Theos-Talk Archives (May 2008 Message tt00155)

March 4, 2008

To: All General Secretaries,  TS


Dear Brother:

If you look at what has been going on in the election of the International
President, electioneering has taken place to influence the voters. While it
is fully legal to indulge in electioneering, there is a very serious
underlying problem no one wants to address. It is transparency of the
process.

While members are asked to vote, there is no transparency in the process. We
are sent a piece of paper and mark a box and send it back. While a formal
process has been setup, members are in total darkness about what went on and
were there any serious violations, which tilt the election, one way or the
other. In the days of the past, this system worked very well since every
Secretary and other members of the General Council kept their silence, thus
the dues paying members are kept in total darkness since the only
information that trickles down to members is controlled by the Secretaries.
I am sure they enjoyed the power they had in doing so. In the days of old,
communication was slow and cumbersome to be timely and effective. So there
was no choice.

Today, we have Internet and worldwide communication is quick and costs
almost nothing. All of you have used it and I do not have explained its
efficiency and effectiveness. So there is no reason not to be transparent in
all dealings affecting the TS and the members. If there is nothing to hide,
then putting it in the open cannot hurt anyone. Truth will always triumph,
as the saying goes.

For example in the United States, all governmental decisions are to be taken
in the open except for matters of national security or items which are in
the court. This is openness requirement is a protection against back room
tactics of those in power because what the do may be detrimental to the
common man and woman while the deciders imagine that they are doing it in
the greater good of their Country. There are criminal penalties if any of
these open actions are taken in a closed session.

So if such large-scale operations can be conducted in an open manner, we,
who believe in Truth, Honesty, and Justice can easily operate in a
transparent manner.

For example, in the present election, a lot of things could have been done
easily and without any question or doubt if there was transparency. For
example, can a voting member see the minutes of the meeting of the
committees, all the correspondence regarding the election, all nomination
papers, etc by visiting Adyar. Probably a very few are  going to do it. But
the fact they are open to members, by itself creates instant credibility and
trust in the process. If there is nothing to hide, why not any member see
them?

TS needs more dedicated unselfish, enthusiastic members without whom we
cannot help propagate Theosophy. Any time doubt and lack of trust gets
started, everyone will be always wondering what is going on behind closed
doors. Are the members taken advantage of for the greater glory of TS and
Theosophy? It would be a sad day when such a situation develops.

Today due to world-wide instant Internet communication, information travels
instantaneously and in a very short period such questions snowball and would
be impossible to reverse, once it takes place. In addition everything on the
Internet gets stored and indexed for posterity by such companies  like
Google, that new comers to theosophy are going read all information from
past years. So the work of TS would be made more difficult in such an
environment.

So, it is my humble prayer and hope that leaders around the world think
over, meditate, discuss these things and take such steps to enhance
transparency in the organization world-wide. If we miss the opportunity, it
would be a loss for Theosophy, TS and the Humanity.

Thanking you

THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH

Yours fraternally,


M K Ramadoss
Member, TS, San Antonio, Texas


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