(Adopted in Brighton 1987, revised in Stockholm 1988, Chicago 1993, Stockholm 2000 and by email after the Barcelona 2008 meeting)
The civic and creative mission of architects, designers and planners is to build and create for peaceful purposes. The creative work of our professions consists of planning, designing and preserving the environment and human habitat. Architects, designers and planners of many countries have organized internationally against weapons of mass destruction and for non-violent conflict resolution among nations, for the protection of our natural environment and for responsible development of our built environment.
ARC•PEACE International Architects Designers Planners for Social Responsibility is an international non-government, non-for-profit organization of architects, designers and planners. The organization is politically and religiously independent. ARC•PEACE has a status as a Non-Government Organization (Category II) with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The organization is registered in Stockholm, Sweden.
1. ARC•PEACE has these goals:
a. to pursue actively the reduction and subsequent elimination of nuclear, biological, chemical weapons and other means of mass annihilation, both on earth and in space, and to support avenues for non-violent resolution of conflicts;
b. to exercise our professional expertise in helping to protect the natural environment from further destruction;
c. to exercise our professional expertise in helping to design, improve and preserve a socially responsible built environment, including disaster risk management and human safety.
d. to support the diversion of funds from weaponry to the above needs and to other critical obligations of society.
e. to promote enabling housing strategies, methods and techniques to enhance capability of people, particularly the poor, to build their own housing and living environment and also improve the same.
2. ARC•PEACE will pursue the above goals in the following ways:
a. by expanding the number of its members in order to reach the largest and broadest segments of our profession worldwide. This includes assistance in the formation of organizations in areas where they do not as yet exist;
b. by broadcasting our goals worldwide through electronic networking, newsletters, declarations, position papers, and other means of communication;
c. by conducting meetings, conferences, exhibitions, competitions and other informative events relevant to our professions;
d. by coordinating activities with international professional and other non-government organizations;
e. by promoting our goals within research, education, union policies, and other means of professional development.
f. by constantly making effort to refine and uphold ethical standards within our profession.
Members of ARC•PEACE can be organizations or individual architects, designers, planners or students expressing a desire to enter the Organization and advocating its goals. Applicants acquire membership after being accepted by the Board and paying the specified fees. Discontinuation of membership can be voluntary by the member or when the member violates the ARC•PEACE Charter as determined by the Board, or when the member defaults on payment of fees.
1. The highest decision-making body of ARC•PEACE is the General Assembly (GA). This consists of representatives of the member organizations and individual members of ARC•PEACE. The GA shall meet at least once in three years. The Board shall send out calls to the GA meeting at least three months in advance. The proposed agenda shall be sent out at least two months before the meeting. Motions to the GA meeting shall be sent to the Board at least one month before the meeting. At the GA meeting member organizations have two votes each while individual members have one vote each.
At the General Assembly the following items are to be included in the agenda:
a) Election of chair, secretary and other functionaries of the meeting
b) Settling the agenda of the meeting
c) Decision that the meeting has been correctly announced
d) Establishment of membership representation and voting rights
e) Reports from members
f) Report from the Executive Committee/Co-chair/Secretary
g) Financial report
h) Report from the auditors
i) Approval of the audited financial report
j) Composition of the Board
k) Election of auditor(s) for the coming period
l) Appointment of an Election preparatory committee for the coming period
m) Decision about membership fees and budget for the coming period
n) Decision about Activity plans for the coming period
o) Motions and other proposals
p) Any other business
2. The Board is the highest steering body between GA meetings. The Board shall be in office for three years or otherwise as decided by the General Assembly. The Board is responsible to call the GA meeting as per the Charter. The Board shall not have more than 20 members including the members of the Executive Committee, namely, two co-chairs, one secretary and one treasurer. Member organizations can appoint representative to the Board and the Board may select adjunct members if considered desirable.
2. The Board shall meet at least once in three years. At such a meeting election of Chair and Secretary for the conduct of the meeting shall be by the members present. In between Board meetings decisions can be taken by email or other types of modern communications.
1. The financial resources of ARC•PEACE come from the annual fees from the members, contribution from all other activities of the organization and external donations accepted by the Board. The auditors’ report shall include financial reporting and cover the financial period as per the rules prevailing at the ARC•PEACE headquarter country.
2. The minimum amount of the fees shall be determined by the Board, or, if delegated, by the Executive Committee. Upon request to the Board (or Executive Committee, if delegated) members can be exempted from membership fee.
1. All amendments to this Charter must be approved by 2/3 of the members of the Board and ratified by the members present at the general assembly meeting.
2. In the case of dissolution of ARC•PEACE, all of its property shall be transferred to such professional organizations as have goals related to ARC•PEACE and decision to that effect taken by the Board.