Policies
Here are policies guiding Dances of Universal Peace International in developing our world-wide Dance network. On this page:
Posting Dances of Universal Peace on DUP-associated Websites
Dances of Universal Peace International
Policy on Dance Regions
Approved 06/08/2010
Our Mission:
1) To support the work of the Guidance Council; 2) To provide resources and support for members of the Leaders Guild; and 3) To link the worldwide community of participants in the Dances; 4) To receive and manage donations intended to benefit the Dances of Universal Peace internationally.
As the administrative arm of the Guidance Council, DUP International extends support to mentors and leaders throughout the world wherever the Dances of Universal Peace are organized. DUP International also maintains an interactive website in several languages, which is its principal vehicle for linking the worldwide community of participants in the Dances.
Regions
In many parts of the world, regional dance organizations (Regions) have emerged over the years through which leaders and dancers in a particular area can create a more active local network, pooling resources to foster the growth and expression of the Dances their communities. Regions can link people and provide information and ideas in their local language, using communication tools like web sites, email, journals, and periodic regional meetings and teleconferences. They can also facilitate co-operative ventures such as regional dance retreats, trainings and camps, and provide resources to assist those who organize and publicize individual dance circles. All of this can be accomplished in ways best suited to applicable cultural factors.
A Region can be created wherever the dance leaders in a locality decide that this would be advantageous. Experience has shown that for a Region to function successfully and sustain itself over the years requires a “critical mass” of mentors, dance leaders, dancers, and dance circles. Members of the leadership group of a Region need to learn and practice skills such as consensus-building, goal-setting, program planning and budgeting, as well as skillfully resolving conflicts that may arise.
Relations between Regions and DUP International
Prior to 2010, Regions were created under the auspices of DUP International. This is no longer the case. Regions are now completely autonomous entities created and governed locally.
Regions are free to finance themselves as they see fit. Many have adopted a membership basis in which leaders and dancers join the Region and contribute through annual membership dues. Another model is annual contributions from all dance circles in the Region.
While Regions are autonomous entities, they are encouraged to maintain an active relationship with DUP International to ensure coordination of programs and services and effective use of resources. It can be helpful in this regard for a Region’s leadership group to designate one of its members as a DUP IN contact person – a function carried out by Regional Networkers in the former structure. DUP International maintains an active communication program with the leadership of each Region, including e-newsletters as well as periodic conference telephone calls.
Collection of Leaders Guild Fees
One of the functions of DUP International, on behalf of the Guidance Council, is supporting and maintaining the Leaders Guild. The Leaders Guild consists of the entire body of mentored leaders of the Dances of Universal Peace who been acknowledged by the Mentors Guild (at various levels, including mentors) and have agreed to uphold the Leaders Guidelines. All dance leaders are expected to remain current with their annual Leaders Guild fees, which are collected by DUP International. Leaders Guild fees are the means through which the work of the Guidance Council can be sustained.
Many Regions have agreed with DUP International to collect and remit the applicable annual Leaders Guild fees for all leaders in their Region. (Note: Dancers other than leaders do not pay Leaders Guild fees.) These fees are completely separate from any dues collected by Regions for local use. DUP International encourages and appreciates this assistance from Regions where mutually acceptable arrangements can be made. Otherwise, DUP International collects Leaders Guild fees directly from each dance leader.
To comment or offer
suggestions on this policy please write directly to Executive Director Carlos Vakil Rojas. Vakil will add responses here and respond directly to your
questions and ideas.
Written and recorded versions of Dances of Universal Peace have great value as a reminder to leaders who have already experienced and learned a dance, as a record of the originator’s intentions and of any copyright or other restrictions held by the originator. A collected library of these secondary resources also serves as a repository of the creativity of the Dance stream for future generations of leaders and mentors.
