Who Are We?

The bylaws of the Kurdistan National Assembly of North America, which will be adopted during its first General Assembly meeting at [Address] on [Date]. KURDISTAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PREFACE We, the people of Kurdistan, firmly believe in the inherent and unalienable rights of all nations, which should never be infringed upon, whether willingly or unwillingly. Every nation is entitled to the same God-given rights. The subjugation of certain nations by others is a grave calamity for all of humanity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, remains as relevant today as it was on its inception. This extraordinary document, crafted with remarkable vision and determination, articulated the rights and freedoms to which every human being is inherently and equally entitled. Therefore, we, at the KNANA, hold it to be self-evident that the division of Kurdistan among Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey is a result of colonial policies implemented at the beginning of the 20th century, which subjected the nation of Kurdistan to a new form of slavery. Since then, the entire population of Kurdistan, irrespective of their ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and religious affiliations, have endured systematic suppression, cultural assimilation, forced relocation, and physical annihilation perpetrated by the aforementioned nations. Therefore, we in diaspora, strive to collaborate with friendly nations, governments, NGOs, and individuals to spearhead actions aimed at improving the inhumane conditions forced upon the people of Kurdistan to where they would live with dignity and in peace. Hence, the KNANA shall endeavor to: Facilitate and commence initiatives to protect and promote the national culture, language, and heritage; Strive to work with all Kurdish political and non-political factions to find a common ground on which dialogue and diplomacy will be the only means of communications and problem- solving amongst them. Maintain communications with the people of Kurdistan inside and in diaspora; Preserve and promote democracy and human rights in all parts of Kurdistan; Strive to advance the national aspiration for self-determination for the people of Kurdistan; Strengthen relationships with all none Kurdish ethnicities and none Muslim religious followers in Kurdistan. Based on mutual respect and understanding we strive to strengthen communications with other nationalities. We hereby adopt this bylaw and pledge to uphold and implement its provisions. Article I- Name and Nature The name of this organization shall be the Kurdistan National Assembly of North America to be known as KNA. It shall be a non—partisan and not—for—profit organization. Article II- Aim and Purpose The Kurdistan National Assembly shall advocate for national unity among all the people of Kurdistan, regardless of their political, cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Thus, KNA shall: Serve the interests of the people in Kurdistan and in diaspora; Assemble resources for establishing cultural centers and developing grassroots community programs intended to the preservation of the national heritage. Initiate self-reliant programs for encouraging stronger relationships between and amongst Kurds and non- Kurds; Develop local KNA chapters with a view of providing teaching and learning in Kurdish and other languages of Kurdistan, literature, history, art, and music; Provide workshops to prepare community activists for promoting human rights in Kurdistan; Create a think-tank to initiate strategic studies on history, culture, language of the people of Kurdistan; Corroborate with the like-minded organizations in Kurdistan and abroad. Article III - Membership Full Membership: Eligibility: Any person of Kurdistani descent is eligible for membership in the KNANA. The members must be eighteen years of age or older; they must be willing to serve and promote the objectives of the KNA. Responsibilities: Members are required to pay annual membership dues in a timely manner, as specified in the KNA Bylaws. Each member shall have the right to participate in all KNA meetings and are entitled to cast a single vote. In the event of any discrepancies or disagreements among members, it is essential for all parties involved to mutually agree to disagree in an amicable manner. “Agree to disagree agreeably.” ​ Kurdish political factions. It is imperative that they prevent any influence of political Islam and Islamic radicals from infiltrating KNA activities. Their commitment should always be All KNA members are required to exercise caution and refrain from supporting any to uphold and advance the mission of the KNA. B.Honorary Membership Eligibility: Honorary membership may be conferred upon individuals of Kurdish and non- Kurdish origin who have provided services to the members of the Kurdistan society and demonstrated solidarity with their national cause. Rights and Privileges: Members can nominate candidates for honorary membership to the KNA leadership. Honorary members may attend KNA meetings, participate in discussions, and exchange opinions. However, they do not possess the right to vote or hold office. C.Admission Application Process: Membership applications must be signed by the candidate and endorsed by one or more KNA member(s). By signing the application, the candidates confirm their acceptance of the KNA Bylaws. Review Process: President of the KNA shall periodically appoint a committee to review membership applications for full or honorary membership. The committee shall submit its