DHRLife By-laws

ARTICLE 1.: NAME

The organization is officially registered in the Province of Quebec under the name DIASPORA VIE – DIASPORA HOME RETURN is the English version with the acronym DHRLife.

ARTICLE 2.: OBJECTIVES

1. To bring together members of the community within Partner Associations in their respective regions in Canada without distinction of race, tribe, gender, sexual orientation, or religion in assisting with funeral costs and facilitating the journey of deceased members to their final resting places.
2. To provide a social networking platform through which members can share their ideas, assist each other, and also trade in goods and services at discounted rates.

ARTICLE 3.: MEMBERSHIP

• COMPOSITION

1. Membership is
2. Associations, groups, and families with at least 10 members can register as a Group or Partner Association.
3. Partner Associations must pay a one-time fee of $50 and have no less than 10 active
4. Partner Association or group must be based in Canada and must have a Canadian
5. Any Partner Association that adheres to DHRLife accepts its Bylaws and undertakes to respect them scrupulously.
6. An individual can only become a member by subscribing to a Partner Association or
7. Members must provide full names and dates of birth as they appear on official documents at the time of subscription.
8. An individual becomes a member of DHRLife as soon as a registration number is assigned and published.
9. No member can have two registration
10. It is the responsibility of each Partner Association or Group to ensure that its members do not have double registration numbers.
11. A member can transfer his/her membership from one Partner Association or Group to another at no cost.
12. Partner Associations or Groups are responsible for managing and updating their members’ lists and information on their portal.
13. DHRLife will not accept changes to information already provided after the announcement of the death of the member.

3.2. : TYPES OF MEMBERS

DHRLife has three types of members:

3.2.1. : REGULAR MEMBER

1. Regular membership is open to people with a primary residential address in
2. Upon registration, a regular member will undergo a 30-day waiting
3. Their membership status is inactive and they do not make any contributions and are not
4. After the waiting period, the status changes to active and is covered as such irrespective of the place of death.

3.2.2. : VISITOR MEMBER

1. Visitor membership is open to people who are on a temporary stay in Canada and have their primary residential address outside of Canada.
2. A visitor’s status is active immediately upon
3. They will contribute to deaths during the duration of their active status and are covered only if they die within Canada.
4. Their membership terminates at the end of their stay in Canada and it is the responsibility of the Partner Association or Group to change the status to inactive.
5. Their membership status can be changed to active if they return to

3.2.3. : PARENT MEMBER

1. Parent membership is open to biological parents of active
2. The parent must be residing or visiting in Canada or the United
3. Upon registration, parents will undergo three months of probation during which time their membership status will be inactive.
4. Being inactive, they shall not be liable to make contributions and shall not be eligible to receive death benefits.
5. After the probation period, their membership status becomes active and they shall make contributions and be eligible if they pass away in Canada or the United States.
6. They may be registered again upon their return to Canada or the United States but shall undergo the probation period.

3.3. : TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Membership of DHRLife can be terminated by:

1. The death of a
2. Withdrawal by any Partner Association or
   1. To withdraw, Partner Association or Group shall submit a reasoned letter to the Board of Directors
3. Expulsion or breach of the

ARTICLE 4.: ORGANIZATION

The organs of DHRLife shall be the National Office and the General Assembly.

4.1. : NATIONAL OFFICE

1. The national office is made up of the Board of Directors and the Executive
2. The tenure of the members of the Board of Directors shall be (3) years renewable
3. The members of the Executive committee are elected for a term of (2) years renewable once by a simple majority of the general assembly.

4.2. : BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

• COMPOSITION

The Board of Directors shall be made up of the following members:

4.2.1. The number of Board members shall not be more than 19 at any given time and shall include:

1. The president, VP Finance, VP Membership, VP Communications, VP Operations and VP Information Technology and Security of the Executive Committee.
2. The rest shall be elected by the General
3. An Auditor (with non voting right).

4.2.2. : RESPONSIBILITIES

The Board of Directors shall:

8. Have control of and be responsible for the management of the affairs and property of
9. Develop, implement and monitor policies that will allow DHRLife to carry out its
10. Maintain effective partnerships and communication with the community, the members, and
11. Maintain fiscal responsibility, including raising capital, managing funds, and approving
12. Ensure transparency in all communications to members, stakeholders, and the
13. Evaluate the work of the Executive Committee ensuring compliance with strategic plans and
14. Have authority to suspend or expel any member from DHRLIfe for any one or more of the following grounds:
    1. Violating any provision of the Articles of the Bylaws, or written policies of DHRLife;
    2. Fraud;
    3. Carrying out any conduct which may be detrimental to DHRLife as determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion.
15. Replace any national officer who resigns or is unable to act or is absent for a prolonged period of time, thus, until the following general meeting where an election shall be held to fill the vacant position(s).
16. Create the appropriate committees to oversee the proper functioning of DHRLife and to elect the members to the said committees.
17. Jointly sign DHRLife’s cheques with the appointed executive committee
18. Determine the sanction on a Partner Association or Group that defaults on their membership quota after the stipulated deadline.
19. Shall investigate allegations of
20. The Board of Directors shall operate based on the code of conduct which shall be defined in a separate document.
21. Other functions which the Board of Directors in its sole and absolute discretion considers to be reasonable, having regard to the purpose and mission of DHRLife.

