Constitution

Article 1: Name and composition

The name is the European Confederation of Healing Organisations (ECHO).

The European Confederation of Healing Organisations (ECHO) is an umbrella organisation for self-administrating independent healer organisations in Europe.

Article 2: Definition of Healing

1. To "heal" means "to make whole". Healing is a traditional method, probably the oldest known, and has been practised as a central part of folk medicine in all known cultures since prehistoric times.
2. Healing is a purposeful intervention by one or more persons aiming to help another living being (person, animal, plant or other living systems). Healing is brought about without the use of conventional energetic, mechanical, or chemical interventions.
3. Healing involves contact healing (the laying on of hands), non-contact healing (in the energy field near the physical body) and distant healing. The practitioner's state of consciousness, focused intention and exchange of energy is central to healing. The intention is to strengthen the dynamic wholeness in the recipient, physically, psychically and spiritually, and thus stimulate the recipient's natural self-healing abilities and movement towards health, growth and wholeness.
4. Healing is an innate gift, a natural potential that can be developed and strengthened, and not a function of academic study. Healing does not require any specific belief.
5. Healing is not a medical therapy as such. Healers have no requirements for medical training, and their clients must rely upon Registered Medical Practitioners for all those matters for which medical competence is necessary; e.g. diagnosis, clinical charge, prescription, medical care and medical advice.

Scientific research shows that the effect of healing cannot be rejected, though it is not possible to explain healing or its effects from the basis of a biomedical model. Healing is best explained by a holistic, bioenergetic model.

Each member of the Confederation is free further to define healing in their own terms in relation to their own beliefs without in any way detracting from these Articles.

Article 3: Objectives

1. Promote consensus and unity in the European healing movement.
2. Maintain and improve standards of practice.
3. Ensure that the benefits of healing shall be available to all who live in Europe and that competent and gifted healers can legally offer their gift to the public.
4. Consider, discuss and make determinations on any other matters of relevance to European healers.

Article 4: Constituent Organisations

For an organisation to be considered for membership, ECHO require:

1. That the organisation represents practising healers, as healing is defined in article 2.
2. That the organisation is not a commercial operation.
3. That the healer-members of the organisation must have the effective right, through their elected representatives, or ruling bodies, to control affairs of their organisation.
4. Acceptance of the ECHO Articles of Constitution and implementation of the principles of the ECHO Code of Ethics.
5. That the organisation has Disciplinary Procedures in place.
6. Confirmation of the number of full healers and probationers of the organisation.
7. Acceptance of an annual subscription as determined by the council*.

When information has been assembled and considered compatible by the Steering Committee of ECHO, the organisation will be asked to attend a Council Meeting. The decision to accept new ECHO members lies with the Council, which has the opportunity to ask any relevant questions before reaching a conclusion.

*To article 4.7: An annual subscription of 100 GB£ eg. Approx.160,00 Euro € was decided by the first council in June 2001.

Article 5: Termination of Membership

Membership shall terminate:

1. on receipt by the ECHO of a written notice of resignation
2. on the annual subscription due to the ECHO being in arrears for 4 months
3. on expulsion for good cause by resolution of the Council.

Article 6: Governing Bodies

1. Each constituent member of ECHO, with 50 full healer members or more, may be represented in the Council with one elected or appointed member from each organisation.
2. The Council will annually elect a Steering Committee consisting of five individual members.
3. The Steering Committee shall prepare council meetings and shall only act with a clearly defined mandate from the Council.
4. There shall in each year be at least one Council-meeting for the following business:
   a) to elect the steering committee,
   b) to receive an annual report and audited account,
   c) to discuss current issues and to give mandates.
5. Any resolution put to vote in the governing bodies shall be decided upon a show of hands unless a poll be demanded by any council or committee member, and shall be decided by a majority of two thirds of the valid votes.
6. 1/3 of the Council Members can at any time request a Council meeting to be held for new elections or any other urgent business.
7. Meetings of the Council shall be announced with no less than 45 days notice in writing, addressed both to the member organisation and with copy to its council representative.

Article 7: Dissolution of ECHO

ECHO shall be dissolved in a Council meeting on the passing of a resolution of two thirds of the Council Members. The assets of ECHO will be given to an organisation with similar purpose.

Founding Document

The undersigned organisations representing national healer organisations of Europe hereby announce the intention to found the European Confederation of Healing Organisations.

We do this...

...acknowledging the need for an European Regional Forum of national healer organisations.

...acknowledging the increasing use of healers by the peoples of Europe.

...acknowledging the need to cooperate on the basis of common ideals on the development of healing in Europe.

...acknowledging that the healers of Europe need basic ethical rules and rules for good clinical practice.

...acknowledging that national regulation for the practice of healing in the different European countries creates a need for the European healers to have a common voice.

...acknowledging the need for cooperation with regional and international authorities to safeguard their practice and development of healing in Europe and elsewhere.

...referring to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and recalling the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

...considering the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Council of Europe.

...paying particular attention to the Treaty of Rome and other treaties of the European Union on the rights of private services.

confirming to safeguard the rights and general interest of the healers of Europe by establishing the European Confederation of Healing Organisations (ECHO).

Provisions of ECHO

Article 1

The legal registered office of the ECHO will be in Denmark.

Article 2

The secretariat of ECHO will be domiciled initially in Germany.

Article 3

Legal establishment of ECHO will take place when the Governing Bodies of five healer organisations from different countries in Europe have passed a resolution for membership of ECHO.

Article 4

Membership will be open to healer organisations in their respective countries.

Article 5

Organisations representing both healers and practitioners of other therapies may be accepted as member organisations.

Article 6

The founding document of ECHO, the statutes of ECHO and the provisions of ECHO will be presented in their final form at a conference in the year of 2001.

Signatory Organisationes:

Copenhagen, 24. Juni 2001