Preliminary report on 2001 GBC meetings

[Guest guest]

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

The minutes from this year's GBC meeting have been compiled and, as usual,

are being reviewed by an attorney before public release. They should be out

within a week. However, some inaccurate reports have already been

circulating, so here for your information is a short, unofficial summary

from the meeting secretary.

 

Every year the GBC agenda includes 50 to 100 proposals, suggestions,

philosophical issues and unresolved conflicts. This year one of the major

topics involved restructuring the GBC. A sub-committee of twelve senior

devotees representing different regions, ashrams and viewpoints considered

several related proposals. Among their conclusions that were accepted by

the GBC body:

 

1. Membership on the GBC body should not be limited by ashram or external

consideration but should be open to any qualified devotee.

2. The GBC body needs to give more attention to issues of global relevance

and also to the training and assessment of its own members.

3. To that end the GBC requires more responsible help from the GBC Deputies,

including assigned administrative regions of ISKCON in which the Deputies

can assist the GBC.

 

In demonstrating its commitment to conclusion #1, the GBC confirmed the full

voting membership of Malati devi dasi. The GBC also added to the body one

grhastha man (Pragosh das of Ireland, candidate for co-GBC in France), one

grhastha couple (Srutikirti and Kusa, GBC Grhastha Ministers) as well as a

additional sannyasi (Devamrta Swami, candidate for GBC in South America).

 

Regarding conclusion #2, the GBC assigned a committee to research various

assessment models, Vedic and Western, as well as other relevant training

opportunities. The committee met in Mayapur and has already generated a

number of interesting possibilities.

 

In addressing conclusion #3 the GBC mandated the GBC Deputies to help

develop ISKCON legislation and to round out their membership geographically

for improved administration in ISKCON. The Deputies met in Mayapur and

enthusiastically agreed to work with the GBC to fulfill these duties.

 

The GBC Deputies grew out of preparations in 1995 for the Srila Prabhupada

Centennial, which brought a significant number of new devotees to the annual

GBC meeting. The next year the GBC created the GBC Deputies body, and since

then a core group has participated in the GBC meetings. The GBC now feels

comfortable with this group and wants to expand their membership and

responsibilities.

 

In addition, the GBC body favorably considered the concept of an independent

"Brahminical Advisory Council" that could help the GBC in various ways. They

assigned a committee of senior brahmanas to study the concept and make a

concrete proposal for next year's meetings. They also assigned Braja Bihari

Prabhu to research methods of Conflict Resolution and make such information

available to the devotees in our Society.

 

This summarizes some of the meeting's significant resolutions involving the

operation of the GBC. More details about these resolutions, as well as the

many other issues addressed, will be forthcoming in the meeting minutes.

 

Thank you.

 

Your servant,

Kalakantha dasa

Coordinator, GBC Secretariat