: One of the present members is randomly chosen (through the ballot process) in order to preside over the electoral process and another one, a secretary, is responsible for observing the proceeding. The electoral president calls those who wish to place candidature and their names enter a table chart with alphabetical order. Then, the electoral president calls all members alphabetically to verbally vote and openly voice the names of the ones they wish to be nominated. Each member has the right to vote for four individuals and in case he/she is a candidate, he /she cannot vote for himself/herself. The electoral secretary draws a line next to the name of each candidate. Each line represents one vote. The first twelve (12) who get elected constitute the Political Council. The service of the Political Council is fixed between two consecutive conventions.
5. The Three Secretaries: The three Secretaries are chosen among the 12 members of the Political Council either by internal voting of the Political Council members (each has to vote for one candidate and he does so by having his hand uplifted) or through the ballot process where the names of those who wish to be elected are drawn. The Organization Secretary is responsible for mobilizing the movement's members. The Secretary of Enlightment is responsible for communicating the political decisions and ideas of the movement to the press and the public opinion. He is also responsible for internally briefing all members through ideological and political circulars. The Secretary of Financial Matters is responsible for managing the movement's finances. Each secretary is obliged to confer and to cooperate with the National Committees of the Central Committee which he/she presides over. In addition, the political council appoints from its members, one, two or three (depending on the circumstances) assistants for each of the secretaries.
6. The President: The President expresses and represents the EAR-HDDM in every one of its actions. He presides in the conventions. He performs his duties within the framework of the decisions taken by the "Hellenic Public", the Central Committee and the Political Council. He is elected every four years with open voting from the conventions of the "Hellenic Public". A candidate for the Presidency must be the one who has been nominated by at least 30 members of the Central Committee while he has to be a member of the Political Council. Someone becomes the President only if he she/she has the absolute majority of the convention participants (50%+1). If there are more than two candidates and during the first elections neither of the two has the absolute majority, then an additional electoral process takes place and the one who manages to get the absolute majority (50%+1). In case the two candidates have the same number of votes, then there is a draw which determines who is going to be the President.
7. The "Hellenic Public": The "Hellenic Public" is the supreme instructive body of the movement and it is considered superior to the President. It convenes every four (4) years. A) It consists of 1000 (one thousand) members that are directly elected from the Local Branches here in Greece and abroad. During the election of the convention participants, the process that is followed is the same one with the process that is followed for the election of the Local Secretariat. B) Without any additional electoral process taking place, convention participants are also considered the 100 members of the Central Committee and the 220 founding members of the movement. During the Convention, the President presides with the aid of the National Council of Statute Observance whose members act as electoral secretaries. The convention has a quorum only when 2/3 of its members are present. The convention elects the commitee through following process: The electoral president of the convention who should also be a member of the National Committee for Statutory Observance marks net to each candidate's name the number of votes he has received by drawing lines (each line represents one vote). When the electoral process is completed the first 100 hundred (100) constitute the Central Committee. The same way the President is elected but during his/her election, each convention participant has the right to vote only for one candidate. The convention is the only body that can revise and change the movement's charter. The Central Committee is the only body responsible for the convention's duration as well as for the issues that will be discussed.
Article 9. The Principles of Function
The EAR-HDDM functions according to the principles of direct democracy as it was established by the ancient Greeks and survived through our national heritage either with open voting or with ballot draws. The secret voting is considered a cowardice cover up while the white votes cannot be accepted in any electoral process. All members are obliged to conform to the majority decisions and co-sign them.
Article 10. Democratic Processes
The EAR-HDDM wishes to introduce innovative political ethics inspired by the native regimes and the ancient Greek mode of life. Our differences with the rest of the political forums and parties are not only a matter of ideological differentiation but also our political practice and behavior.
1. Within the movement, the internal democracy, the philosophical freedom, the freedom of speech and in general the freedom of expression (verbal or written) are established, carefully guarded and protected while candor is promoted.
2. All views and trends that emerge from Hellenism and the Hellenic Philosophy schools ancient or posterior have the right to co-exist and to be expressed openly and freely.
3. The expression and the circulation of ideas freely take place having in mind the basic principles and the aims of the movement.
4. The lawful solidarity among the members constitutes one of the founding principles of the movement.
5. The bodies of the movement act according to the principles of unity and dialogue.
6. The majority principle is binding for every member and the members of every one of the movement's bodies. The minority views are respected and the majority is obliged to take them into account.
