AGM - Info and Reports

Minutes EBU AGM 2005

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of EBU was held from Friday 23rd in the evening to Sunday 25th of September, hosted by “The Buddhist Mission - Three Refuges” in Szczecin, Poland. It was followed by the Buddhist Teachers in Europe meeting held from Sunday 25th to Wednesday 28th.

Download the 2005 AGM minutes in RTF format.

Present:

Representatives and Delegates of Member Organisations of EBU

  • Costantino Albini, Dzogchen Community (Italy)
  • Zarko Andricevic, Dharmaloka Buddhist Community (Croatia)
  • Prasada Brazier, Network of Buddhist Organisation UK(England)
  • Dharmavidya Brazier, Amida Trust (England)
  • Dharmachari Dhammarati, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (England)
  • Dorje Dondrub, Sakya Tashi Ling (Spain)
  • Maria Angela Falà, Italian Buddhist Union (Italy)
  • Hans Erich Frey, German Buddhist Union (Germany)
  • Pindola Gàbor Hargitai, Hungarian Buddhist Mission (Hungary)
  • Gakuro Kurt Krammer, ShinDo (Jodo Shinshu Germany)
  • Lama Lhundrup, Dhagpo Kagyu Ling (France)
  • Jonathan Macaskill, Dechen Community (England)
  • Lama Paljin Tulku, Mandala (Italy)
  • Claudine Shinoda, Reiyukai (France)
  • Lama Tcheudreun, Congregation Dachang Rimay (France)
  • Aad Verboom, Honorary president of EBU

Guests and Observers

  • Frans Goetghebeur, Belgium Buddhist Union
  • Chan Dieu Nghiem Jina, Plum Village Practice Center(France)
  • Chan Huong Nghiem, Plum Village Practice Center (France)
  • Myozan Neil Maclean, Dharma Sangha Europe (Germany)
  • Drupla Gelek Tarchin, Dhagpo Kagyu Ling (France)
  • Nityabandhu, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (England)
  • Anna Maria Pennaglia, Mandala (Italy)
  • Marina Canova, Mandala (Italy)

Representatives of Organisations applying for membership of EBU

  • Tamas Agocs, The Gate of the Dharma Buddhist Ecumenical Foundation (Hungary)
  • Kanzen, The Buddhist Mission (Poland)
  • Gakuro Kurt Krammer, Salzburg Buddhist Association (Austria)

Agenda

  • Apologies for absence
  • Greeting Message by H.H. The Dalai Lama
  • Report from the Council
  • Approval of Minutes of 2004 Plenary Session
  • Summary of the first meeting discussion
  • Summary of atelier groups
  • Application for membership
  • Election of Officers
  • Enlarging the Council: forming the EBU_team
  • “World Buddhist Summit”
  • Contact with NBUE
  • Reply to H.H. The Dalai Lama
  • Dates and Venue of AGM 2006
  • Concluding remarks

Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were received from the following people and member-organisations:

  • Lama Denys Teundroup, Honorary President EBU
  • Rev Jotoku Thomas Moser, Shin Do (Jodo Shinshu) (Germany)
  • Vajramala, German Buddhist Union
  • Lilavajra, Hungarian Buddhist Mission (Hungaria)

Greeting Message by H.H. The Dalai Lama

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Before the beginning of the proceedings of this year’s AGM, a Greeting Message by H.H. The Dalai Lama was read out to the assembly which gratefully welcomed this great encouragement.

Report from the Council

The President welcomes all and thanks the members of the Council for the work done during the past year. The main aim for the team was to continue the effort to renew EBU along with the suggestions arising during the last AGM at Jägerndorf. During the year each member of the Council took care of some tasks about which they refer:

Exposition of the legal status by Claudine Shinoda, vice-president

Due to the new registration in Paris, as decided at the AGM 2004, only the members who gave needed information and who paid their annual fees can now be considered as effective members. Most members reported to the Council and gave the name of the person in charge, as requested. Any changes (name of member organisation, changes to the constitution, change of chairperson etc.) that occur during the year ought to be reported to Claudine Shinoda immediately.
It is also very important to contact all former members who are not present today to consider re-registration by giving their addresses, their objects, and the names of their presidents and paying their annual fees of € 80. We hope that every member will help the Council to achieve this task.

