Members' Meeting
The TASH Members’ Meeting is the highest governing body of the TASH Association. It is one of the three permanent institutional bodies of the TASH Association, alongside the TASH Board and the International Secretariat. The Members’ Meeting is ordinarily held every three years in connection with the TASH Global Conference, although Extraordinary Members’ Meetings may also be convened when required.
Composition
Constituencies of the Members' Meeting
The Members’ Meeting comprises Members of the TASH Association, who are appointed by their respective constituencies. Under Article 5 of the TASH Articles of Association, there are three constituencies.
1. Countries Constituency
Implementing Countries
Countries that adopt the TASH Standard, including nations with historic Doors of No Return, embarkation sites, former slave ports, and other locations connected to the transatlantic slave trade.
Descendant Countries
The present-day nations with territories and former plantation sites across the Caribbean and much of the Americas where more than 12.5 million people of African descent were enslaved and abused for centuries. Many of them died under brutal conditions, and their deaths were never properly acknowledged or honored with a proper burial.
Supporting Countries
The European countries and the United States, which used racist ideologies to drive, benefit from, and support the transatlantic slave trade, and in the process amassed vast wealth at the expense of people of color. These countries provide financial, political, and technical support to the TASH Standard.
2. Corporations Constituency
Corporations, companies, and institutions whose business empire began during colonization, especially those that participated in the business of slavery, or whose founding partners owned enslaved Africans.
3. Civil Society Organizations Constituency
Traditional authorities, indigenous cultural heritage organizations, philanthropic foundations focused on commemorating the slave trade, genealogical and heritage groups, diaspora organizations representing descendants of enslaved Africans, museums, memorial institutions, universities, historical archives, and slavery research centers that support the objectives of the TASH Standard.
Constituency autonomy
Each constituency determines its own internal rules for
- Appointing Members of the TASH Association.
- Selecting representatives for the Members' Meeting.
- Nominating candidates for the TASH Board.
Composition
Constituencies of the Members' Meeting
The Members’ Meeting comprises Members of the TASH Association, who are appointed by their respective constituencies. Under Article 5 of the TASH Articles of Association, there are three constituencies.
Election of the Chair
Nomination and election are distinct
The TASH Articles of Association clearly distinguish between the nomination and the election of the Chair.
- The TASH Board recommends (proposes) a candidate for TASH Chair before the ordinary Members' Meeting (Article 12).
- The Members' Meeting elects the TASH Chair (Article 8 and Article 11).
Current governance structure
A 21-member Board
The current Articles establish a 21-member Board, comprising the TASH Chair, the Countries constituency, the Corporations constituency, and the Civil Society Organizations constituency.
- Implementing countries (3)
- Descendant countries (3)
- Supporting countries (3)
- Banks (2)
- Insurance Companies (2)
- Universities (2)
- Traditional authorities (1)
- Philanthropic foundations (1)
- Genealogical and heritage groups (1)
- Diaspora organizations representing descendants of enslaved Africans (1)
- Museums and memorial institutions supporting the objectives of the TASH Standard (1)