The Anonymous Goodwill Conspiracy

Ange started the Anonymous Goodwill Conspiracy a few years ago. She was aware that while there are people in need in Auroville, it is often difficult for friends to give money to help them because giving can cause an imbalance in a relationship. Either the giver becomes a target for further requests or the receiver feels patronized.

“It all began,” says Ange, “when I built my own house. At the time, I didn’t have the 10% extra to donate to the Housing Fund. Later, when I could donate it, I learned that somebody needed money for doing housing repairs. I asked the Housing Group if my contribution could be channeled anonymously through them to help that person, and they agreed. I realized that this was probably a wider issuer; people who occasionally found themselves in a position to help neighbors and friends – but wanted to do so anonymously. So I went public with the idea.”

There are three ways in which people can give anonymously to people they wish to help. Either they can put cash in a sealed envelope which they give to Ange. She, in turn, will find another person, who doesn’t know the identity of the giver, to give the envelope to the receiver. Alternatively, a giver could transfer funds to the Financial Service account number of the Anonymous Goodwill Conspiracy (252090) and inform Ange by mail, who will ensure that the transfer is made anonymously to the receiver. (“Otto was so happy with the idea; he said it was like a breath of fresh air”). The third channel is the Housing Group. Joseba has agreed to be a channel for people who wish to help specified others with housing repairs.

“Sometimes the donations are quite small, but it’s not the amount which is important,” says Ange. “What is important is that the person in need no longer feels cut off from the rest of Auroville; they don’t feel any longer they are alone with their difficulty. And this restores their faith in the community.”

Ange won’t accept unspecified money. “It has to be a specified giving, because it involves caring, it involves looking around and seeing if you can identify a particular individual in need. In this way, I think everybody in Auroville can be supported or receive some help, because everybody knows somebody in need, and even if they cannot do something themselves, they can get friends together and make a collection.”

It is an idea which has obviously touched many people’s hearts. So far 560 people have given money to a very wide range of Aurovilians through the Anonymous Goodwill Conspiracy.