Entry Service

Introduction: This mandate represents a synthesis of input from the present and previous Entry groups.

Entry Group membership

MEMBERS volunteer, or are nominated and are ratified by the Residents Assembly. The term is three years. If a member wishes to continue after the term he must be re-ratified by the Residents Assembly. The members are committed to regular attendance at meetings, to Mothers guidelines in their own lives, and working as a group. Their decisions are group decisions and the group stands responsible for them, and keeps accurate records of them. All members must observe discretion about the information entrusted to them.

The present Entry group has been set up into three sub-groups:

1) Administration/office

The function of this office is to receive and inform people who are interested in joining Auroville, and to do all the required administrative work such as correspondence, processing applications, and requesting recommendation letters from the Auroville Foundation, as well as to interview new applicants in conjunction with the Core Group. The Administration also acts as a coordination body for the Core Group and Contact Persons.

2) Core Group

The Core Group consists of five or more Aurovilians who act as an overview body. The functions of the Core Group are to review all the information and feedback coming from the Administration, the Contact people, the educational program staff and the community at large and it is they who decide on Aurovilian status ( See below: Current policy of admission to Residents Assembly). The Core Group can be called upon to review and settle "problem cases" or conflict situations, and be a reference body for the Newcomer and the Contact person in case of difficulties. Members of the Core Group must have lived in Auroville for at least five years.

3) Contact work

Contact persons are a pool of Aurovilian who have volunteered to help facilitate one or more Newcomers to integrate smoothly into the Auroville community during their Newcomer period. The Administration and Core Group selects a Contact Person for each Newcomer based on language and affinities or needs. The task of a Contact Person is to interact with the Newcomer and provide guidance and assistance, in the light of the aims of Auroville, when and where needed. The Contact Person acts also as a link between the Core Group and the Newcomer providing quarterly updates on the Newcomers progress in integrating into the community and on any changes in the workplace or residence.

The Newcomer process

• Any person who is interested to join Auroville is requested to stay as a guest for a minimum period of three months. During this time, the guest may explore the community life by observing and/or participating in various activities, projects and services.

• If, during this time, the decision is made to join Auroville, an interview with the Entry Group is scheduled.

• The Administration and the Core Group hold this interview. If the applicant potentially fulfills the criteria for admission, (See below: Current policy of admission to Residents Assembly) a recommendation letter is requested from the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation to the appropriate Indian Consulate for the issuance an Entry Visa. Foreign Nationals must return to their country of origin or residence to obtain this visa.

• Foreign Nationals who have returned with an Entry Visa, and accepted Indian Nationals will be announced in the Auroville News, and after two weeks, if no negative feedback is received, a Contact Person is assigned and the Newcomer period officially begins.

• Copies of the "Joining Auroville" brochure and the Newcomer Guidelines are given to the Newcomer, where all the current policies on housing, finances, and work are clearly spelled out.

• The Newcomer period lasts for two years. Newcomers are encouraged to take up a work that is useful to the community for at least five hours a day. It is stressed that it is also important to spend time to become familiar with all the various aspects of Auroville, to join in various collective activities, open community meetings and other gatherings, as well as in the new economy experiments that are presently underway, and to learn the languages that are spoken here. Starting a new undertaking during this period - be it a service, commercial unit or an independent project - is only allowed with permission of the Entry Group.

• It is expected that the Newcomer will remain in Auroville throughout the Newcomer period. Exceptions can be made in the case of an emergency or different life situations which require periodical absences, but it is required that at least one full year is spent continuously in Auroville.

• At the end of the Newcomer period, the Core Group interviews the Newcomer. If all the criteria for acceptance are met, the Newcomer is announced in the Auroville News, and after two weeks, if no negative feedback is received, the Newcomer is entered in the Master List and becomes a member of the Residents Assembly. If the person fails to integrate after the two-year period, he may be asked to leave the community for a minimum of two years before applying again, or, in some cases, the Newcomer period could be extended for observation.

CURRENT POLICY OF ADMISSION TO RESIDENTS ASSEMBLY

• After the Newcomer has terminated the two year period of integration into Auroville, the Core Group evaluates and assesses each case based on the following criteria:

• The dedication to realize the Ideals of the Auroville Charter

• Willingness to offer ones energies and talents and the ability to sustain oneself by this offering

• Integration into the community

• Personal life, work and economy in harmony with the guidelines formulated in the "Joining Auroville" booklet

• Efforts made to learn more about the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, participation in classes and study circles

• Interest and respect for the local culture and customs

• Positive feedback from the workplace, residential community and the community at large

• No involvement in politics, gangs, and violence or sectarian association

• No involvement in court cases in India or abroad

• Children who are joining Auroville, accompanied by only one biological parent, require an official statement from the absent parent stating that they have No Objection that the child resides in Auroville

• (Due to Auroville's present housing situation, in addition to fulfilling the above criteria, only those who have the resources to build or purchase living quarters, or who receive or share an existing dwelling on a permanent basis, can join the community.)

Current policy for returning Aurovilians

Aurovilians who have left Auroville for more than five years are removed from the Master List. Aurovilians coming back to Auroville after a period of five years are announced in the AV News as Returning Aurovilians.

Six months after they have returned to Auroville, they are again announced in the Auroville News as a Returned Aurovilian, and after two weeks, if no negative feedback has been received they are re-entered on to the Master List.

Unless arrangements have been made with the Housing group, all rights and claims to living quarters are lost after an absence of five years.

March 2002