AUGUST 2010 V o l u me 5
NAVCO N EWSLETTER
NAVCO AGM DATE SET FOR OCTOBER 2ND, 2010 individuals eligible to be president are:
NAVCO AGM ELECTION PROCEDURES 2010
Mr. Hilario Mess – Cayo District
This year Annual General Meeting the new 2010 2013 Village Council Leaders at this assembly the delegate from the village councils District Association of Village Council (DAVCO) will elect the new President for the National Association of Village Councils (NAVCO). This article describes the election process in detail base on the guidelines of the Village Council Act.
Mr. Orlando Dawson – Belize District
Each Village has the right to send one village council member to attend the NAVCO annual General Meeting. Each community also has a right to send one member to the Annual General Meeting, but that person will not have the right to vote at the meeting.
Mr. Orlando Dawson is the current President.
A new President of NAVCO will be elected at the Annual General Meeting. The only persons who are eligible to be President are the six new members of the NAVCO Board of Directors who are not the Presidents of their DAVCOs. The six INSIDE THIS ISSUE NAVCO AGM ELECTION PROCEDURES NEW NAVCO BOARD MET PRESIDENT REMARKS ON DAVCO ELECTIONS NAVCO AGM 2010 HIGHLIGHTS
Con’t pg. 2
Mr. Aldeir Lima – Orange Walk District Ms. Paula William – Toledo District Mr. Carlos Arana – Corozal District Mr. Charles Leslie – Stann Creek District
Under the NAVCO Regulations, the President is elected by 12 persons from each DAVCO. These 12 persons were elected at each of the recent DAVCO Annual General Meetings and are the 12 persons who also are members of each DAVCO board of Directors. In some cases, some village councils have more than one person who is a member of a DAVCO Board of Directors. Even though each village council is limited to one representative at the NAVCO Annual General Meeting, anyone who has a right to vote for President can also attend the meeting. Even if a village council has more than one representative who can vote for the NAVCO President, no village council may have more than one vote on any matter other than the vote for the President.
NAVCO Newsletter
Page 2
NAVCO AGM ELECTION PROCEDURES 2010 At last year’s NAVCO Annual General Meeting, a resolution was passed to increase the number to 24 persons from each District who could vote for President. The Ministry of Labor, Local Government and Rural Development, which was responsible for any changes to the NAVCO Regulations, did not have an opportunity to amend the regulations to include the change to 24. Therefore, the number from each District who can vote for President remains at 12. Unfortunately, during the Toledo District Annual General Meeting, 12 persons, in addition to the 12 DAVCO Board members, were selected to vote on the NAVCO President. These 12 extra individuals will not be eligible to vote for President, but each of them should attend the meeting if he or she has been selected by his or her village to attend the Annual General Meeting on behalf of his or her village Council.
NEW DAVCO PRESIDENTS MET AT NAVCO
The six newly elected DAVCO Presidents met for the first time and were sworn-in as the NAVCO Board of Directors on August 6, 2010 by Mr. Marion Lewis, RCDO Belize District. After some discussion and budget constraints the new board set the date for the upcoming NAVCO Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2010, a one day event on Saturday October 2, 2010, at the George Price Centre in Belmopan from 7:30am – 4:00pm. Detail forth coming in the next newsletter. Peace Corps Volunteer Sandra Yamakishi presented the roles of Peace Corp at NAVCO. Peace Corps volunteers from United States come to Belize to help develop and train Belizeans in capacity–building and sustainability of skills and practices. The volunteers are not to replace staff or Belizeans but to transfer skills. The goals for NAVCO include:
To facilitate and establish an operational DAVCO office for each of the districts;
To strengthen the NAVCO office operations Train the staffs
“STRENTHENING LOCAL GOVERNANCE TO ENHANCE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT”
To train and facilitate DAVCO leaders on office operations Redesign of the NAVCO website
Page 3
NAVCO Newsletter
COMMENTS ON THE RECENT DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF VILLAGE COUNCILS 2010 ELECTIONS By: NAVCO President, Mr. Orlando Dawson
The National Association of Village Councills takes this opportunity to congratulate all the Presidents and members of the District Association of Village Council on their victories. There are obstacles in the horizon but only by working together can we overcome these obstacles. The National Association of Village Councils is fulfilling one of its objectives, supporting women in leadership position. NAVCO is pleased to announce the election of two women as Presidents: Mrs. Idollyn Adolphus of Cayo District Association of Village Councils, and Ms. Coronada Viafranco of the Stann Creek District Association of Village Councils. These women now join the Board of Directors of the National Association of Village Councils. In addition, two other women have been appointed to vice-president of the Orange Walk and Belize District Association of Village Councils. Congratulations to all these women. All these election went well with the exception of two. The Belize District Election for President was to extend influence by political interference. Nevertheless, the election was democratic, and we respect the General Assembly. In the Orange Walk District while in the past the election was done by zone to allow equal representation for all villages, the zones were eliminated and election was carried out without using the zones. Whether this was a decision taken by a single individual or the General Assembly is still not clear. However, what is clear, we cannot continue to have DAVCO Elections using different standards.
Con’t pg. 4
CONTACT INFORMATION NAVCO OFFICE: Address: Agriculture and Trade Show Grounds, P.O. Box 648, Belmopan, Belize, Central American Telephone: 822-02053 Fax: 822-0192 Email Address: navcobelize@gmail.com New forthcoming email address on Microsoft Outlook: belizenavco@navco.org.bz Website: http://.www.navco.org.bz Ms. Jacklin Ingram: belizenavco@navco.org.bz Mr. Hilbert Lopez: manager@navco.org.bz Mr. Orlando Dawson president@navco.org.bz
NAVCO Newsletter
NAVCO ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Page 4
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL BELIZE!!!
RECOGNITION OF THE NEW VILLAGE LEADERS 2010 – 2013 GUEST SPEAKER GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTIONS ELECTION OF THE NAVCO PRESIDENT EXHIBITOR SHOW ROOM
This year marks the 29th Anniversary of our Independence and the 212th Anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye. For more on the 2010 September Celebration visit their website: http://www.septembercelebrations.com Official Opening ceremony of the September Celebrations will be held at St. George’s Caye on August 29th, 2010
Individual Highlights:
NAVCO Office Hours Contact Information DAVCO /NAVCO NAVCO Resource Room Calendar Event
St. George’s Caye Day – September 10, 2010 (PUBLIC & BANK HOLIDAY) Belize’s Independence Day – September 21, 2010 (PUBLIC & BANK HOLIDAY)
Page 5
NAVCO Newsletter NAVCO RESOURCE CENTRE NAVCO Office Hours
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm Computer access, personal training on Email available
Office Opening Hrs. Reading of News Articles
Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 pm. Office Asst: Jacklin Ingram Monday, Wednesday Friday at: NAVCO Office
Access to Spanish & English Village Council Acts Access of Village Council Acts on DVD
Tuesdays & Thursdays at Cayo DAVCO Secretary: Jacklin Ingram Office: Georgeville Village Opening Hrs: 8:30am – 2:30pm
Government, NGO’s and Villages Information
Quote of the Month: “Honesty is the 1st chapter in the book of wisdom.” - Thomas Jefferson