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Org Independence

Overview

The Policy on Organizational Independence of The Chinyere and Chinelo Ikoku Foundation and of The Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku Foundation (the “Organizational Independence Policy”) is a primary means by which The Ikoku Foundations holds and maintains its independence as essential to its founding, formation, mission, and purposes, to its administration, governance, management, and operation, to its personnel, properties, and rights, as well as to their protections.

Therefore, persons engaged in any activity involving, referring to, relating to, or otherwise pertaining to The Ikoku Foundations are expected to uphold the principles delineated below.

I — Your Independence Agreements

— first, with respect to the Agreement you enter into with The Ikoku Foundations via the Organizational Independence Policy, the Codes and Polices, and The Ikoku Foundations User Agreement and Code of Conduct, you understand and adhere to the following:

i. Your Agreement
that you understand the Codes and Policies, including the Organizational Independence Policy, to be an integral part of The Ikoku Foundations User Agreement and Code of Conduct you enter into with The Ikoku Foundations.
ii. Your Consent
that your consent to The Ikoku Foundations User Agreement and Code of Conduct includes your legally equivalent consent to the Codes and Polices and to the Organizational Independence Policy.
iii. Your Adherence
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by the Organizational Independence Policy and the Codes and Policies, in their entirety without modification, including as they are amended from time to time by The Ikoku Foundations.
iv. Your Duty
that you have read, understood, consented to, and accepted your attendant duty to the Organizational Independence Policy as well as to the Codes and Policies — which is limited to specifically include your legally binding agreement to refrain from and report any breach, diminishment, disruption, impediment, interference, or other violation pertaining to these Policies; as well as any diminishment, impediment, or interference with, in any way, the sole ability, discretion, opportunity, and right of The Ikoku Foundations and the sole Founder, Owner and Manager, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku, to determine compliance with the Codes and Policies and to have their decision be final and binding and not subject to challenge or appeal.
vi. Your Accordance with Ethics
that any of your activity subject to the Organizational Independence Policy shall further remain in accordance with the Founding and Governing Code of Ethics.
vii. Your Accordance with Integrity
that any of your activity subject to the Organizational Independence Policy shall further remain in accordance with the Policy on Organizational Integrity.
viii. Your Accordance with Mission
that any of your activity subject to the Organizational Independence Policy shall further remain in accordance with the founding mission and purposes of The Ikoku Foundations, without incompatibility, as described and delineated in the Codes and Policies and the Founder’s Operating Agreement.
ix. Your Knowledge
that you are aware that The Ikoku Foundations strongly recommends you develop and maintain your knowledge of all the Codes and Policies, and so asks that you read, understand, and regularly visit this section and other communications regarding the Organizational Independence Policy, as well as the Codes and Policies; that you agree that updating this section constitutes legally sufficient notice; and that you therefore acknowledge that The Ikoku Foundations takes your continued engagement in any activity involving, referring, relating, or otherwise pertaining to The Ikoku Foundations as active indication of your current and updated knowledge, understanding, and legally binding acceptance of and agreement to the Organizational Independence Policy as well as the Codes and Policies, as they are amended from time to time.

II — Your Independence Understandings

— second, with respect to the Organizational Independence Policy, you understand and adhere to the following:

i. Your Understanding of Organizational Independence
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by understandings of organizational independence as they are defined and provided for in applicable law and regulation, and by The Ikoku Foundations in the Codes and Polices, including as delineated in this Policy.
ii. Your Understanding of Organizational Independence Principles
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by understandings of organizational independence as they are defined and provided for in applicable law and regulation, and by The Ikoku Foundations in the Codes and Polices, including as delineated in this Policy, to be fulfilled and respected and not infringed or violated, in any way, by you.
iii. Your Understanding of Organizational Independence Rights
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by understandings of organizational independence as they are defined and provided for in applicable law and regulation, and by The Ikoku Foundations in the Codes and Polices, including as delineated in this Policy, to be fulfilled and respected and not infringed or violated, in any way, by you.
iv. Your Understanding of Organizational Independence Protections
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by understandings of organizational independence as they are defined and provided for in applicable law and regulation, and by The Ikoku Foundations in the Codes and Polices, including as delineated in this Policy, to be fulfilled and respected and not breached or violated, in any way, by you.

