1. NAME
The association shall be known and referred to as the LLM HRDA Alumni Association.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The aim of the Alumni Association is to:
a) foster close collaboration between alumni of the LLM HRDA programme;
b) create a collective voice for human rights advocacy in Africa;
c) identify areas of special interest and encourage collaboration among the alumni groups;
d) establish a fund for the running of the activities of the Alumni Association and such other activities as the Alumni Association may decide;
e) organise outreach and public awareness activities on the Centre’s programmes with current and prospective students of the LLM programme; and
f) organise reunions of members and other related events.

3. MEMBERSHIP OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
All graduates of the LLM programme are automatically considered members of the Alumni Association, and are therefore bound by the provisions of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), unless any graduate indicates otherwise in writing to the Coordinator, who will keep record of such names.

4. STRUCTURE OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The Alumni Association will be managed by the Coordinator, Coordinating Committee, national focal persons and the Alumni General Assembly, with the Centre providing overall supervision.

4.1 COORDINATOR
The Coordinator is resident at the Centre. S/he should preferably be a doctoral candidate who is an alumnus or alumna of the LLM HRDA programme. The Coordinator reports on a regular basis to the Centre and the Coordinating Committee on the management of the affairs of the Alumni Association.

The Centre appoints the Coordinator of the Alumni Association in consultation with the Coordinating Committee.

The Coordinator is appointed on a one-year contract with the possibility of renewal, subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds.

The Coordinator shall:
a) manage the day to day running of the Alumni Association;
b) be responsible for compiling and maintaining a database of all alumni and for maintenance of the Alumni Association website;
c) develop and maintain a global and regional database for all alumni and specialized databases for interest groups (Academic/Research/Doctoral candidates; Litigation; Civil Society and Advocacy; National Human Rights Institutions; Governments; International/Intergovernmental Organisations); and
d) perform any other duties assigned by the Centre or Coordinating Committee.

4.2 COORDINATING COMMITTEE
The Coordinating Committee is made up of one alumni representative from each of the following regions in Africa: Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, North and Horn of Africa, as well as a representative of the alumni in the Diaspora. The Alumni General Assembly (AGA) elects the 6-member Coordinating Committee for a one-year period.

All members of the Coordinating Committee must, at the time of their election, ideally be resident in the region they are elected to represent.

The AGA may at any time decide to replace a member of the Coordinating Committee, if it determines that the incumbent has become incapable of holding the position by reason of willful refusal to perform required tasks, financial misconduct, severe illness or death.

The Coordinating Committee:

a) maintains, manages and updates the regional database of the Alumni Association;
b) maintains contact with the alumni in their various regions and conducts follow ups with alumni with regard to their professional status;
c) initiates activities in furtherance of the objectives of the Alumni Association and for the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa; and
d) initiates activities to publicise the activities of the Centre and the LLM HRDA programme.

4.3 NATIONAL FOCAL PERSON IN EACH COUNTRY
All alumni resident in a particular country constitute a country focal group which elects one alumnus or alumna as the national focal person.
The national focal person is elected by each country focal group for a one-year period.

The country focal group may at any time decide to replace the national focal person if it determines that the incumbent has become incapable of holding the position by reason of willful refusal to
perform required tasks, financial misconduct, severe illness or death.

The national focal person:
a) serves as the national link to the Alumni Association;
b) assists the Centre with the selection of students to the LLM programme from that particular country
c) liaises with the partner university in the region, especially during the second semester of the LLM programme, to ensure the well-being of the students on second semester placements; and
d) collects the annual membership dues of alumni resident in that country for transfer to the Alumni Association account.

4.4 ALUMNI GENERAL ASSEMBLY (AGA)
The AGA comprises all graduates of the LLM HRDA programme. The AGA is the highest policy and decision-making body of the Alumni Association.
The AGA meets annually on the margins of the LLM partners’ meeting and graduation ceremony in December.
The AGA may also convene such other number of meetings as may be necessary, which will either be physical or e-meetings, depending on the availability of resources.
The AGA fixes the annual dues to be paid by alumni.

5. FINANCIAL MATTERS
a) The Centre will open an account for the Alumni Association.
b) The account will be managed by the Centre in collaboration with the Coordinator and the Coordinating Committee.
c) The Alumni Association will be run by voluntary contributions, donations, annual dues etc.
d) Annual dues of a minimum of US$50.00 (50 American Dollars) will be paid by each alumnus or alumna. The dues will be used to finance ‘hardship cases’ of current students and alumni; to develop a bursary scheme; and for the administration of the Alumni Association.
e) An audit of the finances of the Alumni Association will be conducted simultaneously with the annual financial audit of the Centre and made available to the AGA without delay.
f) In the event of the dissolution of the Alumni Association, all accumulated assets will devolve to the Centre.

6. RELATIONSHIP WITH CENTRE AND PARTNER UNIVERSITIES
a) The Centre is responsible for the overall supervision of the activities of the Alumni Association.
b) The Centre must provide support for the growth and development of the Alumni Association.
c) Members of the Alumni Association will endeavour to be in constant contact with the Centre.
d) All alumni serve as ambassadors of the Centre, and should support and propagate the interests of the Centre.
e) To ensure the smooth running of second semester activities, alumni offer to partner universities any technical or professional support that may be required to facilitate the research activities of the students of the LLM programme.

7. MISCELLANEOUS
a) The AGA will decide when this MOU will come into force.
b) The procedure for the amendment or reviewing of the MOU must be decided by the AGA, at its first annual meeting.
c) Decisions are arrived at by consensus or failing that, by a simple majority of votes.
d) In matters of voting, every alumni member of the Alumni Association is entitled to one vote.
e) The Alumni Association will have a distinct logo that reflects the diversity of the Alumni Association.

Done at Pretoria, 11 March 2011