Auroville maintenances

Four years into this crisis, I find myself searching for clarity on how we move forward. Yesterday, I came across a series of writings by Shannon Willis on Soft Rebellion that articulated what many of us have been intuitively practicing all along.

On 10 April the Residents’ Assembly Service (RAS) announced the outcome of an Emergency RA Decision-Making (ERAD) Process initiated by the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly (RA-WCom) to formally acknowledge Residents' Assembly entities as section 19 committees under the Auroville Foundation Act 1988.

In light of an interview published in Auroville Today’s October issue that presented a perspective on Auroville’s current governance situation, we feel it necessary to offer a different view that more accurately reflects the experiences and concerns of many in our community.

Issued by two members of the International Advisory Council and supported by eight International personalities

In June, two members of the Funds and Assets Management Committee appointed by the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation (FO-FAMC) sent an email announcing that this FAMC will stop maintenance payments as well as the regular Forest budget to green workers from July onwards.

Among other things, the Foundation BCC is currently reviewing maintenance, Temporary Out of Station and Silver Fund policies. From mid December they expect to reach out to the services that generally are supported by the BCC for their 2023-2024 budgetary needs.

The Budget Coordination Group (BCC) has announced that self-supporting units, services and guesthouses can apply for economic relief grants to cover their fixed costs such as salaries, rent, electricity, internet and accounting charges.

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a model for providing all citizens with a guaranteed cash allocation, regardless of their income, resources or employment status.

“After we presented in October 2013 our book Economics for People and Earth – The Auroville Case 1968-2008, we left Auroville with a modest hope that its economy would improve.

The Auroville Board of Services (ABS), in its annual gathering on August 13th, observed that service managers who rely on a community maintenance find this is too low to cover their basic needs, even with the provided in-kind component, which still does not cover expenses such as transport or housing.

“For in this ideal place money would be no more the sovereign lord. Individual value would have a greater importance than the value due to material wealth and social position.

Judith came to Auroville in 1971. After helping with the Matrimandir excavations, she moved to Kottakarai, where she did afforestation and orchard work – and began a family.