World Society of Victimology

Basic Standards of Incorporations

World Society of Victimology, founded 1979

Registered with the Court’s Corporation Register in Münster, Westfalia, Germany, Document # 3040/1992 of WSV Notar Dr. Clauss in 41065 Mönchengladbach, Kaiserstraße 22, FRG; (corresponding to Court Document 2709/1994).

 

Name, Office and Legal Form

  1. The Society takes the name World Society of Victimology” e. V
  2. The Society is listed as a legally competent organization in the register of the office of the court in Mönchengladbach, Niederrhein, Germany. It is Registered with the Court’s Corporations Register in Moenchengladbach via Notar Dr.Neuhausen, Kaiserstrasse 51, 41061 Moenchengladbach, FRG, (Amtsgericht Moenchengladbach VR 2230)
  3. The office of the Society is Mönchengladbach. Relocations can be made by the Executive Committee. The primary determinant in location should be its accessibility to the largest number of Executive Committee members
  4. The business year will be the calendar year.
  5. The business language is English and the official language is German.

Purpose and Tasks of the Society

  1. The Society exclusively and directly follows the common and scientific aims according to the chapters on tax privilege aims of the German Tax Law.
  2. Purpose of the Society:
    • The Society advances victimological research and practices in the entire world
    • The Society encourages interdisciplinary and comparative work and research in this field; and, to advance cooperation of international, national, regional and local agencies and work groups who are concerned with the problems of victims in the entire world.
    • The Society advances cooperation of international, national, regional and local agencies and work groups who are concerned with the problems of victims in the entire world.
    • The Society provides International Symposia for Victimology ordinarily every three years. These events serve as a forum for international scholars, practitioners, and students.
    • The Society can undertake other activities that promote the purposes of the society including various publications, e.g. the “Victimologist” or the Website of the World Society of Victimology
  3. The World Society of Victimology may give or take receive financial supports, scholarships or grants.

Unselfishness

  1. The Society is active in altruistic endeavors.
  2. In the first place it does not pursue profitable purposes. It may not give benefits which are unknown to the purpose of the corporation, nor favors which are not equitable.
  3. Resources of the Society may only be used in accordance with the Basic Statue of Incorporation: The members may not receive dividends nor other financial gain from Society sources. This does not exclude reimbursement for justified expenses on decision of the EC. In the event that the dissolution of the Society or the abolition of its purpose arise. The capital and any assets of the Society, if any, are to go to a German NGO which will use the capital directly and only for charitable purposes.

 Members

  1. Membership of the World Society of Victimology may be individuals and corporations and institutions that are devoted to the study of Victimology and the improvement of the plight of victims. Members may be scientists, students, organisations, victim helpers, volunteers, lay persons and others.
  2. The membership of individual persons is acquired according to the following options: The member can become an active personal member, a student member, an honorary member, or a life-time member. Further regulations will be decided by the Executive Committees.
  3. Corporate Membership can be generated from local, regional, national, or international organizations involved in the study or care for victims and which are dedicated to the improvement of the plight of victims.

Membership

  1. The membership is developed through admission in the Society upon the submission of a completed application form and the application fees. The admission is accepted by the President or its delegate.
  2. No qualified applicant may be refused membership due to ethnic origin, creed, political orientation, sex, or religion.
  3. Membership ends:
    • upon written resignation of the member effective at the end of the business year,
    • upon death,
    • automatically upon nonpayment of dues for three consecutive years, and
    • when the organization as a corporative membership is dissolved.
  4. Membership dues are determined by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee specifies the increase in advance.
  5. The rights of membership including the right to vote may be exercised only on payment of dues (i.e. members in good standing).
  6. Student members may be accepted at a reduced fee to be decided by the Executive Committee from time to time but are not eligible to vote.

The Bodies of the Membership

  1. The highest body is the General Membership. It consists of all members of WSV.
  2. In its place stands the Assembly (Membership Meeting) which is made up of all the “members in good standing” who assemble and express their will be at the call of the President.
  3. The Executive Committee is the leading authority of the Society and carries out all decisions under the mandate of the General Membership.

