Newcomers

“Wishing to move forward in collaboration towards the building of the city and the right administering of Auroville,” the AVFO on 9 May issued a call for self-nomination in key areas of the Auroville administration, eg a group, service, unit or trust.

On 11 April, the Admissions and Terminations Registry informed the community that it had received and verified 28 applications from people aspiring to join Auroville as Newcomers together with 10 children.

In a message to aspiring Newcomers, the Working Committee appointed by the Residents’ Assembly (RA-WCom) informed them that the entry process for Auroville is pending in the Madras High Court which has not yet given a final ruling.

Further to the High Court ordered interim stay on the AVFO’s Auroville Foundation (Admission and Termination of Persons in the Register of Residents) Regulations 2023, [see AVToday 415, March 2024], the Auroville Entry Board selected by the Residents’ Assembly informed the community that it will not process new applications, but will continue to take care of existing Newcomer processes.

One of the powers of the Residents' Assembly, says the Auroville Foundation Act, is to allow the admission or cause the termination of persons in the Register of Residents in accordance with Regulations.

Forest was born and raised in the countryside outside of Toronto, Canada. He has recently chosen Auroville as his future home and is planning to start his Newcomer process shortly.

Normally the population review is a prosaic, gentle piece to write, padding out a statistical survey by noticing subtle quirks, long-term trends and trying our best to bring the figures to life.

The Entry Service reported that during the entire lockdown period it was fully engaged in discharging its duties. Since June 2020, 111 Newcomers have been confirmed as Aurovilians and 49 new applicants were processed to start their Newcomer process.

Psychologist Jerry Beusen implemented Mattram, Auroville’s first mental health unit, three years ago. Mattram means ‘change’ or ‘transformation’ in Tamil, and the unit is served by a team of professional psychologists, psychotherapists, a psychiatrist and counsellors.

Auroville receives a minimum of 300 volunteers per year from more than 30 nationalities and this number is increasing every year. An official volunteer (registered with Savi) works at least 24 hours per week in one occupation from 120 work positions available in Auroville.

YouthLink has launched a Part-Time Parent Initiative based upon the experience of two Newcomers who have developed a Part-Time Parenting process in their lives.

I moved to Auroville in January 2018, and as a Newcomer I must admit I am still adapting to this very special place. While exploring different working places and activities, and trying to create a more conscious lifestyle, I find myself getting rid of many old conditionings in the way I used to conceive of work as the main activity and outer goal of my life.

I am now 28, born and brought up as a third generation in Auroville. My grandparents are of Indian (Kuilaypalayam) and European (Dutch/German) background... my grandparents having worked for Auroville at its very start.

Imagine being a young person, discovering, participating, and actively dedicated to the development of Auroville. Imagine living in a group of twelve, all volunteering in the community: people from different parts of the world, with different cultural backgrounds, but with a common intention to experience and contribute to Auroville.

On 23rd February, a one day event, The New Creation Emerges, was held in Bhumika Hall. The morning was a very special one as ten young Aurovilians shared about their lives and aspirations.

On September 23, 2017, a revised Entry Policy was ratified by the Residents Assembly. Of the 222 Residents who participated in the decision-making process, 85% agreed with the new policy.

The last several months have seen a major churn in the Entry Service with heated policy debates, multiple General Meetings and frequent team turnover.

The new Entry Policy approved in 2016 has been put on hold. An Entry Task Force has been created to work towards the resolution of the concerns that have been expressed within the community about the way it was being implemented.

The result of the U.S. election generated some interesting responses. One of these was a perceptive essay written by the economist, Charles Eisenstein, called “The election of hate, grief and a new story”.

Marco Saroldi is a Newcomer and works for Art Service. His weekly round-up of photos of Auroville activities is posted on Auronet. Here he talks about his work.

Two of the major challenges facing the community at present are a fragile economy and a severe lack of low-priced accommodation. Clearly, the two are interlinked.

Hemant Lamba, a member of the Working Committee, has for many years been concerned about transforming our housing situation, particularly to meet the needs of youth.

On Wednesday April 20th, the Residents’ Assembly Service announced the results of a vote called by the Auroville Council on a new Entry Policy and a new mandate for the Funds and Assets Management Committee (FAMC).

Recently, a number of small structures with shiny roofs have come up on open ground near Citadines. This is a small experimental settlement for Newcomers and volunteers called La Maison des Jeunes (“house of the young”).

The Aspiration programme is the first public forum I have encountered that celebrates the first perceptions of new community members, which grounds these within the founding principles of the dream, and which enables access to the wealth of knowledge generated in the 46 years of Auroville’s existence.