III — Your Independence Commitments

— third, given the aforementioned, your commitment to this understanding of organizational independence of its principles, of its rights, and of its protections shall entail the following:

i. Basis for Your Activities
its basis for any activity you engage in with respect to The Ikoku Foundations — including the divisions, series, subsidiaries, and affiliates, as well as the Products and Services — and that any such activities you engage in shall be free of any incompatibility with, inconsistency with, or violation of the Organizational Independence Policy or any applicable law or regulation.
ii. Commitment to Organizational Independence
that this commitment include but not be limited to upholding for every person at The Ikoku Foundations the most humane, protective, respectful, robust and strictest interpretations of organizational independence, including as such organizational independence is provided for in the Organizational Independence Policy, in the Codes and Policies, and in applicable law and regulation.
iii. Commitment to Organizational Independence Principles, Rights and Protections
that this commitment include but not be limited to upholding for every person at The Ikoku Foundations the most humane, protective, respectful, robust and strictest interpretations of organizational independence principles, rights, and protections, including as such principles, rights, and protections are provided for in the Organizational Independence Policy, in the Codes and Policies, and in applicable law and regulation.
iv. Commitment to Respectful and Protective Practices
that you respectfully assist solely via Your Duty as described in the Organizational Independence Policy and in no way interfere with or impede the reasonable efforts taken by The Ikoku Foundations to translate the above commitments into practices for developing and maintaining protections pertaining to organizational independence; for determining compliance with those protections; and for fulfilling, respecting, and safeguarding persons, properties, and interests relating to organizational independence of its principles, of its rights, and of its protections, including but not limited to those delineated in the Organizational Independence Policy and the Codes and Policies.
v. Commitment to Protections Following and Ahead of the Law
that you also respectfully assist solely via Your Duty as described in the Organizational Independence Policy and in no way interfere with or impede the reasonable efforts taken by The Ikoku Foundations to obtain, keep current and comply with required organizational independence law and regulation, as they pertain to applicable local, state, national and international jurisdictions, including to adopt a coupled approach to legal and substantive protections for organizational independence derived, in part, from the provision of rights and protections via advances in law and regulation, but also often beyond what the law provides for and protects.

Further Considerations

Further Agreement

 and furthermore, by engaging in any activity involving, referring to, relating to, or otherwise pertaining to The Ikoku Foundations, any activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent of The Ikoku Foundations, any activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent of the divisions, series, subsidiaries, or affiliates, as well as any activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent of the Products or Services, you accept and agree to the statements, terms, conditions, and requirements described in this section and in the Codes and Policies, regarding the Acceptable Use Policy of The Ikoku Foundations, in their entirety without modification, including as amended and updated from time to time by The Ikoku Foundations, and you further accept and agree to fully inform The Ikoku Foundations in writing of any knowledge you have regarding any activity subject to this Policy.

Read Further Below

Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, Lagos, Nigeria, February 23 2019 (Babatunde Olajide)

Details of the Policy

Provision

Along with the above principles, the Policy on Organizational Independence requires your adherence to correlative principles delineated below.

A — On Independence

Of Administration

— that the independent administration of The Ikoku Foundations and the rights attendant to such independence — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent executive administration, control, governance, management, regulation, and supervision of The Ikoku Foundations exclusively and only by the sole Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Operation

— that the independent operation of The Ikoku Foundations and the rights attendant to such independence — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent executive development, evaluation, operation, provision, and review of The Ikoku Foundations exclusively and only by the sole Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Government

— that the independence of The Ikoku Foundations from governments and the rights attendant to such independence and nongovernmental status — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent distinction and separation of The Ikoku Foundations from government and state activities, bodies, entities, offices, persons, processes, or equivalent and their agents and properties — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Politics

— that the independence of The Ikoku Foundations from politics and the rights attendant to such independence and nonpolitical status — including the independent distinction and separation of The Ikoku Foundations from political activities, bodies, entities, offices, persons, processes, or equivalent and their agents — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Public

— that the independence of The Ikoku Foundations from public control and the rights attendant to such independence and private status — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent distinction and separation of The Ikoku Foundations from collective, common, communal and public administration, control, decision-making, management, ownership, supervision, or equivalent — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Religion

— that the independence of The Ikoku Foundations from organized religions and the rights attendant to such independence and nonreligious status — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent distinction and separation of The Ikoku Foundations from organized religious administration, control, decision-making, management, ownership, supervision, or equivalent — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Surveillance

— that the independence of The Ikoku Foundations from surveillance or equivalent and the rights attendant to such independence — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the defense, distinction and separation of The Ikoku Foundations from monitoring, reviewing, surveilling, tracking, or other oversight or transparency by activities, bodies, entities, offices, persons, processes, or equivalent that are not the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku, or those explicitly appointed and employed by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder to conduct such work — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

B — On Liberties

Of Activity

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to conduct lawful activities and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to conduct such lawful activities defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Foundations, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those activities that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Affiliation