4.2.3. : BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS

1. The Board of Directors shall meet at least 4 times a year (this could be physical as well as virtual). Preferably at the end of each quarter.
2. Shall be called to validate, announce, coordinate collection, and disbursement of
3. Meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the chair, vice-chair, or any 5 of the
4. Partner Association may be invited to attend and participate in Board of Directors meetings, but shall not have a right to vote.
5. Notices of Board of Directors meetings shall be given not less than 2 weeks prior to the

4.2.4. : QUORUM

1. The quorum of the Board of Directors shall be constituted if 51% of its members are
2. The decisions of the Board of Directors shall be made by a 3/4 majority vote of the members present and voting.

4.3. : THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

• COMPOSITION

The Executive Committee shall be made up of:

4.3.1.1  : PRESIDENT

The responsibilities of the president are as follows:

1. Shall be the chief executive officer implementing the strategic plans and
2. Subject to the authority of the Board of Directors, shall have general powers of supervision and representation of DHRLife.
3. Shall chair the meetings of the General
4. Shall call General Assembly and Executive Committee

4.3.1.2.  : VICE PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF COMMUNICATION

The responsibilities are as follows:

1. Shall be responsible for all internal and external
2. Shall be the secretary of the General Assembly and Board of Directors’
3. Shall keep the minute books and all documents of DHRLife Shall publish minutes and notices of meetings.
4. Shall develop and communicate public relations policies of

4.3.1.3.  : VICE PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF OPERATIONS

The responsibilities are as follows:

1. Shall define, document, publish, and archive all relevant processes, policies, and procedures of DHLife in consultation with, and approval of the Board of Directors.
2. Shall develop, plan and coordinate various activities of DHRLife in regards to project

4.3.1.4.  : VICE PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF FINANCE

The responsibilities are as follows:

1. Shall ensure that all financial transactions are properly
2. Shall collect all DHRLife dues and any money owed to
3. Shall present to the Executive Committee, General Assembly upon request, or every quarter, the bank statement and DHRLife’s financial report.
4. Shall make all disbursements authorized by the Board of
5. Shall be one of the signatories to the Bank

4.3.1.5.  : VICE PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF MEMBERSHIP

The responsibilities are as follows:

1. Shall coordinate membership drives and activities in collaboration with provincial liaison
2. Shall administer DHRLife’s membership in terms of prospect, growth, and

4.3.1.6 VICE PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY

The responsibilities are as follows.

1. Monitor and administer DHRLife’s website and its information systems, digital assets by ensuring they are secure and available.
2. Ensure DHRLife has robust business continuity and disaster recovery plans in place to minimize downtime and data loss in case of an incident.
3. Ensure effective communication with other departments and representatives to understand their IT needs and meet their challenges with the website.
4. Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and maintain best practices for information

4.4.: GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1. Shall be the supreme body of DHRLife and its decision shall be
2. Shall be composed of representatives of all Partner Associations and Groups, the National Office and the

Board of Directors.

3. The venue of the meetings shall be determined by the Board of Directors on a rotational
4. The quorum of the General Assembly shall be 1/4 of the registered members and decisions shall be agreed on by ½ of the members sitting in the General Assembly.
5. The meeting shall be convened by the chair or the President through the following channels:
   1. Email b.Telephone call
   2. Social media platform

ARTICLE 5.: EXTRAORDINARY MEETING.

1. An extraordinary GA Meeting can be called by the Chair, Vice-Chair, or President in the event of a force Majeure or as may be deemed necessary given the circumstances.

