Re: Theos-World Membership and Transparency Issues in American Section
Feb 15, 2010 01:52 AM
by preethi muthiah
MKR,
I have a problem with your statement given below about the ultra-secret attempt made by some Council members to veto the last Presidential election results. Your words: " Thus a handful of proxy-holders decide the questions, and an oligarchy rules instead of
democracy. Many members feel that this open proxies are a fertile source of
trouble for the TS and theosophical cause and this makes it easy for the
current leaders have their way in almost everything. I suspect that this
mindset is behind the daring ultra secret failed attempt by a handful of
leaders to disenfranchise all of us and de-facto take over of the
International Presidency. The proponents seems to have thought that they
have an ace and no member would raise any concern."
The reason I have a problem with understanding your take on this matter is because there is a contradiction in what you say here and what you said in your other message regarding the Brazilian Section showing the TS the way into the future. The contradiction arises solely because -- perhaps you are not aware of this so do read carefully -- the Brazilian Section of the TS DO NOT have direct voting in their election of a National President/General Secretary. The members of the Brazilian Section, TS, never get to vote in their GS. Nor for that matter do we have one in the Indian Section. So both of these Sections, which are the largest Sections of the TS, have the indirect voting system where members are not involved in voting in their National President or General Secretary, respectively. It is solely because of this that in the Brazilian Section the Ulisses Reidel and his friends and family have ruled roost for several decades now. To my knowledge,
Ulisses was NP of the Brazilian Section for three terms, followed by Ricardo Lindemann -- a close friend of the Reidels and currently also on the board of the PU (Planetary Union) -- and currently the National President is Marcos de Resende, son of Ulisses. They do surely follow in the steps of the Indians and specifically Mrs Radha Burnier by ensuring that family members and friends are well-looked after in the TS, and hold positions of power and authority.
I do hope you see your contradiction here. On the one hand, you keep talking about the ultra secret attempt to disenfranchise members of the TS from voting in a President and, on the other hand, you advocate the Brazilian Section as the leader in TS's future.
How contradictory is that, MKR!!!!
Fraternally
Preethi
--- On Sun, 14/2/10, Drpsionic@aol.com <Drpsionic@aol.com> wrote:
From: Drpsionic@aol.com <Drpsionic@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Theos-World Membership and Transparency Issues in American Section
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, 14 February, 2010, 10:13 PM
Â
I would think that the reason the bulk of the members of TS don't care
about organizational transparancy is very simple. They just do not care.
They are doing what interests them and the internal politics of the
TS is a side show.
Chuck the Heretic
www.charlescosimano .com
In a message dated 2/14/2010 8:59:58 A.M. Central Standard Time,
mkr777@gmail. com writes:
World-wide, lack of transparency seems to be a pervasive issue among all
the
Sections. This seems to have developed after Annie Besant became the
President. It appears that taking a cue from her, Sections found it
convenient to follow less and less of transparency and keep the members
informed of unimportant crumbs of key policy information and decisions.
Members did not seem to care for transparency when the leaders, due to
their
past actions and commitment commanded unquestionable trust of their
members. When in the minds of members, the trust level comes down due to
actions and activities of leaders, as in recent days, the only safeguard to
protect the interests of TS and theosophy is for members to demand
transparency.
It appears that there is also an assumption by the leaders that they know
it
all and there is no need to fully keep members informed because in the past
most showed no interest in the policy decisions taken behind the closed
doors and crumbs being disclosed to members.
>From time to time, some members have also heard how prior to national
business meetings, the leaders and their underlings collect large number of
open proxies - giving the holder a free hand to vote as he pleases on any
question that arises in the business meeting. Thus a handful of
proxy-holders decide the questions, and an oligarchy rules instead of
democracy. Many members feel that this open proxies are a fertile source of
trouble for the TS and theosophical cause and this makes it easy for the
current leaders have their way in almost everything. I suspect that this
mindset is behind the daring ultra secret failed attempt by a handful of
leaders to disenfranchise all of us and de-facto take over of the
International Presidency. The proponents seems to have thought that they
have an ace and no member would raise any concern.
Considering the current shape of things_ in Sections outside India,
continued
lack of transparency in Sections is going to make any meaningful revival of
the fortunes of TS and the Cause a very difficult upward climb. [Internet
has been throwing a lot of light on the matters relating to the TS and
thus
keeping current members and prospects fully informed.] Current leaders seem
to be oblivious to this stark fact while they seem to be more concerned
with
who is âmowing the lawn in Adyarâ as a member succinctly stated.
MKR
There is no religion higher than Truth.
On Sun, Feb 14, 2010 at 1:23 AM, preethi muthiah
<
_ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/) _seeker_preethi@ seeker_pr_
(mailto:seeker_preethi@ yahoo.com) _>wrote:
>
>
> MKR,
>
> You keep pointing out to the issue of a lack of transparency in the TS.
> Well, I do hope the President and her aides at Adyar especially are
> listening to you. They do lack transparency, but then how can you expect
> them to stand in the Light of Truth when they have not been able to do
that
> with themselves in the first place?
>
> Fraternally
> Preethi
>
> --- On Sat, 13/2/10, MKR <_ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/)
_mkr777@gmail. mkr_ (mailto:mkr777@gmail. com) _ <mkr777%40gmail. mkr>> wrote:
>
> From: MKR <_ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/) _mkr777@gmail. mkr_
(mailto:mkr777@gmail. com) _ <mkr777%40gmail. mkr>>
> Subject: Theos-World Membership and Transparency Issues in American
Section
> To: "theos-talk" <_ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/)
_theos-talk@ yahoogrotheos- t_ (mailto:theos-talk@yahoogro ups.com) <theos-talk% theos-talk% <WBthe>
> >
> Date: Saturday, 13 February, 2010, 2:18 AM
>
>
>
>
> Recently, there was a cryptic comment that the leaders from outside India
>
> seem to be more interested in knowing who is mowing the lawn in Adyar.
This
>
> points to misplaced priority of the leaders whose job primary job is to
> make
>
> sure theosophy flourishes in their Sections. The sections are given full
>
> autonomy and also the National Secretaries are given total immunity in
that
>
> they cannot be removed from the General Council for any reason. Diverting
>
> the attention of the members to Adyar issues while the membership
situation
>
> in most countries is either frozen or on the decline â hopefully we will
> not
>
> end with sometimes quoted number of three theosophists. This diverting
the
>
> attention of the members is seen by many as self-serving and not unlike
how
>
> politicians divert attention of their constituents to unimportant issues
>
> while fire is raging on critical issues_.
>
> Two key issues at Section level are the sad situation regarding
membership
>
> and the ultra secrecy with which Section matters are handled, namely lack
> of
>
> real transparency.
>
> While reviewing the maillist archives, I ran into three messages touching
> on
>
> the membership and secrecy issue in the American Section. I am sure you
> will
>
> find them interesting to read. Here are the links.
>
> <_ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/) _http://groups. _ (http://groups. /) _
yahoo.com/ group/theos- talk/message/ 22096>
>
> <_ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/) _http://groups. _ (http://groups. /) _
yahoo.com/ group/theos- talk/message/ 22079>
>
> <_ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/) _http://groups. _ (http://groups. /) _
yahoo.com/ group/theos- talk/message/ 52720>
>
> MKR
>
> .
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage.
> _ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/) _http://in.yahoo. http_
(http://in.yahoo. com/) _
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
_ (http://www.charlesc osimano.com/)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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