2009/2010 jhr Chapter Handbook

8/14/2019 2009/2010 jhr Chapter Handbook

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jhrUNIVER
http://www.jhr.ca/universityhttp://www.jhr.ca/universityhttp://www.jhr.ca/universityhttp://www.jhr.ca/university


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welcome to the team!Welcome to the jhr (Journalists for Human Rights) community!You are now a participant in Canadas largest media developmentorganization, a group dedicated to building dialogue aroundhuman rights abuses globally.

Internationally, jhr sends journalists overseas to build the capacityof local journalists to cover human rights abuses. jhr hasoperated in 14 countries and currently reaches over 20 millionpeople a week with human rights stories.

jhr truly believes in the power of youth to promote social change.As a university student, you have the power to be the change youwant to see in the world: your chapter will empower students totake on the challenge of producing Rights Media and spreadinghuman rights awareness in their communities, in Canada, andover the world.

Any one individual is capable of initiating a dynamic jhr Chapter - and of learning and creating dialogue on the pressing issues of our day. When you take action, people watch. When you talk,people listen.

Thank you for getting involved in the University Chapter Program.We are looking forward to helping you develop a successfulchapter - and seeing how you and your chapter decide to increasethe reporting and awareness of human rights.

Sincerely,The Student Engagement Team

Domestically, jhrs university program offersstudents incredible opportunities, such as theabilities to:

GET PRINTED in Speak magazine, jhrsnationally distributed journalisticpublication

or get your essay PUBLISHED in WritesIn Review , our online peer-reviewedacademic journal

TRAVEL to Ghana with our OverseasMedia Internship Program

become a CERTIFIED HUMAN RIGHTSEDUCATOR through our regional Trainthe Trainer Workshops

CREATE awareness about human rightsin your community by harnessing thepower of the media


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program structureuniversity chapter program

train the trainer page 7

media creationpage

event coordinationpage 10

ghana mediainternshippage 15

speak magazine

writes in review academic journal

chapter publications

human rightsdocumentary festival

epic party

speak silence

film screenings

speaker series

art showings +pub nights


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It can bepositive, but itcan be criticalas well.

be the change.to make everyone in the world fully aware of his/her rights

Rights media is the process of writing,collecting, editing and publishing newsstories that create societal dialogue on the

issues at hand. Under the rightcircumstances, this, in turn, can galvanizepeople, governments, and civil society tochange their behaviour or policies.

rights media:

Rights media must be both

ethical and objective tobe effective: thecredibility of thejournalists, news outlets,and sources involved iscrucial.

Rights media is the most powerful form

of journalism - itcan change the

world.

It can be focused onhuman rights, socialjustice, orenvironmental issues.But it can also berelated to sports,business, or any otherjournalistic pursuit.

It sheds new light on oldissues, orbrings lightto new issues.

We are in the middle of aglobal communications age.The power of journalism tocreate change is growing daily.Now is the time to act. Ben PetersonExecutive Director, jhr

jhrs main goal is


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program goalsThe jhr University Chapter Goals:

foster proliferation of human rights awareness of both international + domestic issues provide vehicles through which the power of the media may affect positive change coordination of educational and awareness projects

Each Chapter will work towards this goal through: promoting awareness about jhrs operations on campus by media creation and hosting

events emphasizing relevant topics providing a community and forum of discussion for students interested in journalism and

human rights organize fundraisers towards worthy causes related to jhrs operations

1. Holding the Best EventsA successful event is well attended, bolsters humanrights knowledge, and/or raises funds for the cause,leaving students with a positive impression of jhrsimpact and a desire to come to future jhr events.

Chapters should organize one event per month duringthe school year. This will include the major nation wideevents - Train the Trainer and Speak Silence , as wellas all of the other events listed under the EventCoordination pillar of our program.

2. Getting Out There & Being SeenChapters should be present at all major campusactivities, be it concerts, peer group events, sporting

games, etc. Byshowing support of other events,

Chapters not onlypublicize jhr, butalso encourageother students toreciprocate andattend their events.

3. Recruiting MembersEach chapter should attract students passionate about

jhrs cause, those with a burgeoning interest in humanrights and journalism, and promising student leaders:recruitment is about more than simply a table at a ClubsFar - members should actively be recruited throughoutthe year. By focusing on the amazing opportunities the

jhr University Program offers students, the program canbe marketed as being one of the best studentexperiences on campus!

4. Making Members Feel InvolvedDelegate tasks to members to keep them interested andactive throughout the year. Be careful, though, to refrainfrom micromanaging! Feel comfortable delegating andmake sure to integrate your team.

5. Keep the Group SustainableEnsure that you are constantly recruiting younger students to ensure the sustainability of the chapter.First and second year recruitment should be a priority,along with ensuring that young students assumeexecutive roles as students graduate.

6. Execute the four pillars of the jhr UniversityProgram!


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forming the executive All organizations require some form of organizational structure in order to encourage efficiency and avoid conflict. While each jhr Chapter is encouraged to individualize the structure of their executives, the following isthe base structure that must be used:

President - The Chapter President is responsible for communicating with head office, serving as thechairperson at meetings, co-signing financialtransactions with VP Finance, and acting as the publicfigure of the Chapter.

