Guest guest Posted April 23, 2002 Report Share Posted April 23, 2002 Lakshmi -- I love your e-mail address! Your idea of a land donation is an excellent one. This would fit into the idea of a bequest. It seems like a good idea would be to set up a small board of trustees to award the grants. Probably one requirement for getting a land grant would be sufficient level of training or expertise. The idea of an initial grant for 5 years tenure -- within certain guidelines -- and then a review at the end of 5 years with the possibility of receiving another 5 year extention, and on the third 5 year a permanent grant, would be the general way to go. Complicated is right -- obviously we would need a lawyer to help us with this. The other thing is that with a project this big, there are many different ideas on how to develop it. It would seem best if Balabhadra and Chaya appointed the Board of Trustees (which they would also sit on), and if their decision would generally be accepted as final. They have already given a practical demonstration over the years that they are eager to hear diverse points of view and then synthesize that into something which is acceptable to practically everyone. your servant, Hare Krsna dasi Lakshmi D Dove wrote: > Hare Krsna dasi you are totally right. I think this is a great idea and > we should try to set some thing up. It will be complicated but you guys > did do the standards and that was really complicated. One thing that > just popped into my head that along with paying a "tax" ISKCON and anyone > can give land along with money. That could be one way to get a jump > start on getting people onto the land. The cow protection grant fund > would give the land as a grant but if the person(s) does not fulfill the > requirements then it could revert back to the cow protection grant fund. > Maybe the intial grant could be for 5 years and if they have not fulfill > the conditions of the grant by the end of 5 years it would go back to the > grant fund but if they did it would automatically be renew for 5 or maybe > 10 years. These are just some quick ideas. > > Lakshmi > > On Tue, 23 Apr 2002 12:35 -0400 "Noma T. Petroff" <npetroff (AT) bowdoin (DOT) edu> > writes: > > "ISCOWP (Balabhadra Dasa & Chaya Dasi - USA)" wrote: > > > > > Dear Madhava Gosh Prabhu and Prabhus, > > > > > > PAMHO. AGTSP. > > > > > > The GBC meetings are only one day with three days after being a > > festival. > > > Malati says there is a lot to jam in one day. So it does not look > > like we > > > will even get to speak and if we do there will be very little time > > and > > > probably not much attention. We are having a table during this > > time at the > > > temple and we had the idea to write a pamphlet, flyer on the > > subject of > > > buying milk from the market is supporting the slaughter industry > > and what > > > positive actions can be taken. Like an appeal to the devotees. > > > > This is probably too complex to institute, but what I'd like to see > > is this: > > > > Set up a special Cow Protection Grant Fund > > > > 1. Fifty percent of that would go to ISCOWP to maintain current > > cows and cover > > administrative costs. > > > > 2. Fifty percent would go into a scholarship/grant fund to provide > > training > > and > > land to young devotee farmers. > > > > 3. Temples or individual devotees could then make a commitment to > > donate so > > much per month. In addition, there could be fund raising at special > > events. > > > > 4. The the grant fund should be set up so there would be some type > > of outside > > oversight as far as accounting is concerned. ISCOWP already has an > > excellent > > record for accountability. Accountability is becoming increasingly > > important > > in > > the public's mind these days, so they should be confident that if > > large sums > > are > > given, an outside group or auditor will be auditing the funds. > > > > The central idea would be: Many of us drink milk because Srila > > Prabhupada said > > it is important to build fine brain tissue for spiritual > > understanding. At the > > same time, we want to somehow create an alternative to the current > > slaughter > > house/dairy system. Therefore we want to pay a "tax" on our milk > > consumption, > > so that we can use that money to set up small-scale Krsna conscious > > farms to > > help build up cow protection and create an alternative to the > > present system. > > > > In this way the "tax" or donation that one makes would actually be > > contributing > > to setting up an alternative to the present dairy system. At > > present, we > > really > > do not have a means to help give young farmers training, equipment > > and land -- > > thus no substantial progress is made towards setting up an > > alternative. > > > > This is a tricky thing because it's important that such a program > > bring in > > substantially more than ISCOWP is bringing in right now. This > > program should > > not be something that will in effect decrease the funds that ISCOWP > > currently > > brings in. ISCOWP has show itself to be a cornerstone for the > > international > > devotee cow protection movement. So nothing should be set up to > > reduce what > > they are getting to operate. > > > > On the other hand, we really do need a way that young devotees who > > are not > > financially gifted can devote their brains and youthful energy to > > setting up > > small-scale self-sufficient farms. We need a fund and a way to > > grant them > > money > > for training and land. I think that if devotees could actually see > > -- well > > something is going on here, we're not just treading water trying to > > survive, > > we're actually expanding and providing a meaningful place for young > > people in > > our society -- then they will be more inspired to give. I feel this > > will be an > > important way to spread not only cow protection -- but actually to > > spread Krsna > > consciousness in the most attractive way. These young devotee farm > > families > > will be very fired up preachers. > > > > Anyway, that's my idea. As I say, it's probably way to complicated > > to set up, > > but I just can't see how we'll get farmers on the land if we don't > > set up some > > farming grant system. > > > > your servant, > > > > Hare Krsna dasi > > > > ______________ > GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! > Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! > Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: > http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. -- Noma Petroff Academic Department Coordinator BOWDOIN COLLEGE Department of Theater & Dance 9100 College Station Brunswick ME 04011-8491 Phone: (207) 725-3663 FAX: (207) 725-3372 http://academic.bowdoin.edu/theaterdance/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2002 Report Share Posted April 26, 2002 i read my e-mails backwards. Didn't know holycow (it is a great address) had already thought this up. Obviously the third person suggesting makes it official. obeisances ekaBuddhi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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