Statutes
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§1 Organization name and address
The organization admits as Tandläkare utan gränser (Dentists Without Borders) is registered in Stockholm, Sweden.
§2 The Organizations purpose
To, through commitments in developing countries, offer the local population odontological care and prophylactic information and instruction aimed at improving oral health and general health in the areas where the project is conducted. The goal is for the project to be long-term and have a positive and continuous impact on as many people as possible, not just during the limited time that the organization is on site in the country in question. In the long term, the organization intends to work with "help for self-help" to avoid a position of dependence between the organization and the country in question.
That the business is run on a non-profit basis and is not for profit. No remuneration is paid to board members or the executive group. Earned capital in the form of grants and membership fees must go exclusively to finance projects that the organization runs, such as material and administration costs. The placement of any surplus at the end of the financial year is decided by the board, but must not be used for a profit-making purpose, but must promote the non-profit organization.
§ 3 Ethical guidelines
The caregiver should be guided by empathy and honesty during their work. The primary goal must be the patient's health and well-being.
The treatment the healthcare provider gives his patients must be based on science and proven experience. This means that the treatment is based on knowledge from scientific research and clinical experience of scientifically proven treatment methods.
The care provider must also take into account and respect the patient's integrity when caring for him.
During the entire stay in the country, the caregiver must show respect for the situation prevailing in the country so that the relationship between the organization and the recipient country becomes equal. The organization must assist the population without distinction on ethnicity, religion, political views or other beliefs. Tandläkare utan gränser undertakes to respect the ethical rules of its profession and to remain independent of all those in power as well as all political, economic or religious forces. The work effort must be sanctioned by the host country and the dental profession must be understood/asked.
Dentists Without Borders (Tandläkare utan gränser) volunteers are aware of the risks and dangers of their mission and cannot demand any compensation for themselves or their beneficiaries other than what the organization is able to provide them.
§ 4 Guidelines for how the business is to be conducted
The business must be conducted on a non-profit basis and no remuneration is paid to committed board members or other active members. Any funding must primarily go to cover costs in project countries in the form of materials and more. The activity must strive to improve the oral health and general health in the area the project is conducted in. Depending on the area and conditions, this can be done through prophylaxis and/or treatment. Before an assignment, the organization must try to maintain an agreement with the recipient country that decides how aftercare for patients who have suffered a complication is handled and financed. If there is no capable care facility in the area in which the project is conducted, or if no agreement concerning the financing of aftercare is drawn up, the assignment can be re-evaluated and carried out based on conditions in the recipient country.
The activities in the recipient country are carried out continuously, but the volunteer work takes place for shorter periods of up to 4 weeks. Selected volunteers are expected to finance their own transport and subsistence during this period.
Prophylactic care should primarily be aimed at children and young people in the area to contribute to improved oral health.
In the case of invasive interventions, care should primarily only be carried out urgently to remedy painful symptoms and infectious conditions, treatment should be designed similar to Swedish emergency dental care.
After each assignment, the effort should be evaluated for streamlining future operations.
§ 5 Rules for membership and exclusion
Membership is open to everyone and the annual fee is determined annually at the Annual Meeting. In order to have the opportunity to work as a volunteer, membership and sufficient competence for the assigned task are required.
Prophylaxis and information can be provided by all healthcare providers.
For the invasive care, the volunteer is required to be a licensed dentist or work under a temporary license. Care over one's own competence may not be carried out!
A member is expected to represent the organization in the host country and must behave professionally. To the greatest extent possible, the care must be provided as care is provided in Sweden/EU with exceptions where materials or care facilities in the recipient country are missing so that optimal care is not possible. The invasive treatment performed by volunteers must be lege artis. As a volunteer, treatments must be carried out that the volunteer is familiar with, thus volunteering must not be seen as an opportunity to train one's clinical skills on aspects not mastered.
If a member does not meet these expectations when volunteering or performs purely incorrect treatments, this member may be excluded from the organization by decision of the board.
If a mental illness or addiction exists that endangers the activity and the member does not state this before volunteering, this can also lead to exclusion after a board decision. Even serious ongoing criminality can lead to exclusion after a board decision.
A member who has not paid the membership fee within three months after the regular due date shall be excluded from the association.