The spiritual transmission of the Dances remains experiential, passed from one human being to another. It is especially important in this digital age to remain true to a person-to-person, hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart transmission of these dance practices. The worldwide web provides a fantastic medium for dance networking and for sharing resources instantly in multiple languages. Collectively we dance leaders have the responsibility to channel dance resources in a manner which is consistent with the intent of the Leaders Guild, the Mentors Guild, and the intended use of the material.
Policy:
1) Dance write-ups and audio music files and videos must be originator approved.
2) Posting on the web is a form of publishing and therefore any copyright holder must give permission for this to take place. Copyrights of words, music and/or movements of a given Dance must be considered and permission obtained if any one of these is not in the public domain.
3) Dance write-ups and associated music files are requested to be in a Dance Leaders/Leaders Guild Members Only area of the website. Ideally this would be in a password-protected part of the site. Thus dance-write ups are specifically available to those who have a committed interest in dance leadership and the transmission of the dances. By aiming these resources to dance leaders we support the intent of the mentoring relationship and the integrity of the dances
4) In the ‘find a dance’ section of DUP International, local websites will only be listed if they are in accordance with DUP International and Leaders Guild policy.
The DUP International website offers a library resource link for Leaders Guild Members only that contains originator approved Dance write-ups and recorded tracks and links to approved videos of Dance music. This archive includes the 101 foundation dances, many of the dance booklets, as well as old and newer dances. This password-protected area is available to contributing Leaders Guild Members. Members may download write-ups and .mp3 tracks of Dances for their own use.
Local DUP websites are encouraged to have a link for Dance leaders that connect to the leaders area of the DUP International website.
We ask all DUP regions, local circles, mentors, and Leaders Guild members throughout our network to consider carefully the issues and this policy in bringing Dances of Universal Peace resources to the worldwide web.
You may submit comments on the Dance posting policy to the Director who will forward them to the Guidance Council.
Initiatives Fund
Policy approved by DUP International Board, May 2, 2017
The DUP International Initiatives Fund is established to support initiatives to further the Dances of Universal Peace in ways which fall outside of the regular core services and programs supported by Leaders Guild member fees through the annual operating budget.
The Initiatives Fund was created in 2017 from a bequest. The Fund is intended to be sustained through further bequests and other extraordinary gifts which may be made to DUP International, as well as interest that may be earned by and added to the Fund balance. The Board of DUP International may disburse any amount of the Fund it deems appropriate. The Board will encourage further gifts to the Fund.
Initiatives
Initiatives supported by the Fund will emphasize spiritual transmission in the highest sense of the term, though not necessarily undertaken to serve members of the Leaders Guild directly. Initiatives are likely to be experimental in nature, exploring new approaches to extend the Dances into the world and taking advantage of unique opportunities, situations and personnel that become available.
The approach to formulating and seed-funding Initiatives will be informal and intuitive, and may not include a formal call for applications as such. This recognizes that, in undertaking an Initiative, we may be looking for a ‘step change’ in fostering the Dances, which might happen in several dimensions. For example:
- geographic - flowing from ecovillage contacts in Africa, Japan or China, i.e. helping to set up and maintain DUP in new geographic areas
- deepening - within current dance communities or within completely new populations
- demographic - supporting those who may be holding the transmission in 20 years’ time
Criteria
Strong Initiative proposals will contain one or more the following:
- Personnel whose capacity and attunement are exemplary of the ideals set forth in the Elements of Mastery
- A unique opportunity to further the work of the Dances with new populations or geographic regions
- A unique initiative model exploring the transformative spiritual power of the Dances
Process
Initiatives must be recommended by the Initiatives Committee, appointed by the Board and consisting of two members of the Guidance Council, one member or nominee of the Board, and the DUP IN Executive Director. The Initiatives Committee is empowered to generate Initiatives, as well as to consider Initiatives generated by others, and may hold such consultations as it may determine appropriate. Recommendations from the Initiatives Committee are to be submitted in writing to the DUP IN Board for approval and funding.
Reporting
The activities supported by the Initiatives Fund, together with related learnings and achievements, will be reported to the Guidance Council and Board of Directors, and appropriately publicized within the Leaders Guild.