recommendations to the President, who will discuss them with the Executive Committee for review and approval. Rejected Candidates: In the event of a candidate's rejection, all fees submitted shall be returned to them. All written statements regarding membership applications shall be kept in the organization's database. Final Decision: After reviewing all membership applications, the Executive Committee shall make the final decision on each candidate based on their merit. Article IV- KNA Structure KNA shall consist of the following bodies: General Assembly President Executive Committee A.General Assembly (GA) The annual conference of the KNA is considered as its General Assembly (GA). The GA shall decide the time and venue of the Annual Conference, which will be announced, and the members shall be reminded of the conference at least sixteen weeks in advance. The venue of the annual conference shall be rotated between different locations to establish and maintain relationships with fellow Kurdistani citizens. Any member of the KNA can submit his/her concerns/questions to the Executive Committee for review. Then, at the discretion of the President special meeting shall be convened within ten working days to discuss the matter. The presence of 51% of the members in person or virtual shall constitute a quorum as required for a reliable decision-making. If there are not enough members present to constitute a quorum, a second meeting shall be held within four weeks through proper notification. B.President The KNA President shall be elected directly by the members of the general assembly. The term of office for KNA President shall be four years with a maximum of two terms to serve. Any KNA member can nominate himself/herself or recommend another member for President. C.Executive Committee (EC) The Executive Committee shall consist of seven members including President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and the head of Public Relations (PR) Committee and two more members. At the end of every annual assembly all the KNA committees and subcommittees shall be reviewed. If needed, the necessary changes shall be made prior to selecting new committee/subcommittee members. Subcommittees shall be created only when there is a well-defined objective that it is within the KNA’s strategic goals and achievable. The President is President of the Executive Committee and KNA. The Vice President is the Vice President of the Executive Committee and KNA. The Secretary is Secretary of the Executive Committee and KNA. The Treasurer is the Treasurer of the Executive Committee and KNA. The Head of Public Relations is Head of the PR of the Executive Committee and KNA. The terms of office of the Secretary and Treasurer shall be three years with a maximum of three terms to serve. The performance of members of the Executive Committee who are chairing any committees, or subcommittees shall share their activity report at the KNA annual conference. Two members of the same family, including siblings, a parent and daughter/son, first cousins, or husband and wife, cannot serve on the Executive Committee concurrently. 13. KNA members shall not be affiliated with other organizations whose mission is contrary to the mission of the KNA or where a conflict of interest may exist. The KNA members can serve in other NGO organizations to assist the national cause. The Executive Committee and the President shall elect Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer among the newly elected members to operate the KNA agenda. All KNA programs shall be approved by the GA. Any executive committee member with three consecutive absences from the regular meetings without satisfactory justifications shall be considered as a voluntary resignation from his/her position. In the event of vacancies, the Executive Committee shall fill the position by a simple majority vote. A simple majority of the elected members of the EC shall constitute a quorum. Article V - Duties of the Principal Officers: President The President, or his/her designee, shall preside over the KNA in meetings and conferences relating to the national issues. If the President is unavailable or unable to fulfill his/her duties, the Vice President shall preside meetings and perform other KNA duties. The President shall oversee executive meetings related to social, cultural, political, or educational programs brought to the attention of the KNA EC or other members. After consultation with the EC, the President shall send letters of invitation to potential participants to the annual conferences. The President is required to consult with the executive committee on all matters pertaining to KNA affairs. At the annual conference, the President shall report to the GA on the State of the KNA. The report shall include the internal and external challenges and successes that the KNA experienced during the past year. B.Vice President The Vice President shall work with the President to execute his/her responsibilities. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall assume the President's responsibilities. The Vice President shall communicate with committees/subcommittees and inform the EC about their activities. C.Secretary The Secretary shall maintain a database for all the members and the KNA activities. The Secretary shall not release information of any KNA members to public or to anyone including other KNA members under any circumstances without a written consent from the respective member. The Secretary shall keep meeting minutes of all meetings, and oversee all incoming and outgoing correspondence. The Secretary shall inform all the KNA members of GA at least sixteen weeks in advance. The Secretary shall form a conference committee to oversee the KNA annual conference. The committee shall prepare and oversee the conference agenda. At the conclusion of the conference, after consultation with the Executive Committee, the Secretary shall release and publish the final report. The report shall be based on the ideas and recommendations of the conference. D.Treasurer The Treasurer is the guardian of the KNA funds and keeps records of the KNA budgets. The Treasurer is responsible for collecting dues and donations to the KNA and keep all receipts. Upon the approval of the EC, the Treasurer shall expend funds for the implementation of activities approved by the GA. The Treasurer shall prepare a yearly financial report that includes all sources of revenues and expenditures and present it to the GA. The Treasurer is responsible to renew the KNA license with the respective state and file tax report with the IRS. Treasurer shall not release information related to any KNA finance to anyone under any circumstances including the KNA members without a written approval by the president and knowledge of the EC. Article VI- Elections Election Committee The President shall form an Election Committee to organize, conduct, and supervise KNA elections. The Election Committee shall distribute ballots to the KNA members at least sixteen weeks in advance of the annual conference to nominate themselves or other members for the EC position or president. A candidate may run for the office of the President or for the Executive Committee. Candidates running for President or the Executive Committee shall submit a letter of interest along with their professional CV to support their qualifications, and send it to the Executive Committee no later than 12 weeks prior to the annual conference. The names of the candidates running for President or the Executive Committee shall be distributed to the GA. Every candidate running for the Executive Committee shall be allowed 15-20 minutes to talk about their vision for the KNA. Candidates shall be ready to answer any questions raised by the GA. Candidates running for the KNA presidency shall be allowed 20-25 minutes to talk about his/her vision for the KNA. They shall discuss their future plans transforming the KNA to a higher end. Once elected, every candidate must adhere to the spirit of teamwork and collegiality to further promote the KNA's agenda. KNA members who are unable to attend an annual conference can cast their votes by emailing their ballots to the Executive Committee at least three week prior to the conference. B.Election Procedures All members of the KNA shall cast their votes during the election process. All voting ballots received by mail or email shall remain confidential until the Election Committee starts counting the votes right after the voting process is completed. The Election Committee shall count the votes for each respective candidate and announce the final results prior to the conclusion of the voting process. Article VII - Budget, The KNA budget shall be obtained from the following sources: Annual Membership dues Donations Gifts Endowments Grants Other legitimate resources A.Annual Membership Dues All members shall pay annual membership dues in the amount of 100 US dollar. Honorary members are exempt from paying dues, unless they willingly offer donation to the KNA. Annual dues shall be paid at least eight weeks prior to the annual conference, and the receipt of payment shall be shared with the General Assembly. Any member with unpaid dues for a period of one year shall have their membership suspended. The member may reapply for membership after all unpaid dues are fully paid. B.Disbursement of Funds by the Executive Committee The annual KNA budget shall be approved by the Executive Committee.Disbursement of funds shall align with the goals and objectives outlined in the KNA Bylaws.Expenditures exceeding one hundred dollar shall require approval from the Executive Committee.The EC shall maintain detailed financial records, including all invoices and receipts.Submitting AmendmentsAmendments to the Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the President by a member no less than sixty days prior to the General Assembly meeting. An amendment must be endorsed by one or more KNA members.The Executive Committee shall engage in preliminary discussions on the proposed amendments. The author(s) of the amendment will be invited to explain their proposal to the Executive Committee. The amendment shall secure the support of a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee. If approved, the President shall present the amendment to the General Assembly for voting during the next meeting.Establishment of Local KNA ChaptersLocal KNC chapters may be established where five or more members reside. Members of a chapter shall form a Coordinating Committee, consisting of a Coordinator, Treasurer, and Secretary. B.Responsibilities of Local Chapters Local chapters shall organize community project activities, issue newsletters, collect and disburse membership dues. The KNA Headquarters shall assist local chapters with their needs whenever possible. The coordinators of local chapters may be invited to KNA Board meetings to report on their activities and needs. Article X - Dissolution In the event that the KNA is no longer able to execute its functions, the Executive Committee, after settling all KNA liabilities, shall donate all the KNA assets to existing similar Kurdish/non- Kurdish organization(s).