The Membership Assembly

  1. The Assembly (Membership Meeting) assembles during each of the Symposium.
  2. The Assembly (Membership Meeting) is regularly called by written notice, for example through notice of a symposium where the place, the time and the agenda of the membership meeting is given. Notifications will be made at least one month before the meeting date (the postal stamp will serve as proof). The notice may be made through the newsletter “The Victimologist” email or through the website of the society
  3. The meeting of the General Assembly can be held online if it is impractical to hold the Assembly in person because of extraordinary circumstances, such as major emergencies or disasters.
  4. The Assembly (Membership Meeting) makes decisions about the three year’s report of the President. The Assembly (Membership Meeting) comments on the general directions of the work of the Society and gives recommendations to the Executive Committee.
  5. At Membership Meetings, decisions may be made without regard to the number of attending members. Decisions may be made by a majority of members present and voting.
  6. Membership Meetings must be called by the Secretary-General when 45% of the members have been given advance written notice which states the purpose and the need of a meeting.
  7. The results of Membership Meetings must be stated in a protocol and signed by the Secretary-General.

The General Membership

  1. The expression of will by the General Membership may be made through mail or e-mail balloting.
  2. The decision to go to a mail ballot has to be given to the members in writing in any form, example given by “The “Victimologist” or by the website.
  3. The items to be voted on will be announced in ballot form.
  4. If the Basic Charter of Incorporation is to be changed and if elections to the Executive Committee must be made, such decisions are made only via mail ballot. Disputed and again email was agreed and, as I pointed out, several other organisations registered in Germany had email ballots.
  5. The General Membership is able to make decisions without regard to the number of returning votes. For changes in the Basic Charter of Incorporation a majority of 2/3 of the received votes are needed, in all other cases the simple majority of the returned ballots is sufficient.
  6. The results of the mail ballots may be announced either in “The “Victimologist”on the website.

The Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee is the governing body of the Society. It shall be composed of members of the Society and shall consist of 15 persons (12 elected, 3 coopted – see § 9 chapter 8).
  2. The Executive Committee is legally represented by the President and the Secretary- General (civil law § 26 BGB).
  3. After each election, the Executive Committee will meet and elect Executive Committee Members to the following offices:
    • President
    • Vice President
    • A second Vice President if required
    • Treasurer
    • Immediate Past President (approved by EC on July 4, 2021)
    • Secretary-General
    • Chairs of EC Sub-Committees
  4. Fifty percent of the elected Executive Committee members are elected on a rotating basis. The EC determines the details of the rotation, especially the two officers who serve a first term of three years to facilitate the rotation. Each member remains on the Executive Committee for six years. A member can only be on the Executive Committee for a maximum of two consecutive terms of six years each i.e. a maximum of twelve consecutive years.
  5. One re-election to the EC and to an office is possible.
  6. An EC quorum is three members.
  7. Elections to the Executive Committee are done through a mail ballot. The Secretary General organizes the elections upon authorization from the President. Elections to the EC can be performed only by a written mail ballot. Members in good standing vote by filling out a mail ballot and send their votes to the designated Notary. The Notary produces a count of the vote and informs President and Secretary General of the result. The results of the elections are published for members only.
  8. General Elections should be delayed in extraordinary circumstances, such as major emergencies and/or disasters.
  9. The Executive Committee shall appoint up to three members of the Society as coopted members. These members have the right to participate in the deliberations and to vote.
  10. Decisions are to be made by the majority of the members present and voting.
  11. A Quorum will be three members.
  12. Expulsion from the Executive Committee will be permitted when a member misses two meetings without an acceptable explanation any time during their six-year term. The Secretary-General will monitor the attendance record of each EC member and notify the Executive Committee if someone is absent twice. The preferred process is to ask the member with two absences to resign. That person’s vacant position would be filled by a selection process within the Executive Committee at the earliest opportunity.