Vice President - The Vice President is the second incommand to the President. They are responsible for managing any capital assets of the Chapter, workingwith VP Recruitment to ensure members, attendmeetings, and assuming the Presidents responsibilityif s/he is unavailable.

VP Finance - VP Finance is the treasurer of theorganization. They co-sign all financial transactionswith the President, and are responsible for managingthe Chapter Bank account and providing jhr HeadOffice with financial information.

VP Communications - VP Communications isresponsible for all communications within the chapter,both internal and external. Internally, through emailinginformation to Chapter Members and updating theFacebook Page. Externally, though issuing pressreleases, sending out messages over the listserv, andupdating the Chapter Website.

VP Recruitment - VP Recruitment is responsible for coordinating the recruitment of new chapter members.They are responsible for heading up the Chapterspresence at the opening clubs fair, and creatinginnovative recruitment strategies throughout the year.They are also responsible for heading up the jhr StreetTeams.

Secretary - The Secretary is responsible for bookingrooms and recording attendance at meetings.

the successful meeting Come Prepared - Make sure you have sufficiently prepared for the meeting:

make an agenda and handouts if you need them.

Listen - Make an effort to listen to all ideas presented. Help people developtheir thoughts if they are having difficulties.

Direct the Conversation - While you want to ensure that everyoneparticipates, redirect the conversation if it is heading in the wrong direction.

End with Clear Steps - Make sure everyone knows what they need to dofollowing the meeting.

Keep Minutes - Keep a written record of everything that is said over thecourse of the discussion.

Chapters are expected to have meetings at least once a week. Meetings are required to keep chapter membersup to date and to keep track of projects your chapters are undertaking. Here are some tips to ensure your meetings are productive, short, fun, and straight to the point:


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pillar one

train the trainer jhr has developed a Train the Trainer Program that providescertification to all participants who attend the workshop andthen successfully move on to deliver their own workshop.

There are three tiers to this program in order to help jhr reach the goal of increasing the overall awareness of human rights in Canada. Each level of workshops, startingwith Train the Trainer, will educate and empower more

Canadians on human rights issues.The first tier of jhrs Train the Trainer program begins withthe delivery of three regional workshops across Canada.Each workshop will include twenty-five jhr Chapter Member participants. These workshops will train Chapter membersto deliver the same workshop to their colleagues. This year,Train the Trainer will be hosted in Vancouver, Toronto, andHalifax.

The second tier of jhrs Train the Trainer Program isChapter Sponsored Workshops , which will be deliveredby the seventy-five Chapter members who participated in

the initial Train the Trainer workshops. These follow-upworkshops will train participants how to design and deliver their own workshop on how to run a human rights mediacampaign.

The third tier of jhrs Train theTrainer program is Campus/

Community Workshops .These workshops are designed

and delivered by the

participants of the Chapter Sponsored Workshops. Theseworkshops will train participants

how to run a human rightsmedia campaign.


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pillar two

media creationThe Media Creation pillar is the jhr University Programs most significant contribution to Change Journalism. They provide students with a plethora of opportunities to use the written word to create a dialogue on human rights.

writes in revWrites in Review is jhrs bi-annual peer-reviewed academic journal:through scholarship addressing human rights awareness andimproving peace and security, jhr looks to provide a forum for dialogueand the exchange of ideas from a variety of perspectives, regardingthe pressing human rights and social justice issues of our day. Writes

in Review accepts student submissions from all levels of study over -any articles addressing issues centering on jhrs mission to enhancehuman rights awareness, improving peace and security, andstrengthening the democratization process are welcome. Thanks toall who contributed to this new initiative in Spring 2009 - look out forthe call for submissions for jhr Writes in Review Fall 2009 !

speak magazineSpeak Magazine is a collection of student-authoredarticles on human rights issues. With a distribution of 5000 copies in 2009, the magazine offers an incredibleopportunity for students to have their work nationallypublished - this year, Speak will transition to onlinepublication!

The student participation in the document does not end atmerely contributing articles - each year the magazine isedited, laid out, and designed by one of jhrs universitychapters. Article submission occurs in the fall semester,with the magazine launch occurring in the spring.


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september 1, 2009:Speak Magazine Editorial Team in Place

october 1, 2009:First call for Speak Magazine & for Writes in ReviewJournal Fall Issue Submissions

november 1, 2009:Second call for Submissions

november 15, 2009:Last call for submissions

january 1, 2010:Launch of Writes in Review Fall Issue

january 15:First call for Writes in Review Spring IssueSubmissions

february 15:Second call for Writes in Review Submissions

march 1:Last call for Writes in Review Submissions

Late March 2010:Launch of Writes in Review and Speak Magazine

jhrs Writes in Review and Speak Magazine are just the beginning! Many chapters

design their own media - be it podcasts,blogs, email newsletters, etcetera.

chapterpublications

HR docfestHuman Rights DocFest is the newestnational platform for Canadians toengage in a discussion of human rightsissues: HR DocFest 2009 was the first of what will become an annual nationaldocumentary film festival that welcomesboth emerging and establishedfilmmakers to showcase their creativeskills while raisinghuman rights awarenessin the community andabroad throughdocumentary films.

