Holding a position within AIPS is, for almost everyone, voluntary work. Apart from the past or current remuneration and expense coverage of a few top leaders, as well as the salaries of certain office staff, the vast majority of us take on leadership responsibilities while also assuming financial burdens ourselves or for our national associations. We do so because we believe that representing our profession and our colleagues at the international level is a cause worth devoting exceptional amounts of energy, time, and resources too.
Although we are aware of this in principle, we rarely stop to truly consider what it means in practice. When a colleague travels to a congress or an Executive Committee meeting, they leave behind their job, their family, and their everyday life, often making real sacrifices so that this organisation can function.
The second point of my programme is the introduction of daily allowances for the first delegate members of each national association and for the elected officials attending congresses and Executive Committee meetings. It is important to underline that expense coverage continues to apply for them as well. This is not about turning volunteerism into employment. It is about recognising our colleagues and acknowledging their contribution. Because an organisation that does not value the time and dedication of the people who sustain it will, sooner or later, lose them.
