Many of you have wondered about what have been Joy’s intentions in all of this. At the end of the day, however, that is a question only she can answer. But Freeborn’s comment on yesterday’s post Angels & Demons - Raging Obsession sheds some light on the complexity of the situation. In his comment, he reflects on the incompatibilities of Arne’s philosophy and Joy’s own life calling.
When you google Joy Tang you’ll find that she runs an organization called One Village Foundation. It’s working in the field of ICT4D (Information and Communication Technology For Development). The basic idea is to hook up every corner of the world in an IT grid that’ll enable anyone to connect to everyone. On the surface it’s about “democracy”, “empowering” and helping the poorest of the poor to develop their infrastructures etc.
Now what are all these millions of people in the developing world supposed to do with all this technology? Sure there’s spreading info about AIDS, democratic issues and so on… but again: What is this going to do for the poorest of the poor? How will this fulfill their basic needs such as food for the day and enabling familys to stay together?
Look at Eden and what Esther’s father has built up. Sustainable, self reliant, scaleable, redundant… everything needed for people in that region to be the masters of their own destiny.
Copyright Eden Foundation 2009
ICT4D on the other hand will need billions upon billions of dollars just to put into place and then the enormous masses of resources that’ll be needed to keep it going. For what? You can’t eat routers… Don’t forget Joy used to be pretty high ranking within Cisco Systems and may well be acting in the interest of very big money.
Edenland (December 2009)
And if you look beyond that at the Goalistic concepts developed by Arne and spread through, for instance, Vision Pioneers, there are actual tools for us, living in the rich parts of the world, to look beyond everything that’s blocking our sight (as Arne himself would put it) in the form of commercialism and instant fulfillments, and start seeking what is REALLY fulfilling.
Joy & the Dalai Llama (Facebook)
Even if we don’t believe in occult practices or spells, Joy does. Google will tell you she’s a friend of pretty high up folks (Dalai Lama for instance) and I think this might very well be a matter of her trying to neutralize “the competition”. Arne is dangerous to big money and occult people because he represents an alternative. Something that is proven in effect and that affects people at a level ICT4D will never do.
Freeborn, Angels & Demons - Raging Obsession (2010)
27 users commented in " Angels & Demons - A reader’s comment "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackEsther, I’ve just caught up on your last few posts. The story gets weirder and weirder. I can only imagine your confusion and fear. Know that my prayers continue.
Esther, I just checked into “OneVillage Foundation.”
Even though they’re based in California and are raising funds from US citizens ~ they do not appear to be a licensed charity. When I checked here:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96136,00.html
They’re not listed as something approved to operate as a charity in the US.
That’s not good. Legitimate foundations follow the laws of the countries in which they operate ~ you know this!
It also means they’re not making required financial disclosures. In the US, a public charity has to file what is called a “Form 990,” which delineates how much money they’re raising and very specifically how they are spending it. How much goes to board members, how much to salaries, how much to overhead, how much to actual charitable works. Because this appears to be an unlicensed (illegal) charity ~ there are no financial disclosures.
So then I went to the Secretary of State of California’s website to see if “OneVillage Foundation” is registered as a business - non-profit or for profit either one - with the state of California.
http://www.ptsearch.ss.ca.gov/app/basic_search.html
Nope.
Did a search of her name for ‘officers’ on that site.
Nothing.
If her business isn’t registered with the state of California - she’s operating illegally.
This isn’t good.
Hey Esther, Happy Chinese/Taiwanese New Year. I’m a reader of your Ishtar News blog and have gotten occasional, sweet emails from you over the months, which I appreciate.
