Inroduction to Subud for organizations or institutions

The WSA is the umbrella organization for Subud internationally and supports the spiritual practice of Subud and the cultural, social, educational activities and entrepreneurial projects of Subud members. It is an association of 54 member countries, although there are Subud members in a total of 77 countries in the world, with some countries having few members. The bylaws of the Association can be downloaded here.

The Subud organization is run democratically. There is a general meeting of the WSA member countries approximately every four years at the Subud World Congress and between congresses the World Subud Council (WSC) is responsible for ensuring the on-going activities resolved by congress. The WSC includes the zonal representatives who are also the legal directors of the WSA, together with the chairperson. To see the current international officers of the WSA and WSC members, please visit subudworldnews.com.

The Subud World Congress is also an international gathering of Subud members from around the world with many cultural events, exhibitions, workshops and the sharing of experiences. The 2010 World Congress was held in Christchurch, New Zealand. The next World Congress will be held in Puebla, Mexico in 2014.

Each member country has its own organization, holds national Congresses, and usually has several local groups, which are run by its members. Some groups have their own Subud house.

The officers of the Subud organization are volunteers, although there are sometimes paid staff members. Officers are elected democratically, and their term of office is for a limited time period so that the organization remains open and fluid. For example, the director's term runs for approximately 4 years from one World Congress to the next.

The international organization of Subud is funded by private donations from individuals, from members' enterprises and from foundations as well as donations from member countries. National and local organizations are funded through members' donations for the most part. There are no membership fees in Subud and all contributions are voluntary.

The World Subud Association has two affiliate organizations, Susila Dharma International Association (SDIA) and Subud International Cultural Association (SICA). The long term assets of the WSA and its affiliates are managed by the Muhammad Subuh Foundation (MSF).

SDIA was created as the charitable and humanitarian arm of Subud in 1969 and was registered as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization in the U.S. in 1994. The members of SDIA are Susila Dharma national organizations and development projects initiated and operated by Subud members. Since 1989 SDIA has held consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). One may find out more at the SDIA website www.susiladharma.org

SICA was set up to support Subud members' activities in the cultural fields, with the understanding of culture in its largest sense. Some examples of the many creative aspects of SICA can be seen on their website www.subudvideo.net.

The Muhammad Subuh Foundation (MSF) was established by the WSA in 1991 in order to manage the long-term assets of the WSA and its affiliates. The MSF is a non-profit organization registered in the state of Virginia, USA. www.msubuhfoundation.org

Subud members endeavour to put into practice what they experience in the Subud latihan. This includes a rich variety of projects including commercial, social, humanitarian, cultural, educational and healthcare initiatives and undertakings. Profiles of some of these efforts can be found at subudprojects.net