A member who has been stripped of his membership does not have the right to claim paid membership fees or other compensation as compensation for exclusion from the organization.
§ 6 Structure of the organization
The organization's decision-making body consists of
The annual meeting
Association board
§ 7 The annual meeting
The annual meeting is the organization's highest decision-making body and consists of all members who have received an invitation and participate in the annual meeting. Each approved member has one vote and proxy voting is not permitted. In other respects, at least one of the auditors participates in the annual meeting with the right to speak and make proposals but without the right to vote.
Ordinary annual meetings are held at the invitation of the board at an appropriate time during the months of January, February or March.
The notice together with the agenda and meeting documents must be sent to all members no later than three weeks before the meeting.
An extra annual meeting can be held at the call of the board when it deems that certain matters of an urgent nature should be submitted to the association's highest decision-making body.
The board must call an annual meeting if the auditors or at least half of the members so request. Such extra annual meeting must take place within one month of the board receiving the request. The notice together with the agenda and meeting documents must be sent to all members no later than two weeks before the extraordinary annual meeting.
The right to raise a motion at the annual meeting belongs to each individual member. The motion must have been received by the board no later than 45 days before the association meeting and must be attached to the annual meeting documents with the board's opinion.
The annual meeting is chaired by a specially appointed chairman. At the annual meeting, the following items must be included in the agenda for the meeting:
Appointment of two representatives to adjust the meeting minutes together with the chairman
Determination of the accounts presented by the board for the previous financial year
Decision on discharge of liability for the board regarding the previous year's administration
Determining the budget and membership fees
Selection of auditor and deputy auditor
Every other year election of a nominating committee of three people
Election of the chairman of the board (one year), secretary/vice chairman (one year), treasurer (two years), four members (two years) and four deputies to the members (one year)
Eligible for positions according to f) and g) are only active members. All choices refer to the business year, which includes the calendar year. Complementary elections always take place for the remaining part of the mandate period.
Voting is always open at the annual meeting. If voting is requested, voting takes place via ballot paper. When voting, a simple majority applies. In the event of an equal number of votes, the lottery decides. When voting, the voting results must be recorded.
§ 8 The association board
The board consists of the following items:
a) Chairman of the Board
b) Secretary/Deputy Speaker.
c) Treasurer
d) Four board members
e) Four deputies
The board is tasked with leading and planning the association's operations as well as managing its finances so that long-term operations can be conducted. The board's work must be conducted in such a way that it promotes the organization's work and ultimately leads to improved oral health in the areas in which projects are conducted.
If necessary, the board can delegate and distribute the board's work to other members, but does not abdicate its responsibility through delegation.
§ 9 Company signatory
The company can only be signed by the chairman of the board and the treasurer separately if the amount is less than ½ price base amount. For larger amounts, the firm is signed by the firm signatories in association.
§ 10 The election committee
The nomination committee consists of three people who are elected by the annual meeting every other year. The nomination committee's task is to propose suitable candidates for the board positions and to propose auditors. The selection committee cannot propose itself for the elective positions.
A nomination committee produces a proposal for the board and auditor no later than one month before the annual meeting.
§ 11 Auditors
At least one independent auditor should be affiliated with the organization. Auditors are elected at each annual meeting by the members, and are tasked with reviewing the organization's operations and accounts.
The auditor may not provide information to individual members or outsiders about the association's affairs that it has become aware of in the performance of its duties, if this could be detrimental to the association. The auditor is, however, obliged to provide the annual meeting with the information requested by the annual meeting.
§ 12 Amendment of statutes
Amendments to these statutes are decided at the regular annual meeting. Proposals for changes must be submitted to the annual meeting by the board. If the proposal receives 2/3 of the votes cast at the annual meeting, it is adopted.
Decided change enters into force at the beginning of the next business year, unless the annual meeting decides otherwise.
§ 13 Dissolution of the association
For the dissolution of the association, a decision to that effect is required at two consecutive annual meetings with an interval of at least three months. The decision must be supported by at least 4/5 of the votes cast.
Upon dissolution of the association, the existing assets in the association's possession after expenses have been paid must go to charitable purposes decided by the annual meeting.
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