Treasurer report by Lama Cheudreun

A new bank account will be set up under the name of EBU. The account number will be communicated to the members without delay.
As debts with UNESCO have been settled thanks to a donation by Lama Denys the situation of the EBU account is on the best way.

The internet site by Zarko Andricevic

The EBU internet site has been online since summer and is being expanded within the next weeks and months. It can be contacted under www.e-b-u.org as well as under the former address www.europeanbuddhistunion.org.

At present, there is the list of members that were registered with EBU under the old constitution. All members should check, how their organisation is represented on the website and send alterations and additional information, email addresses etc. to the webmaster to bring the site up to date.

Communication by Dhammarati, vice-president

Dhammarati reminded us of the importance of the Council and of its communicative work to attract new members.

He expressed the Council’s thanks to the president, Maria Angela, who has been a central figure in EBU representing an important thread of continuity. He also informed the assembly of a meeting with our honorary president Lama Denys, in which he expressed the necessity to unify the forces of organised Buddhism in Europe in a cooperation between EBU and the Union of National Buddhist Unions, represented by Frans Goetghebeur, who is also president of the Belgian Buddhist Union.

Conclusion by the President Maria Angela Falà

Maria Angela Falà, President, starts looking back on 30 years of EBU, of which she herself has had an experience of 17 years, and still believes in what a member expressed in Strasbourg, “if EBU did not exist, we’d have to create it!”. EBU was quite small, when it was founded by 7 members and has gone through a number of ups and downs over these 3 decades.

In 1989 the constitution was changed, to allow groups, centres and networks to join the membership and in 2004 EBU was reestablished in Paris under French law.
At present, there are more than 20 member organisations registered and there are 4 applicants at this AGM.

Different opinions due to different experience and tradition are being voiced and respected. Dharma teaching must be adopted to our time, our cultural and social conditions. 50 years ago the phenomenon of ‘practicing Buddhists’ in Europe was almost unknown. Nowadays it is our task to develop an adequate Western way, based on the experience and tradition of the past, in compassion, wisdom and humility. If the pace on this way seems to be to fast for some, or to slow for others, we must enter into communication and develop understanding.

We will have to develop our own internal communication and create common projects, we will cooperate with institutions on a national and international level, we will encourage and coordinate the dialogue between Buddhists and Western society and the academic world. We shall have a vision but stay realistic and accomplish an innovative, dynamic perspective of the future together.

The establishment of our new website (in early summer 2005, an ebu-forum by e-mail and other skillful means may help us to increase the scope and depth of our network of communication. The creation of working groups and the publication of their results may be a further step forward.

We are not a ‘church’ speaking with one voice, but we can develop a sangha-spirit in a practical way, we can put forward specific points of interest, we can increase the presence of EBU in the framework of the European Union and we can draw subsidies from the EU for our transnational project.

We will be called to elect new officers tomorrow, officers that will have a demanding job after a difficult period. The president appeals to the members to find a way to continue and grow in a spirit of respect and consensus. Finally she expresses her gratitude for the support received by members of the Council and the assembly.

Approval of Minutes of 2004 Plenary Session

The Minutes of 2004 Plenary Session were approved.

Summary of the first meeting discussion

Presentation of potential topics carried on from the last AGM, for possible further discussion:

  • Internal organisation: consensus decision making + the "culture of EBU"
  • Dialogue with EU
  • Basic Dharma for Europe
  • EBU as a source of information
  • Inter-Buddhist dialogue and exchange of experience
  • Events
  • Education - How to reach young people across Europe

Frans Goetghebeur:

The Dalai Lama’s message supports us in keeping an atmosphere of friendship and openness. Networking and active dialogue are on the agenda and we ought to unite energy and inspiration. A balance between the autonomy of the centres and unions and a certain centralisation of common efforts must be achieved. Good work and useful publications are being done in a number of countries and experienced and energetic people will be able to strengthen the structure for the necessary exchange. We should ask ourselves quite honestly, how we are perceived by members and potential member groups, how we are seen by the world outside the inner circles. We need to open our doors even wider and while we should not attempt to give ‘one voice’ to European Buddhism, it might be a good idea to give it ‘one face’.

