Key Objectives

We are a member driven association standing for and with environmental journalists and journalism in furtherance to achieve our main aims and following key objectives;

• To provide critical and relevant support to journalists of all media in their efforts to cover complex issues of the environment responsibly through combined efforts of members, and appropriate partners;
• To act as a watchdog on environmental concerns.
• To take a lead in promoting desirable attitudes towards sustainable care and maintenance of the environment.
• To raise awareness among partners, patrons, editors, news managers, publishers, and other key decision-makers in the media on the value and importance of environmental news reporting.
• To build a stronger and more closely connected network of educated environmental journalists, communicators, editors, Media Managers and Media practitioners.
• To stimulate more and better coverage of a range of critically important environmental issues.
• To encourage addition or expansion of environmental reporting positions within broadcast, print, and internet news organisations.
• To increase use of information resources, training, and educational events that are already available to journalists and editors who may be covering environment issues.
• To foster the creation of important new information resources and training opportunities.
• Encourage information sharing within the network, partners, government officials on legislation, policy, guidelines, research documents or any critical publication deemed relevant for work of journalists and environmental communicators and people of Malawi.
• Look after the social welfare of members of the Association.
• Bringing together environmental journalists and environmental communicators in Malawi in order to form a common front in dealing with issues affecting them.
• Doing all such other things which may be deemed incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above aims and objectives or for the betterment of the Association or its members.

Powers and Administration

In pursuit of the key objectives and subject to the Laws of Malawi, the Association have the following powers and administration;

Powers

• To employ, orient and train such staff as it may deem necessary for the proper conduct of the Association and lay down conditions of service for such employees.
• To pay any person in its employment such salary, wage or other remuneration as it may deem fit.
• To purchase, take or lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any real or personal property, which it considers necessary in the furtherance of its objectives.
• To open accounts with banks or other financial institutions within Malawi.
• To source, solicit and receive subscription, grants, funds, donations, or legacies in cash or kind from any person (including the members of the association) or body, which it considers necessary for the furtherance of its objectives.
• To construct, alter, maintain and repair building and plants for and belonging to the association.
• To sell, manage, lease, mortgage, dispose of or otherwise deal with all or any part of the property of the association.
• To invest and deal with money of the Association not immediately required upon such securities and in such manner as may from time to time be determined subject nevertheless to such conditions if any as may from time to time be imposed or required by law and subjected also as hereunder provided.
• To pay expenses incurred in the conduct of the Association.
• To make Rules and Regulations to govern the operations of the Association which rules and regulations shall be subject to this constitution. 11. To generally do any such other lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objectives or any one of them.

Administration

• The Association is a voluntary membership association whose full members are journalists and communicators engaged in environmental reporting and communication across all media in Malawi.
• Every full member shall strictly be required to abide by the rules and regulations of the Association as stipulated by the constitution or otherwise.
• Any environmental journalist or communicator as described in 7(1) above may apply for full membership in the Association by filing with the Association’s office an application together with payments of subscription fees and which application shall be considered and dealt with by the Board of Directors or as directed by the Board of Directors.
• An application for full membership shall be deemed valid unless rejected by the Association office, in which case the payment shall be refunded and a letter of explanation mailed to the applicant.
• There shall be other categories of membership, particularly:
• Associate Members,
• Affiliate Members,
• Student Members,
• Honorary Life Members.
• Associate members shall be all institutions, associations and organisations including media houses which are involved in media and the environment which shall have been admitted to the membership of the Association as such.
• Affiliate membership shall be open to institutions, associations and organisations which are not strictly involved in media and the environment, but are interested in the work of the Association and the furtherance of its objectives.
• Affiliate membership shall not be extended to individuals within those institutions, associations and organisations.
• Student membership shall be open to students in tertiary educational institutions across Malawi who have an interest in environmental reporting and communication.
• Any full member of the Association may nominate another full member of the Association as an Honorary Life Member of the Association based on the nominee’s exceptional and significant contribution towards the objectives of the Association in particular and environmental reporting and communication in general.
• Any nomination for honorary membership shall be subject to approval by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors to be effective.
• Any full member or representative of a full member may participate in any regular or special meeting of the Association, but each member shall have only one vote.
• Only full members shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Association.