IMPORTANT DATES


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pillar three

event coordinationEvent organization plays an integral role within the jhr University Chapter Program. Not only do they raiseawareness about jhr; they also act as a source of fundraising, which helps to fund both jhrs International Program and Engagement Program.

How to Do it: The main decisions that must be considered when organizing this event are as follows:

1. What form will my Chapters Epic Party take? Decide what the evening will look like - your Party can take variousforms, be it a club night or concert, or more of a film night or art showing. There are advantages and disadvantagesto each option. If your Epic Party is centered on music, do you want to have bands playing, or hire a DJ? A concertis great because each band brings fans, which eases pressure on you to advertise; conversely, though, concertsrequire meticulous logistical planning - for example, you need sound equipment, someone to run the equipment, thebands could be late, and the music selection might not cater to everyones tastes.

2. Where should my Chapters Epic Party be located? After you decide what your Epic Party will look like, youneed to choose location. If you are organizing a concert, you need to either choose a venue with a sound system, or be prepared to rent all the necessary equipment. If you are organizing a club night, do you want to have it an alreadyestablished club, or rent the equipment to host it at the space? Do you want to make revenue off bar sales? If this isthe case, then you need a space that regularly has beverage services, so that you can get a one night event liquor license. A film screening or art showing, on the other hand, can easily take place at a campus theatre or sponsoringart gallery.

3. Is anyone sponsoring my Epic Party? Attaining sponsorship for your Chapters Epic Party definitely has itsadvantages. Independent sponsorship usually allows for a wider margin of expenditure on the event, and a well-recognized sponsor may additionally attract interest. If sponsorship is something your Chapter would like to pursue,contact jhr head office for assistance in writing sponsor request letters and tips on contacting the right people for donation. To avoid overlap in sponsorship requests, do not contact sponsors without first getting approval from

jhr Head Office.

4. What should my Chapters Epic Party be priced at? Pricing for the Epic Party is based entirely upon what you asa Chapter decides, depending on the comparative costs of other similar events on campus. If its a closed bar event,anywhere between $8-$10 is appropriate. If its an open bar - you need to balance the price between profitability for your chapter, and affordability for your target demographic of students.

5. How do I advertise an event like Epic Party? Epic Party needs to be advertised to two primary groups: universitystudents and the general public. Get the word out to university students through postering popular student spaces,chalking sidewalks outside student buildings, inviting friends of friends with Facebook, or your student paper. Whenadvertising to the general public, get your party listed in the events section of community papers and send your pressrelease to the jhr Head Office to be sent out on the Canadian News Wire.

epic party:is a fundraiser completed by every school chapter in the fourth week of January. The event is based upon the main fundraiser that jhr Head OfficeCoordinates every year, which is an epic open-bar party and auction, where over 500 people get together to raise funds for the great work jhr undertakes.Organizing the School Chapter version of Epic Party is a large undertaking, andhas plethora of variables that need to be considered.


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speak silence:Vow of Silence: Individuals participating in jhrs Speak Silence campaign commit to taking a collective vow of silence. For sixhours, participants gather in one location to recognize thosesilenced by human rights abuses around the world. During thistime, participants can engage in a variety of activities related tosilence: play silent games, watch silent films, write messages onthe walls, create art, etc. Leading up to the vow, participants areencouraged to collect pledges from their friends and family. SinceSpeak Silence is jhrs national fundraiser, the money raised fromthis event goes directly to supporting jhrs Chapter Program.

Breaking the Silence: Breaking the silence is a crucialcomponent of the campaign. At the end of the six hour vow,participants come together to collectively break the silence of thelast hours. Breaking the silence should be a loud and highly

visible moment that brings all participants together to celebrate theend of the silence. Some thought should be given before the event as to what breaking the silence will looklike. In the past, participants have yelled, spoken in a megaphone for a 30-second period, read aloud theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights and so on. Whatever is chosen, this part of the event should bringall participants together to collectively join in the end of the silence.

Celebration: Following the breaking of the silence, participants will be invited to celebrate the completion of their vow. The celebration can either take place in the same venue at which the vow was taken, or at analternate location (such as the campus pub or a local bar). There is also the option of turning thecelebration component of Speak Silence into a fundraiser by partnering with a local bar and collecting acover charge from people who did not participate in the vow of silence but do support the cause a nd wantto make a contribution to jhr.

How to do it:

1. Sign Up: Download additional Speak Silence Resources and a pledge sheet online at www.jhr.ca .

2. Recruit: The more people, the more dramatic. Try and round up as many of your friends, classmates,peers, and random strangers involved in Speak Silence as you possibly can. Start handing out the flyersearly. Approach first-year classes and make announcements. Send an invite to all your Facebookfriends. The more people you get involved the more fun and successful your event will be!

3. Advertise: Post Speak Silence posters in highly visible areas on campus and in your community.Cotnact relevant faculties and similar clubs, asking them to help you promote your campaign. Createoverhead sheets with Speak Silence information on them for your professors to project at the beginningof their classes/ and or write the information on the classroom chalkboard.

