ISKCONResolve just finished a very successful ombudsman training here in Boston. The North American GBC fully supported the program, they helped organize it, and they gather 11 participants, including five disciples of Srila Prabhupada. Brahma Tirtha Prabhu, a professor from MIT, one from Harvard, and yours truly were the presenters.
We are having a training for European ombuds in Budapest Oct 15th to 17th. I will be the presenter--sorry, no MIT/Harvard profs!--but having just attended the NA training, I will convey what they imparted.
We are looking for devotees who you consider qualified for this service. The service is very part-time. Even otherwise busy devotees can do it. It is a rewarding training and a rewarding service--helping Srila Prabhupada's mission by helping devotees clear up their conflicts, worries, and concerns.
Here are some of the qualities we would be looking for in an Ombud:
- honest
- have a good reputation
- a good listener
- a timely communicator
- able to keep confidentiality
- willing to learn a new skill
- senior enough to gain devotee's respect
- trusted by leaders
- know ISKCON's rules (or know where to find them--IR has that info)
- a good networker
The service entails:
- listening to devotee's concerns
- helping devotees consider their options
- networking with various devotees and/or ISKCON entities.
- reporting trends to Management (not names or specifics, but trends that
- may help them know what's happening in their Yatra/zone)
- directing devotees to the proper channels if they want to make a formal complaint
ISKCONResolve provides the training free of charge. The expenses involved in staying in Budapest are as follows:
For those who would like to participate at the training :
We have one other guest room to stay, it is a double room. It costs 15 Euros / person / night. We have a very few asrama rooms (what are 4 bed rooms) it is for 10 Euros. (We are starting a bhakta program in September, so the availability of asrama beds will be determined by that.)
Nearby there is a motel, what is quite good, and they give discount for us. It is approximately 40 Euros / person / night. Airport transfer is 15 Euros.