Karuna-Shechen consists of independent entities that share the goal of alleviating the suffering of disadvantaged populations and advocating for a more altruistic world. These entities work closely together to align their motivations, coordinate their efforts, and foster a spirit of solidarity :
- Karuna-Shechen France: An association under the French 1901 law, registered in France, recognized as being of public interest, considered the headquarters of the international organization.
- Karuna-Shechen: A foundation registered in France, carrying out activities of general interest.
- Karuna-Shechen Suisse: An association based in Switzerland, recognized as a public utility.
- Karuna-Shechen USA: A 501(c)(3) organization registered in the state of New York, USA.
- Karuna-Shechen Hong Kong: A non-profit company based in Hong Kong.
- Karuna-Shechen India: A trust registered in India.
- Shechen-Karuna: An association registered in Nepal.
International Governance
Each of these entities is invited to become a member of the Board of Directors of Karuna-Shechen, located in France, which serves as the headquarters of the organization. Through this Board of Directors, a consortium of cooperation is formed with the goal of preserving the association’s vision and prioritizing its objectives on an international scale.
L’Assemblée Générale
The General Assembly is composed of 16 members whose purpose is to validate the accounts and the moral report, as well as to elect a Board of Directors, a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer, and a General Secretary.
Le Conseil d’Administration
The Board of Directors consists of 10 members. It ensures the proper implementation of the annual plan and meets at least every three months.
Matthieu Ricard
Eric Rinner
Michel Tardieu
Jon Schmidt
Barend Von Der Vorm
Wendy Wornham
Tarek Toubale
Ingrid Kwok
Philippe Ricard
Charles-Mathieu Brunelle
The Circles of the Headquarters
Within Karuna-Shechen, we have adopted an innovative approach by replacing the terms “department” or “service” with “circle.” This terminology reflects our vision of the organization as interconnected and collaborative.
These 7 circles operate interdependently, ensuring that every initiative and project benefits from collective synergy.
At Karuna, we strive to adopt an innovative model, breaking away from hierarchical or pyramid structures to value collective intelligence. We aim to work together with enthusiasm and determination.
Quentin Durand, CEO of Karuna-Shechen
The “Teal” Operating Model
In 2016, Karuna-Shechen had the opportunity to be guided by Frédéric Laloux, a renowned expert on new organizational models. Matthieu Ricard advocated for the adoption of the “Teal” organizational model.
After a successful initial trial in 2016 for the French and Swiss branches, the model was expanded to the international structure in 2020.
This operating model is based on three pillars: self-management, which relates to collective intelligence; wholeness, which relates to emotional intelligence; and evolutionary purpose, which relates to the intelligence of the living organization.