4. Brainstorm: Think about what you want your Speak Silence to look like. Break the event down to itscomposite parts (vow, breaking the silence, wrap-up party) and plan accordingly. Be creative!

5. Take the Vow: On the day of, take the vow of silence. Make sure there are plenty of activities (silent, of course) to keep people having fun. Feel free to send groups of participants out into the hallways and streetsto pass out information and spread the word.

raises awareness for those in the world that do not have arecognized voice, and involves Chapter Members takingpledges to go on a vow of silence. The vow can lastanywhere from 6 hours to 30, depending on the chapter -and is a great and easy way to raise money and awarenessfor jhr. The event has three parts:
http://www.jhr.ca/http://www.jhr.ca/http://www.jhr.ca/


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:speaker serieBring in either a jhr member of Head Office, former overseas trainers or media profesionals to give apresentation. Invite both your chapter and the broader university community.How to do it:

1. Brainstorm - Get together with your school chapter andbrainstorm a speaker that you would like to host. Ensure that itis someone relevant to jhrs mandate of human rights and/or the media.

2. Find a Venue - Find a venue in your school or community.Rent the space for the evening. Try to get the space for freeas a student (most universities rent rooms for free to students)

3. Additional Variables - What will the event admission be?What is the budget? Are you going to have a jhr info booth? Aconcession? A panel discussion after the speech? Discuss ina chapter meeting.

4. Advertise5. Host - Host the event!6. Post-Event Evaluation - Evaluate the events successes and

failures, and how this event could beimproved upon in the future.

Whether watching Hotel Rwanda , or asmall independent film, screenings arelow cost/cost-free, fairly straightforwardevents that offer a chance for students tomeet and spotlight an issue whilefundraising for jhr. After the film, a paneldiscussion about the topic could alsooccur.

film screenings:How to do it:

1. Brainstorm - Get together with your school chapter and brainstorm a film that you would like to screen.Ensure that it is somewhat related to jhrs mandate of human rights and/or the media.

2. Find a Venue - Find a classroom with a projector or a movie theatre in your school or your community.Rent the space for the evening. Try to get the venue for free as a student (most universities rent roomsfree to students).

3. Additional Variables - What will the events admission be? What is the budget? Are you going to havea jhr info booth? A concession? A panel discussion after the film? Something else? Discuss in a

Chapter Meeting what special additions you can add to the evening to truly make it your own event.4. Advertise - Get the word out there! Make posters, chalk sidewalks outside main buildings, invite friends

on Facebook, and get your event posted in your community papers. If you wish to distribute a pressrelease, draw up one and send it into Head Office so the communications department can give it a once-over and distribute it across the Canadian News Wire.

5. Host - Host the event!

6. Post-Event Evaluation - Evaluate the successes and weaknesses of your film screening, and how thisevent could be improved in the future.


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art showings: jhr has a traveling photo exhibit from Ghana that youcan bring to your school to showcase, or you canchoose to display other art that represents the mainthemes of jhr (human rights and the media).

How to do it:

1. Brainstorm - Get together with your school chapter and brainstorm whether you would like to show theGhana exhibit or select new art for your exhibit.

2. Find a Venue - Find a venue in your school or

community. Rent the space for the evening. Try to getthe space for free as a student (most universities rentrooms for free to students). Consider contacting localgalleries to form a partnership.

3. Additional Variables - What will the event admissionbe? What is the budget? Are you going to have a jhr info booth? A concession? A panel discussion after the speech? Discuss in a chapter meeting.

4. Advertise5. Host - Host the event!6. Post-Event Evaluation - Evaluate the events

successes and failures, and how this event could beimproved upon in the future.

pub nightshost a party in a pub! Pub night styleevents are often popular on campus, asit gives students a chance to meet newor reconnect with old friends.

How to do it:

1. Brainstorm - Get together with your school chapter andbrainstorm whether you would like to have the event.

2. Find a Venue - Find a pub that is willing to host the event.Ensure they will let you charge cover, and even possibly setup a drink special, where all of the profit from a particular event goes to jhr.

3. Additional Variables - What will the event admission be?What is the budget? Are you going to have a jhr info booth?A concession? A panel discussion after the speech?Discuss in a chapter meeting.

4. Advertise5. Host - Host the event!6. Post-Event Evaluation - Evaluate the events successes

and failures, and how this event could be improved upon in

Pioneered in 2009 by jhr UVIC, the Human Rights DocFest is a newdocumentary short film festival featuring socially engaging projects that use thedocumentary medium rights concern, and promises to showcase the creativetalents of both new and established film makers.

HR docfe

jhrs newest platform for Rights Media, documentaries may be submitted by anyone. A jury of industryprofessionals and human rights experts make the selection of films to be screened on the HR DocFestCitizenShift online dossier, in addition to a screening of shortlisted films.


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pillar four

ghana media internshThe jhr Ghana Media Internship sends 2-5 jhr Chapter Members to communityradio stations in Ghana for three month periods, where they work to producenews stories in cooperation with African students while also assisting withprogramming, editing, soliciting, advertising, and performing other activities thatassist with the running of the station.