To be able to serve the practitioners all over Europe and mutually benefit from their experience, we should reach a common agreement and extend the council with a team of experienced people. Opening up is not so much a question of persons, but of ideas and modern means of communication, like video conferences might be beneficial. We should attract the largest possible number of new applicants and maybe consider a virtual secretary in Brussels. Let us prepare a road map together for the growth and development of EBU.

Lama Lhundrup:

We should become more representative and consider the rising importance of internationally active networks.

Kanzen:

Extending the Council is necessary to improve structures. Limbs are necessary for head and body. There must be better communication during the year to get rid of the impression that nothing happens for 360 days a year.

Prasada:

Building trust takes time and the issue of trust is of great importance for cooperation. We must listen carefully to each other and take groups’ fears seriously, who are anxious that EBU might be ‘speaking for all the Buddhists in Europe’.

Dharmavidya:

Let me stress the importance of trust and procedures, of constitution, agenda and minutes. It should be very clear which issues the EBU should engage with and what should be left to its members.

Lama Lhundrup:

There is a lot in common and there are fields of diverse opinion and a ‘European voice’ must be aware of this, of this unity in diversity. Competent and wise speakers are needed.

The issues of ‘EBU and the outside world’, ‘representation’, ‘government recognition’, ‘cooperation with national and international institutions’ and ‘consensus or at least consent’ dominate the discussion before the break.

To allow a structured discussion, working groups are established, dealing with different topics:

  • Trust and representation
  • Working with young people
  • Contact and cooperation with EU and international institutions
  • Using ‘wikipedia’ as an offer of ‘basic dharma’ in different languages.

Each group is to take responsibility for taking practical steps in accordance with the consensus reached in the group and in communication with the Council.

This process is intended to bring forward proposals for initiatives at the next AGM.
The Council is to coordinate these proposals as well as those coming from individual groups in the course of the year.

The much wider use of the ‘ebu-forum’ and perhaps an internal forum at our website should be considered.

Summary of atelier groups

1 Trust and representation

The first atelier group wrote out the trust section below which show the spirit we need to work together.

Trust is created by:
    - Witnessing people working with ‘Dharma motivation’: bodhicitta
    - Skilful communication
    - Skilful action: not intentionally doing wrong
    - Shouldering and sharing responsibility
    - Transparency of decision making
    - Mature action based on real consensus
    - Mutual consultation on important topics
    - Words followed by action bring credibility
    - Trust arises when good work is done and the fruit is visible
    - Our Officers in touch with needs of members and the overall situation
    - A structure that responds to the needs of member organisations of different size,
      large and small
    - When inner consensus precedes outer action
    - A “living” organism rather than an organisation
    - Applying the principles of the dharma to our functioning as an organism/ation
    - Thinking of EBU rather as a Sangha than as an organisation.
    - Be the way you want the organisation to be
    - When representatives attend for long enough to build real relationships
    - When we realize that mistakes are inevitable, but we learn from them

After having agreed on the fact that inner consciousness is essential to allow the inclusion of more and larger organisations, the group brought concrete proposals to the meeting:

As a guideline, for the continuity of representation, members should appoint representatives for at least 3 years.

- We need a presentation booklet on EBU and its work. Lama Paljin and Maria Angela offer their help for this project, in coordination with Zarko, in charge of the website.

- An “Open house project” for one year will allow a larger number of Centres and organisations to know about EBU. It will mostly consist in contacting and inviting all major Buddhist organisations which meet on membership criteria  - whether they are members or not – to attend next AGM. The working group for this project will decide procedures and mechanism of invitations. A proposition was made to send delegates to inform potential members. To help for this project, Dharmavidya provides a letter of presentation and invitation, to be sent to the delegates contacting potential members. Project manager: Kurt

- Close to this project, suggestion was made to invite suggestions from everywhere, and proposals to all potential participants for issues to be discussed and debated at next AGM. As for the AGM agenda, the Council should have to choose from topics submitted by groups attending. It could be the work of a specific group to collect subjects.

