By using the site, you accept these terms.
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) form a binding agreement between you and Itsekiri National Congress USA, Inc. (“INC-USA,” “we,” or “us”), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia (EIN 33-3023590).
By accessing the website, creating an account, donating, joining a program, or using any INC-USA digital product, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the services.
Who may hold an account.
You may create an INC-USA account if you are at least 13 years old. Accounts for minors between 13 and 17 require a parent or guardian to be the contractual member; telehealth accounts require the supervising adult.
- One account per person. Duplicates may be merged; shared or impersonated accounts will be closed.
- Accurate information. Names, emails, phone numbers, and Region selections must match reality.
- Password security. You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials. Report compromise to security@itsekirinationalcongress.org.
- Role-based access. Admin, volunteer-doctor, and instructor roles require verification by the Secretariat.
Membership is annual and active.
Dues are set by your chartered Region, not centrally by INC-USA. Most Regions charge starting at $20 / month (about $240 / year), with some Regions setting different rates. Dues cover Regional membership (which constitutes participation in the Congress through your Region). Confirm the current schedule with your Regional Secretary. Waivers are available — see below.
- Renewal. Membership renews annually on your join-date anniversary. You may renew online, at a Region Heritage, or by mail.
- Voting rights. Only members in good standing (current on dues, minimum six months active) may vote in National elections.
- Associate members. Non-Itsekiri spouses, in-laws, and friends may join as associate members with event access but without voting rights.
- Lapsed members. If dues lapse more than 120 days, you return to non-member status; re-activation requires a new application.
Gifts are tax-deductible.
INC-USA is a public charity under IRC § 501(c)(3). Donations made through our website, checks, or wire are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. A receipt is issued within seventy-two (72) hours for online gifts and within seven (7) days for offline gifts.
- Restricted gifts. If you designate a fund (Iwere Care, Academy, Heritage Trips, IHIP, Scholarships), we honor the restriction or return the gift.
- Recurring donations. You may cancel, pause, or modify a recurring gift at any time from your account or by email.
- Refunds. Mistaken duplicate charges will be refunded on request within 30 days. Intentional gifts that have been acknowledged with a receipt are generally non-refundable.
- Anonymity. You may request anonymous recognition; the Treasurer retains donor identity for IRS reporting only.
Iwere Care · Academy · Heritage Trips.
Program-specific terms supplement these Terms. By enrolling in a program, you also accept its program terms, which cover safeguarding, scope of service, cancellation, and expected conduct.
- Iwere Care (Telehealth). Is not an emergency service. Call 911 (US) or 112 (Nigeria) for emergencies. Providers are U.S.-licensed volunteers; care is coordinated with local partners.
- Iwere Academy. Free for members. Attendance policies, waitlist rules, and instructor conduct are governed by the Academy Handbook.
- Heritage Trips. Travel is your responsibility; INC-USA provides itinerary, hosting, and guides. Medical, travel, and evacuation insurance are required.
- Esusu · IHIP. Financial programs subject to their own participation agreements, risk disclosures, and state-specific regulations.
We are a congress, not a platform.
The Itsekiri National Congress USA is constituted by its members. Membership requires treating other members — and all guests — with the dignity the Constitution assumes. The following are prohibited on the site, in WhatsApp groups, and at Heritage events:
- Harassment, threats, hate speech, or discrimination by any protected category.
- Impersonation of officers, elders, or other members.
- Unsolicited commercial advertising; political campaigning outside sanctioned forums.
- Sharing private member contact information, governance votes, or bereavement details without consent.
- Uploading malware, running scrapers, or attempting to bypass authentication.
Violations are adjudicated by the Cultural Director and the Ethics Committee, with appeals to the Executive Board. Sanctions range from warning to suspension to removal.
Our marks and content.
The INC-USA name, the Congress seal, the Iwere Care and Iwere Academy marks, and the editorial content on this site are owned by INC-USA or licensed to us. You may view, share, and cite content for personal, non-commercial, educational purposes with attribution.
- No commercial reuse without written permission from the Secretariat.
- No derivative marks. Do not combine our trademarks with your branding.
- Cultural content. Itsekiri cultural material (language, proverbs, palace protocol) is published for preservation and education; any publication should credit elders and the Culture Desk.
You own what you write. We can publish it.
When you submit stories, photos, member spotlights, recipes, or comments, you keep ownership and you grant INC-USA a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, reproduce, adapt, translate, and display your submission in connection with our programs, newsletters, and site.
You represent that your submission is your own or properly licensed, does not infringe any third-party right, and does not include confidential medical information about another person without consent.
No medical advice. No professional advice.
Content on the site — including blog posts, explainers, and Academy classes — is for general educational purposes. It is not medical, legal, tax, or financial advice. Decisions should be made with a licensed professional who knows your situation.
Iwere Care tele-consultations are medical encounters but do not establish a continuing physician-patient relationship outside the documented visit. The volunteer physician’s scope is limited to what the encounter permits, subject to state and federal law.
The site and its content are provided “as is,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, or non-infringement.
To the extent allowed by law.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, INC-USA, its officers, volunteers, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of the site or any program. Our aggregate liability for any claim arising from these Terms shall not exceed the greater of (a) amounts you paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars (US $100).
Some jurisdictions do not allow limits on implied warranties or certain damages; in those jurisdictions the limits above apply only to the extent allowed.
You indemnify us for your acts.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless INC-USA, its officers, directors, volunteers, and agents from any claim, damages, liability, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the site, your violation of any law, or your infringement of any third-party right.
District of Columbia. Informal first.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the District of Columbia, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Before filing any formal proceeding, you agree to first raise the dispute with the Secretariat in writing and to participate in a thirty (30) day good-faith resolution window.
If unresolved, disputes are finally resolved in the state or federal courts located in Washington, D.C., and you consent to personal jurisdiction there. You waive the right to a jury trial and to participate in a class action for matters covered by these Terms.
Either party may walk away.
You may close your account at any time by emailing the Secretariat. INC-USA may suspend or terminate access for Terms violations, conduct inconsistent with the Constitution, or for security reasons. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (intellectual property, limitations of liability, dispute resolution) do survive.
We revise these periodically.
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be announced via email to members and on the site with at least thirty (30) days’ notice. Continued use after the effective date means acceptance; if you do not accept, close your account before the date.
Questions? Write to us.
The Secretariat is the office of record for these Terms. Replies inside 48 hours, Monday to Friday.
Itsekiri National Congress USA, Inc.
1717 N Street NW, STE 1
Washington, DC 20036
legal@itsekirinationalcongress.org
+1 (779) 771-6151