The ongoing drama on Ishtar News got me to thinking and tinkering around on the web this morning. And when trying to unravel a web-based mystery, what better place to start that Whois.net, the Internet Registry site:
Whois info on who registered onevillage.biz (address for onevillage foundation website comments):
http://www.whois.net/whois/onevillage.biz
Domain ID: D3757240-BIZ
Domain Name: onevillage.biz
Created On: 19-Dec-2002 08:17:48
Expiration Date: 18-Dec-2010 23:59:59
Sponsoring Registrar: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (1000006000)
Status: client_delete_prohibited,client_renew_prohibited,client_transfer_prohibited,client_update_prohibited
Name Server: NS1.DREAMHOST.COM
Name Server: NS2.DREAMHOST.COM
Registrant ID: CR20052551
Registrant Name: jeff buderer
Registrant Organization: AIDS Relief Foundation
Registrant Street1: hc74 box4136
Registrant Street2: Unknown
Registrant Street3: Unknown
Registrant City: mayer
Registrant State/Province: Arizona
Registrant Postal Code: 86333
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone: +1.9284997962
Registrant Fax: Unknown
Registrant Email: jeff@onevillagefoundation.org
Admin ID: CR20052553
Admin Name: jeff buderer
Admin Organization: AIDS Relief Foundation
Admin Street1: hc74 box4136
Admin Street2: Unknown
Admin Street3: Unknown
Admin City: mayer
Admin State: Arizona
Admin Postal Code: 86333
Admin Country: US
Admin Phone: +1.9284997962
Admin Fax: Unknown
Admin Email: jeff@onevillagefoundation.org
Jeff Buderer is listed at onevillage as the director of operations in charge of…not much: developing wikis about information sharing globally. (I think that’s called the Internet, btw.) His address listed at whois.net is for the Arcosanti project. The phone number listed has an Arizona area code. Does he still live there?
The other web address listed on the onevillage website is onevillagefoundation.org. A whois search on that domain gives this:
Domain ID: D93728594-LROR
Domain Name: onevillagefoundation.org
Created On:
Expiration Date:
Sponsoring Registrar: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (5173-GO)
Status: client_delete_prohibited,client_renew_prohibited,client_transfer_prohibited,client_update_prohibited
Name Server:
Name Server:
Registrant ID: Unknown
Registrant Name:
Registrant Organization: Unknown
Registrant Street1: Unknown
Registrant Street2: Unknown
Registrant Street3: Unknown
Registrant City: Unknown
Registrant State/Province: Unknown
Registrant Postal Code: Unknown
Registrant Country: Unknown
Registrant Phone: Unknown
Registrant Fax: Unknown
Registrant Email: Unknown
Admin ID: Unknown
Admin Name: Unknown
Admin Organization: Unknown
Admin Street1: Unknown
Admin Street2: Unknown
Admin Street3: Unknown
Admin City: Unknown
Admin State: Unknown
Admin Postal Code: Unknown
Admin Country: Unknown
Admin Phone: Unknown
Admin Fax: Unknown
Admin Email: Unknown
Huh.
I also cruised through a handful of US-based websites that rate charities on how independent they are, how much of the money they raise actually goes to the charities, etc. None of them had any information on onevillage foundation — something I thought strange since the onevillage foundation website lists a US address as its home base. I used google maps to see where this headquarters is:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
It’s an apartment (or condo) in San Jose. Not an office building or suite in a business park (of which San Jose has plenty).
The last thing I looked at, though not in depth, were the bios of the principles and board members listed on the onevillage foundation website, and the projects the foundation supports. Three “accomplishments” in Ghana (where onevillage foundation was only a partner in the projects, never the principal) with the fourth “accomplishment” listed being “Provided logistical and financial support for OVF staff to attend various conferences and training workshops.” The “Programs” link on the onevillage foundation website lists developing opensource solutions for emerging markets (Open Digital Villages) which I assume Andrew Lee, in charge of System Integration, works on as no one else has any programming/open source code experience. They also list EcoLiving Solutions, where they are looking at sustainable agriculture and integrated farming practices, I assume with the guidance of Jeff Buderer, the guy who lived at Arcosanti for four months (and who registered onevillage.biz to that Arcosanti location). The last is an EcoTour Service and Learning program, run through Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, for fieldwork in Ghana.
So what we have here is a charity based in an apartment in San Jose that flies under the radar of US-based charity-watch organizations (charitynavigator.org, charitywatch.org, bankrate.com, give.org) whose biggest project seems to me to be flying Joy and the other team members around the world attending conferences and training workshops. The “AIDS Relief Foundation” listed by Jeff Burderer in the whois registration? The only thing I can find is a local business listing tying it back to onevillage foundation, and that San Jose apartment address. No other activity.
