2,000 Greater & Lesser Mysteries/2,000 Greater and Lesser Mysteries.iso/bahi/mys00179.txt

Text File | 1994-06-10 | 10.6 KB | 266 lines

Baha'i Technical Consultancy Charter and Administrative Procedures


"...A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing
the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and
functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect  regularity... "

    -- Shoghi Effendi, from The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 203



1. Introduction

The Baha'i Technical Consultancy (BTC) is a network of volunteers around
the world.  These volunteers are comprised of technical professionals,
students, and enthusiasts in the field of computers, information
systems, and telecommunications.  They follow the principles of the
Baha'i Faith to serve Baha'i Institutions, discuss relevant issues in
the computer and telecommunications field, and disseminate information
in the computer and telecommunications field to other Baha'is.  Baha'i
Technical Consultancy volunteers endeavor to implement the Guardian's
vision of a "  mechanism of world inter-communication  embracing the
whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and
functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity."
Volunteers have assisted various Baha'i Institutions and individual
Baha'is to apply the advantages of computer, networking, and
telecommunications technology to their Institution's goals.


2. Baha'i Technical Consultancy Vision and Goals


" Service to humanity is service to God."

- Abdu'l-Baha, from The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p186.


A.  BTC Vision

The vision of the BTC is the spirit of Baha'i service to humanity.  BTC
members strive to offer their talents and faculties to Baha'i
Institutions around the world.  The BTC serves the Global Baha'i
Community by providing:

- A pool of Baha'i technical volunteers.

- Information and details on Baha'i computer projects around the world.

- Assistance to Baha'i Institutions and individuals to develop solutions
with computer and telecommunications technology.

- Assistance to Baha'i Institutions to cultivate local Baha'is into
local Baha'i Computer User Groups.  These local user groups will better
serve the local Baha'i Institutions.  This is because they can directly
consult with the local Institution on its needs and how the group may be
of service to them.


B.  BTC Goals

Near-term BTC Goals include:

-  Ask the Universal House of Justice for guidance on how the BTC can be
sponsored and protected by a Baha'i Institution.  A package with this
charter and relevant supporting material will be complied by the BTC
Coordinating Committee and submitted to the Universal House of Justice.

-  Broaden the membership base of the BTC to include a more diverse
representation of the global Baha'i community.  Develop and execute a
strategy to fulfill this goal.

-  Maintain a list of resources available via bahai-tech. For example, a
database of members with relevant skills.

-  Maintain a project list of all BTC projects.

-  Divide up the E-mail distribution from the bloom-beacon.mit.edu
computer (i.e. bahai-announce and bahai-discuss). Provide technical
support for all other "Bahai-net" activities such as bahai-announce,
bahai-discuss, bahai-faith (soc.religion.bahai), bahai-sysop, FidoNet
Baha'i Echoes, International Baha'i BBS Network,  etc.

-  Develop interoperability between Baha'i activities on the FidoNet BBS
network, the global Internet, and the USEnet News networks.

-  Systematically connect all Baha'i Educational Institutions to the
Global E-mail Network.


4. Membership Policy

The Baha'i Technical Consultancy is open to all Baha'is interested in
contributing to the goal of implementing computer, network, and software
tools for all Baha'is around the world.

New members of the list must be verified as Baha'is in good standing by
the BTC Coordinating Committee.

Request for Baha'i Technical Consultancy membership can be sent to the
following Internet address:

[e-mail]

or write, call, or FAX to:

Baha'i Technical Consultancy
c/o OneWorld Enterprises
203 Bellevue Way N.E. Suite 314
Bellevue, WA 98004  USA
[phone]
[phone] FAX


5.  Administrative Procedures

A.  BTC Coordinating Committee

A BTC Coordinating Committee will be established to coordinate, assist,
and facilitate BTC activities around the world.  It will be comprised of
three BTC members elected annually during Ridv_n in accordance with
Baha'i principles for elections.  The BTC Coordinating Committee is
tasked to:

- Guide Consultation and Discussion on bahai-tech E-mail conferences.

- Interface and report to Baha'i Institutions.

- Calls for votes on issues that concern the general BTC membership.

- Approve BTC Working Group Charters.

- Produce a BTC Monthly Report.  The monthly report will contain a
summary of all BTC projects.

- Submit an BTC Annual Report

- Review and vote on adopting BTC standards that will be used by members
of BTC.

- Maintain a system of documenting and disseminating useful information
to the Baha'i world.


