Internal structure, visible and invisible
There is no fixed formal hierarchical structure in the internal organisation of Auroville. At present, the day-to-day running of the township is in the hands of various working groups whose members are selected by the community through a recognized process.
These groups, covering areas like community coordination, city planning, finance, education, green work, health, etc., operate with a considerable degree of autonomy. Major decisions are usually taken at meetings open to all residents or through Residents Assembly decision making process. Below you can find some of the key features that underlie Auroville's internal organisation.
The most fundamental organising power underlying the self-governance of Auroville is the inspiration given by its founder The Mother and the visionary sage Sri Aurobindo. Their teachings and influence act like an invisible magnetic field regulating all that is being done in Auroville.
The silent presence of Matrimandir not only provides the central orientation to the city in the making but also provides psychological and spiritual orientation to the citizens through its sacred and symbolic architecture. About Matrimandir, The Mother said "It is like the Force, the central Force of Auroville, the cohesive Force of Auroville."
Vision Documents
The three most important documents given by The Mother that act like central reference guides for Auroville's organisation are:
These documents in the overall context of the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother provide the vision, orientation, and inspiration for the emergence and continuation of Auroville.
The bulk of Auroville's administration is carried out by autonomous and non-hierarchic working groups. Some of the major working groups are listed below.
- Working Committee (WC)
- Auroville Council (AVC)
- L’Avenir d’Auroville/Town Development Council (TDC)
- Funds and Assets Management Committee (FAMC)
- Budget Coordination Committee (BCC)
- Entry Service (ES)
- Housing Service (HS)
- Residents Assembly Service (RAS)
- Land Service
In addition to the bodies that deal with general functioning, a number of working groups have come into existence to coordinate specific work areas. They have usually grown from a basic need and are non-hierarchic in nature. An overview of these working groups follows in alphabetical order:
- Auroville School Board (AVSB) is responsible for allocating budgets for teachers' maintenance and building construction/repair requests from all schools within Auroville and under outreach.
- Auroville Village Action Trust (AVAT) acts as an umbrella organisation for all the bio-regional outreach work in the villages.
- Farm Group coordinates Auroville's farming activities and shares information with a view to increasing Auroville's self-sufficiency in food production.
- Forest Group is involved in the planting and maintenance of Auroville's forested areas, particularly the Green Belt around the township.
- Green Group consists of representatives of the Farm Group and the Forest Group. It reviews issues pertaining to the development of the Green Belt, and makes recommendations to the community regarding the protection of the environment.
- Matrimandir Coordination Group is responsible for the manifestation of the Matrimandir and its gardens, and takes care of the Matrimandir nursery.
- Project Coordination Group (PCG) prepares all grant proposals for Auroville projects to ensure maximum effectiveness and non-duplication of approach to potential donors.
- Resource Mobilisation Group (RMG), a group composed of long-term Aurovilians with the task of mobilising resources for the growing city’s basic infrastructure and development needs.