Article 11. Account -Retraction.
1. All the elected members (elected or ballot-draw selected) are accounted for to the bodies that elected them at any time.
2. All elected members (elected or ballot draw-selected) may be recalled from the bodies that elected them earlier than their service.
3. The retraction decisions require the presence of 2/3 of the body members and are taken by the ½ +1 members that participate in the process.
Article 12. Financial Management
1. The economic resources of EAR (HDDM) are:
- The subscriptions of its members which are determined by the Political Council after the proposal of the National Committee of Financial Control (NCFC)
- The extra contributions of members or of citizens that supports the aims of our movement.
- Donations, heritages and sponsoring funds.
- Revenues derived from events and activities.
2. The National Committee of Financial Control: The responsibility for the finances of our movement belongs to the seven member National Committee of Financial Economic Control (NCFC) which is elected by the members of the Central Committee whose director is the Secretary of Financial Matters, member of the Political Council (eight members including the secretary). The NCFC has the obligation of regularly controlling the movement's finances and the ability of making unscheduled controls in all organizations and bodies of the movement. Every organization and body of the movement is obliged to provide every necessary documents and clarifications that are demanded. Each EAR-HDDM Body submits during the first fifteen (15) days each year a complete and documented annual report and planning assessment to the NCFC. The Political Council approves the financial report and assessment during a special convention that follows the report that the NCFC has submitted.
Article 13. Observation of statute
1. Member of Movement that acts at infringement of statute is checked disciplinarily after a justified reference of his actions to the disciplinary bodies.
2. Depending on the gravity of his/her actions that are attributed to him/her if he/she is found guilty he may either lose temporarily his membership or he/she may be permanently expelled from the movement.
3. Responsible for the observation of the statute is the National Committee of Observation of Statute (NCOS) that consists of seven (7) members of Central Committee. The NCOS is responsible for bringing regional members to the disciplinary body while the for the infringing members of the Political Council responsible is the Political Council (PC) itself after a proposition is made by the NCOS.
4. It should be noted that the local branches and the Core organizations are also obliged to form Committees of Observation of Statute to make sure that their members observe the statute. Members that object to the penalty that has been imposed on them may refer to the NCOS whose decisions are permanent and cannot be altered. 5. The NCOS as well as all of the COS are responsible of the statutory observance by the members. They are also responsible of supervising the electoral processes of the Bodies.
6. In the NCOS presides the Secretary of Organization, member of the Political Council.
Article 14. National Committees of the Central Committee
1. The National Committee of Cultural Action (NCCA): It is a ten member committee and it consists of as well as elected by the members of the Central Committee following the electoral process that applies to every one of the movement's Bodies. Its mission is to promote and defend Hellenism and all of its cultural aspects. It organizes cultural events, demonstrations and protests when there are indications that remnants and ruins of Hellenism are threatened. The director of NCCA is the Secretary of Enlightment, member of the Political Council with a voting right.
2. National Committee of Instructive Action (NCIA): It is a ten member committee and it consists of as well as elected by the members of the Central Committee following the electoral process that applies to every one of the movement's Bodies. Its mission is to promote the Hellenic Paedia (Education). It organizes events, demonstrations and protests when there are indications that the Hellenic Paedia is under threat. The director of NCCA is the Secretary of Enlightment, member of the Political Council with a voting right.
3. The National Committee of Solidarity (NCS) : It is a ten member Body that consists of the Central Committee members and it is elected the same way all the other Bodies are elected. Its mission is to promote solidarity, friendship and support among the movement's members. The director of NCS with voting right is the Secretary of Organization who is also a member of the Political Council.
4. The Secretary of each and every one of the National Committees the Secretary can replace the Deputy Secretary if it is necessary.
Article 15. Special Committees
The Political Council has the right to form special committees that are not determined by the present Charter if there is such a need (issues related to our country's foreign affairs, issues that relate to employment, youth, drug abuse etc). In these committees a member of the Political Council will preside besides the secretary and his/her deputy.
