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Auroville is going through tough times, but there is much that we can do to collectively protect all that has been realized in 50+ years, while moving towards Auroville’s progress and future. 

Here are just a few examples of what you, as an individual, can do: 

  • Sign the Change.org petition
  • Keep yourself updated
  • Spread the news on all social platforms and in conversations
  • Reach out to diplomats, journalists and change-makers
  • Contribute financially to support affected Aurovilians, or to cover legal and delegation fees
  • Offer your time, skills and energy
  • Offer inner presence and emotional support
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About Us

1968
2020

What is Auroville?

Auroville is the world’s oldest international intentional community with the purpose of realising human unity in diversity by exploring new ways of living and working together. It is located in Tamil Nadu, south India, 10 kilometers away from Pondicherry.

Auroville was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, the French spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, one of India’s most prominent philosophers. It is the only international project in the world protected by its hosting nation through an Act of Parliament, and endorsed by UNESCO through five resolutions of support.

Auroville is now home to more than 3,500 residents from 60 countries. The vision of Auroville is defined in its Charter, which serves as an inspiration and guide to all Auroville residents.

When Auroville was inaugurated in 1968, the Auroville plateau was a red desert made of dry canyons. In half a century, Aurovilians planted over 3 million trees, transforming the barren land into a lush canopy. 

Since its founding, Auroville has served humanity as a pioneer in sustainable living, fraternal economy, social enterprise, education, self governance, and more.

Read more on Auroville

Introduction by the official Auroville Media Liaison team.

Summary of the current crisis

Summary prepared by the official Auroville Media Liaison team.

What Are We Standing For?

We are a collective of Aurovilians which, as our name indicates, are committed to standing for Auroville’s unity in diversity. We are an international team composed of both Indians and non-Indians. The composition of our team needs to remain anonymous in order to protect our safety and that of our relatives, due to the present circumstances (visa blackmailing for foreigners and livelihood threats for all – suspending people’s basic income and expelling them from their homes). 

What we stand for in these times of turmoil can be summarized as follows:

Consciousness in building the experiment

Recent development work is done without any care nor consciousness, and this goes against the very foundations of Auroville. Auroville wants to become a society of another kind.

Respecting the needs of the earth

Auroville aspires to become the “city the earth needs”, and at times of climate crisis some of the earth’s most essential needs are water, and the protection of the biodiversity.

Including the community in decision-making

Auroville has been built first and foremost by its residents. Community participation – with expressions of its rich diversity – is embedded in Auroville’s purpose and raison-d’etre.

A Few Key Dates

to understand Stand For Auroville Unity

December 2021 - Stand For Auroville Unity is created

In December 2021, following the forcible bulldozing of Auroville’s Youth Center and forests, there was a dire need to inform India and the world about the ongoing destruction in Auroville. Stand For Auroville Unity was born out of this need.

The need for an independant information channel was aggravated by the fact that the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation had placed a gag order on Auroville Outreach Media, the community’s press relations entity. On her part, the Secretary had appointed spokespersons to get a misleading narrative out in the media.

February 2022 - Secretary's attempts to control the narrative intensify

In February 2022, the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation issued a dubious office order to take over the management of Outreach Media. From one day to the next, Outreach Media managers were thrown out and replaced by cherry-picked puppets.

Being faced with threats, the duly appointed Outreach Media managers resisted this attempted takeover and refused to handover assets without approval from the competent authority – the Auroville Funds and Assets Management Committee. However, the locks to the Outreach Media office were changed over night and most of its assets were brutally taken over. The new Outreach Media team issues fallacious statements to the press, and finally renames itself into “Media Interface”. Today, “Auroville Media Interface” still publishes statements that undermine the residents of Auroville and that jeopardize the Auroville project at large.

June 2022 - Residents appoint their new representatives

In June 2022, the Auroville Residents’ Assembly held its annual selection process and appointed new members for its main committees, including the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly.

The Working Committee is mandated by the Residents’ Assembly to represent its voice in interactions with other constituents of the Auroville Foundation, and with external entities. However, the Secretary doesn’t let this happen and endorses her own ‘Working Committee’, acting against the spirit and letter of the Auroville Foundation Act, which was enacted by the Parliament of India in 1988. Legal procedures are engaged to uphold the residents’ right to appoint their own representatives.

July 2022 - Working Committee appoints a new media liaison service

A few weeks after their appointment, the duly-selected Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly create a new service called “Auroville Media Liaison” to represent the voices of the residents. A new website is created, accessible here.

This new Media Liaison Service issues several statements to the press, and creates video content to inform the world about what is going on in Auroville. Today, the two main ways by which Media Liaison Service communicates Auroville’s unfolding events are the Voice of Auroville journal and the Auroville News Podcast.

July 2023 - Stand For Auroville Unity website faces technical issue

In July 2023, the Stand For Auroville Unity website faces a technical issue and most data hosted on the website gets damaged or lost. The website goes on maintenance for a few months.

For weeks, attempts are made to restore the existing website but to no avail. It is finally decided to create a new website, nearly from scratch. During that time, our Instagram account remained active, although at a slower pace.

October 2023 - A new website for Stand For Auroville Unity is launched

Finally, a new Stand For Auroville Unity website is prepared and made public in October 2021. This new website takes bits and pieces from the former one, but also integrates new features.

As you see it today, the new website is still being worked on. Work is ongoing to create a vibrant, brand new website which will really uphold and carry forward the Vision, Mission and Values of Stand For Auroville Unity, as defined below.

Where Are We Heading?

"Auroville should be at the service of Truth, beyond all social, political and religious convictions.
Auroville is the effort towards peace, in sincerity and Truth."
The Mother, 1966

Mission

Our mission is to give voice to Auroville residents’ lived reality, informing India and the world about the attempted takeover of Auroville, and calling for global support so that Auroville may overcome the crisis it is going through. 

Vision

We envision an Auroville in which residents are at the core of decision-making in a new, experimental and conscious way that honors and illustrates the ideals of Auroville; an Auroville in which the needs of the community and its neighbouring villages are met while preserving natural resources and biodiversity.

Values

Some of the main values at the core of our work and commitment are Authenticity, Freedom of thought and Courage – a courage to sincerely uphold our truths despite the challenges. We stand for human unity in diversity, and the ideals that guide the Auroville project.

Our Imaginary Team

Emily Shelton

Emily Shelton

Imaginary resident
Robbie Alexander

Robbie Alexander

Imaginary resident
Liliana Hahn

Liliana Hahn

Imaginary resident
Aaliyah Odling

Aaliyah Odling

Imaginary resident

Get In Touch

If you have questions about what’s happening to Auroville, or would like to help – financially or otherwise – please get in touch!

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Auroville

What is Auroville?

Planning in Auroville

Self Organisation in Auroville

Re-afforestation in Auroville

On Auroville's achievements

Current crisis

Summary of the crisis

Change.org petition

Timeline (outdated)

About us

Support us

Stay Connected

Follow us on Social Media

Evolving Galaxy Bulletin

Auroville News Podcast

Voice of Auroville journal

Contact us

© 2023 Created by Auroville residents