Along with the time spent overseas, interns are expected to complete pre-departure manuals for the four months preceding the experience, and beinvolved in their chapter for at least one year following their placement.

september 1, 2009:Call for Internship Applications

november 1, 2009:Deadline for Internship Applications

november 10-14, 2009:Phone Interviews for Short Listed CandidatesOccur

november 19, 2009Successful Internship Applicants Contacted

january2010:Interns Receive Pre-Departure Module 1

february 2010:Interns Receive Pre-Departure Module 2

march 2010:

Interns Receive Pre-Departure Module 3

april 2010Interns Receive Pre-Departure Module 4

may 2009Pre-Departure Training and Commencement of Internship

IMPORTANT DATES

The cross-cultural education of the Ghana Media Internship provides students with the opportunity to implement the skillsthey have developed with the jhr Chapter Program, overseas.


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pillar fivecommunications strategy + social medchapter presence online

When attempting to reach a large number of people - both on campus as well as off - andespecially as the school year gets busier,committing to a regular online jhr Chapter presence is key. Chapters should establish a Facebook group (e.g. titled jhr UBCas well asbecome fans of jhrs official Facebook page .The Facebook page is used for internalcommunication between Chapter members (or Chapters) and are used for posting pictures andvideos, and is helpful in facilitating onlinediscussion.

Additionally, some Chapters go beyond this andchoose to run their own blog. Blogs can often beused more collaboratively than Facebook pages,and more user-friendly with regard to uploadingtext articles and showcasing a Chapter radioprogram, for example; however, keep in mindthat an interesting and up-to-date blog requiresmore maintenance time!

For more information on how to set up either of these resources, or assistance in starting up aChapter blog, drop us a line at [email protected].


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chapter finances jhr is a Registered Canadian Charity. As such, it isresponsible for every cent raised and for everycent spent. As a Registered Charity, jhr is exemptfrom certain taxes and is able to issue tax receipts.With these privileges, comes a high degree of responsibility: to both the Canadian Governmentand to the donors who support our work.

As members of jhr, chapter finances are held to thesame standards as the rest of the organization, aswell as the rest of the non-profit sector. Thismeans that thee proceeds from every bake sale,film night, or bar party that your chapter holds, areheld to the same accountability measures as themoney spent renting our office in Liberia, or thecost of sending the journalism trainers overseas.

jhr is required to annually have external auditors gothrough our records to confirm our compliance withfederal financial procedures for charities. The results of this audit are released in jhrs Annual Report which issent to funders and the Canada Revenue Agency.During an audit, jhr is required to provide a paper trail for all money incoming and outgoing from the office and itsaffiliates (e.g. school chapters). This includes receipts,invoices, copies of cheques and documentationaccounting for all income and expenditures from theprevious year.

If jhr were unable to provide the proper documentationand fail the audit, it would lose its status as a charitableorganization. In this eventuality, all jhr programming -including the Chapter Program - would ceaseimmediately.

chapter responsiAs Chapter Executives, it is your responsibility to make sure Chapter

finances are running smoothly. Vice Presidents of Finance (Treasurers)play a crucial role in maintaing jhrs status as Registered Charity. Every

chapter needs a VP Finance who is responsible and committed to thefinancial integrity of the organization

2. ASK! VP of Finances are faced with thedaunting task of knowing about every dollar thatpasses through the chapter account. In order tofacilitate this task, VP of Finances are encouragedto keep in touch with the Student EngagementCoordinator at jhrs Head Office in Toronto. If youare ever unsure about anything to do with Chapter finances, call the office (416-413-0240).

1. REPORT! Chapters are required to submit financialreports BI-ANNUALLY!!. Chapters must submit amonthly report on the 15th of Dec. & Apr., detailing allthe income and expenditures from the previoussemester (i.e. Report due Dec 15, accounting for allincomes/expenditures from Sept. 1-Dec 14). Thesereports can be submitted electronically provided allreceipts, copies of cheques, invoices and all other documentation is mailed to the office.

jhrs financial rules of


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Steps to Setting up a Chapter Account:

1. Designate a VP of Finance2. Find a bank that meets your needs3. Set up a meeting4. Open an account5. Send account information to Student

Engagement Coordinator

Overall Strategy:

Each chapter has their own bank account which isautonomous from jhrs national account. Each accounthas two co-signers (President and VP Finance). Theonline access information is sent to the StudentEngagement Coordinator.

Each Chapters VP Finance should keep an up-to-datebalance sheet that details expenses and revenues fromthe chapter, as well as the date they occurred (and abrief explanation). This balance sheet will go a longway toward ensuring the monthly report is accurate andup to date.

Monthly reports are due on the 15th of April andDecember for all the transactions during the previoussemester. The reports are submitted electronically andpaper records are maintained of the transactions for future audit purposes (these must be kept for 3 years).

Tax receipts are issued only from the Head Office. Anycheques from people who require tax receipts must bemade out to Journalists for Human Rights: and sent tothe Head Office to be deposited. These deposits caneither be transferred back to the Chapter account or credited towards the internship/project.