B.  Elections

BTC Coordinating Committee Elections will be held on the nineteenth day
of  Ridv_n by sending a secret ballot in the form of an electronic mail
message directly to a the announced electronic mail address notified to
the membership nineteen days before the elections.  The ballot should
not be sent to the general E-mail conference.  If done so, the ballot
will be disqualified.

The BTC Coordinating Committee will choose two members to act as tellers
for the elections.  The E-mail address for the elections will only allow
the tellers access.

The names that appear in the ballot must be taken from a membership list
that shall be mailed to the membership by the BTC Coordinating Committee
nineteen days before the elections.  Only those listed on that roster
are eligible to vote or to be voted for.  Any other ballot will be
disqualified.  BTC Members shall use the principle of Baha'i elections
to choose three members who can best server the membership in the duties
of the coordinating committee.

If a BTC member cannot fulfill the duties of a BTC Coordinating
Committee member, they may notify the designated tellers to remove them
from the lists of eligible members.

The usual Baha'i standards of conduct will apply in the conducting of
these elections  (i.e. no electioneering or campaigning).


C.  BTC Monthly

The BTC Monthly will be used as a single point to reference the status
and progress of various Baha'i projects in the computer,
telecommunications, and information systems field.  BTC Working Groups
will use the BTC Monthly to report the on the progress of the working
group to the general BTC membership.


D.  BTC Documents

BTC Documents provide a way members can disseminate useful information
to the Baha'i world.  The BTC Coordinating Committee will provide simple
guidelines to format the document, a method to keep track of documents,
and a method to store documents historical archiving.


6. BTC Electronic Communications Forum

BTC members may use pubic, private, and Baha'i only electronic
conferences to consult, discuss, and exchange information and coordinate
projects.

The  bahai-tech E-mail conference is one of the main electronic
conferences for the Baha'i Technical Consultancy.  This Baha'i only
forum allows BTC volunteers to consult and discuss Global Computer
Networking, Software, Administration, and Accessibility issues; with the
objective of exchanging and coordinating information that could be
useful to the global Baha'i community over electronic mail.
Institutions may in fact obtain quick and needed responses to their
inquiries through such a forum.

Topics on the  bahai-tech E-mail conference include, but are not
restricted to, coordinating service projects; exchanging and sharing
information; exploring ways of improving Baha'i communication using
global networks; developing software to aid Local Spiritual Assembly
administration; producing Baha'i documents in electronic form;
developing ways to insure the quality of Baha'i literature in electronic
form; exploring ways to have secure correspondence between Baha'i
Institutions; investigating the psychological and sociological impact of
computer- mediated communications on group and organization interaction;
exploring multimedia applications in relation to the Baha'i Faith; and
developing standard methods for implementing Baha'i BBS systems
throughout the world.

To join the Internet-based bahai-tech E-mail Conference, send an
Internet E-mail message to:

[e-mail]


7. BTC Working Groups and Local Baha'i User Groups.

The BTC accomplishes most of its work through smaller working groups,
task forces, and local Baha'i computer users groups.  These groups may
form separate E-mail conferences to consult and coordinate action, but
most working groups can accomplish correspondence via private E-mail.
Progress and accomplishments will be reported in the BTC Monthly.


A. BTC Working Groups.

BTC working groups are an excellent mechanism for the developing BTC
informational documents, coordinating BTC projects, and drafting
recommendations for Baha'i Institutions.  BTC Working Groups are not
meant to stifle individual initiative, but to enhance the potential and
divide up workload among BTC members.  Attachment 1 outlines the
policies and procedures for the formation of a BTC Working Group.


B. Local Baha'i Computer User Groups.

Baha'i Institutions around the world need local Baha'is with technical
experience to support the computer  and telecommunications projects.
BTC will encourage and support Baha'is in a locality to mobilize and
support their local Institutions.  Local groups have the advantage of
using traditional forms of Baha'i consultation (i.e. face-to-face) and
getting direct feed back from the Institutions they serve.

Local Baha'i computer user groups should seek the sponsorship from a
local Baha'i Institution (for example a Local Spiritual Assembly).  This
connects local projects to the Baha'i Administrative Order.  A charter,
approved by the sponsoring Baha'i Institution, is an option for the
local computer user group. Though, the local computer user group should
develop  in any way members feel best meets the needs of their local
community.  The  Washington Area Baha'i Computer User Group charter is
provided as Attachment 2 to serve as one example.

The BTC forums can be utilized to share information and encourage
existing local Baha'i computer user groups or help create new ones.