We the members of the International Society for Universal Dialogue, in order to investigate and articulate the basic principles of universality systematically, rationally, and comprehensively—with an effort to promote a world understanding of these principles, striving to help generate universal world consciousness towards the gradual emergence of a decent world order, and aspiring to actualize the highest and richest human values in art, science, politics, education, and social life do agree to declare the following statement as the constitution of the International Society for Universal Dialogue.

Article I

The official name of the society shall be “The International Society for Universal Dialogue” to be incorporated in the state of Maine, USA.

Article II

Scholars, especially philosophers, from all the countries of the world without exception, are entitled to membership in the Society without any discriminination on the basis of sex, race, color, nationality, religion, sexual preference, or social class. The democratic way of thinking and acting shall be the guiding principle of all decisions which determine the plans and projects of the Society.

Article III

The ISUD acknowledges that it was the idea of Universalism that gathered the Society together in Warsaw in November, 1989; and further acknowledges and honors its close relationship with the publication Dialogue and Universalism which provides a forum in which all members of ISUD have the opportunity to communicate and exchange their views.

Article IV

l. The main purpose of the Society is to promote, in theory and in practice, the ideals of universality as the most effective means for the gradual realization of a decent, peaceful, and just world order. To achieve this purpose, the members of ISUD shall try, by means of scholarly work, regional and international conferences, and personal and collective work to explore and share important areas of human knowledge and experience.

2. To continue, the purpose of the Society is to evoke and invigorate a global consciousness; that is, the existential awareness that all the peoples of the world belong to one species, the human species, and , accordingly, have the same fundamental stock of needs, aspirations, and capacities. Further to this is to recognize that these needs, aspirations, and capacities cannot be adequately realized under conditions of selfish competition, violence, and exploitation but under conditions of peace, cooperation, and freedom. And further to this, to acknowledge responsibility to other species and to the preservation and restoration of the health and beauty of all eco-systems on the planet.

Article V

1. The Society shall be administered by a body of governors called The Board of the International Society for Universal Dialogue (ISUD). The members of the Board shall be elected by the members of the Society by a majority vote. Members of the Board shall be no less than ten and no more than 15 and they shall be elected at the meetings that coincide with the periodic world conferences held by the Society, which usually occur every two years. They shall serve one two year term with the opportunity to be re-elected to two additional terms

2. Consonant with the provisions in Section l just above, regional representation in the ISUD Board may be maintained to support the growth of the Society. Pursuant to this aim, the restriction to three consecutive terms may be waived.

3. The members of the Society shall elect the officers of the Board. These officers shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The President shall have the executive privilege, and obligation, to administer all the decisions and actions of the Society and to delegate tasks whenever he deems it appropriate. He or she shall, moreover, oversee all the Society’s activities and present a report to it at each general meeting. He or she, as well as every member of the Society, is entitled to make any recommendation that may serve the interest of universality.

4. The president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer shall be ex officio members of the Board. They shall serve for one term with the opportunity to be re-elected for two additional terms.

5. The President of the Society is the executive officer of all the organs, or chapters, of the Society; he or she is also executive officer member of all the committees of the Society. He or she shall have the authority to delegate tasks which are essential to the work and progress of the Society.

6. The Board, under the guidance of the President, shall be responsible for arranging the agenda of the international meetings of the Society and shall do all it can to promote the purposes of the Society and keep its momentum alive and dynamic. It shall also advise the President on all matters relating to the operation and growth of the Society.

7. The Board shall, in consultation with the secretary, authorize cooperative programs or activities with other organizations.

8. The Vice President shall do his or her best to further the immediate and long term objectives of the Society in their regions and shall stay in touch with the President concerning all matters which affect the cause of universality.

9. The Secretary shall assume responsibility for relaying all the news which matter to the Society in their regions and shall act as a mediator between the Board on the one hand and all the members of the Society on the other.

10. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all the financial transactions of the Society, and shall present a report of all the credits and debits of the account of the Society at each international meeting. He or she shall, moreover, make a special effort to contact Foundations and Organizations that are sympathetic with the goals of universality in order to support and lend financial assistance to the regional and international meetings.

11. When a vacancy occurs in the list of officrs the President can temporarily, and with the advice of the Board, fill the vacancy; and if the President is, for some reason, unable to fulfill this function, the Board shall have the authority to fill this vacancy and shall do so by majority vote.

12. The Treasurer, in addition to any of the other three officers, shall have the sole right to sign all cheques on behalf of the Society and to complete all the transactions of the Society. He or she shall be considered the custodian of the treasury of the International Society for Universal Dialogue.

Article VI

l. The election of all the officers of the Society shall be done by a majority vote.

2. All the officers of the Society shall be nominated by a nominating committee in conjunction with nominees named from the floor of the international meetings of the Society. The election shall, as a matter of course, take place by a show of hands. Secret ballot can be used only if a member of the Society requests it and it is agreed by a majority vote.

3. The names of the new members shall be published in the official membership list, or news bulletin, and distributed to all the members.

Article VII

The scholarly activities of the Society shall be administered by a body of governors called The Board of the Library of the International Society for Universal Dialogue. This Board shall supervise, coordinate, and evaluate all the manuscripts which qualify for inclusion in the library of the Society. It shall also seek to expand the research and publication facilities of the library. The library Board shall consist of twelve members and shall be elected by the members of the Society at their international meetings. Note: This Constitution of the International Society for Universal Dialogue (ISUD) was adopted at the Fourth World Congress of the ISUD in Krakow, Poland on July 15, 2001. It is a revised version of the Consitution of the International Society for Universalism (ISU) that was founded in Warsaw in November 1989.