ARTICLE 6.: FRAUD

The following shall be considered fraud:

1. Registration of a regular member whose principal address is not in Canada
2. Creation or attempted creation of duplicate
3. Changing membership details (name, date of birth) after registration without the approval of the Board of Directors.
4. Falsification of documents of any

ARTICLE 7.: DOCUMENTS TO BE PROVIDED IN THE EVENT OF A DEATH

• A member who dies on Canadian territory, Partner Association or Group must provide the following documents to the Board of Directors:
  1. The death certificate;
  2. Photo;
  3. Proof of

2. Any one of the following;
   1. Proof of primary address or
   2. Permanent Resident Card or proof of Canada

• In the event of the death of a member outside of Canada, the Partner Association or Group must provide the following supporting documents:
  1. The death certificate and/or any certification of death;
  2. Photo,
  3. Proof of registration

2. Any two of the
   1. Copy of Drivers license or residence card or Provincial/Territorial health card or passport
   2. Social Insurance Number (SIN);
   3. Air Ticket;
   4. Paystub or Equivalent;
   5. Notice of

7.3. In the event of the death of a visitor member on Canadian Territory, the following supporting documents must be provided;

1. The death certificate and/or any certification of death;
2. Photo;
3. Proof of Registration;
4. Relevant passport pages

7.4.: DHRLife is not responsible for administrative formalities for a deceased member.

ARTICLE 8.: CONTRIBUTIONS

• BENEFIT AMOUNT

1. DHRLife shall pay the death benefit amount to the designated beneficiary of an active member at the time of their death.

• Determination of Death Benefit

1. The amount of death benefits payable to the beneficiaries shall be determined by the conditions stated in the articles that follow.
2. The amount of death benefit paid out shall be on a progressive basis linked to DHRLife’ s membership growth determined after every two-years.
3. For the purpose of these bylaws, “membership growth” is defined as the percentage increase in the total number of active members of DHRLife, calculated on a two-year basis from the start of every third year.
4. The progressive payout shall be based on a consistent membership growth achieved over two years.
5. The amount of the payout shall be increased in the following two years period if there was a 10% growth in membership in the previous 2 years.
6. The increase in the amount shall be determined by the Board of Directors if the condition stated in the preceding article is met.
7. Notwithstanding the previous and foregoing provisions of these Articles, the amount of the benefit to be paid out shall never be less than 5000 (five thousand) dollars and the premium paid by members shall never be more than $10.
8. Membership growth shall be calculated at the end of every 2 years year by the VP Finance or designated financial officer.
9. Based on the attained growth rate, the amount paid out can either be increased or the premium reduced or both.

Special Provisions

10. In the event of a significant drop in membership, defined as a decrease of 20% or more, DHRLife reserves the right to suspend or modify the payout structure for the subsequent two
11. Any disputes or disagreements regarding the calculation of membership growth or payout distribution shall be resolved by the Board of Directors, whose decision shall be final.
12. The Board of Directors shall review the effectiveness of the progressive payout structure after every 2 years.

8.3.1. CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

1. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to call for contributions from Partner Association and groups upon the official announcement of death.
2. The list calling for contributions and amounts shall be based on the number of active members of the Partner Association or Group at the time of death of the member.
3. Each Partner Association or Group’s representative shall be responsible for collecting and making good the contribution of the amount determined based on the Article 8.3.2 above.
4. The representatives of Partner Association or Group shall have 30 days to notify the Board of Directors of the death of a member and provide all the necessary documents required under Article 7 within the same period.
5. The Board of directors shall have 15 days to officially announce the death from the date they are notified by the Representative of the partner Association or Group.
6. The Board of Directors shall provide a notice of the call for contributions to the Representatives of the Partner Associations and Groups within the 15 days stated in Article

8.3.5 above specifying the amount requested from each Partner Association or Group.

7. Failure to comply by Article 3.4, the claim shall be inadmissible.
8. The representatives of the Partner Associations and Groups shall be required to pay their contributions within 72 hours from the date of the notice calling for contributions.
9. Failure to contribute shall result in the penalties defined under Article 4.3.
10. Any surplus funds collected beyond the immediate needs of the Death Benefit amount may be retained for future use, at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

8.4. ADMINISTRATIVE FEES

1. The individual member contribution will include an administrative fee, which will be determined by the Board of Directors.
2. The administrative fee will serve to cover management expenses for
3. Any Partner Associate that does not meet the deadline of 72 hours, shall pay a late fee of

$50 per day for each day of default to a maximum of $250.

ARTICLE 9. AUDIT GENERAL

• OBJECTIVES OF AUDIT

1. To oversee the financial reporting disclosure
2. To monitor documentation authenticity so as to facilitate the smooth running of DHRLife’s internal processes.
3. To monitor and update DHRLife’s system of internal control and compliance in accordance with federal and provincial laws and regulations.
4. To work with the independent external auditor to facilitate disclosure of source documents when required.
5. To interact with the National Office to monitor and propagate ethics and

• The audit committee will meet every quarter to discuss, analyze, report on its findings and make proposals and recommendations to the Board of Directors to improve on processes and procedures for better transparency and functionality and take action where necessary.

ARTICLE 10. AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS

The Bylaws shall be amended by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly Meeting.