News & Notes 616:Entry Service monthly report
Entity::Entry Service Monthly Report
Lots of action in Entry these days. Of course, everyone is aware that the new Entry Policy which after an extensive preparation, has gone before the Community in a General Meeting nicely organized by the RAS and Auroville Council to be a "working" meeting. People could get all the
documentation and give written feedback which is now being processed. Most of the discussion concerns the extension of the "contact person" into a mentor pool. As the Entry Process moves toward a more inclusive Community conversation rather than just in the hands of the Entry Team, the changes, the new statuses, are in line with what has been urged by the Auroville Retreat. Read the N&N for updates on the new status categories like Friends, Spouses, Relatives, and Associates of Auroville. New ways are being explored to help young people without financial means to join Auroville. Also, the first "Welcome Talk" for those wishing to join Auroville convened on September 16 with success and will continue regularly.
The Entry Team receives back from the Community various rumors and impression because, as we all know, Auroville is still a small village. We have to counter misinformation that circulates about joining Auroville. One persistent story is that the present team is against artists and therapists joining because we have too many already, and that they don't contribute very much. If you happen to be both an artist and a therapist you are really in trouble! Artists, like everyone else, are, of course, welcome in Auroville, but like everyone else they also have to work for the Community as a karma yogi and not as a hermit artist doing art for art sake and not much else.
Some people approaching us for the first time are trembling from the horror stories they have been told by Aurovilians about traumas they or others had with Entry Services. Let's not do this anymore, and if something does happen with the present Entry Team, let's clear it with all concerned. One last thing, Entry is a "service" not a "group" so the Team likes to get email and things addressed to the "Entry Service" and want to go beyond the old days of so-called "groupism."
Normally all the feedback we receive about people (other than support letters and assessments) is negative. Just to remind everybody that we also welcome any nice story you may have about a Newcomer. Let's also go towards the positive instead of staying stuck in the negative.
As part of our new approach, the Entry Team is doing training programs with qualified people in the Community to improve our services. We also are consulting resource people for particular cases and working more closely with services like Koodam. Aurovilians concerned about particular cases have been received for special meetings to clarify their concerns. Our News & Notes announcement recently listed some people with whom the entry process had to be discontinued after due consideration, but the reasons cannot be given publicly in the Notes out of respect for their privacy, but Aurovilians can consult with us for information they may need.
Entry Service is scheduling another informal Newcomer Potluck for 17 October Saturday (place to be announced). Aurovilians interested to participate are also welcome.
Entry Service Team (Aurore, B, Chitra, Eva, Ishita, Matilde, Neeti)