Office Holders

  1. The President represents the Society in all contacts with all other organizations. He or she chairs each meeting of the Executive Committee and of the General Assembly. He or she appoints persons to serve on various committees.
  2. In the event of absence, the Vice President acts on behalf of the President.
  3. The Treasurer is in charge of the Society’s financial activities, and annually reports to the Executive Committee and to the members on the status of administrative expenses, and also recommends improvements in financial matters.
  4. The Secretary General is the principal administrator of the Society. He or she takes the minutes (protocol) at the General Assembly and at Executive Committee Meetings, for which he or she signs. He or she carries out the decisions of the Executive Committee. He or she supervises the written mail ballots. In the absence of the Secretary General another member of the Executive Committee may serve as a temporary substitute (with the exception of the President). The Secretary General establishes the agenda of the EC meetings and prepares and signs its minutes.
  5. The President and the Secretary-General are ex officio members of all the committees established by the Executive Committee.

Committees

  1. The President can name special working committees when he or she sees the need of it. The President will appoint the members and the chairpersons of such committees according to decisions of the Executive Committee.
  2. Chairs of committees appointed by the Executive Committee who do not carry out the work delegated to that committee, or who do not report effectively to the Executive Committee, will be replaced and will not be eligible for re-election to the Executive Committee.

The International Symposia

The Society carries out the series of international Symposia of Victimology.

The location of the Symposia will be decided upon by the Executive Committee with recommendations from the members. Further details are decided by the Executive Committee.

Awards

The Society bestows the following awards

1. The Hans von Hentig Award.
This award is the highest award our Society can give and is presented in remembrance of the famous pioneer of Victimology, Hans von Hentig. It is ordinarily presented every three years to a person, who has made a significant contribution in the field of Victimology. Each member of the Society may nominate a candidate to the President. Before each Symposium convenes, the Executive Committee decides who will receive the award.

2. The Benjamin Mendelsohn Young Victimologist
This award is presented in remembrance to the famous pioneer of Victimology, Beniamin Mendelsohn, to a young victimologist who has made promising contributions to victimology.

3. Irene Melup Certificate of Appreciation
This Award will be given to deserving individuals to recognize major accomplishments and/or special events significant to the field of Victimology. This Award will be decided upon by the Executive Committee and signed by the President and the Secretary-General. This Award may be presented as often as deemed appropriate. Nominations for this Award must be made in writing to the President and may only be from a member in good standing of the Society.

4. Honorary Members
The Honorary Membership is awarded to an individual, to honor his or her progress and also significant accomplishment in the victimological field. The Honorary Membership is decided by the Executive Committee and is awarded by the President or Secretary General. The Honorary Membership can be given as the Executive Committee finds the need for it. Nominations for this award must be given in written form from one member of the Society to the President.

Other Publications

1. Newsletter
The World Society of Victimology may publish the “Victimologist”, a website and similar suitable products like a membership directory. The World Society of Victimology creates an “Academy of the WSV”. Members are the former presidents as Honorary Presidents. The EC regulates further details.

2. Journals
The World Society of Victimology may publish journals, either separately or in co-operation with other international organisations, which present meaningful contributions for victimology. Any journal published solely by the World Society of Victimology will have an Editorial Board and a Managing Editor appointed by the Executive Committee. The journal will appear in English.

3. Other Publications
The Society may publish a Directory of Victimology, stating the names, addresses and areas of victimological interests for people throughout the world. The World Society of Victimology may aid and carry out the development of a Bibliography of Victimological Literature. The Society may aid, carry out, and publish other publications, as it finds appropriate to its goals.

Procedures

  1. In conducting business the World Society of Victimology follows acknowledged procedures, which are suitable for use in international affairs for example the Robert’s Rules of Order.
  2. The proceedings and the standing orders of each meeting and each committee shall be determined by the chair with the support of its members.

Final Statement

The Society was founded in Münster, Westfalia, Germany, September 8, 1979. The current version of the Basic Charter of Incorporation is registered under VR 2230 – World Society of Victimology – Amtsgericht Moenchengladbach 41601 Moenchengladbach, Germany.

Updates of this Basic Charter are valid after they have been registered through the competent Notar.

The Secretary General is authorized to translate this Basic Charter of Incorporation in the legally correct German so that a Vereinssatzung according to German BGB can be registered.

Basic Standards of Incorporations (Statutes)