Auroville Community Nostr Relay on Nostr: *AV Council: Communication about the News & Notes* Dear Community, This is an ...

*AV Council: Communication about the News & Notes*

Dear Community,

This is an important communication about the News & Notes. Please take the time to read.

*Background & context*

We would like to remind you that in December 2022, following instructions from the Auroville Foundation Office (AVFO), the Auroville News & Notes began censoring the content received from a portion of the Residents’ Assembly. The censorship was targeted at, but not limited to, the working groups selected by the Residents' Assembly, adding to a long list of actions intended to silence the voice of the wider community.

In response to this, a collective letter (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OHQXwETWuz2HmwzjnCwQcrv7RIWJ5Ggt/view) requesting the N&N managers to continue publishing the announcements of the working groups selected by the RA was signed by nearly 500 residents, AVI members, and well-wishers, and shared with N&N on 15th February 2023. On the 6th of March 2023, the AVI board sent a letter to the AVF Secretary (https://mcusercontent.com/9244e69e1de863b0879cf34d0/files/31c5843d-7ae1-4084-54c3-39946a5aa673/Letter_to_Dr._Ravi_6_3_2023.pdf) requesting among other things “to allow the editors of News & Notes to be inclusive and include the reports of the RA groups as well, as it used to be”. Both these communications were ignored.

Finally after many attempts of bringing the N&N managers to their senses (see report: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_XyqTkZQUPHVFwJBW19Jub-ZX2-w8nzx/edit), in March/April 2023, the Auroville Council officially dismissed and replaced the existing managers with a new team.

Unfortunately, the old managers ignored their dismissal and continued publishing their censored newsletter. This newsletter continues to receive funds allocated by the AVFO ‘BCC’, the same ‘BCC’ which has progressively acted against the best interests of the community at large, with all manner of mismanagement of community funds, including arbitrarily cutting about 180 maintenances and extorting funds from units and individuals with little to no consideration for their well being.

The real Auroville News & Notes on the other hand has continued with a new team relying on funds creatively raised on a month by month basis. It was decided to call the real News & Notes the "RA edition" to differentiate it from the censored newsletter. This transition has not been easy with no financial support from the Central Fund and with the need for secrecy so as not to attract unwanted reprisal for the people involved.

However, for about a year the RA edition of the News & Notes has been released every week, thanks to a committed team of volunteering residents. Today, the RA News & Notes is sent to more than 3000 people weekly and it is also printed and distributed to most public places and to Aurovilians who requested it.

*Important request*

Regardless of all of the above, we have noticed an unfortunate trend whereby many residents continue to send their announcements and content to the censored newsletter, despite it not recognising the Residents' Assembly and its working groups. Sending your content to them supports the censorship of the Residents' Assembly, helping to legitimise and normalise the AVFO’s actions. We ask you to please reflect that continuing to send them your content does have real consequences and further weakens the already beleaguered Residents’ Assembly.

Therefore, we kindly ask that you please send your content to the RA edition of the News & Notes (newsandnotes@auroville.services) and not to encourage the censored newsletter. The RA edition of the News & Notes has a wider reach within the community than that of the censored newsletter so if you worry that you won't reach people this is unfounded.

*Practical details*

Email ID for submissions:
newsandnotes@auroville.services or
aurovillenewsandnotes@auroville.services

Link (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFybN7h98NnoJqShg66zVOkAiOCsjjN23KkmlOPuZDYvoXRw/viewform) to submission form for people with @auroville.org.in mail IDs.

Link (https://auroville.media/newsandnotes/) to subscribe and read past issues.

Deadline for submission: TUESDAY, 5 pm

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We request you to please stand in solidarity with us as we endeavour to fulfil the rightful role of the Residents’ Assembly for the purpose of realising the Dream and the Auroville Charter.

Sincerely,
Auroville Council