3.   More international projects

A nine-member committee has been formed this year to encourage TOS members in their support of United Nations projects at local, national and international levels. Its first task will be the preparation of a brochure looking at the historical work of the TS and TOS in support of the United Nations and its precursor, the League of Nations.    Lorraine Christensen from Canada is coordinating our UN committee.

Fernando Pérez Martin is the TOS's Spanish language coordinator.

The new UN committee will complement the work of Fernando Pérez Martin already begun. Over the past two years, he has published 20 issues of an electronic newsletter in Spanish presenting ideas to the members for supporting the work of the UN.

Golden Link School children celebrate UN Day each year.

'Helping the dying'  book

The TOS in the Philippines has kindly published for distribution by the international TOS a 40-page booklet by Nelda Samarel entitled Helping the Dying. A copy was given as a gift to participants at the World Congress of the TS in Rome. It is now being distributed throughout the world via TOS national coordinators.

  
A Spanish edition has been electronically designed by Riza Balino of the Philippines and will be printed and distributed soon by the TOS in Argentina.

Guidelines for new groups

A 19-page document revised by Ananya Rajan of the USA containing guidelines and essential background information for the starting of new groups has been posted on the website this year.

   
             Right:  Ananya Rajan, an ever-willing member of the international TOS team.

Endowment fund

Members overseas are starting to donate to the Endowment Fund of the TOS in India now that it is registered under the Foreign Currency Registration Act and is allowed to receive support from overseas. The object is to build up the Fund's protected principal in order to increase income from the interest for the work of the well over 100 active TOS groups around the country.

Endowment funds generally attract little support. People prefer to donate to a specific concrete project. However, Theosophists are as capable as any of seeing the importance of long-term planning so in 2011 we will invite support for the Indian TOS's Endowment Fund, so vital for the work of the many isolated groups out in the field.