Residents’ Assembly decisions

The Residents’ Assembly Service (RAS) announced that the Residents’ Assembly of Auroville had approved two proposals with majority vote. The proposal that the RA can make an emergency Residents’ Assembly Decision (RAD) at a petition signed by at least 300 residents was approved by 402 participants (98% of all votes cast). The proposal that for a period of six months the Working Committee selected by the Residents’ Assembly (RA-WCom) can appoint, replace, or add members or constitute groups as needed to fulfil Auroville’s organizational needs and/or statutory functions as required by the Auroville Foundation Act (1988) in a speedy manner, was approved by 93% of the votes cast. This applies to the Funds and Assets Management Committee of the Residents’ Assembly, the Town Development Council of the Residents’ Assembly, the Land Board, the Entry Board (aka Admissions Committee), the Housing Board, the Budget Coordination Committee, Entry and Exit committee and any other group that is performing functions for the collective organization of Auroville. The RA-WCom will also have the power to constitute new groups as needed (e.g. an Exit Committee). The time frame of these interim appointments could be anywhere from 2 or 3 months (till the next selection process tentatively planned for end of Sept.) to 18 months, as specified in the RAD proposal.

The RA-WCom later clarified that it equates the term 'Emergency Functions' at this time to be 'Crisis Management Functions' and that its first aim is to have a fully functional RA-FAMC  for which it is reaching out to people about being appointed as interim members. It also clarified that these interim appointments are not intended to replace or reduce the importance of the Selection Process and the role of the Residents' Assembly as a whole in selecting members for its working groups.