I attended a heart-warming community function tonight. It's a joy to see how a community can and will come together to celebrate the best of life. But that doesn't excuse the worst that is still happening. If it's not addressed we'll all be stuck with what we've been fighting to see the back of.
While there seems to be (sadly enough) a constant and fresh focus to regularly turn my attention to, I was quite serious when last I wrote:
'The community will not be so easily fooled and deserves to know - Who believes they had the misplaced authority to appoint individuals to community boards in the name of YCL?'
I've indicated that this is NOT a question that will go way - and I for one am not going to walk away from it.
I'll say it again and will continue to do so.
What is the MOST important transition that has occurred for members of this community? What is the MOST important change to which past leaders have finally been compelled to concede?
Prior to the Royal Commission there was no membership in the community companies/organisations. Without membership in a company/organization there were no rights, no entitlements. You could complain, reach out (as hundreds did) and seek advocacy or relief - but the reality was that without membership individuals had no rights whatsoever. For all the bad behaviour, there was nothing to compel committee members to respond. They weren't obligated to pay attention to anyone, should they choose not to do so. School parents, victims of sexual abuse, families of the abused and others across the community who looked to leadership for connection, engagement and support shared a repeated experience...they were disregarded or ignored. An example of poor leadership values but in the circumstances, you didn't have the rights of a member and that was the end of the matter.
It should be clear, emphatic and unequivocal - times have changed. Yeshivah has been waiting almost two years for compliant constitutions. With compliant constitutions and an election and leadership process that should be undertaken in line with this compliance, the community will source their leaders in a transparent fashion. Or so we should be entitled.
The constitutions, for all their flaws, are documents that protect the rights of their members. They protect the rights of this community. They place legal obligations on those in positions of authority. And they enable those who have abused authority, whatever their position, to be held accountable.
So I will return to my question as I have no intention from resiling till I see it addressed on behalf of the community. Who is presuming to appoint individuals to Boards in the name of a yet to exist company? Who still believes they own this community? Who still believes they are living in olden times and that everything will go away if heads are buried in the sand?
...marcia pinskier
...marcia pinskier
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