Article 16. The Foundational Organizational Structure
1. Members of the first Political Council are determined by the present Charter the members of EAR-HDDM whose inspiration brought about the creation of our movement. Their names appear alphabetically: VARDICOS DIMITRIOS, IERODIAKONOS GEORGIOS, LEMONTZOGLOU VASILIOS, BEXIS EVANGELOS, MYTILINEOS STEFANOS, PALIVIDAS HERACLES, PANTOU SILVA, RASSIAS VLASIOS, TRABAZALIS EVANGELOS, TRAVLOU SEMELI, CHRISTODOULARIS SOCRATES, PSOMIADES IOANNIS.
2. The service of the foundational Political Council has been determined to last four years having as its starting date the date that the Charter is approved by the Hellenic Department of Justice.
3. After a four year period the first movement convention will take place where the central committee, the political council and the President will be elected.
4. The Political Council may extend the time when the first convention will take place by two additional years, six (6) in total provided that it has the approval of the Central Committee.
5. Until a President is elected, his/her duties will be performed by the three (3) secretaries of the Political Council who have to fruitfully cooperate with the rest of the Political Council members.
6. The Political Council has the responsibility of appointing the 100 members of the Central Committee with service duration equal to the one of the Political Council.
7. In case a member of the founding Political Council resigns and withdraws, the Central Committee is obliged to elect a replacement from its members.
8. The Political Council undertakes the responsibility of appointing secretaries and Core leaders to the local branches that are being formed as well as movement cores in Greece and abroad.
9. The Service duration of the secretaries and the core leaders is three years. Then, the article 8 par.1 which determines the electoral process will be enacted. The appointed members the first District Secretariats will be formed as the article 8. par.2 determines.
10. The Political Council reserves the right to terminate the service of the appointed secretaries and core leaders at any time and replace them with other members. This does not apply to those who have been elected after the first three years have passed.
11. Article 16 will be cancelled upon the opening of the first convention.
CHARTER
http://www.ear-hellas.gr/ear1/index-en.php?type=doc&f=charter
PREAMBLE
We, the citizens of Hellas in morals and in ethos, heirs and participants of the Hellenic Paedia, aware of the traditional and fundamental principles of Constructive Criticism, Fertile controversy, Research, Freedom, National Independence and Direct Democratic Process. We, the citizens of Hellas in morals and in ethos, deeply concerned about the present and the future of our homeland and our nation. We, the citizens of Hellas in morals and in ethos, fed up and indignant with the decay and the decline of our political system, we ascertain the following:
This deplorable sociopolitical establishment nationally and internationally, the worst kind of decline and alienation can only be overturned by an imperforate cultural movement aiming at intervening politically and socially. This socio-cultural movement is the only means of fully restoring the ethics and the morals in this country. A movement inspired by the values and merits of ancient Greece can decisively bring about the necessary humanitarian changes based on the political and diachronic asseverations of the ancient Greek philosophers.
The creation of such a movement is our primary duty since it emerges from the knowledge of Hellenic history and is compelled by our patriotic and democratic ideals of our nation. The time has come to politically and consciously restore Hellenism.
Committed to our diachronic democratic ideals, we, free-thinkers and patriots, have a historical duty that is directly derived from our ideological and natural ancestors such as the classical Greek philosophers, the Hellenes who contributed to the European Enlightment, the democratic Hellenic illuminators of the multitude and our national poets, have no option but to follow the path of reason that all the above mentioned have taught us so as to fight for the Hellenic civilization and culture that constitute the basis not only of the European but also of the global civilization.
We are defenders of human dignity and Humanism, of the Political Equality, of Direct Democracy, of Peace, of National Independence. In other words, we are defenders of Free Thinking.
We are opposed to all kinds of dogmatism the way it is expressed by the political, religious and social elements of decay.
With discretion and by having realized that we constitute the modern link that has been connecting for centuries all the free thinking and unbowed Hellenes, we undertake the responsibility to serve our movement with respect to the values of our ancestors and concern about the future generations. We declare that we will serve our movement to defend the rights of our country and our nation and we vote for the following charter.
Article 1. ' Foundation.
Our movement of cultural, social and political intervention was unanimously agreed to be founded on 15th, January 2006 and bare the name EAR (ELLINIKON ANANEOTIKON REVMA) -Hellenic Direct Democracy Movement (HDDM).
Article 2. Central Office-Emblem
Our central Office is located in Athens (88, Academias Street) but ideologically is placed at Delphi. HDDM's emblem has the olive green color and it is portrayed by the capital letter ' Epsilon, "E" and framed by a branch of an olive tree on its left.
