Theos-Talk Archives (May 2008 Message tt00330)

We already have an experienced one -- John Algeo.

mkr

On 5/8/08, Jokela Petri <jokelap@dnainternet.net> wrote:
>
> Pedro, are you next vice-president if Radha becomes elected? PJ -----
> Original Message ----- From: prmoliveira To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com<theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com>Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 2:44 AM Subject: Theos-World Re: Letter to John
> Algeo --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com <theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com>,
> "Anand" <AnandGholap@...> wrote: > Is election process in TS different
> from democratic election process > which is generally used in national
> elections ? Recently we saw how > Obama, Hillary and others did fierce
> campaigning, proving to people > how they are better candidates than their
> opponents. Campaigning is > part of any election, as I understand. Does TS
> have any different kind > of democracy in which there should be no
> campaigning? Pedro's letter > suggests that John, who is opponent of Radha
> in this election, should > campaign for Radha. That does not sound normal. I
> will be happy if > Pedro can explain why election in TS should be different
> from any > other democratic election. > Anand Gholap Anand, Please show me
> where in my letter to Dr Algeo I have asked him to campaign for Radha
> Burnier. Pedro > --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com<theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com>,
> "prmoliveira" <prmoliveira@> wrote: > > > > Dear John, > > > > Is well
> known that Radha Burnier nominated you for the position of > >
> Vice-President of the TS three times: in 2001, 2004 and 2007. > > Nominating
> the same person three times for such an important position > > implies a
> great deal of trust in the person thus nominated. Even > > after suffering a
> stroke in November 2006, and having recovered from > > it, she still chose
> to nominate you as the Vice-President of the > > Society. > > > > I was very
> relieved, and reassured, when I received the MESSAGE FROM > > THE
> VICE-PRESIDENT, which you kindly sent, electronically, on 24 > > February
> 2007, to all General Secretaries, Presidential > > Representatives,
> Organising Secretaries plus a number of individual > > members around the
> world. This information was important not only > > because it came from our
> Vice-President but also because you had met > > with and talked to Radha at
> Adyar a little more than a month after > > her stroke. I reproduce the
> relevant part of your message: > > > > "As you have doubtless heard, the
> President had a light stroke in > > November. It did not affect her body or
> her mind except for a slight > > and temporary memory loss with respect to
> names. Her doctor predicts > > a full recovery, which will take several
> months. At present she is > > progressing nicely and doing very well. She
> attended all the major > > meetings during Convention, although she let
> others do some of the > > speaking and presiding that she normally does. She
> has taken a short > > time off (which she well deserves) to recuperate, free
> from the > > demands on her at headquarters, but she is now back at Adyar
> and > > attending to business. While I was at Adyar in December and January,
> > > I had extensive discussions with her about Theosophical business > >
> around the world, and she is on top of all the facts and her judgment > > is
> as sharp as ever. The outlook is very favorable for a full > > recovery. The
> Adyar staff responded in exemplary fashion during > > convention, and all
> went very well indeed." > > > > When I arrived at Adyar, last December,
> something had changed for I > > soon became aware that some workers there
> were preparing to send out > > a letter to the members of the General
> Council, both about Radha's > > health as well as informing them that you
> had agreed to accept > > nominations for the office of President. Later on I
> was able to > > obtain a copy of Elvira Carbonell's letter to a General
> Council > > member. The letter, dated 19 December 2007, clearly indicates
> that > > you had accepted to be a candidate even before the official > >
> nomination papers had reached the great majority of General Council > >
> members residing overseas. As you know, I did protest at Elvira's > > letter
> in my own letter to the General Council, saying that it "is a > > clear
> attempt to interfere with the constitutional election for > > President of
> the TS." > > > > After the nomination phase was over, signs of a wider and
> active > > campaign in your favour started to appear. On 29 March 2008, Mme.
> > > Maxence Ondet, Secretary to the French TS Board, sent out a letter to >
> > all TS members in France. She says, among other things, that Radha, > >
> after the stroke, was "unable to speak for at least a month and [it] > >
> deprived her of a large part of her memory. Her recovery was slow > > and
> incomplete, especially as far as short term memory and recall of > > names
> are concerned. In conversation, she no longer understands > > anything but
> short and simple sentences." If we compare Mme. Ondet's > > statements to
> your abovementioned report about Radha's condition the > > discrepancies in
> the French letter become self-evident. > > > > Mme. Ondet went on to say
> that those present "at the Convention at > > Adyar in December 2007 noticed
> with sadness and embarrassment the > > great difficulty with which she
> delivered her principal Convention > > address, an address that was