So I’m sure you’re asking yourself, why does this random blog reader give a shit about your dad and onevillage foundation? I like you: I see how much you love animals, and kids, and life, and that says VOLUMES to me about what kind of person you are. I’m also a practicing pagan, though I think of myself in other terms. Basically, nothing organized, just good ol’ earth-based spirit worship. The only formal thing I’ve done in that area of my life is to be on the advisary board for Shaman’s Drum magazine (http://shamansdrum.org/).
But I am tired of New Age hucksters giving pagans a bad name, and that’s the other reason I’m writing: in my jaded, big-city eyes, ol’ Joy found herself a very wealthy man at a crossroads in his life, confused and feeling alone, and is taking advantage of him to suck him dry. I think you have every reason to be concerned — especially since the Garvis have a very real, very tangible philanthropic outlet in Niger with the Eden Foundation, an organization that is everything onevillage foundation is not. Practical, hands-on, experienced, DOING. Not flying around to conferences and workshops and mouthing empty platitudes. Damn, but that chaps my hide!
Good luck, woman. May the spirits of your family guide and protect you.
SC: you might add to “a very wealthy businessman…confused and alone” AND POSSIBLY ILL. there are many physical/chemical disturbances that could account for mr. garvi’s extreme behavior change: alzheimer’s, for one. but thank you for shedding so much light on the areas we Ishtar News readers know nothing about: the one village foundation and its work. also, for what it’s worth, I don’t consider buddhism “new age” or the work of the devil. the same goes for paganism.
How does this one come into the picture?
http://www.slideshare.net/joytang/dharma-drum-univ-digital-philanthropy
G
So, the lady IS bad news!!…
Her fumbling interview at the Berlin Transmediale hinted at an elitist streak. Her ROChinese background coupled with a Silicon Valley career at the pick of the “Yuppie” era made her un-redeemably rotten from the bud. She has a lot of bad karma to account for.
How is your father taking the news?
Please read jerome on No need to think for ourselves? In Miriam’s blog. It’s still current, unfortunately. And now the ingrates are spitting in the swill as they fly by on the LA-Chungking route on their way to sell the “Sweet Potato” out to the Big Brother across the strait. Please, follow the “228 March For Taiwan” with all your family tomorrow, if it’s not too much bothering you.
For their sleuth job, hats off to SC and Ms. Field.
I believe this comment is right on. Please use extreme caution and try to get your Dad to understand. Blessings to you all!
Jerome…would you please write in a way that we can comprehend what you are saying? Are you one of the regular readers of Ishtar, or do you have some connection with the whole issue?
This family has been befriended by people all around the world and they are very tuned in to the situation on many different levels. If it were up to many of them, the authorities would be called in to assist in getting Mr. Garvi out of the country and back where he belongs…the place the gives him reason to thrive. I am certain that he will never be deserted by the people who care about the quality of his life. He needs to be “allowed” to go back to it.
To Lori Skoog,
Thanks for the opportunity.
Esther got from me a stash of reliable Taiwan-based, long-stay foreign residents-owned links, as soon as I read the Garvis had landed in that Taiwanese enchillada.
I’m presently thousands of miles away from Taiwan, but lived there years ago. The founding partner of the law firm I suggested Esther to seek councel from in case of emergency is a friend from back then.
Michael Turton’s “The View from Taiwan” provides many links to foreign resident bloggers whom I am not acquainted to. But many live in the Taipei area. Try their watering-holes in the evenings and talk, talk, talk.
Gina’s 2:52pm post above has proven my “Dharma Drum Mountain” comment to Esther’s previous post spot on.
Sorry if I adopted a wait and see stance about the goings-on. I only wanted Joy to have the benfit of doubt while Esther’s posts sent her readership on a roller-coaster.
On a personal note, suffice it to say that “I’ve been there, done that”. But it was Japan, not Taiwan and I was younger and had nothing to loose.
Interesting.
Jerome, why do you follow this blog in the first place? In an email sent to me on February 24th, you write:
“Excuse my French, but all this adventure makes me sick. And I mean it. Clues about the causes of your stay are lacking, leaving your readership lost in your narration. And you seem to relish that people who genuinely care for your well-being are anguishing over a situation you sketchily paint as dire for your loved ones.”
Have you nothing better to do than follow my life and compliment yourself endlessly?
I’m gonna have to agree with Esther here.
Jerome…you seem to twitch back and forth with no greater aim than to have this blog side tracked.
This is Esther’s blog and her aim right now is to get her father safely back home.