Article 3. International and national relations - collaborations.
The EAR-HDDM does not participate in international unions or political movements, since it considers that no known -ism has some acquaintance or keeps pace with the foundations of Hellenism in terms of its political cosmotheory (weltanschauung). However, under certain circumstances and conditions it might collaborate with movements and cultural institutions in Greece and abroad provided that they adopt and serve its fundamental values.
Article 4. Fundamental values and objectives
The Movement is in favor of Direct Democracy. With its actions, it promotes the humanitarian values emanating from the Hellenic Culture and the Hellenic Education - Philosophy. It seeks:
PEACE: "The love for peace is divine and every effort to cease the war is indeed a Hellenic act." (Plutarch)
DEMOCRACY: "Poverty in Democracy is much more preferable to what is called prosperity by the tyrants as freedom is more preferable to slavery." (Democritus)
PATRIOTISM: "Struggle means fighting for your country". (Thucidides)
NATIONAL SOLIDARITY: "The civil war is bad for both winners and losers because the damage is the same for both of them". (Democritus).
"Big achievements are the products of amity". (Democritus).
MERITOCRACY: "When the bad ones obtain power, the more incapable they are, the more brainless they become since they are filled with audacity and imprudence." (Democritus)
"It is intolerable to be governed by someone inferior." (Democritus)
"For the fools, it is better to be ruled than to rule." (Democritus)
JUSTICE: "Only the ones who hate injustice are loved by the Gods." (Democritus)
"Injustice is the habit of arrogantly disregarding the laws." (Plato).
"Injustice sows hatred and creates dissension among men." (Plato).
"Justice is better for the soul itself." (Plato)
RESPECT FOR THE LAWS: "The citizens should fight to defend the laws the same way they fight to defend the Walls of the city." (Heraclitus)
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: "Every man has the right to choose the people and the Gods that he honors." (Euripides)
"Concerning the Gods, I am unable to know if they exist or if they don't exist. Neither do I know who they are. There are many things that prevent you from knowing and the subject itself is very dark while human life is very short." (Protagoras)
SEX EQUALITY: "The virtue of man coincides with the virtue of woman". (Plutarch)
HELLENIC PAEDIA (EDUCATION): "Education for those who prosper is a jewel and for those who are misfortunate is a haven of refuge." (Democritus)
"Education is another sun for those who are educated." (Heraclitus)
JUST ADMINISTRATION: "The true ruler wasn't born to look after his own self-interest but the interest of those he rules" (Plato)
FREEDOM: "People think that are unequal in everything but if they are equal in something, that something is freedom." (Aristotle).
"It is better to live one hour and be free than to live forty years in slavery and imprisonment." (Regas Ferreos)
Article 5. EAR-(HDDM) Membership.
1. People over 18 years old who are of Hellenic Extract regardless of their citizenship are eligible to become members.
2. Other nationals are also eligible to become members provided that they are adults, have Hellenic Paedia (education) and agree with the values and the aims of the movement.
3. Greek nationals who have not fulfilled their military obligations and are 31 years old or younger cannot join our movement and in case they are already members, their membership is automatically cancelled. This does not apply to those who have been exempted from the army due to poor health and those who attend medical schools.
4. Every new member should be nominated by two older members and his/her membership should be approved by the majority (plenum) of his/her local branch where he/she wishes to belong.
5. Members of our movement cannot be individuals who participate in occult organizations, secret societies, secret political or philosophical clubs and minority organizations, which openly or covertly engage in activities that harm the notion of Hellenism.
6. Our members can quit and withdraw from the movement anytime they please, by submitting a written resignation to the plenum of the EAR-HDDM branch where they belong.
7. Men and women are registered equally in our movement. Our movement is strongly opposed to sex, racial, ethnic, and religious or any other form of discrimination and oppression.
Article 6. Rights and Obligations of our Members
1. All of our members participate and act equally in every form of sociopolitical action that the movement takes.
2. They elect their representatives and are elected in all the Bodies.
3. They equally and equivalently participate in the processes of decision-making.
4. All members have access to all the information that relate to the political decisions and the political or cultural actions of the movement.
