Membership

ITM was created to provide a platform for Travellers and Traveller groups to come collectively together to share information and develop a collective vision on policies that would promote equality for Travellers in Irish society

A Membership-led Movement
The ITM, as a national membership organisation, depends on an engaged local membership. While the ITM does provide supports to its Traveller member organisations, it also depends on this membership’s active involvement to build a strong Movement, through active participation in everything we do.

The ITM Central Group (the Board) is elected annually by our members at the AGM, and is constitutionally designed in a way, that there will always be a majority of Travellers and that the chair must always be a Traveller.

The ITM employs a number of staff with specific roles; however without the active involvement of its members (Travellers and Traveller Organisations in particular) the ITM would be a membership organisation in name only. This is a two-way process, with active members participating with and feeding into ITM structures on an ongoing basis, while the ITM staff reverting regularly back to its members for feedback and to receive a mandate for further actions.

Joining an ITM Working Group or the Central Group, or participating in the Regional Networks, AGM, Seminars or Training Days are all different ways of getting actively involved in the Movement – check our events page for upcoming ITM membership spaces.

The ITM also encourages ITM members to use the newsletter to publicise local events, publications and job opportunities. The more active engagement there is by Travellers and other members, the more effective the Movement will become in advocating on Travellers human rights.

What ITM will do:
ITM members as part of our strategic plan looked at building dynamic, creative ways for the membership as a collective to ensure that ITM is led by its members and that Travellers are actively involved in all aspects of the work: locally, regionally and nationally. The key actions over from 2017-2020 will focus on:

• Develop, disseminate and support the adoption of the Irish Traveller Movement Charter among all our members
• Build practices to ensure Travellers take on key roles locally, regionally and nationally
• Support and enable best practice among our members to ensure local Traveller organisations become stronger
• Create spaces to ensure the Movement remains a grassroots-led organisation responsive to new issues and developing collective analysis
• Create spaces for our members to be involved in dynamic discussions leading to innovative, solution based policies and actions for change
• Create space for Travellers & Traveller activists to look at new ways to bring Travellers into the work of ITM to ensure a vibrant engagement of Travellers locally and nationally

Profile of ITM Members
Approximately 35 Traveller organisations are members of the Irish Travellers Movement. These organisations are predominantly local Traveller organisations spread across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with a few members located in Britain. A number of national Traveller organisations are also part of the membership of the ITM, including Exchange House, Traveller Counselling Service and National Traveller MABS.

If you are interested in getting involved locally, visit our members’ contact page which can be accessed here

Join the ITM

The membership of the Irish Traveller Movement consists of Full Members (Traveller Groups with active Traveller participation) and Associate Members (individuals or other groups who support the aims of ITM) and individual members. The criteria for the three forms of membership are listed below.

For more information on affiliating to the ITM, contact Eve O’Brien on membership@itmtrav.ie

• Full Membership for Traveller Organisations
• Associate Membership for anyone else (Traveller Primary Health Care Programmes, NGOs and Human Rights Organisations, Local Area-based Partnerships, Community & Youth Groups, State Organisations, other individuals, etc.)
• Individual Membership

Anyone, who supports the aims and core principles of the ITM can affiliate to become a member. Joining the Movement strengthens the organisation and its mandate to advocate and lobby on Traveller issues. In turn, members receive regular updates (via our newsletter) and the opportunity to join its working groups, take part in the regional networks and the AGM or become a member of the Central Group, which is the management structure of the Movement.

To develop policy on issues affecting Travellers, the ITM has established a number of working groups. Currently there are two working groups: Accommodation and Education (an employment working group is currently being considered). The effectiveness of working groups depends entirely on the active engagement of Travellers and other ITM members. From time-to-time, there may also be additional short-term project groups.

Membership of the ITM

1. Full Member

Criteria: Must be a Local Traveller Organisation/ Traveller Group

The Rights Afforded to Full Members are:

Receive all information from the ITM
Can be involved in Working Groups and Regional Networks
Invited to AGM
Full voting rights at AGM
Can be member of the Central Group

1. a National/ International Full Member

Criteria: National and International Irish Traveller Organisations

The Rights Afforded to National and International Full Members are:

Invited to AGM
Full voting rights at AGM
Receive all ITM information
Can be on National Working Groups
Can be on Regional Networks

2. Associate Member

Criteria: Organisations and Individuals who support and sign up to the Core Principles, aims and objectives of ITM e.g. Primary Health Care Programmes, Statutory Bodies, Pre-schools, Training Centres, General CDPs, Partnerships etc.

The Rights Afforded to Associate Members are:

Can receive ITM newsletter and general information
Invited to the AGM
Can be involved in National Working Groups

3. Individual Traveller Member

Criteria: Individuals who are not linked into local groups and who sign up to the Core Principles, aims and objectives of ITM.

The Rights Afforded to Individual Traveller Members are:

Can receive ITM newsletter and general information
Can be Involved in National Working Groups
Can be involved in Regional Networks
Invited to the AGM

To protect the Core Vision and the collective ownership of the Movement, only full members (i.e. Traveller Organisations) have a vote at the AGM.
Participation in the ITM

Annual Membership Fees