Exciting news! Inclusion International is looking for a new Vice-President, and we want your help. You may have seen the email this week where we shared this news.

We are looking for a strong self-advocate from our network to take on the role of Vice-President.

Member organisations are invited to nominate a self-advocate for the role of Vice-President of Inclusion International.

This blog post will explain how you can nominate someone and take part in the election process.

What does the Vice-President do?

The Vice-President is an important leader who helps run our organisation.

About the role of Vice President

Inclusion International has a team of Officers that help keep our network running, and the role of Vice-President of Inclusion International is an important member of this team.

Our previous Vice-President, Mark Mapemba, has recently stepped down from his role.

Working with the officers and staff was a great experience for me as Vice President. My ideas and my contributions were taken into account.

It is a great honour because you are part of big decisions within Inclusion International.

Mark Mapemba, Former Vice President, Inclusion International

Mark served for many years as member of Inclusion International’s Council representing Africa, as a member of the Board of Inclusion Africa, and as Inclusion International’s Vice-President.

We thank Mark for his years of work to support his region and our global network.

We need someone who:

  • Is a self-advocate (someone with an intellectual disability who speaks up for their rights)
  • Is a leader in their community or organisation
  • Understands the rights and challenges of people with disabilities
  • Likes to work in groups
  • Likes to share their thoughts and opinions
  • Has a good and consistent support person
  • Has support from their organisation to allow them the time they need to be part of the international work
  • Speaks English confidently

How to nominate

Members can suggest a self-advocate for this role.

Information for Organisation who are Nominating

Inclusion International’s Nominating Committee will lead the process of finding a new Vice-President.

The steps they will follow are:

  1. Nominations

    Full Members in Good Standing of Inclusion International can suggest someone to be the next Vice-President. This is called making a “nomination.”

    Good standing means members are up to date and have paid their membership fee for this year.

    You can nominate a person by completing this form before the July 31, 2023 deadline.

    If you are not sure if you are a full member or an affiliate member, contact Kimber to check. If you are not sure if you have paid your membership fee, contact Manuela to check.
     
  2. Checking

    All nominations will be checked by the Nominating Committee to make sure they are eligible.

    Eligible means that the person meets all the rules about who a Vice-President can be. For example, making sure that the person is a self-advocate and that the organisation that suggested them has paid their membership fee.

    The person who is being nominated to be the next Vice-President does not need to belong to a member of Inclusion International, but they must be nominated by and get support from a current member of Inclusion International. 
     
  3. Learning about the Candidates

    If there is more than one nomination for a candidate the Nominating Committee will arrange an election. 

    The people who are running to be Vice-President will get to share information about their skills and experience and a short video to introduce themselves. 
     
  4. Voting

    Members will watch the video introductions from the candidates and vote for who they want to be Vice-President.

    The voting will happen over 5 days.

    It will be from September 18th to September 22nd.
     
  5. Results

    The results of the vote will be shared after the election.

    The Officers will approve the new Vice-President, and then they will then start doing their new job.

Members who are thinking about nominating someone should look at the Vice President job description and this information for organisations that are nominating.

Make a Nomination

The deadline for nominations is July 31st, 2023. 

Please submit your suggestions for a Vice-President before then!

Questions

If you have any questions about the process, you can get in touch with the Nominating Committee.

Nagase Osamu, Secretary General of Inclusion International, leads the Nominating Committee. 

You can contact him here.

We look forward to see your nominations for self-advocates interested in being our next Vice-President.