5. They promptly and meticulously pay their subscription.
6. They do not announce in public or disclose to third parties matters that concern the decisions and the functions of the movement.
7. They participate actively in every EAR-HDDM action, political or cultural.
Article 7. Organizational Structure
The importance of local branches-organizations of our Movement is for EAR-HDDM a subject of fundamental importance and priority. Modern Greece was built on an Athenian centralized basis while the rest of the regions were forced to play a secondary or inferior role in the country's politics following most of the time the initiatives taken by the Athens based government model. However, this has not happened with EAR-HDDM. The notion of need as it is defined by the ancient Greek conception, the regional second wind, and the movements from all over Greece, were the primary elements that led to the creation of the united Hellenic power that EAR-HDDM represents today. Concerned Hellenes from Macedonia, Hipirus, Thrace, central Greece, Crete and the islands, even Hellenes from abroad led the facts to a common call for national unity and decision. The united front of resistance. Being a movement of pan-hellenic range and ecumenical orientation, for the cultural, political and social exaltation of our nation, the EAR-HDDM supports its local branches since it considers them the lungs of its organizational structure.
1. Each local branch is structured according to the municipality or the municipal district where it belongs. One to twenty members constitute the core that make up every local branch. The number of members of every branch cannot be more than 80 registered individuals. That means that a certain municipality or municipal district may have more than one branch.
2. District Organization: The local branches and the cores of a district in the country constitute the District Branch. The offices of each district branch are located in the capital of every district.
3. National Organization: It consists of all EAR-HDDM members and it reflects its policies and actions through internal referendum. The political council or a written petition by the 2/3 of the movement members in the central committee may decide to call for an internal referendum.
4. Branches Abroad: In every geographical location of the planet outside the borders of Greece, our movement may establish branches. There may be one or more branches in a city. The district branch will consist of all the local branches in the country. In every country, the offices of the district branch will be located where the majority of our members live. If the number of our members in a specific country is too large, the political council may decide to establish two district branches in the same country.
Article 8 The Bodies of the Movement:
1. Local Secretariat. All members of the local branch elect it openly and it consists of three members and two substitute ones. The electoral process is the following: One of the present members is selected through the ballot draw process to preside over the electoral process and a second member is also randomly through the ballot process) selected to observe the proceedings and to keep the transcripts of the electoral process. The presiding member calls all those who wish to be candidates and their names are written on a chart alphabetically. Then, the presiding member calls each member to verbally name two members that he/she wishes to become members of the local secretariat. Each member has the right to name only two candidates. In case the member is a candidate himself, he has not the right to nominate himself. The electoral secretary counts the verbal votes of each candidate by drawing lines next to his/her name. Each line represents one vote. At the end of the electoral process, the first five candidates constitute the Local Secretariat and its two substitute members. Then, three ballots are made bearing the names of the first three candidates in votes. The electoral secretary draws the ballots while the members are all present. The candidate that comes out of the first ballot becomes the Secretary of the Local Branch, the second one becomes the person in charge of the local branch's organization and the third becomes the treasurer. Then, the electoral secretary and the transcripts keeper draw a document which analytically contains all the candidates that took part in the electoral process and the number of votes each one received, who were elected and which posts they took, they sign and stamp it using the movement's rubber stamp and send a copy to the Political Council either by registered mail or fax. The service duration of the Local Secretariat is one year. The electoral process can take place only if the 2/3 of the members is present while the ones who are absent cannot be candidates. Of course, the sovereign body of each Local Branch is the 2/3 majority session which either in the monthly regular assemblies or in unscheduled assemblies is the only responsible authority that decides and coordinates the course of action of the movement provided that it is aided by all the movement's members. Responsible for the unscheduled majority sessions of the local branch is the local secretariat, which also bears the responsibility to schedule the daily provisions and the regular and the unscheduled majority sessions. An unscheduled session may also take place if 1/3 of the Local Branch demands it in written form and submit it to the Local Secretariat. In every majority session regular or unscheduled, a presiding member is selected (through the ballot draw process) to coordinate the process.