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to enter into lawful affiliations and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to enter into such lawful affiliations defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Foundations, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those affiliations, partnerships, sponsorships, third-party arrangements, or equivalent that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Association

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to form lawful associations and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to form such lawful associations defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Foundations, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those associations that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Autonomy

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to be and remain autonomous and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to operate autonomously and self-govern as independently determined and administered by the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Confidentiality

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to attain and maintain confidentiality and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to operate confidentially and have any of its activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent be and remain confidential, as independently determined and administered only by the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Exchange

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to engage in lawful exchange and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to engage in such lawful exchange defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Foundations, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those exchanges that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Inquiry

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to engage in lawful inquiry and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to engage in such lawful inquiry defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Foundations, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those inquiries that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Privacy

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to attain and maintain privacy and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to operate privately and have any of its activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent be and remain private, as independently determined and administered only by the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Property

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to acquire and have property and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to engage in lawful activities with respect to its own property as independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Spiritual Faith

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to abide by spiritual faith commitments and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Foundations to be based in such spiritual faith defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Foundations, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those spiritual faith commitments that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Thought

— that the basic, fundamental and natural rights of persons to liberties of mind and thought as well as their confidentiality and privacy — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to freedoms, liberties, and rights of activities and functions of the mind, such as cognition, conscience, creativity, decision, deliberation, emotion, ideation, imagination, intellect, perception, physiology, reason, soul, spirit, thought, and will — and those liberties and rights that preclude and prohibit having the activities and functions of any individual’s mind subject to any access, imposition, intrusion, monitoring, or other activity engaged by another person, by communities, professions, publics, or states — that such liberties and rights be absolute as well as actively attained, maintained, protected, secured and neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated, and so, continually fulfilled and fully enjoyed by all persons.

Actor in Macbeth Costume
Macbeth, Undated (New York Public Library)
Wide Staircase with Statue and Urns on First Landing
Stairs, British Museum, London, United Kingdom, 2018 (Monty Lov)
Girl Kneeling in Busy Street
Tibetan Girl, 2017 (Journey Yang)

Associated Policies

Provision

As stated earlier, The Ikoku Foundations User Agreement and Code of Conduct consist of several Codes and Policies that collectively govern all of your activity with, within, for, in reference to and otherwise pertaining to The Ikoku Foundations. By continuing, you indicate that you understand that the Codes and Policies include — but are not limited to — the Founding and Mission Statement, the Founding and Governing Code of Ethics, the Policy on Privacy and Confidentiality, the Terms and Conditions of Use and Service, and the Acceptable Uses Policy along with all Associated Codes and Policies. Access to the aforementioned is provided below.

Founding and Mission

Statement on Founding and Mission of The Ikoku Foundations (HTML)

Founding Code of Ethics

Founding Code of Ethics (HTML)

Privacy and Confidentiality

Policy on Privacy and Confidentiality (HTML)

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions of Use and Service (HTML)

The Acceptable Uses Policy

Acceptable Use Policy (HTML)

All Policies

All Policies (HTML)

Woman Bending Down to Tend Crops
Sierra Leone, 2017 (Annie Spratt)
Child in Costume Looking at Camera
Niño, Cusco, Peru, 2018 (Ben Ostrower)
Woman Seated on Mat on Floor, Holding Fan
Seated by Kpone Katamanso District Assembly Office, Tema, Ghana, 2017 (Nathaniel Tetteh)
People Holding Peace Banner and Respect Sign
Women's March, Boston, USA, 2017, (Alice Donovan Rouse)

Also at The Foundations

As stated earlier, The Ikoku Foundations are dedicated to fostering philanthropy and good works concerning Africa, its global diasporas and a range of shared societies — toward the betterment of lives across the globe. And so in accordance with the above, The Foundations provide the following:

I.

Nonprofits Dedicated to Africa

Independent, private, non-profit organizations that serve the public interest in Africa and its global diasporas — by advancing education and research and by also supporting creative ideas, civic endeavors and emerging communities, organizations and societies.

II.

Support for a Global and Just Future

A founding mission and ongoing emphases of support for good works that help the public understand Africa’s essential place in a global future, one that is to be more knowledgeable, environmentally sustainable, equitable and of benefit across communities in just societies.

III.

A Vision of the Public Good

A vision of the public good that accounts for the past while ensuring a just and shared future. That draws inspiration from peoples who, despite a history of systemic difficulties, maintain an unyielding belief that the betterment of their human condition will foster the betterment of those living around them and will enhance the present and futures of the regularly disenfranchised, marginalized and underserved.

More About Us

The Ikoku Foundations