Each chapter is expected to fundraise during thecourse of the school year. It is recommended thatstudent chapters do not dip into their fundraising moneyto finance events, but rather search for outside revenuesources within the university. (See Section entitledHow to get Funding).

At the end of the Academic year, all of the moneyraised by student chapters will be sent to the jhr HeadOffice. This money will be used toward sustaining thestudent chapter program, including the Chapter Summit, Speak Magazine, Summer Internships, as well

as other national and regional conferences. Thismoney will also go toward funding jhrs internationalprograms.

Some student governments demand that the Chaptersbank through the university. In this case, Chapter VPFinances should contact the Student EngagementCoordinator who will work with the university to sharefinancial information between Chapter, jhr Head Office,and University.

Policies All cheques must be signed by the President of

your chapter and the VP Finance. This meansthat all cheques must have two signatures.

The names and full contact information(addresses, phone numbers) of your twosignatories must be sent to Head Office May 1of each year, or any time they are changed.

Disbursements (i.e. any expenditures, cheques,etc) over $200 must be approved in advance bythe Domestic Programs Director (through e-mailis no problem).

For any purchase greater than $2000, multiplequotes must be obtained, where possible.

Monthly financial reports for transactions in theprevious onth must be sent to the Head Officebefore the 15th of each month.

Donation (tax) receipts are issue donly formthe Head Office. Any cheques from people whorequire donation receipts must be made out toJournalists for Human Rights and sent to HeadOffice to be deposited (they will be tracked backto your chapter).

Reporting

Financial reporting from the chapters to theNational Office is critical for the proper oversightprocesses to occur, and for complete financialrecords of both your chapter and for the entireorganization.

Monthly reports are due on Dec.15 for the firstsemester, and Apr.15 for the second for all thetransactions during the previous semester. Atemplate for these reports (listing income andexpenditures) will be sent to Chapter VP Financesand will also be available on-line. The reports aresubmitted electronically, but Chapters must mailin all the paper records of the transactions eachmonth for future audit purposes (these must bekept for 3 years).

In these bi-annual reports Chapter Treasurers arebasically reporting every financial transaction thathappened in the semester previous, either as anexpense or revenue. They will also be required todescribe the nature of the transaction (for example,

indicate an expense was for a publication or that acheque was a Speak Silence donation).

In April, Chapters should mail a cheque for 90%of funds in the Chapter bank account to jhr head office.

Journalists for Human Rights147 spadina avenue, suite 206 M5V 2L7


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These financial reports shouldmatch Chapter bank statements.So, for example if a cheque waswritten on Nov. 20, but the fundsdidnt come out of the account untilJanuary 1, then the transactionshould be reported on the October financial report (rather than whenthe cheque was written).

Head Office Accounts

The Head Office has an accountingsystem complete with details of each individual chapter andtransaction. This is maintained byHead Office Staff and the StudentEngagement Coordinator, and is along-term record of everything todo with jhrs finances.

One thing that is important for Chapters to remember about this isthat the funds for your chapter aretracked precisely, regardless of where they are received. For example, if your chapter gets a$1,000 that requires a donationreceipt, it will be deposited in theHead Office bank account inToronto, but will be tracked in theaccounting system as revenue for your chapter. In this way, you canthink of your chapter as having twobank accounts, the one that youmaintain locally, and the one youhave with the Head Office inToronto.

Chapter VP Finances can get thebalance of Chapter Head Officeaccount at any time by asking theStudent Engagement Coordinator.Funds can be transferred back tothe local chapter account atanytime by asking the StudentEngagement Coordinator. Funds

can be transferred back to the localchapter account anytime neededby asking the Student EngagementCoordinator.

Money In

First, deposits should be made assoon as possible after Chapters

receive funds. The rule of thumbshould be that deposits should bemade once per week.

Second, always photocopycheques before they are deposited.In this way, Chapters will have apaper record of the donors contactinformation and reason for writing

the cheque.Third, when keeping records,Chapter VP Finances should keepall the paper copies of cheques thatthey deposit in one transactiontogether (e.g. staple all of thesetogether with the receipt from thedeposit).

Fourth, cash should be depositedseparately. When Chapters havean event that involves receivingcash, Chapter VP Finances shouldcount the cash before the end of the evening, put it in a sealedenvelope, with the amount writtenon it, and have two people sign theenvelope certifying the amount of cash is indeed inside. Chapter VPFinances can then take thisenvelope to the bank to deposit it intheir chapters account and keepthe deposit receipt for this.

Last, if the funds are coming fromsomeone who needs a tax/donationreceipt (most individual donors whowill want a donation receipt), thenthe cheque should not be cashed inthe chapter account. It should besent to the Head Office and will becredited to the Chapter Head Officeaccount. Only donations over theamount of $20 are eligible for a taxreceipt.

With expenses by cash, you should

have at least two people on handwho can sign something sayingthat cash has been removed fromyour petty cash fund - this coversyour bases and ensures that thereare clear lines of accountability.

Under no circumstances shouldyou take cash that youve

fundraised and put it into a pettycash fund.