2. District Secretariat: It consists of all the regular members (the trilateral committees of each local branch) and has one-year service duration. It consists of a secretary, a member in charge of the district's organization and a treasurer. The rest are regular members. The 2/3 majority session consisting of all the district members constitute the authority in charge of every district which either in a six month period or in unscheduled sessions is the only authority that decides the course of action that the District Secretariat should take and coordinate with the aid of all members. In addition, an unscheduled meeting may be demanded by the 1/3 of the district members by submitting it in written form to the District Secretariat. The 1/3 of the District members may also determine the topics of the daily provision. The Local Secretariat bears the obligation to schedule the demanded District Majority Session.
3. The Central Committee: It consists of 100 members, which are elected openly from the "Hellenic Public" (that is how the Movement's Convention is called). The members of the Central Committee openly elect the Political Council. The same way is elected the National Committees of Action and Control such as a) National Committee of Statute Observation b) National Committee of Cultural Action c) National Committee of Solidarity d) National Committee of Instructive Action and e) National Committee of Financial Control. The Central Committee meets regularly every six months but it can also meet without schedule in case the Political Council demands it. In addition, an unscheduled meeting of the Central Committee may take place if 1/3 (34 members) of each members demand it by submitting a letter of application to the Political Council demanding the issues for the daily provision. The central Committee forms a quorum when 2/3 (68) of its members are present.
During the Central Committee meetings the Political council whose three members are chosen by ballot to preside over the meetings, undertakes the presiding role. One acts as the president and three as the secretaries responsible for keeping the transcripts. The Central Committee members do not have the right to vote "white". All the decisions of Central Committee are based on the principle of majority between the quorums of its members. The service of Central Committee is fixed between two conventions.
4. The Political Council: The Political Council is the Supreme executive body of the EAR-HDDM. The 100 members of the Central Committee elect it and it is responsible for representing aggregately the political decisions of the movement and shaping the strategies that the movement will have to follow between the two conventions (Hellenic Public). The Political council consists of the President of the EAR-HDDM, three secretaries (Secretary of Organization, Secretary of Enlightenment, and Secretary of Financial Matters) and eight (8) simple members. All the Political Council members are elected by the Central Committee (the total number of the Political Council is 12). All the Political Council Members (12) are considered equal among them and the President is considered the first among equals.
The P.S. functions with the responsibility of its three secretaries, who also convene and determine the daily provision as well as the speakers. Of course, apart from the three secretaries, any other member of P.C. can call for other discussion issues provided that they are placed before the determination of the daily provision and approved by the majority of the PC members. All the decisions of the Political Council are based on the majority principle (the quorum of his members), where each member has the right of vote for every issue. The P.S. has quorum when they are present the 2/3 (8 present) its members. The members of the Political Council do not have the right to vote "white". The electoral process of the Political Council from the Central Committee is the following: One of the present members is randomly chosen (through the ballot process) in order to preside over the electoral process and another one, a secretary, is responsible for observing the proceeding. The electoral president calls those who wish to place candidature and their names enter a table chart with alphabetical order. Then, the electoral president calls all members alphabetically to verbally vote and openly voice the names of the ones they wish to be nominated. Each member has the right to vote for four individuals and in case he/she is a candidate, he /she cannot vote for himself/herself. The electoral secretary draws a line next to the name of each candidate. Each line represents one vote. The first twelve (12) who get elected constitute the Political Council. The service of the Political Council is fixed between two consecutive conventions.
5. The Three Secretaries: The three Secretaries are chosen among the 12 members of the Political Council either by internal voting of the Political Council members (each has to vote for one candidate and he does so by having his hand uplifted) or through the ballot process where the names of those who wish to be elected are drawn. The Organization Secretary is responsible for mobilizing the movement's members. The Secretary of Enlightment is responsible for communicating the political decisions and ideas of the movement to the press and the public opinion. He is also responsible for internally briefing all members through ideological and political circulars. The Secretary of Financial Matters is responsible for managing the movement's finances. Each secretary is obliged to confer and to cooperate with the National Committees of the Central Committee which he/she presides over. In addition, the political council appoints from its members, one, two or three (depending on the circumstances) assistants for each of the secretaries.
6. The President: The President expresses and represents the EAR-HDDM in every one of its actions. He presides in the conventions. He performs his duties within the framework of the decisions taken by the "Hellenic Public", the Central Committee and the Political Council. He is elected every four years with open voting from the conventions of the "Hellenic Public". A candidate for the Presidency must be the one who has been nominated by at least 30 members of the Central Committee while he has to be a member of the Political Council. Someone becomes the President only if he she/she has the absolute majority of the convention participants (50%+1). If there are more than two candidates and during the first elections neither of the two has the absolute majority, then an additional electoral process takes place and the one who manages to get the absolute majority (50%+1). In case the two candidates have the same number of votes, then there is a draw which determines who is going to be the President.
