We are working on asking different devotees what they think about certain issues related to the structuring of ISKCON: the role and authority of the GBC zonal secretary in his area; the nature and function of the RGBs (Regional Governing Bodies); the application of certain instructions by Srila Prabhupada on these matters; the financing of the different levels of the Society, and so on.
If you are interested in these subject and would like to share your thoughts, please contact me personally at: iskconoclast@gmail.com. In case I don't know you personally I will require some basic information on who you are. In any case you are requested to keep the questions of the survey confidential.
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4 comments:
hare krsna,
can you explain why the questions need to be kept confidential?
ys phani.
The questions deal with a number of subjects and invite open or even innovative solutions and thinking. Taken out of context or sequence they could be misinterpreted.
For someone who wants to misuse the survey, the questions might be an opportunity to imagine a false scenario.
Just to give an example, the question no. 6 is: "What do you think of limiting each GBC members’ time in office (i.e. three years-but renewable indefinitely)?" Someone might misrepresent it as indicating that this idea is being officially proposed, while it's more in the mood of brainstorming and attracting comments and considerations from thoughtful devotees.
if you are going to collect information from more than a handful of devotees, the questionnaire will eventually leak, and the fact that you tried to keep it secret will make it appear sinister to many, considering today's climate.
in my opinion that's one main reason that many actions of the GBC are perceived as badly as they are by many: the attempt to keep the general mass of devotees out of the loop, for their own protection and the well-being of the society--an attempt that's bound to fail.
i think it would be much better to inform devotees about (almost) everything straight away and clearly explain the reasons for what is being done or not, as the case may be.
with this survey, per example, you could make it public and invite everybody to voice their opinions. obviously you would give more importance to those from devotees you know and disregard lunatics. still, you might get interesting replies from people you never thought to contact...
ys phani.
Dear Phanisvara Prabhu, you wrote:
"the fact that you tried to keep it secret"
Obviously if I wanted to keep it secret I wouldn't have announced it on this forum.
"that's one main reason that many actions of the GBC are perceived as badly as they are by many"
This is not an "action of the GBC," it's a service which might produce some information useful to the GBC. It's not an official GBC survey.
The fact that I am asking (on a personal level) to keep it confidential is a simple request for civility; I might ask you some advice on, say, my marriage life, but I might request that you don't broadcast the question everywhere.
It's not a secret survey--otherwise I wouldn't present it here--but I invite the devotees who would like to share to maintain the communication reserved.
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