Subject: FINANCES - Repetition
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0 -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
X-Comment: The Transnational Radical Party List
Note on the finances of the transnational radical party
By Ottavio Lavaggi, treasurer of the Radical Party
The transnational radical party draws all its financial resorces from
membership fees and donations.
The membership fee varies depending on the country of residence of each
member and is equal to 1% of the per capita GNP ofthe country concerned.
This means, for instance, that the 1994 fee for italian residents is
280.000 liras (equivalent to 185 US$), the fee for US residents is 255 $,
the fee for russian residents is the Rouble equivalent of 10US$, and so on.
Membership fees can be paid in local currencies, but is determined in terms
of US dollars, D marks or F francs in countries with very unstable
currencies and very high inflation, such as former USSR, former Jugoslavia
and parts of latin america.
No minimum fee is fixed for members residing in countries in civil war,
such as Bosnia or Angola; parliamentarians and wealthy members are
encouraged to contribute with higher sums.
A total of 42,394 individuals from 65 countries have joined the radical
party in 1993 (data updated to nov. 12th), and the total yearly income from
membership fees and donations has been 13,219 million liras (equivalent to
8.O2 million US$); the average fee paid by each member is about 180 US$.
The level of the membership fee is certainly high in absolute terms, much
higher than the average fee asked by national polical parties or
humanitarian associations. Joining the radical party requires in fact a
strong commitment to its campaigns and initiatives. Some members can affod
to contribute also with their free time, participating in activities and
campaigns (congresses, seminars, marches, collection of signatures etc.)
others can only provide a financial contribution.
In relative terms, however, our high membership fee is not extravagant: we
ask each member less than the cost of a daily cup of coffee to contribute
to campaigns that can determine the fate of countries ravaged by famine or
civil war and lead to an international order based on the rule of law,
providing security at a much lower cost than the present
diplomatic/military order.
The money collected in 1993 has been used, until now:
- to support the operation of the party headquarter, based in Rome and of
the offices that we have in 20 different countries; the party has no
permanent staff, but some members working full time for the party recieve
monthly allowances between a minimum of150 US$ and a maximum of 1800 US$
(or equilvalent). Total cost: about $ 2.2 million;
- to cover the cost of telephone and fax communications and to support
Agora', our telematic system that allows members from all over the world to
obtain and deliver informations and messages using their personal computers
(PCs and MACs). Total cost: about $ 0.7 million;
- to cover the cost of campaigns and political initiatives, such as the
creation of the ad-hoc international court for former Jugoslavia, the
permanent international war crimes tribunal, the abolition of death penalty
worldwide by the year 2000, democratic devolpment and promotion of civil
rights in eastern Europe and in Africa, an anti-prohibitionist approach to
the drugs problem. Total cost: about $ 1.1 million;
- to cover the cost of printing and mailing our magazine, "The new Party",
which is currently published in 16 languages, and other booklets and
leaflets published in individual languages. Total cost: about $ 0.7
million;
- to cover the board, lodging and travel costs of meetings of the party
general council and of the parliamentary assembly, for a total of $ 0.4
million;
- to cover the deficit the party accumulated during 1991 and 1992, for a
total of $ 2 million.
The 1994 members registration campaign has been opened at the end of
october. The numer and quality of campaigns the radical party will be able
to promote next year will depend on the level of available financial
resources, i.e. on the numer of members and on their generosity and wisdom.