7. The "Hellenic Public": The "Hellenic Public" is the supreme instructive body of the movement and it is considered superior to the President. It convenes every four (4) years. A) It consists of 1000 (one thousand) members that are directly elected from the Local Branches here in Greece and abroad. During the election of the convention participants, the process that is followed is the same one with the process that is followed for the election of the Local Secretariat. B) Without any additional electoral process taking place, convention participants are also considered the 100 members of the Central Committee and the 220 founding members of the movement. During the Convention, the President presides with the aid of the National Council of Statute Observance whose members act as electoral secretaries. The convention has a quorum only when 2/3 of its members are present. The convention elects the commitee through following process: The electoral president of the convention who should also be a member of the National Committee for Statutory Observance marks net to each candidate's name the number of votes he has received by drawing lines (each line represents one vote). When the electoral process is completed the first 100 hundred (100) constitute the Central Committee. The same way the President is elected but during his/her election, each convention participant has the right to vote only for one candidate. The convention is the only body that can revise and change the movement's charter. The Central Committee is the only body responsible for the convention's duration as well as for the issues that will be discussed.
Article 9. The Principles of Function
The EAR-HDDM functions according to the principles of direct democracy as it was established by the ancient Greeks and survived through our national heritage either with open voting or with ballot draws. The secret voting is considered a cowardice cover up while the white votes cannot be accepted in any electoral process. All members are obliged to conform to the majority decisions and co-sign them.
Article 10. Democratic Processes
The EAR-HDDM wishes to introduce innovative political ethics inspired by the native regimes and the ancient Greek mode of life. Our differences with the rest of the political forums and parties are not only a matter of ideological differentiation but also our political practice and behavior.
1. Within the movement, the internal democracy, the philosophical freedom, the freedom of speech and in general the freedom of expression (verbal or written) are established, carefully guarded and protected while candor is promoted.
2. All views and trends that emerge from Hellenism and the Hellenic Philosophy schools ancient or posterior have the right to co-exist and to be expressed openly and freely.
3. The expression and the circulation of ideas freely take place having in mind the basic principles and the aims of the movement.
4. The lawful solidarity among the members constitutes one of the founding principles of the movement.
5. The bodies of the movement act according to the principles of unity and dialogue.
6. The majority principle is binding for every member and the members of every one of the movement's bodies. The minority views are respected and the majority is obliged to take them into account.
Article 11. Account -Retraction.
1. All the elected members (elected or ballot-draw selected) are accounted for to the bodies that elected them at any time.
2. All elected members (elected or ballot draw-selected) may be recalled from the bodies that elected them earlier than their service.
3. The retraction decisions require the presence of 2/3 of the body members and are taken by the ½ +1 members that participate in the process.
Article 12. Financial Management
1. The economic resources of EAR (HDDM) are:
- The subscriptions of its members which are determined by the Political Council after the proposal of the National Committee of Financial Control (NCFC)
- The extra contributions of members or of citizens that supports the aims of our movement.
- Donations, heritages and sponsoring funds.
- Revenues derived from events and activities.
2. The National Committee of Financial Control: The responsibility for the finances of our movement belongs to the seven member National Committee of Financial Economic Control (NCFC) which is elected by the members of the Central Committee whose director is the Secretary of Financial Matters, member of the Political Council (eight members including the secretary). The NCFC has the obligation of regularly controlling the movement's finances and the ability of making unscheduled controls in all organizations and bodies of the movement. Every organization and body of the movement is obliged to provide every necessary documents and clarifications that are demanded. Each EAR-HDDM Body submits during the first fifteen (15) days each year a complete and documented annual report and planning assessment to the NCFC. The Political Council approves the financial report and assessment during a special convention that follows the report that the NCFC has submitted.
Article 13. Observation of statute
1. Member of Movement that acts at infringement of statute is checked disciplinarily after a justified reference of his actions to the disciplinary bodies.
2. Depending on the gravity of his/her actions that are attributed to him/her if he/she is found guilty he may either lose temporarily his membership or he/she may be permanently expelled from the movement.
