How does the BKWSU alleviate poverty?

for ex-BKs to discuss matters related to experiences in BKWSU & after leaving.
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ex-l

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Post08 Dec 2007

arjun wrote:In the December, 2007 issue of 'Purity' magazine published by BKs, in an article titled 'Campaign for Holistic Rural Development: A Report' it has been reported by the Purity Bureau that :

''A five-month long campaign for holistic rural development was organized by the Brahmakumaris, covering 30 states across the country. The subjects taken up during the campaign were education, health including de-addiction and hygiene, eradication of social evils and spread of spiritual awareness among the rural folk ...

... The outline and accomplishments of the campaign were also highlighted by her during the finale. In all, the campaign ran for 5 months in which 211 yatras were organised. Through 13000 yatris who participated, crores of people were enlightened about need for spirituality and poverty eradication. While 1,10,000 villages were covered, 14 lakh villagers pledged to give up their addictions. During the campaign very startling instances were found from the remotest areas like a five-year-old boy who had been drinking for past two years and a three-year-old girl taking gutka."

So, Yatras ... BK-style Peace Marches. Any mention of "how" poverty was to be eradicated apart from giving up smoking?
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bro neo

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Post08 Dec 2007

Understand that the BKWSU has a totally different culture than what Double Foreigners are use to. To always frame what they do as negative is in a form racist.
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tete

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Please put forth "their/BKs" (Indian) cultural per

Post08 Dec 2007

Bro Neo,
bro neo wrote:Understand that the BKWSU has a totally different culture than what Double Foreigners are use to. To always frame what they do as negative is in a form racist.

It would appear that the latter word you were looking for would be ethnocentric: an adjective describing the condition of viewing and judging (often in pejorative terms) other cultures and societies according to the (usually taken-for-granted) assumptions of one’s own society. By way of contrast, anthropology is concerned not only to highlight our assumptions but also to show that other cultures and societies are different to our own, but not any worse or better.

However, I think ex-l's post was more in line with a questioning, analytical frame of thought and not what you suggest. Poisoning the well is not too productive and goes off topic. If you want to put forth "their" (BKs/Indian) cultural perspective, please do as I am sure we could all benefit from these points. The Indian forum members might find this enlightening too and it may open up the discussion of cultural differences within the BKWSU.
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abrahma kumar

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Boldly going where others did not.

Post09 Dec 2007

It was indeed
bro neo who wrote:Understand that the BKWSU has a totally different culture than what Double Foreigners are use to. To always frame what they do as negative is in a form racist.
But it was
tete who wrote:Understand that the BKWSU has a totally different culture than what Double Foreigners are use to. To always frame what they do as negative is in a form racist.

Yes, every little does count, so let us all continue to exercise care in cyberspace.

Peace.

regards
Abrahma Kumar
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tete

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Post09 Dec 2007

Abrahma Kumar,

With all do respect, I "bolded" the word "racist" and I did not write what you quoted me as writing. I merely did it to point out the word being used and since your clarification, corrected the bold in the text. If an individual warrants being called such fine, but if the word does not, nor has warranted such merit than I see no fault in pointing that out.

So, perhaps I should just stay out of the discussion and let those involved clarify their issues.
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bro neo

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Post09 Dec 2007

tete, your input is appreciated, but I know what I mean better then you could ever know what I mean. And this is what the word that I used means:

Main Entry: rac·ism

Function: noun
    1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
    2 : racial prejudice or discrimination
    — rac·ist \-sist also -shist\ noun or adjective
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/racist
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abrahma kumar

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time moves on

Post09 Dec 2007

Hi tete I was being pedantically accurate. You have since removed the bolden edit and explained what you were trying to convey in having previously done so.

Further more, in the title of my post , one may be able to discern the spirit in which it was made i.e as an expression of duty of care ... to all. I hope you take no offense because I happened to quote your words before had time to finalise them.

Om Shanti

Regards
abek
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tete

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Admin move last 7 post:Bro Neo and his inspirations

Post09 Dec 2007

abrahma Kumar,

Perhaps Admin could move the last 7 posts to: Bro Neo and his inspirations. I don't think it relates to to the topic at hand and seems to be related to interpersonal issues. I would rather handle personal issues in pms but I don't think that is an option here.

