At its third Annual General Meeting in London UK on 12 December the whole Board of Directors were re-elected and one new Director was added, representing the diaspora Zimbabwe community. The Board currently consists of:
The Board of Directors meets at least four times a year, of which at least one is in person, most meetings are teleconferences on Skype.
Following their election, the Board of Directors met on the following dates (places in brackets represent meetings in person):
10 and 26 January.
The next Board of Directors meeting will be held on 28 March.
ZEN held its first annual general meeting in November 2009 in Brussels, Belgium, where a workprogramme for 2010 was adopted and a Board of Directors was elected to succeed the interim steering committee that worked to formally establish ZEN since October 2008. The second AGM of ZEN held 8 December 2010 in Copenhagen, Denmark, adopted a new work programme for 2011 and elected a new Board of Directors.
The second Board of Directors met 14 times: 10 December 2010 (Copenhagen), 6 January, 25 February (Brussels), 22 March 2011, 13 April, 11 May, 15 June (Brussels), 14 July, 9 August, 9 September, 19 September (Brussels), 25 October, 17 November and on 12 December 2011 in London.
Since 1 July 2009 ZEN's day-to-day business has been run by a secretariat in Brussels led by a coordinator. The size of the secretariat will be need driven depending on the work to be undertaken at any particular time. The coordinator was working part time (three days a week) until 1 April 2010 when he became full time. The organisation also employs interns, preferably Zimbabweans with backgound experience from NGOs, administration, research or advocacy and with a wish to learn about lobbying the European Union.
Co-ordinator: Tor-Hugne Olsen: Tor@ZimbabweEurope.org
ZEN works with a large number of European organisations working on Zimbabwe and/or with projects/programmes on the ground (see ZEN Partners section). From 2010 partner organisations have been asked to join ZEN as members and pay a membership fee. ZEN will still partner / cooperate with all organisations that work on Zimbabwe. However, only member organisations can nominate candidates to the Board of Directors and vote at formal meetings. Member organisations will also be given preference in relation to Zimbabwean visitors programmes, if there are space constrains at ZEN activities etc. Organisations that subscribe to ZENs aims can join ZEN. A small membership fee is charged, for 2011 between Euro 100 and Euro 1.000 depending on organisations size and finances. Any organisation considering to join ZEN can contact the ZEN coordinator on email Tor [at] ZimbabweEurope.org. Click for a full list of ZEN Members.
ZEN aims to works closely with civil society in Zimbabwe and in an initial consulation in Harare in February 2009 a number of organisations committed themselves to cooperating with ZEN (See: Zimbabwean Partners). A National Reference Group (NRG) consisting of the four main Zimbabwean apex bodies of organisations was appointed to inform ZEN policy positions (see: ZEN National Reference Group). The NRG meets in Harare when necessary and in connection with visits from Europe. It also meets with the ZEN Board of Directors four times a year in Europe. Wider consultations with the NRG and other organisations occurred at events organised by ZEN in Zimbabwe, including a training on "Lobbying the EU" in Harare September 2009 and roundtables on "Measures against the Zimbabwean Government by the EU and the USA" in Harare and Bulawayo in December 2009. In 2010 roundtables on "Role of European donors in current Zimbabwe" was held in March in Harare (11th) and Bulawayo (15th) and consultation ahead of donor meeting in Denmark was held on 21 October 2010 in Harare. Programmes and reports of these events are in the Events section.
At the first annual general meeting of ZEN in November 2009 new statutes were adopted (AGM Minutes and ZEN Statutes English / Flemish). These were updated at the AGM in December 2011.