> wandering and repetitive, and showed a > > weakened mind or brain damage."
> The same letter states that "she no > > longer writes speeches; someone does
> them for her. Since the stroke, > > the editorials of the international
> magazine 'The Adyar Theosophist' > > are no longer written by her." > > > >
> While at Adyar, last December, I visited Radha almost everyday for a > >
> period of almost eighteen days and can therefore attest that the > > above
> description of her condition is utterly false. I also saw > > proofs of an
> upcoming issue of The Theosophist on the coffee table in > > her living
> room. She reads every article that is submitted for > > publication. As a
> matter of fact, the table was full of theosophical > > magazines and books,
> the same way it was when I used to visit her > > when I worked at Adyar more
> than twelve years ago. Although you, Mary > > Anderson and Surendra Narayan
> wrote the "On the Watch-Tower" notes in > > The Theosophist for the first
> few months last year, Radha resumed > > writing them in May and we can again
> see her own style in the > > magazine which she edits. > > > > The closing
> paragraph of Mme. Ondet's letter is even more revealing > > (italics mine):
> > > > > "For sure, we loved Radha. We probably still do. And this has > >
> perhaps nothing to do with her mental state. Even so, we think that > > the
> destiny of the Theosophical Society would be even more shaken if > > Radha
> were to take on a fifth term of office. We therefore invite > > you to
> reflect seriously before the forthcoming election which will > > be crucial
> for the future direction of the Theosophical Society. > > > > Most
> fraternally," > > > > What is there of fraternal in this most unkind, biased
> and untruthful > > communication? > > > > What has shocked, and continues to
> shock, many of us is that the > > President of the Theosophical Society is
> the subject of an immoral > > and utterly unbrotherly attack by the
> executive body of a National > > Society, and yet members world wide have
> not heard a word from their > > Vice-President about it. Your continued
> silence raises many > > questions: do you object to the immoral attacks at
> the President > > which distort, disfigure and blatantly lie about her real
> condition > > which you saw at Adyar soon after the stroke and which now has
> been > > confirmed by her doctors? Do you consider appropriate, as our Vice-
> > > President, for the executive body of a National Society to issue such >
> > a letter as Mme. Ondet's to all its members on the eve of their > > voting
> in the international election? > > > > Then we saw Betty Bland's letter of
> 11 April 2008 sent to thousands > > of members of the American Section. In
> it she says: > > > > "Radha seems to be recovering physically from the
> stroke she suffered > > over a year ago, but, given her age, she stills has
> periods of low > > energy and her memory is inconsistent. While I have a
> deep respect > > for the wonderful service she has given to the Society and
> feel that > > she can continue to be useful as a wise elder, it is for the
> good of > > the whole that the leadership pass smoothly to John Algeo, who >
> > currently serves as the international Vice-president." > > > > She
> concludes her letter by encouraging members to see your personal > >
> website, which since 23 April 2008 has a Hindi webpage in > > its
> "Theosophical" page, and adds: "I hope you seriously consider > > this
> information when casting your vote." > > > > In an election with only two
> candidates, does not Betty's letter come > > across as visible
> electioneering in your favour? Has she the right to > > condition or
> influence the choice of the American members in an > > election? When some
> of your supporters say that you are not > > campaigning, is not Betty's
> letter an active and widespread campaign > > on your behalf that hurts the
> freedom and fairness of the most > > important election in the TS? I am
> aware of Radha's letter to the > > General Secretaries, which was sent by
> ordinary mail. She had the > > right of reply after being misrepresented and
> placed into > > disadvantage by Elvira's letter which was sent a day after
> the > > official nomination papers were issued by the International
> Secretary > > at Adyar. > > > > Given your continued silence I have no
> reasons to believe that you > > will address the questions I have asked you
> in this letter. But as a > > member I needed to tell you, personally, that
> the actions of your > > supporters have cast a thick cloud over the
> electoral process as they > > have violated cherished and time-honoured
> principles of our Society. > > And your continued silence is disappointing
> and disturbing. > > > > Those of us who have followed your serialized
> studies on The Voice of > > the Silence, which are being published by Radha
> in The Theosophist, > > cannot help but remember one of the poignant verses
> in that great > > book: "Sow kindly acts and thou shalt reap their fruition.
> Inaction > > in a deed of mercy becomes action in a deadly sin. Thus saith
> the > > Sage." (II, 135) > > > > Radha, as a legitimate successor of Col.
> Olcott in the office of > > President, deserves much more respect and
> courtesy than your > > supporters have dispensed to her in this election.
> The Theosophical > > Society is now poorer because of their actions which
> have desecrated > > the institution of the Presidency and what it stands
> for. > > > > I just could not remain silent. > > > > With sincere sadness, >
> > > > Pedro > > > ---------------------------------------------------
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