Sally Masheder and the NBO
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By Chris Ward in Faith and Religion Published: Wednesday, 03 February 10 - 10:30 AM (GMT) Last Updated: Monday, 08 March 10 - 11:57 AM (GMT) |
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Sally Masheder had been the secretary of the Network of Buddhist Organisations (NBO) for many years prior to her recent illness and death. (A report of her memorial celebration can be read here ). Her loss has given heightened urgency to a project to consider how the NBO can better fulfill the role it now plays. Over recent months the NBO executive have been working on a series of changes to the NBO. They have issued a document entitled 'The NBO is Evolving'. This is included below:
The NBO is Evolving.
As many will be aware, the Network of Buddhist Organisations (NBO) has been active for many years in bringing together Buddhists from all backgrounds and traditions and in working on behalf of the UK Buddhist community. The NBO has a growing profile as a national Buddhist organisation that consults with the diverse range of organisations to be found in the
However, our success has led to some difficulties. Over recent years, and due to its limited resources and voluntary structure, the NBO has found it increasingly difficult to respond in a timely way to the growing range of calls for its expertise.
To allow the NBO to grow both its capacity and its ability to deal with the increasingly complex demands on its time, we now need to make some fundamental changes. These changes will equip the NBO to build on its acknowledged strengths and to evolve to become a more effective and capable organisation. Accordingly, the NBO Executive Committee proposes some reforms over 2010. These will formally commence in April 2010, although we have started prudent preparatory work already.
We have set ourselves the aim of maintaining the current strengths of the NBO in:
- acting impartially on behalf of the broad diversity of UK Buddhism
- promoting networking and information exchanges between sincere Buddhist groups and individuals
- operating in a transparent and democratic fashion
- acting as a channel between Buddhist groups and external organizations including governmental, media etc
- running an online information channel
- contributing to interfaith forums
And to build new strength over the next few years by:
- incorporating the NBO as a charity
- reinforcing our code of conduct and making this central to our organisational behaviour
- replacing our membership model with a supporters model
- attracting grants, donations and financial support
- undertaking campaigns and projects (for example, support for Buddhist students)
- revising the roles of the Executive Committee
- establishing an advisory group
- attracting more voluntary support (and eventually some paid staff)
- providing our services in an inclusive way to all Buddhist groups
- redesigning our website and internet presence and facilities
Our intention is to build an organisation worthy of the UK Buddhist Community; an organisation that can deal in an effective way with the growing demands being placed upon it; and an organisation that will continue to be well-respected both within the Buddhist community and also by the increasing range of those who use our services.
We call upon all current members and friends of the NBO to continue to support us during 2010 as we make this transition. Your continued support is vital.
This speaks for itself. The NBO is the most broadly based national Buddhist organisation with members from all major traditions and the evolution plan will form the core of its agenda at a meeting on 20th March in London. (See TGBF events for the details). I wish it well in its intention to register as a charity and continue to serve British Buddhism.
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