In an earlier comment from you in “Happy Birthday, Joy!” you wrote:
“Your hero’s in deep doo-doo?
Once you’ve reminded him of where he belongs,
Your dad can’t but abide by his destiny.
Can you let go with a blessing?”
Doesn’t look like you think her father should go home with her. Rather she should let go of him, release him to Joy and “let go with a blessing”.
I don’t know what your agenda is… other than foul!
What I am thinking about now for hours, that if Joy’s goal would not be to separate and …………… we could put a lot of different verbs here (use, fleece, dominate, manipulate, brainwash or follow Freeborn’s theory of neutralize Arne’s success), she would be talking days ago right here about what is going on.
Would any of you really want to listen to people disecting you, when you know darn well, that they are all wrong, and you are right?
I don’t think so.
At least, I would not, I would honestly try to make them all understand what a gift I am for Arne, and make the family accept me. This would be much simpler that playing this game of hide and seek.
I think it is human nature, that in the face of some of these “accusations”
one would want to come clean, or prove, that not a word is true of all of this.
She could do that without loosing an iota of pride, if what we are talking about is not true, that would be the easiest to prove it, starting with the ever questionable amulets.
Joy had over 2 weeks for this, since even before the whole party flew from Berlin to Taiwan - there were questions, they were the amulets, there was the change in Mr. Garvi’s demeanor. There was the difference in his looks.
We do know (there is proof for that in Miriam’s blog) that Joy is reading the blog, if not doing even some other things with it - alas I am not that computer savvy - but Freeborn is questioning already the integrity of Esther’s blog.
So what gives? I agree with Lori Skoog - this needs to be adressed on a different level for the family, to make her understand, that the family is not about to leave Arne in her questionable hands.
Heck, I am not about willing to leave him there, and I am sure this is true for all of us, who got to know this family.
Out of the two parties, one of them is wrong, one of them is not true. Is Joy going to step up to the plate and take her responsibity?
Esther, for your own and your family’s safety, maybe you should password protect your blog during this difficult time. I pray that all issues are resolved soon, and the origins of your father’s preplexing behavior is sorted out. Hang in there.
Just a note that I was in error questioning the integrity of the blog. My comment was re-posted in full length at the head of THIS post by Esther. Having a comment moved was a first for me but I respect Esthers attempt to bring some order in everything going on here right now.
Thanks, that is good to know.
G.
what i totally do not understand is why many readers of this blog seems so ready to dump on joy tang….everyone except arne garvi, who has been ready to punch his daughters in the face in order to show his solidarity with joy. i think we should leave them all alone to sort this out. i further think esther, miriam, and joseph should go back home to tanout and rest together with their loved ones–the dogs, the kids, the other adults. they should let their father do what he has to do and accept whatever comes.
I don’t understand all these cycling confusions, but I don’t think, as a reader on the outside, I am meant to understand. For now, all I wish you Esther is the inner power to find yourself and be all you feel happy to be! Stand firm in your identity! You are a beautiful soul! Rememember and protect the elements of who you are!
m.e.
If your father was acting in a radically different way and changed as much physically and mentally as Arne Garvi, would you walk away from him? If Joy was interested in having a long term realtionship with him, why would she avoid meeting his family?
And if she is truly an honorable person, where is she in all this?
and Jerome, your quote (posted above) is pretty interesting. If all this adventure makes you sick, why do you keep coming back for more?
Esther’s readers have enjoyed nothing but peaceful posts with gorgeous photos and text. Because we are interested in Eden and learning more about Niger, we continue to tune in. The last thing we expected to read about was this.
Jerome as in Jerome Peloquin perhaps?
One of Joy’s facebook buddies.
http://twitter.com/peloquin
http://www.microventuresupport.org/
They seem to share drumming, IT moves, and?
Lori: you’re right. i would not walk away from my father if he suddenly had become so radically different. i pray and hope the family, if they are not totally exhausted and disheartened by all of this, are seeking some kind of professional help, possibly through their family in norway, in this. but i know only what we’ve been told in the blog posts and comments. it is worrisome, cruel, and heart-breaking. i worry about miriam, josef, and esther most of all. it seems clear they are not going to change his mind. miracles do happen, though. this will take a miracle.
