From the ISKCON GBC – Minutes Of The Annual General Meeting – February 2017
313: Global Duties & Responsibilities of the Governing Body Commission
[ISKCON Law]Whereas the GBC wishes to formalize the understanding of its global services to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness;
Whereas it is important that duties and responsibilities be clarified at all levels of the Society;
Whereas the GBC wishes to produce a legacy document for the instruction and training of future GBC members:
RESOLVED:
That the document “Global Duties & Responsibilities of the Governing Body Commission (GBC)” is accepted as an official statement and shall be part of ISKCON Law.
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(The following is an excerpt from the above mentioned document)
The GBC should regularly and effectively communicate to all devotees the vision, decisions, and initiatives meant to improve the Hare Krishna movement. To this end, GBC members may use any and all means of communication. Effective communication includes the thorough explanation of resolutions and policies and ensuring that all essential information is translated into all the languages ISKCON serves.
The GBC should promote professional, mature, and harmonious communication between ISKCON and the public, government agencies, academics, religious leaders and institutions, the media, and other relevant and influential persons or groups.
The GBC should produce ISKCON’s legislation and, as individual members, should follow those regulations, restricting themselves from the arbitrary exercise of power and instead acting according to the rule of law – the principle that all individuals are subject and accountable to a set of legitimately established rules.
Srila Prabhupada wrote: “We require to hold this important meeting of the GBC to formulate the rules and regulations how things will be worked on.” (Letter to Tamal Krishna, August 14, 1971). Later, Srila Prabhupada wrote: “As far as your proposals are concerned the real thing is that we must make broader constitution of the management by GBC.” (Letter to Jayatirtha, December 16, 1974)
It’s therefore the duty of the GBC to generate fair legislation and for its members to be exemplary in their observance of the law. Legislation includes the development of policies, procedures, systems, and structures that promote ISKCON’s functionality and growth and ensure legal compliance throughout the world, both to internal and external laws, through regular audits and other means.
Srila Prabhupada wrote: “A GBC member cannot go beyond the jurisdiction of his power. We are in the experimental stage but in the next meeting of the GBC members they should form a constitution how the GBC members manage the whole affair.” (Letter to Giriraja, August 12, 1971)
The constitution will enshrine the underlying fundamental principles on which all ISKCON laws should be based. Srila Prabhupada established the GBC as the “ultimate managing authority” for ISKCON. A structure that gives final, ultimate, and supreme authority to the GBC may raise concerns about the possibility of a dictatorial or oppressive governance. But “ultimate” does not mean the GBC has “absolute” authority. In fact, an essential element of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings is that ISKCON leaders, including the GBC and its members, must recognize and respect the dignity and rights of the individuals and communities. Srila Prabhupada wrote: “I have chosen my best men to be GBC and I do not want that the GBC should be disrespectful to the temple presidents.” (Letter to All Governing Board Commissioners, May 19, 1976)
Whoever wishes to peacefully serve within ISKCON according to ISKCON law should be able to freely perform his or her duties without inappropriate, oppressive, or arbitrary interference. Srila Prabhupada wrote to a GBC member: “Regarding your trip to U.S.A. you say that you will be tactful and respectful in your dealings. That should be the motto of all GBC. Be tolerant, and if there is any deficiency, rectify it. All our men have volunteered good service, so the background is good will. So everything should be done on the basis of good will.” (Letter to Hamsaduta, September 7, 1974)
There are various bases for legitimate authority. In our movement the FounderAcarya’s instructions provide fundamental parameters. Naturally, in an institution, questions will arise: Who may lead and how is leadership obtained? What powers are granted to leaders? What kind of decisions can leaders make? What sanctions may leaders impose? The leaders’ decisions need clear doctrinal support and be convincingly rational. An additional source of legitimacy is the extent to which all devotees feel enfranchised – that is, they believe they have some impact on their leaders’ decisions.
The GBC is studying practical ways for ensuring that decisions be made in consideration of the rightful concerns of its constituencies after comprehensive dialogue. A proper system of checks and balances would provide some measure of influence over the deliberations of the GBC and will prevent unwarranted arbitrariness. For instance, the GBC stipulated that it will no override the case decisions of the Child Protection Office.