- Preparing concrete events will actually make a difference to participants.

2 Reaching Young People

Project manager: Claudine
There was a consent on the fact that young people have to be actors and organisers and that we just have to help them. Specific suggestions were made by the working group:

- Can we have youth group mailbox on EBU website? Information on website of experiences in organising for young people?

- Claudine offers to approach young people in her organisation:
to invite and interest young people from other groups and centres to participate in events, to write EBU members in order to get information about activities that are performed in theirs groups.

She did a brief report of an event organised by young people of her organisation, open to the public and which became, after some years, an international event sponsored by UNESCO. Could it be, in the future, an EBU project for young people ?

3 “Wikipedia”

EBU has language skills. Kurt, project manager, suggests to use “wikipedia” as an offer of “basic dharma” in different languages. (en.wikipedia.org, fr.wikipedia.org, it.wikipedia.org, etc.)

4 Contact with EU

Kanzen will be the project manager of this group who proposed
    - to upgrade status of EBU as assocation to international organisation,
    - to question EU authorities on issues that concern us,
    - to keep up with human rights and watchdog organisation as Helsinki federation,
    - a practical next step, which is to study Vienna convention:
      Costantino and Nityabandhu offered to work on this issue.
    - If EBU agrees, to establish contacts with EU.

There will be first a research project and then proposals to meeting.

Application for membership

Kwan Um Zen Centre

This application was postponed because they had not sent a representative.

The Gate of the Dharma Ecumenical Foundation (Hungary)

accepted for membership

Polish Buddhist Mission-Three Refuges (Poland)

accepted for membership

Salzburg Buddhist Association (Austria)

accepted for membership

Membership

Fast track admission for old members.

The AGM agree with the idea to allow a shorter membership process for previous members: if they apply for membership in the next 12 months, we would automatically accept them.

Website and deadline

In connection with this year’s application it has become evident that the instructions how to become a member on our website should be as clear as possible and should contain a deadline.

Election of Officers

As a number of candidates were suggested for election of Officers, the discussion arose, how an equilibrium between continuity and innovative change could be achieved. The number of candidates willing to give their energy and work as a dana to the development of European Buddhism was encouraging.

The following Officers were elected:

  • President - Claudine Shinoda, France
  • 1st Vice-president - Maria Angela Fala, Italie
  • 2nd Vice-president - Gakuro Kurt.Krammer, Austria
  • Treasurer - Lama Cheudreun, France

Enlarging the Council: forming the EBU_team

For the tasks ahead, especially for the improvement of communication between the Council and members and to realize the ‘open door project’ of inviting as many groups as possible to join in with EBU, to promote the cause of the Dharma in Europe, it was considered necessary and beneficial to broaden the Council. An email list ebu_team is to be set up for an easy and quick communication among members of the Council.

Members of the Council:

World Buddhist Summit

Maria Angela outlined the history of the summit. Nembutsu school cancelled Myanmar conference: Myanmar governement went ahead, German delegation attended. Nembutsu is now running an alternative summit in Thailand ( DBU is not invited). Concerning this “4th World Buddhist Summit in Bangkok” there will be no official representation of EBU. Individuals taking part will give their impressions at the next AGM 2006.

Contact with NBUE

Frans Goetghebeur is invited to join EBU Council

Reply to H.H. The Dalai Lama

The AGM agreed to a text of reply which is sent.

Dates and Venue of AGM 2006

The proposal from Lama Dorje Dondrub to host the next AGM in Sakya Tashi Ling, Barcelona (Spain) was agreed and thanked. It will start on Friday morning (arrival Thursday evening), September 29th until Sunday , October 1st, at noon.
Invitations and detailed information will be sent later.

Concluding remarks

The Council and the Delegates expressed their appreciation of the meeting which seems to be a good new start for EBU into an active presence and an innovative future and, on behalf of everyone, the president presented thanks to Kanzen as our host and to the Buddhist Mission for their warm welcome and support during the days of the meeting.

These “Minutes” were transcribed by Gakuro Kurt Krammer and Claudine Shinoda, October 2005.


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