Theosophical News
2011
Diana looks back over 2011
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Reading an annual report can be quite soporific but
those of you who manage to wade through this year’s
TOS report may end up surprised at all that is being
accomplished. You may even end up ‘fired up’ to try
out in your own country something you’ve discovered. |
Actually only a small proportion of the members’
work is mentioned in the report. Whole countries –
eighteen to be precise – have not even been referred
to! Having to select amongst the many fine projects
undertaken by TOS members around the world is
positively agonising for the reporter, so if you are
pitying yourself at the reading ahead of you, please
have a kind thought for the reporter and an even
kinder one for the organisers of the major projects
that have gone un-discussed. |
Introduction
The main purpose of the TOS is to encourage people to take
up the path of service for humanity and the planet. Its
mission is to offer:
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a framework in which individuals may work in
self-selected lines of service for the relief of
suffering and the uplifting of society;
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a framework in which the practical application of
theosophical principles to issues of contemporary
concern may be explored;
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a framework in which social action and advocacy as
spiritual practice are actively supported.
Animal protection, the preservation of the environment and
meditation for world peace are amongst the most widespread
activities engaged in by TOS members. The TOS’s healing
ritual is also extensively performed. Over forty healing
groups meet regularly in the USA, for example and many
dozens within India. Social welfare, medical and educational
work amongst the underprivileged remains the priority of
many TOS groups around the world. For example, members run
numerous schools, literacy centres, free nutrition services
and medical programmes.
International Projects
Last year TOS and TS groups responded widely to the
TS in America’s kind offer to channel donations to
help the TS in Chile repair its building in Santiago
after the earthquake of February 2010. We are happy
to report that all donations have been transmitted,
the building is well on the way to being repaired
and meetings have even resumed. The members in Chile
have covered a significant part of the restoration
expenses themselves, which is a fine achievement.
They have been touched and encouraged by the concern
of their fellow Theosophists around the world.
For a fuller report from the TS in America,
including ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, click here:
http://www.theosophical.org/news |
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The TOS’s largest collaborative effort this year has
been in emergency relief to the Horn of Africa. The
TOS in Kenya identified a starving population in the
town of Kitui, 130 km east of Nairobi, and 55
families are being fed for six months, with help
from the Nairobi TOS team, from TOS and TS members
in Australia, England, France, Germany, Italy, New
Zealand, Spain and the USA. The feasibility of
putting down a bore hole so that the villagers have
not only drinking water but also water for the
planting of high quality seeds is being looked into
seriously and could well be accomplished before the
food distribution project ends. Plans are also under
consideration to provide the Kitui villagers with
fruit-bearing trees such as mangoes and pawpaw.
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A photographic report on the first distribution of food was
posted on our website in October.
Here’s a link to the report if you missed it.
You ’ll find a full
report
on the
second food distribution
in the Featured Project on the website. Don't miss it!
The TOS United Nations Committee chaired by Lorraine
Christensen of Canada has produced its first
brochure inviting Theosophists to engage in
activities in support of UN aspirations in the realm
of world peace, unity and the relief of suffering.
The TOS thanks Pedro Oliveira and Ananya Rajan in
particular for their help in researching the TS’s
extensive history of support for the UN and for its
predecessor, the League of Nations.
The brochure is posted in the UN section of For
Members on the TOS website. Members of both the TS
and TOS are warmly invited to print out this
brochure
for
distribution. |
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Spanish language co-ordinator, Fernando Pérez Martin, has
produced several more issues of an electronic newsletter
presenting ideas to our many Hispanic members for supporting
the work of the UN.
Fernando has produced 23 issues of the UN newsletter
since December 2008. |
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A Spanish edition of Nelda Samarel’s booklet,
Helping the Dying, has been published by the TOS
in the Philippines and has been distributed in
Spain, Central America and the Caribbean. The
director of the TOS in Argentina, Norberto Cicirelli,
has completedg a further print run for distribution
throughout the rest of Latin America.
Download the electronic copy of the Spanish edition
here.
A Portuguese translation is also in progress. |
The Kern Foundation of the USA, under the impulse of its
Advising Trustee, John Kern, has once again provided a
matching grant to support the Golden Link College in the
Philippines. We are grateful to the Foundation and to John,
and also to the TOS in America for processing donations to
meet the grant target each year. The college continues to
attract considerable interest among Theosophists because of
its attempts to integrate theosophical ideas and inner
transformation work into the daily life of the students. An
article by Vicente Hao Chin, Jr outlining the theosophical
content and practice in the curricula from kindergarten to
tertiary level is now available at
http://international.theoservice.org/articles.html.
TOS members in Australia, Singapore and New Zealand
in particular, have sent thousands more books to the
Philippines this year. Well over 50,000 books have
been sent in the past three years, not only to
enrich the library of the Golden
Link College but to help build the libraries of
other public and private schools as well. Unloading
and sorting these books requires considerable work
in which the students of the Golden Link College
participate enthusiastically. |
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The two-monthly international electronic newsletter
called TOS in-touch.online, produced by Geoffrey and
Carolyn Harrod, remains the TOS’s main organ of
communication. Its distribution list is growing. In
every issue of the newsletter, the new material
added to the TOS’s website is announced. For
example, models of theosophically-oriented funeral
services are being posted by Carolyn to help
Theosophists farewell their loved ones:
Funeral services
She has also added a long (and growing) list of
fund-raising ideas:
http://international.theoservice.org/
members/fundraising/fr-ideas.html
Members are warmly invited to use any of the
website’s resource material in their national and
local TOS or TS publications and activities. |
A great deal of humanitarian service work goes on at our
international TS headquarters in Adyar, Chennai, India,
principally under the aegis of the Olcott Education Society.
This year we have run a series of photographic
reports
by George and Gailene Wester of Australia on three of the
four activities operating under its umbrella: the Olcott
School, the Blavatsky Hostel, the Social Welfare Centre and
the Annie Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary. TOS groups are
enthusiastic and faithful supporters of these four fine
projects that the International President of the TS has
actively cared for over many decades.
"News" page
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