BFSA CHARTER

1. The independent association for the study of alternative futures "BALKAN FUTURE STUDIES ASSOCIATION" is a non-political, non-ideological and non-profit educational and scientific organization of private citizens who are professionally, scientifically or personally interested in social and technological developments and coming changes.

2. The abbreviation of the Association's name is BFSA - BALKAN FUTURE STUDIES ASSOCIATION.

3. The main aim of the association is to serve as an impartial clearing house and forum for the exchange of ideas, scientific forecasts and other intellectual explorations of the future. The Association does not take positions on what will happen or should happen in the future.

4. The objectives of the association are as follows:
- to promote the establishment of contacts and cooperation among existing future-oriented organizations and individual citizens in Balkan countries, interested in future studies and forecasts of probable social and technological developments;
- to contribute to the strengthening of public awareness of the importance of future studies, since the future is determined in a decisive way by today's free individual and collective choice while the past cannot be changed;
- to facilitate the opening up of societies in the Balkan countries, and first of all of Bulgarian society, to the outside world, especially the developed democracies, by serving as a channel for contacts with well established future-oriented institutions in other countries such as the World Future Society, the World Futures Studies Federation, the International Association Futuribles, etc.;
- to develp coperation among individuals and with organizations similar to the newly established Bulgarian Future Society, interested in studying or planning for the future;
- to assist the advancement of responsible investigations and publications about the future and the improvement of methodologies for its study by serving as a collective member of the World Future Society.
5. In the name of the above aims and objectives the Association organizes or helps to conduct meetings, discussions, lectures as well other forms of public activities on a national or international scale.
6. The Association shall promote an interdisciplinary approach by trying to involve in its activities scientists, government officials, public or business figures from different walks of life, irrespective of their ideological affiliations.
7. A member of the Association may become any Bulgarian or foreign ciizen or an organization interested in the study of the future and willing to take part in its activities.
8. To join the Association candidates for collective membership should present an application. Candidates for indiividual membership should present also a letter of recommendation by a member of a Bulgarian or foreign future-oriented organization. Decisions on membership of the Executive Board should be registered in records.Applications for membership from organizations with proclaimed racist or extremist aims as well as from individuals, previously sanctioned for gross violations of Bulgarian laws, will not be accepted.
9. The BFSA shall also have "honorary membership" to be granted to renowned Bulgarian or foreign citizens.
10. Suspension of collective or individual membership in cases of Charter violations or acts compromising the aims and objetives of the Association shall be decided by the Executive Board with a simple majority vote.
11. Supreme organ of the Association is the General Meeting which is assembled possibly once in two years after a one month notice of the Board or at the claim of one third of the members.The announcement can be made by telephone, telex or cable and should be appropriately certified by a Board member.
12. The General Meeting is considered legalat the attendance of a minimum of fifty percent of members.
13. All decisions are made by simple majority (50 one vote). Changes in the Charter should be adopted by a majority of two thirds of members.
14. The Association is managed by an Executive Board consisting of three persons, ellected by theGeneral Meeting for a term of 3 years.
15. In its everyday activities the Association is represented by the Board or a person authorised by it.
16. The Association is a legal person which is sustained by self-financing or donations. The Board has the right to make decisions for rendering services against payment in the form of consultations, expert evaluations, lectures and publishing activities within boundaries of existing rules by its members or by registering a company.
17. Every individual member pays a an entrance fee of 50 leva and a monthly fee of 10 leva.Collective members pay the above amounts threefold.
18. The BALKAN FUTURE STUDIES ASSOCIATION has premises, stamp, emblem and Assembly minute book/records, taken charge of by an authorised person as well as a bank account.

Telephone: 359-288 0477; FAX: 359-28860477
Email: bfsa@lanxx.net