The story so far…
We are pleased to announce that the PAN board is now ready to bring to the membership proposed changes to reflect the needs of our members and to ensure that our governance matches our mission, updated in 2013, to“…lead an inspired, strong, and effective community-based response to HIV/AIDS, HCV, and related communicable diseases and conditions.”
The Board has always known that changes would be needed to PAN’s governance structures to ensure consistency with inclusion principles of GIPA/MIPA, the HCV Manifesto, and Nothing About Us Without Us. Additionally, it’s critical that Indigenous organizations have a designated voice, consistent with community respect and Truth and Reconciliation principles.
Taking the opportunity presented by a required transition to the new BC Societies Act, these changes are encapsulated in a draft set of bylaws for discussion and feedback which will then be presented and voted on by the membership at the October 30th AGM.
Our Board co-chairs have introduced potential areas for change at the last two AGMs, and we have widely consulted with members, stakeholders and people living with HIV (PLHIV) through our annual surveys. We hope that you are aware that this year we have been running a series of blogs exploring the need for change:
January: Happy New Year’s Resolutions
February: The Value of an Integrated Approach to Frontline Care
March: PAN’s Commitment to Respect and Response – A 10 Year PLHIV Perspective
April: Community Perspectives on Governance at PAN
May: Integrating Indigenous-Sensitive practices Within Community Organizations
June: Reflections on Governance from PAN’s Board
July: Building on our Legacy: Ensuring a Strong and Sustainable Future
Throughout 2018, we have opened the door to your questions, concerns and ideas via our Governance Committee at [email protected].
We believe these new bylaws honour the legacy of people living with HIV (PLHIV) at PAN and across our network. They also explicitly invite the voices of people with lived experience of hepatitis C. Additionally, we wish to include Indigenous leadership at the board level. There will continue to be dedicated representation of all geographic regions in BC – which is essential to PAN’s work as a truly provincial network – while at the same time allowing for greater flexibility in how board members are elected.
Alongside this work, Board and staff are exploring how operationally, we can more meaningfully engage the voices of PLHIV through the PLDI and the annual fall meeting; and ways in which PAN’s work can also be informed by people with lived experience (PWLE).
You are invited to:
- Please read the new draft bylaws, reviewed and approved by our lawyer.
- Check out the FAQ quick reference guide for a summary of the changes and reasons behind them.
- Register here for the teleconference Town Hall meeting on September 12th from 12-1pm.
- Comment or request a call back via [email protected].
We are excited to keep hearing from and engaging with you between now and Fall Conference!