THE STRUCTURE OF THE HUMANIST MOVEMENT

The structure is the cohesive element of the Humanist Movement. Its function is to start and expand action fronts. If the action fronts (in workplaces, neighbourhoods (estates), unions; political fronts, cultural fronts, student fronts etc.) are generated and expanded on the basis of a conflict, the structure are those people who broadcast it and carry out the organised activity. 

For what regards conflict we emphasise the fact that social confrontations are not created by the Movement, on the contrary, they are created by an inhuman System that generates discontent and desperation. The Movement channels people’s worries and troubles in a positive direction; in a direction of social change. Otherwise spontaneity without any direction tends to produce upheaval, sometimes with tragic consequences, but with no real change.

The members of the structure provide and act for the fronts, and to do this they organise themselves in groups of ten or more people. This process continues giving rise to the same kind of formation and generates other dynamic fronts.

This system of organisation of promotions is based on the efficient work of the member who orients the structure which he/she formed.

The councils count on administrative and support functions, who collaborate with the global functioning of the structure, and in no case with any personal activities of the orientors.

 FORMING THE INITIAL GROUP

We begin with someone who has expressed a specific interest in structural development.

The basic activity is contacting. Here is an interesting point to consider: not all groups become a structure, but without an initial group, there is no possibility of future development. This means that the main goal in this phase is to form a group. We want to be able to count on a certain number of group delegates, let’s say 20. Initially, these group delegates participate in the activities in a disorderly way; there is a lot of turnover in the groups. However, the total number of people who "circulate" will guarantee the participation of someone in the weekly activities. 

After this stage, many processes have been blocked due to the lack of expansion. Initially there is chaos. We are not worried about how much these people know. We are interested in quantity. We must put into practice the correct dynamics, with many new people participating in the activities at the base. Everything revolves around a leader (the one who has started the process), and if something happens to him, certainly the group could be lost. In the beginning, the most important activities are contacting and relating in an organised way to other people. These activities are carried out by the person who set off the process and by the first persons to participate constantly in the activities.

 Forming the "backbone", functions and mediations

If the correct indicators have appeared in the first stage, then we can begin forming the framework of a structure, that is its backbone. The backbone of a structure is formed by two people who carry out the administrative and the support functions, as well as by the orientor; in other words, by those who have started out the process. However, this backbone is minimal, so it is necessary to rapidly add to it other people who begin forming groups. In this phase, it is interesting to take into consideration the number of people that must build what will become the first instance of the future council of group delegates. The configuration model we aim for is to have ten structural first instances and two sectors. Now what is important becomes: the weekly meeting, qualification, personal work, and the organisation of weekly activities. 

It is also important that the orientor and the sectors take care of the different groups that are being formed, to clarify the general and organisational aspects of the movement. Relating to people, making friends, explaining our project, the help and attention of the person beginning the process are of primary importance in this phase. In any case, the one who created the first group already has the experience to orient others in doing the same. It is necessary that in this group, different members form their own groups, and others take care of the administrative and support function.

 FORMATION OF THE STRUCTURE

A structure exists when the first instances (the group delegates) have already formed their groups and the functions are clearly differentiated. A frequent error in this process is to consider group delegates, the adherents or the supporters. When the orientor has the necessary number of group delegates (minimum of 10) he is promoted to another level (team delegate). In this case there is a structure with different levels and instances and it is certain that this structure can count on a verifiable number (forms) of adherents and collaborators. The organisation of the humanist movement is very simple, but let’s clarify some frequently used terms about its make up and participation.

MEMBERS OF THE HUMANIST MOVEMENT: we consider members of the Humanist Movement all of the adherents, sympathisers, collaborators as well as the members of the structure who are in charge of the movement’s growth. THE ADHERENTS, the sympathisers and collaborators do not make any commitments towards the project of the Movement, but they are informed of and sometimes participate in our activities, and periodically they receive informative materials about the Movement. THE MEMBERS OF THE STRUCTURE agree to participate in the weekly meetings of the Movement and personally contribute to the periodical self financing collection. We find two ways of operating in this movement: an elementary way that we call "the group" and a more complex way which we call "the structure".

1) The group is a gathering of people who meet thanks to the permanent action and the qualities of a member of the structure who is the leader of the group.

2) The contact is personal and there are no functions, nor differentiated levels.

3) In general, the group fluctuates depending on the personal life of the leader (ex. If the leader looses loses personal strength for whatever reason, at the same time, the group weakens, if the leader is feeling great, the group is more dynamic).

4) The growth prospects of a group are limited, they reach where the personal contact of the leader allows it to (how many persons can the leader follow personally, no matter how good and ever present he/she is?)

5) It is difficult for the group to stay together as time goes by, there is a frequent trunover in the members.

6) The group is the starting point of the structure, if there is not an initial group (possibly quite numerous) a structure cannot be formed.

1) A structure is a group that has defined functions and in which the leader starts becoming an orientor. The people "gather" around the themes and activities of the Movement.

2)The contact is managed by more people with different functions. Three are the fundamental functions: structural, administrative, and support.

3) As the structure develops, it depends less on the personal situation of the orientor (thanks to the team work between the orientor, the administrative sector, the support sector and the structurals.)

4) The growth prospects appear unlimited thanks to the reproduction of an organisational model in teams that does not depend on the possibilities of only one person.

5) A structure is able to withstand in time because its organisation allows it to launch projects regarding the future.