When faced with Esther’s and Josef’s attacks of yesterday, I felt aggrieved and wondered how to explain. But the task seemed so difficult, the explanation so convoluted that I decided to just sleep on it.
This morning, I am willing to admit that I have embarrassed myself in opening my gormless big mouth too often for comfort. I broke the reserve I called on everybody on this blog to observe in my comment to the previous post. And I inserted in the conversation a concern dear to me, but not relevant to this blog. I regret and apologize to you, Arne and Joy, for having allowed myself to be carried away. And I apologize to Esther for having given her to think that I was intent on high-jacking her blog.
To show something for my penance here goes the tale of Arne’s Travels to the Far-East:
Arne is the able entrepreneur from Zinder into whom Joy has sensed the seed of sanctity. At Most Venerable Master Abbot XXX’s behest, Arne boards a plane for the Far-East to retrieve Buddha’s teachings for Africa. Joy protects guileless Arne on his journey.
Lively and passionate E, reliable brother F and compassionate sister G join in on the pilgrimage. Along their journey, they defeat hundreds of demons and goblins who prey on handsome but helpless Arne. But lacking Arne’s commitment to the transmission of the Law, they also cause him much trouble and grief. They eventually come around. In return, they will receive enlightenment and forgiveness for their sins.
Two to sixteen years later, depending on his devotion, Arne eventually brings back the Teachings transmitted to him by the Most Venerable but last Master Abbot XXX of temple XXX. On Taiwan, the Teachings will go the way they did in centuries past in Afghanistan, India or China. But back in the Sahel, lotus flowers will bloom in Arne’s hallowed footprints.
Those are the lines along which the tale of Arne’s travels to the Far-East will be enshrined in the family lore. Presently, the narrator – creative Esther, not yet aware she is journeying on the palm of Buddha’s hand – has us, eager readers, befuddled and hapless.
Now ! The dragon…, where does the mythical dragon comes in? “
Fingers crossed, I promise I will say no more.
Honestly saying, that history let me crazy. I understand NOTHING about Jerome’s intentions. With relation to Joy’s photo with Dalai Lama, believe me… many people lived close to Teresa of Calcuta but weren’t Teresa of Calcutá. A photo can say many things…and at the same time say nothing.
Esther, ta hand om dig.
Jerome…you may say no more, but I am damn sure you will keep reading. Are you in fact, the Jerome listed in the sites found by redhorse?
So if I can interpret your take on the situation, you think that Arne WANTS to follow Joy and her beliefs and his children are getting in the way?
And once he gets through this stage, everything is going to be sunshine and flowers???? You seem to enjoy writing in riddles. To get to that “place” he should become obsessed, mistreat his family, totally change his behavior, get thrown in jail, and have ups and downs like his family has never seen???? You call this love? And it will lead to something positive?
Esther!
OH!
Lord Jesus be near!
All this has happened in such a short amount of time and to confuse matters, right on que, you know who is here too!
Don’t you mind the people that are making things worse here by condemning or otherwise being negative by not having any compassion for you and your family.
AND PLEASE readers…do not get sucked up with the trifles of ill will folks here by fueling fires that will never be distinguished by mere words!
Esther may delete or ignore them herself.
Lovely hearted girl…I am praying and asking others to as well…this is clearly an attack and your father needs some outside help this time for he is not himself. I have had to do intervention before and it is not easy.
I am very sorry for these events and KNOW that I pray as the spirit prompts-for all your siblings in this matter!
XO KK
There are so many points. I feel this must be a good thing and not a bad thing. Its true we do need to get some of the organizational issues with OVF resolved. However I think and I would help that we would all accept that what matter is the spirit and passion of an idea and not so much the modern organizational BS that faces us to do good work in the world.
And who are any of you to say that we have not done such through our work? Do you know me? Do you have the work we have done? Do you know Joy?
Anyone has any questions give me a call on my cell at 928 499 7962 and I will be willing to talk to any person here with questions (i just ask that they adhere to a respectful tone of communications and ask that the same be done here esp with regards to people you dont really know) about what OVF is and my role in it.
Also you can reach me at my public OVF email jeff@onevillagefoundation.org. Of course both have been shared above.
ugh, jerome. you are tedious and the only one here who is fascinated by yourself. trust me.
esther, praying to jehovah for grace and strength for your family. remember, “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.”
love
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