Finding the Way Together Inside the 2026 WSA Council Meeting in Rungan Sari

There are meetings where people come together to make decisions. And then there are meetings where the more interesting question is what happens between the decisions.

For ten days in July, the WSA Council gathered in Rungan Sari, Indonesia. There were reports, proposals, appointments and practical questions to resolve. But alongside all of this ran another kind of conversation: how can an international organisation stay connected to its inner purpose while responding to an increasingly complex world?

The answer was not found in a resolution.

It emerged gradually, through latihan, testing, listening, conversation and the sometimes demanding work of reaching consensus.

Start with the inner

The meeting began on July 17 with latihan and testing around the meaning of dewan and the nature of the WSA Council. The opening included the song Morning Has Broken and Bapak’s prayer, “Bring us near to happiness.”

This emphasis on inner work continued throughout the meeting. Testing was not treated as something separate from the practical work of the Council, but as a way of seeking understanding before moving into decisions.

One of the most significant areas of exploration was the structure of the Council itself. The members considered Ibu Rahayu’s explanation of the Council as including the WSA Chair, ISC Chair, Zone Representatives, the International Helpers, the MSF Chair, and the chairs of the five wings: SICA, SESI, SDIA, SYAI and SIHA. The general consensus supported a model close to this existing description and to the current bylaws.

But the discussion soon moved beyond structure. The Council began asking a more fundamental question: who has a voice in the Council, and who carries responsibility for decisions reached through consensus?

Consensus needs a voice

The Council explored ways of making its decision-making process clearer and more inclusive, including providing more information before meetings, creating greater space for different perspectives and establishing a shared understanding of how decisions are reached.

For a worldwide organisation, this matters.

The Zone reports revealed a Subud landscape of extraordinary variety. Some groups are dealing with the costs of travel and communication; others with connectivity, language, funding, helpers, national organisation, or the simple challenge of having a place to meet.

There are many realities, connected by a shared practice and purpose.

The challenge for the Council is to make space for those different experiences while still acting together.

Consensus is not the absence of different views. It is the work of listening through them.

Beyond the meeting room

Lamberto Arevalo, Rifka Several, Victor Bohn, Michael Van der Matten and Amaliya Lerigo at the tree planting

Rungan Sari provided an unusually vivid backdrop for these conversations.

Council members joined local members for latihan and spent time with the Subud community of Rungan Sari and Palangkaraya. They participated in the 50th-anniversary celebrations of Yayasan Usaha Mulia and attended the Bukit Batu Festival, which brought Subud into contact with the wider local community.

One of the festival's environmental initiatives involved a commitment to plant 69,000 trees in cooperation with local authorities.

It was difficult to imagine a better physical counterpoint to a week of organisational discussion.

Inside the meeting room: bylaws, structures, trustees and consensus.

Outside: community, environment, history and service.

Both belong to the work.

Supporting the next generation

From left to right Robiyanto Sumohadiwiyoyo, Marzuki Muhammad, Miranda Wild, Sebastian Wild, Isidro Jimenez, Kohar Parra and Emanuel Mbassi — From left to right:Robiyanto Sumohadiwiyoyo, Marzuki Muhammad, Miranda Wild, Sebastian Wild, Isidro Jimenez, Kohar Parra and Emanuel Mbassi

The question of the future became particularly tangible in discussions about young people.

The conversation about the future also included mental health and crisis in the latihan. A dedicated subcommittee is working to support helpers, offering consultation and workshops while recognizing that it is not licensed to provide individual treatment internationally.

Holding the memory, meeting the future

Looking forward also meant looking back.

The Archives Subcommittee shared its work preserving Subud’s history, while the Translations team highlighted the importance of returning to original sources and checking references carefully. Historical recordings of Bapak were also brought into conversations about the meaning of dewan and organisasi kejiwaan.

At the same time, the ISC is beginning to explore how artificial intelligence might assist with practical tasks such as meeting notes.

Stewardship, leadership and continuity

MSF team — From left to right: Rosario Moir, Rifka Several, Hamid Da Silva, Elaina Dodson, Amanda Rivera, Arsad Medina, Markus Fraval and Federica Pulido

The Muhammad Subuh Foundation appointed new trustees through testing around both the qualities required for the role and the ability to work harmoniously as part of a board. The Foundation uses staggered terms so that experience and continuity are maintained rather than having an entirely new board appointed at each World Congress.

Later in the meeting, candidates were tested for the MSF Chair position. Markus Fraval was appointed a chair for the next two-year term. Marzuki Andujar was appointed as new treasurer.

Other reports showed the breadth of practical work taking place across the organization. The Archives Subcommittee shared the history and responsibilities of preserving Subud’s records, including materials held in the Cilandak Archives. The Translations report emphasized the importance of checking original sources and providing the appropriate references.

Subud Enterprise also featured through the work of CEA, which has been supporting entrepreneurs and social projects, including initiatives involving elder care and children's schools.

Looking ahead

The Council concluded with decisions that give a glimpse of the next chapter.

Preparations for the 2028 World Congress are already well underway, with key accommodation and Congress facilities being contracted and registration planned for July 2027.

And after considering proposals in Colombia, Portugal and South Africa, the Council agreed by consensus that Johannesburg will host the 2027 in-person WSA Council Meeting. The process combined discussion, testing by the International Helpers, and consideration by the Council before reaching consensus.

Sharif Quiblier, Zone 5 representative

Perhaps this is the clearest image to take from the meeting: a worldwide organization gathering in one place, listening carefully, testing, discussing, disagreeing at times, finding common ground, and then taking practical steps forward.

From Rungan Sari, the message that emerges is one of connection: connection between inner and outer work, between generations, between countries and Zones, between the history of Subud and its future, and between the spiritual purpose of the organization and the practical responsibilities that come with serving it.