6) A structure can multiply itself thanks to the formation of new groups which will structure themselves later. In the system, the greatest aspiration is that of being a leader. For the Movement, a leader is the immature state of the orientor. That means that for us the transformation into orientors important is very, whatever the initial situation may be. Having or not a leader’s qualities, does not matter because everyone can become an orientor. Being a leader requires "natural" personal conditions. Summarising, we can say, that "one is born a leader, but becomes an orientor". Seeing that there is always an orientor, he can shape other orientors, helping anyone that wants to become an orientor, whether or not this person has the "natural" qualities of a leader.

For the first step in forming a group, the qualities of a leader (charisma, personal magnetism, etc,) are useful. But if these natural qualities do not lead to an intentional qualification, it will not be possible to proceed any further than the formation of a group. The consequences of this situation are: fluctuation of the group according to the fluctuations in the leader (if the leader is enthusiastic, then everyone is enthusiastic; if the leader is in a crisis, the whole group is in a crisis.); the growth of the group is limited to the personal contact of the leader with the members of the group so it is blocked when the group reaches certain numbers; the leader concentrates on all of the activities (preparing materials, qualification, organisation of activities, etc.), and does not give other people space to qualify themselves in the different activities (the functions are not delegated, and neither are the activities); the group is based on the drive of one individual, not of a group of people, the members gather around a person instead of around a project.

The characteristics of a leader are not essential to the formation of an initial group. A structure can be formed even if one does not have the "natural" characteristics of a leader. To be an orientor, one must develop a vision of the whole, a vision of the process, of team work, etc. The consequences of being an orientor are: structural independence from the personal conditions the orientor is living in, unlimited possibilities of growth of the initial group that transforms itself into a structure, because there is a delegation of functions (support and administrative) and the formation of instances and levels; mediation of the activities: formation of new groups that will become a structure, geographical expansion of the structure, group drive, the members gather around the projects and the group action of the Movement.

 Each member of the Humanist Movement, when he starts participating is part of a group, oriented by the person that has formed it. The first level of a member of the structure is group delegate. Each group delegate can then form his/her group. In this case he will be called a regenerator, and he still has the level of a group delegate. When a group reaches at least 10 people plus one administrative sector and one support, it becomes a team (a council of group delegates). The group delegate who orients the council is promoted to the level of team delegate. When 10 team members have formed their own teams, the orientor is promoted to the level of general delegate. At the same time, the support and administrative sectors are promoted to the level of team delegates. After ten team delegates have formed their councils of team delegates and have become general delegates, their orientor becomes a coordinator. The sectors become general delegates as well. The same mechanism forms a council of coordinators, and the one who orients this council becomes a general coordinator, forming a new council of the Humanist Movement. To configure their councils, women need only 70% of the conditions we’ve just mentioned.

 The Movement is Self-Financed. 

Money is necessary for all of the activities, but in order to maintain its independence, the Humanist Movement does not seek, nor does it accept, funds from banks, governments, institutions, associations or sympathisers. This means that the Movement is financed by the contributions of its own members. This contribution is called the collection and is gathered every 6 months, on December 21 and on June 21. The collection is voluntary and is proportional to the average salary in every country. In Argentina it is $20.00, in Italy $80.00, in Germany and the USA $100.00. In Senegal it is $2.00, and in Kenya it is 2 dollars. In the whole world, each member of the structure gives his/her collection in order to support the project of the Humanist Movement and its economic independence (thus its freedom of movement). Even if it might mean making an effort, this contribution means a lot to the common project. Furthermore, like all gestures characterised by "disinterested" giving, it has a positive effect on our personal growth.

Proposals of activities to gather the collection: personal contributions, bingo, soccer tournaments, flea markets, dinner with friends, lotteries, parties,.

THE COLLECTION IS DIVIDED AS FOLLOWS etc:

25% to the council of group delegates, 25% to the council of team delegates, 25% to the council of general delegates, 25% to the council of coordinators.

The weekly meeting is the central point of the activities of the Humanist Movement. It is a reference moment where humanism is expressed above all in the attitude of the participants. The joyful and trusting atmosphere facilitates the double objective of the weekly meeting: to carry out in one hour a personal work and to organise the activities of the team.

Those responsible for the Support function are in charge of the correct functioning of the weekly meeting: environment, place, date, time, presentation of personal work, follow-up. As long as the Support is not formed, the weekly meeting is the responsibility of the Orientor. The weekly meeting is prepared by the Orientor, Administrative and the Support.

The Orientor provides the general orientation of the Humanist Movement; the priorities of the moment, the strategy and the calendar of its council, etc. Having a global vision of the team, its role consist primarily to make the humanist action grow and to take care that there is good structuring to carry out this action.

The Administrative contributes to the weekly meeting by collecting and distributing information and materials (other countries, other councils, other teams). The administrative, in agreement with the orientor defines, prepares and coordinates the organisation of financing activities according to the needs of the team.

The Support, in agreement with the orientor, prepares and guides the personal work of the weekly meeting. The support can clarify the people about the ideological topics and the meaning of the action in the second part of the meeting, or in another moment, according to the team’s needs.

Any person who is already informed and who agrees with the project of New Humanism. Thus one invites friends, family, neighbours, companions from school and work, etc.

1) Welcome the participants.

2) Short Explanation to everybody: what is a weekly meeting of the HM?

3) 1st part: presentation and personal work.

4) short break

5) 2nd part: organisation of the activities and calendar.

We invite everyone to participate with us in putting into practice the moral principle that says: "Treat others as you would like to be treated." More information:
www.dialogo.org , [email protected] or [email protected]

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