A committee is a group of people who work together to solve specific problems.
Before proceeding to determine the meaning of the term committee , we must know its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it derives from English and this from French committee . However, this Gallic word comes, in turn, from the Latin committere , which is the result of the sum of two clearly delimited components:
-The prefix con- , which means “together.”
-The verb mittere , which is synonymous with “to send” and “to promise.”
What is a committee?
Committee is a concept that was apparently created at the beginning of the 17th century, specifically in 1621, in the House of Lords in London. Specifically, it was coined to define the group of political representatives who met with the clear objective of being able to find a solution to a specific problem.
The notion can be used as a synonym for commission : a group of individuals who work together to solve a problem or carry out a project.
For example: "The government decided to convene the crisis committee to assist the victims of the flood" , "The legislators proposed creating a committee in charge of controlling the expenses of the Executive Branch" , "The player could be punished by the Disciplinary Committee" .
Committees have different characteristics depending on the type of entity.
Characteristics according to the type of entity
Although the characteristics of the committee vary according to the type of entity, it can be said that it is a working group that has certain powers . Some committees operate permanently and others are convened on special occasions.
The body in charge of the direction of a political party , in this context, is known as a committee. In some countries the term is also used to name the premises where the militants of a political party meet: “Tomorrow there will be a meeting in the committee to define the last details of the campaign” , “The party committee decided to expel the deputy after his controversial statements” , “The writer was a member of the Socialist Party committee for eight years” .
The International Olympic Committee , on the other hand, is the body responsible for organizing the Olympic Games and promoting Olympism worldwide. It was founded in 1894 in France with the aim of resuming the tradition initiated with the Olympic Games of antiquity.
Works council
Likewise, we cannot forget that there is also what is known as a company committee. This is a group made up of people from the same company who act as representatives of the rest of the workers in that company. Hence, for example, they are not only responsible for resolving any type of salary conflict but also negotiate certain conditions with the owners and managers of the aforementioned company. We are referring to aspects such as salary increases, working conditions, vacations, overtime...
Delegates or union representatives is the name given to the members of the aforementioned committee, who are elected democratically by their colleagues.