3. Responsible for the observation of the statute is the National Committee of Observation of Statute (NCOS) that consists of seven (7) members of Central Committee. The NCOS is responsible for bringing regional members to the disciplinary body while the for the infringing members of the Political Council responsible is the Political Council (PC) itself after a proposition is made by the NCOS.
4. It should be noted that the local branches and the Core organizations are also obliged to form Committees of Observation of Statute to make sure that their members observe the statute. Members that object to the penalty that has been imposed on them may refer to the NCOS whose decisions are permanent and cannot be altered. 5. The NCOS as well as all of the COS are responsible of the statutory observance by the members. They are also responsible of supervising the electoral processes of the Bodies.
6. In the NCOS presides the Secretary of Organization, member of the Political Council.
Article 14. National Committees of the Central Committee
1. The National Committee of Cultural Action (NCCA): It is a ten member committee and it consists of as well as elected by the members of the Central Committee following the electoral process that applies to every one of the movement's Bodies. Its mission is to promote and defend Hellenism and all of its cultural aspects. It organizes cultural events, demonstrations and protests when there are indications that remnants and ruins of Hellenism are threatened. The director of NCCA is the Secretary of Enlightment, member of the Political Council with a voting right.
2. National Committee of Instructive Action (NCIA): It is a ten member committee and it consists of as well as elected by the members of the Central Committee following the electoral process that applies to every one of the movement's Bodies. Its mission is to promote the Hellenic Paedia (Education). It organizes events, demonstrations and protests when there are indications that the Hellenic Paedia is under threat. The director of NCCA is the Secretary of Enlightment, member of the Political Council with a voting right.
3. The National Committee of Solidarity (NCS) : It is a ten member Body that consists of the Central Committee members and it is elected the same way all the other Bodies are elected. Its mission is to promote solidarity, friendship and support among the movement's members. The director of NCS with voting right is the Secretary of Organization who is also a member of the Political Council.
4. The Secretary of each and every one of the National Committees the Secretary can replace the Deputy Secretary if it is necessary.
Article 15. Special Committees
The Political Council has the right to form special committees that are not determined by the present Charter if there is such a need (issues related to our country's foreign affairs, issues that relate to employment, youth, drug abuse etc). In these committees a member of the Political Council will preside besides the secretary and his/her deputy.
Article 16. The Foundational Organizational Structure
1. Members of the first Political Council are determined by the present Charter the members of EAR-HDDM whose inspiration brought about the creation of our movement. Their names appear alphabetically: VARDICOS DIMITRIOS, IERODIAKONOS GEORGIOS, LEMONTZOGLOU VASILIOS, BEXIS EVANGELOS, MYTILINEOS STEFANOS, PALIVIDAS HERACLES, PANTOU SILVA, RASSIAS VLASIOS, TRABAZALIS EVANGELOS, TRAVLOU SEMELI, CHRISTODOULARIS SOCRATES, PSOMIADES IOANNIS.
2. The service of the foundational Political Council has been determined to last four years having as its starting date the date that the Charter is approved by the Hellenic Department of Justice.
3. After a four year period the first movement convention will take place where the central committee, the political council and the President will be elected.
4. The Political Council may extend the time when the first convention will take place by two additional years, six (6) in total provided that it has the approval of the Central Committee.
5. Until a President is elected, his/her duties will be performed by the three (3) secretaries of the Political Council who have to fruitfully cooperate with the rest of the Political Council members.
6. The Political Council has the responsibility of appointing the 100 members of the Central Committee with service duration equal to the one of the Political Council.
7. In case a member of the founding Political Council resigns and withdraws, the Central Committee is obliged to elect a replacement from its members.
8. The Political Council undertakes the responsibility of appointing secretaries and Core leaders to the local branches that are being formed as well as movement cores in Greece and abroad.
9. The Service duration of the secretaries and the core leaders is three years. Then, the article 8 par.1 which determines the electoral process will be enacted. The appointed members the first District Secretariats will be formed as the article 8. par.2 determines.
10. The Political Council reserves the right to terminate the service of the appointed secretaries and core leaders at any time and replace them with other members. This does not apply to those who have been elected after the first three years have passed.
11. Article 16 will be cancelled upon the opening of the first convention.
About
© 2009 Created by Miroslav on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