Head Office Accounts

As mentioned above, every chequeyou write should have twosignatures on it - one from thePresident and one from the VP of

Finance. The names and contactinformation for these signatoriesneed to be designated with thebank (see the banking sectionbelow), and need to becommunicated to the StudentEngagement Coordinator.

Before writing a cheque you shouldknow clearly what you are writingthe cheque for and keep a receipt(and record the cheque number onthis receipt so that you can crossreference this later against your bank statement). Each of thesignatories on the cheque shouldcarefully review all availableinformation about the expensebefore signing the cheque. Do notpre-sign blank cheques!

Paying with Cash

There may be cases when youhave to pay someone with cashinstead of a cheque - for example,when ordering pizza for a generalmeeting. There are two ways tohandle this:

1. By having someone paypersonally (see the Paying

personal expenses sectionbelow)

2. By maintaining petty cash

If your chapter is maintaining pettycash, then you must follow a

specific procedure: first, any cashthat you maintain must come bywriting a cheque to the bank (for cash) and withdrawing cash. Thisprovides support for how muchcash you should have on hand,which you should obviously keep ina single secure place (an envelopein a locked file or drawer in your chapters office generally works).


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When you pay expenses, then yousimply replace the cash you pay outwith a receipt that you take in. Thetracking of petty cash becomessimple then: the total of the cashyou have on hand, plus the total of the receipts you have on hand willalways equal the amounts that youhave withdrawn from your bank

account. When you are paying anexpense by cash, you should haveat least two people on hand whocan sign something saying that cashhas been removed from your pettycash fund - this covers your basesand ensures that there are clear lines of accountability.

Under no circumstances should youtake cash youve fundraised and putit into a petty cash fund.

Paying personal expenses

There are cases when chapter members or leaders will incur expenses on behalf of the chapter that you will need to reimburse. Theprocedure for this is simple.

First, the individual who incurred theexpense should complete anexpense reimbursement form (whichwill be available through the HeadOffice) and attach all receipts to it.

Second, the two cheque signatoriesshould review this expense formand all the receipts - they shouldthen sign the bottom of the form if they approve of everything.

Third, a cheque should be written toreimburse the chapter member. Theexpense reimbursement form thenbecomes the documentation for thatcheque that you keep around at thechapter.

There are a couple things to notewith this:

1. Expense reimbursement formsshould be completed and acheque issued ASAP after the

expense has been incurred, or atleast within 30 days.

2. If someone pays an expense buthas lost the receipt, you can stillissue the cheque if you trust thatthey actually paid for the expenseand it is relatively small (under $50). However, this is not a

practice with which you shouldbecome accustomed. If theamount is still over $50, then youshould contact the StudentEngagement Coordinator.

Record-KeepingIn addition to the financial reportsmentioned above, the paper trailassociated with your chapter finances is very important. Thereare a few number of reasons why:

1. If, by chance, somethinghappens to the electronic recordsof your chapter finances, thepaper records will allow this to bereconstructed.

2. During the time when we have anexternal company reviewing thefinancial transactions of jhr (theyear end audit), they often ask tosee paper records.

3. If there is ever a case when weneed more information about aparticular transaction than isrecorded in the accountingsystem (i.e. the name of a donor).

The specific paper information thatyou should keep is: A copy of cheques that you write

(hopefully you have a duplicatecheque book)

A copy of cheques that youdeposit

Original receipts for expensespaid Original expense reports with

receipts attached

To keep all of this information, if your chapter doesnt already have asystem you should start anorganized system of files. The bestway to do this is by keeping one file

for each school term and having thepaper records simply stored in order of the date of the transaction.

4. Paper records MUST be sent tothe Head Office twice a year -once in December and then againin May. This is to ensure thatrecords are on hand in Toronto in

case they are requested duringan audit and to ensure that apaper trail is maintained throughexecutive transitions.

Tax Receipts

As a Registered Charity, jhr isauthorized by the Government of Canada to issue tax receipts.However, because tax receipts areas good as cash, there are tightregulations on how we can issuesthese receipts. There are a number of these regulations that arerelevant to chapters:4.1. Tax receipts can only be issued

in the specified format for the jhr Head Office. This also meansthat any cheques requiring taxreceipts should be sent to theHead Office to be deposited.

2. jhr does not issue tax receipts for contributions under $20.

3. As a general rule, jhr does notissue tax receipts for in-kinddonations or events. If you havequestions regarding tax receiptsplease contact the StudentEngagement Coordinator.


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sam le constitution

THE CONSTITUTION OF jhr UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO CHAPTER

ARTICLE I: NAMEThe official name of the Chapter shall be the Journalists for Human Rights Chapter at theUniversity of Toronto (jhr UofT).

ARTICLE II: PURPOSEThe purpose of the JHR U of T Chapter shall be to foster the proliferation of human rights

awareness of both international and domestic issues and the power of the media in affecting suchchange through the coordination of educational and awareness projects. jhr UofT will work towards its goals by:

a) Promote awareness about jhrs operations on campus by means of media creation and hosting events emphasizing relevant topics;

b) Provide a community for the students interested in journalism and human rights and a forum of discussion;

c) Organize fundraisers towards worthy causes related to jhr s operations; and d) Communicate effectively with jhr Head Office to fully participate in its University Chapter

Program offerings.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP Section 1 . Membership in jhr UofT shall be open to any interested undergraduate and graduatestudents of the University of Toronto at any of its three campuses.

