“GBC Strateegery”

BY: JANMASTAMI DAS

Aug 15, 2010 — WEST VIRGINIA, USA (SUN) — The recent GBC Strategic Planning Announcement gave us these insights into some of the current GBC goals expected from it’s leadership (“would someone step forward and help us out by assuming control of the organization?”; “needs to strengthen its executive strategies by establishing an executive director, who will serve the GBC by ensuring that GBC members fulfill the fundamental assignments Srila Prabhupada gave them…”).

We can understand, like all it’s other “offerings”, that “this is a full-time service opportunity: compensation: as required”. And we know the GBC can adequately find compensation for those who will adhere to “group think”, regardless it’s spiritual authenticity.

This, then, is the perfect retirement scheme, if only one is skilled at herding cats and they are not too overly attached to following the instructions of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.

For those willing to fill these positions, executive director and the four henchmen, “divisional director” positions, this is all that will be required of you:

For the four divisional directors, it is stated that 4 regulative principles and 16 rounds are a requirement, although that is not stated in the case of the executive director. We can understand that this is not an oversight, and with superiors in the organization not following these requirements, the hypocrisy of enforcement would not be lost on the astutely observing devotee.

Whether one would want to take on the challenge of simultaneously trying to serve both ISKCON’s — the ISKCON of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, and the collective will of its current GBC — remains to be seen.

We note that each of these positions requires “an ability to deal with senior members of ISKCON in a cooperative … spirit” and English seems to be a requirement, lest others be as hoodwinked as some of the indigenous populations feel they were, betrayed by a succession of fallen “jagat gurus”, ISKCON approved, all.

Some of the other tacit admissions were these:

“The director will serve the society’s need to protect ISKCON’s properties and assets as well as …develop systems for identifying and securing ISKCON properties, both intellectual and real.”

This shows a clear continuance of the “hold for ransom” approach to the distribution of spiritual knowledge that was given to us freely. “Protecting our intellectual property rights”, as if we would try to stop someone from reproducing and widely distributing this spiritual knowledge, but “oh wait!

We have done that in the past!” Isn’t that how BBTI came into existence? Don’t the Coudert Brothers law firm still owe ISKCON half a million dollars for bad legal advice in that matter? “Justice” from an organization that feels “self-preservation” is the primary principle? Might as well wait for “mercy” from a sadistic, hard-hearted, old pedophile.

“The executive director will establish priorities, objectives, and goals, and set up systems designed to encourage accomplishment of those goals…this gives the executive director an extraordinary volume of…”

…”power”, although the word they chose to use was “service”, which is what it might be if the pay requirements were subject to organization wide scrutiny, review, and redress.

As these deniers of centralization plot their next world junket, we can understand from whose treasury they expect to be compensated. All this for the simple task of “setting goals and methods of accomplishing those goals, for the future of the entire ISKCON movement”.

These steering committee decisions, hereby offered to the one successful candidate for the office of executive director, are not as the direction of management was intended for this society.

It has become an old boys network of conspirators with common purposes, not all of which are truly in the best interest of the “society at large”, as defined by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Perhaps a more thoughtful reading and understanding of these important ISKCON documents could become a requirement for new bhaktas. Doubtful, on the new executive director’s watch.

And, of course, it comes with this caveat:

“The entire GBC strategic effort is a work in progress. The fund-raising necessary to ensure the functioning of the divisions mentioned above has not yet been completed.

Although we wish to see the above services implemented as soon as possible, at this moment we are not in the position to say exactly when funds for maintenance and operative expenses will be available or when the executive director and his divisional directors can become operative”

As recently has become the common understanding, “with more donations will come our success”. Fund raising, motivational speakers aside, who speaks such balderdash?

How can you know what the budget will be when the salary is at the mercy of the strongarm tactics of those applying for the position? And how will you know how to finance such salaries (must be in place prior to services being rendered), when old organizational commitments, most notably those to the abused children, have not yet been met?

The budgetless executive director, and his soon to be manifest crew of divisional directors, are what this current GBC has decided are “the services listed above are vital to ISKCON’s future.”

One scarcely dares consider the catastrophic results if such personnel, funding and camaraderie don’t all come together. Simply following the instructions of His Divine Grace, on the matters of running his society as he envisioned it, has got to be the better alternative.