I would hope that things get better with time as passions run high and energies could be forged into friendships or mutual respect rather than oppositional forces. I would hope it could be resolved in mutual understanding as it was with other members in other threads.

Forgiveness and the Freedom of Letting go
Lama Surya Das/Love and Forgiveness wrote:When we talk about Dharma or truth or love, it all really comes down to the same thing: an appreciation of something, someone, or a certain moment in life. An appreciation of something that is perhaps beautiful or at least beautiful to us. Like the quality of our relationship. That's really what we love, is not it? How we feel in that moment. We might say we love the other person, but if we really look into it, what are we really loving? We probably love how we feel with them.
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arjun

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Post09 Dec 2007

tete wrote:Perhaps Admin could move the last 7 posts to: Bro Neo and his inspirations. I don't think it relates to to the topic at hand and seems to be related to interpersonal issues. I would rather handle personal issues in pms but I don't think that is an option here.

I agree. If required a new thread could also be started.
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ex-l

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Post10 Dec 2007

bro neo wrote:Understand that the BKWSU has a totally different culture than what Double Foreigners are use to. To always frame what they do as negative is in a form racist.

Strangely enough, the alleviation of poverty (which is what I was questioning and many of the BKWSU Trusts were set up to do) is fairly universal in its implication. All the same, I am as happy to hear of Indian-style poverty alleviation as I am Western-style poverty alleviation. Its just that I think it takes more than getting folks to give up smoking ... or to stop kids eating candied tobacco that is marketed directly for them (gutka).

I am not so much racist ,as anti-PR-ist ... is it wrong to expect facts?
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arjun

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Post10 Dec 2007

Dear ex-l,

I am not aware if 'poverty alleviation' in literal sense is mentioned in the aims and objectives of any of the BKWSU trusts, but it is known to everyone that BKWSU, like many other organizations is a religious institution and their basic aim is to spread religious/ spiritual knowledge and not poverty alleviation. Moreover, the Murlis, which are the basis of their rules and regulations, do not allow expending Yagya money for such purposes. Therefore, I don't think we can expect them to spend a large chunk of their income on poverty alleviation projects.

Since many years, BKWSU has started spending Yagya money on social service projects which, given the directions in the Murlis against the above, should be appreciated to some extent if not fully (as per Western expectations). I agree that the amount spent by them on such projects/programmes or the mode of expenditure may not be as per your expectations (or an eyewash, according to many), but nevertheless they are doing something :) .

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun
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ex-l

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Post10 Dec 2007

arjun wrote:I am not aware if 'poverty alleviation' in literal sense is mentioned in the aims and objectives of any of the BKWSU trusts ...

It is written in black and white on the UK at least. I will check others as time allows. I suppose the BKs meant something different to genuine social upliftment ... like turning morally impoverished shudras into diamond-laden Golden Aged deities!?!

I still think the "look at me" Peace marches are the lowest form of service and the BKWSU PR machine the hardest working wing ... in scale of their exaggeratory powers.
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sparkal

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culture race

Post10 Dec 2007

It is possible to have a variety of races involved in the one culture, such is the "Brahmin culture".

When souls from one culture (e.g. Hindi) go global, they then have a situation of having to deal with other cultures, or, one diet for all tastes. Not everyone likes spicy food, or money high on the agenda. BKWSU leadership at this point may say of finance that the responsibility is with the local centre, and with the individual. And may well add that it is "karma". I presume they see the bigger global picture in the same way, which may even translate, or appear to as, "I am alright Jack" .

Well, I guess it IS karma which ever way we look at it. It may also be karma that some souls lose everything while others gain everything in future, though we are looking at a fair world with no poverty and only wealth for ALL yes? May as well start now, lay down those sanskars, yes?

Let's be honest here, you cannot campaign against poverty AND be accepted/impress world leaders, not these world leaders anyway. You will not impress sharks by suggesting a vegetarian diet, they will not take you serious. So BKWSU may have to leave the poverty stuff to others who can say and do while not representing an organisation which wants/needs to impress. Squeaky clean. (I can hear the keyboards going).

The true political/social structure beliefs of BKWSU leadership may be the subject matter in question, and their motives/ agenda. Personally I don't know enough to comment. Actually, that is covered in other threads and perhaps the subject here is a more universal global one. I doubt whether Dadi or Jayanti have enough to make a difference in world poverty.

Other of their actions may however.

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