Section 2. University of Toronto faculty and administrators may join the club as "AssociateMembers." Associate members may not run for office and do not have voting rights.

ARTICLE IV: EXECUTIVE Section 1. The executive of jhr UofT shall be the President, Vice/Co-President, VP Finance, VPCommunications, VP Recruitment, and Secretary. The creation of additional officer positions(e.g. Co-President, Web Master, etc.) must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the activemembership.

Section 2. Only students may serve on the Executive.

Section 3. The duties of the President shall include:

CONSTITUTION OF jhr UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO CHAPTER 1

Here is an example of a Chapter Constitution - feel free to use this as a template for your Chapters own!


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A. Responsibility for the overall operation of the chapter and overseeing the duties of other executive members;

B. Coordination of monthly/bi-monthly executive meetings and preparation for events andspeaker-series throughout the academic year;C. Chairing all meetings of the Chapter;D. Providing leadership to the Chapter;E. Communication with head office;F. Co-signing financial transactions with VP Finance;G. Application for appropriate club recognitions on campus in August/September and

development of a positive relationship with the university administration; andH. Election of a suitable successor Chapter President.

Section 4. The duties of the Vice President shall include:

A. Assisting the President with the fulfillment of his/her duties;B. Management of capital assets of the Chapter;C. Working with VP Recruitment to ensure members and attendance;D. Working with the VP Finance to establish budgets for committees which are created (whenneeded); andE. Assuming the responsibilities of the President in the event that he/she is unavailable.

Section 5 . The duties of the VP Finance shall include:

A. Keeping a record of all financial transactions;B. Meeting with Chapter President/VP on a regular basis to review account balances and

financial transactions;C. Co-signing all financial transactions with the President;D. Managing the Chapter Bank Account;E. Preparing any and all budgets, financial budget requests/appeals, etc.;F. In case of special events hosted by the Chapter, responsibility for all related financial

activities;E. Providing jhr Head Office with financial information through bi-annual financial statements

in December and April, sent to jhr's Student Engagement Director; andF. Actively seeking funding opportunities from various sources on campus and be the main

organizer for all fundraising activities on campus.

Section 6. The duties of the VP Communications shall include:

A. Promoting the Chapter's presence on campus through list-serv announcements, Facebook pages, and student newspapers (such as The Varsity & Saltarrae);

B. Assisting in setting executive meetings;C. Promoting the Chapter's presence outside the campus, such as writing press releases; and

CONSTITUTION OF jhr UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO CHAPTER 1


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D. Coordinating with Chapter President and jhr Head Office, as well as with other campuschapters across Canada.

Section 7. The duties of the VP Recruitment shall include:

A. Actively informing the University of Toronto community about jhr's mandate and thefunctions of the chapter; and

B. Organizing Chapter's participating for the Club Fair and other Open House events on U of Tto promote the cause.

Section 8 . The duties of the Secretary shall include:

A. Keeping detailed minutes of all meetings;B. Managing RSVP lists for various events organized by the Chapter;C. Working with the President and VP in event planning;D. Communications with related on-campus clubs.

ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE ELECTION/IMPEACHMENT

Section 1. All Chapter Executives shall be elected before April 15 and will serve a term of May1- April 15 of the following year. The time between elections and the new term shall serve as atransition period for new officers.

Section 2. Executive elections will consist of the following three step process:i. Nominations;ii. Elections; andiii. Run-off elections (if required).

A. Nominations- will be held the meeting prior to the scheduled date of elections. Any active club member maynominate a fellow Chapter member to any of the Chapter Executive

positions. The President position must be nominated from a current Executive member. Nominations will only be accepted during the meeting prior to elections. Candidates can be nominated f or more than one position and they may nominate themselves for a position, if they are not nominated by another member.

B. Elections - Elections will consist of each candidate speaking for up to five minutes, followed by up to three minutes of questions and answers from the club membership. Only activemembers present at the meeting shall cast a vote, and only these votes shall count toward thecomputation of the 50%+1 required margin for election to office. The order of elections shall beas follows: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary.


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Through promoting Rights Media globally, jhr iscreating a dialogue over important issues -which in turn, propels individuals, government,

and civil society towards positive social change.Rights Media has the power to change theworld - and so do you!

jhrs Executive Director, Ben Peterson, wasonly 24 when he co-founded Journalists for Human Rights; eight years later, jhr is Canadaslargest media development organization.

The jhr University Chapter Program gives you the chance to affect positive change throughRights Media - be it writing articles, hostingHuman Rights fundraising and awarenessevents, receiving human rights training, or traveling overseas to Ghana to intern in acommunity radio station. You have the power to step up and make change. Ultimately,whether the tasks be large or small, menial or demanding, we are confident that you are equalto this challenge - you have an incredible power to make incredible changes in our changes. Sogo for it.

Be the change.

rights media:it can change the wor

2009/2010 jhr Chapter Handbook

Documents

Transcript of 2009/2010 jhr Chapter Handbook