associations
An association is the meeting of several people who decide to gather around a
common activity, with an aim other than that to share benefit.
Contrary to a commercial company, an association is with
nonlucrative goal, i.e. its objective is not to earn money.
1. WHY
CREATE AN ASSOCIATION?
The creation of an association answers the
need and the desire for acting together.
To share its knowledge, its activity, its energy makes it possible to carry out
tasks and projects which it would not be possible to only achieve.
2. WHAT
THE "LAW 1901"?
The "law 1901" is a law voted in
France the 1 er July 1901 which gives the right to the individuals
to gather in association. It is by this famous law that is recognized and
organized the principle of the right of association.
It marks a large projection in the
recognition of public freedoms and the exercise of the
democracy: before this law, any meeting of people, any independent movement
were prohibited and repressed. Today, the right of association is a
fundamental freedom protected by the
Constitution.
3. IS IT EASY TO CREATE AN ASSOCIATION "LAW
1901"?
Within the framework of the law 1901, the
creation of an association is done completely freely, without request for
authorization. The formalities are very simple: association must be composed of
at least two members and it must be declared near the prefecture.
This declaration consists in making known
the name and the object (the goal) of association, its founder members, its
rules of operation, etc. The whole of these elements constitutes its statutes.
It makes it possible to make public association, to give him a legal capacity:
association is like a person, it can for example conclude from the contracts,
buy and sell, perceive contributions, etc.
4. HOW DOES AN ASSOCIATION FUNCTION?
The law does not impose any structure of
operation. Associations generally include/understand: an
office, generally composed of a president, founder members and of a
treasurer, who assumes administrative duties;
a council, which represents
the members; a General meeting, which brings together all the members and votes
the budget, elects the office and the council, etc.
Association draws its resources money
which its members (contributions )
pay. The voluntary ones, generally members of association, devote free
part of their time to his operation and its animation.
5. HOW MUCH Y Does It Have ASSOCIATIONS IN FRANCE?
It is not easy to know exactly the number
of associations in France. It is created some more than 60 000 each year, and
when they disappear, their dissolution is not always recorded. At the beginning
of the years 2000, one evaluates the number of associations in France
between 700 000 and 900 000. Approximately 20 million people are members of
one or more associations.
There are associations of any size and any
kind. Most (nearly a quarter) are those which carry on their activity in the
sporting sector. One also finds organizations religious, of medical and
social action, defense of the humans right, defense of the consumers,
environmental protection, protection of the animals, etc.
6. WHAT Does One CALL RECOGNIZED ASSOCIATIONS Of PUBLIC
UTILITY?
Beside associations which are simply
declared, there are recognized associations of public utility. To be seen recognizing
this quality, these associations must fill a certain number of criteria. They
can then profit from State grants and collect gifts.
These associations work in many fields of
action: social, medical, educational, scientific, cultural, environment,
defense of the sites and the monuments, international solidarity, etc.
7. WHICH IS THE ROLE OF ASSOCIATIONS OF SOLIDARITY?
Associations of solidarity try to
mitigate the insufficiencies of the State as regards social and medical assistance. They
act with the daily newspaper to bring a material aid and moral to the people
more in difficulty: the Restaurants of the heart distribute free meals, the
popular Help allows the most stripped to leave on holiday, Emmaüs helps exclude
them to be reintegrated, Aides is specialized in the assistance with the people
reached of the AIDS, etc. These associations function thanks to the
gifts and the
voluntary help.
This solidarity is also addressed to the
other countries, within the framework of
the nongovernmental organizations
(ONG). These associations act at the international level in fields where
the States are not sufficiently committed: in
emergencies (famine, war) in order to bring a
humanitarian aid (Doctors without
borders) or in the defense of the humans right (International Amnesty, League of the humans
right), etc.
8. WHICH IS THE WEIGHT OF THE ASSOCIATIVE MOVEMENT IN THE
COMPANY?
One speaks about associative movement to
indicate the whole of associations and their importance in the company. Because
they are numerous, dynamic, that they relate to all the sectors of the life and
all the ages, associations create bonds between the citizens: they play
an essential role in the social life.
More and more, associations become special
interest groups: they try to influence the political leaders. It is in
particular the case of associations of defense of the consumers, associations
ecologists or associations for the defense of the right to housing.
