Recently, Revd Dr. Richard Sudworth OBE, Secretary for Inter Religious Affairs to the Archbishop of Canterbury and National Inter Religious Affairs Adviser for the Church of England, paid a visit to ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor. He was joined by Angeline Leung, the Executive Assistant for the Church of England's Inter Religious Affairs & Ecumenical. Leung also serves on the Faith and Public Life team, based at Lambeth Palace, which hosted a historical interfaith event last November.
Recently, Guruttama Dasa (Gurmann Saini) of ISKCON Finland and a member of the National Forum for Cooperation of Religions in Finland (USKOT), was named by the Finnish Government to represent religious communities on the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development 2024-2027.
The Pew Research Center (PRC) has released the latest data available from 198 countries and territories regarding governmental restrictions on religious practices and beliefs. “Religious groups faced harassment by governments in 183 countries in 2021, the largest number since the study began,” the 14th annual report revealed, “Governments interfered in worship in 163 countries, down slightly from 164 in 2020 but still close to the all-time high.” The report not only shares the concerning facts about government restrictions but also where governments are providing benefits and support to religious organizations.
Sankirtana Das (Andy Fraenkel), a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and contributor to ISKCON News, has recently received a Storytelling World Resource Award for his CD Sacred Voices. ISKCON News (IN) interview with Sankirtana Das (Skd) about the honor and his thoughts on art, theater, sacred storytelling, interfaith dialogue, and more.
On March 3, 2024, a significant moment of cooperation and interfaith harmony occurred in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, during a visit between leaders of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) and a representative from the Suriname Islamic Association (SIV).
Recently, ISKCON devotees participated in the UK Women's Faith Forum's inaugural event, "Keeping Hatred Off Our Streets." The February 28th gathering in Parliament included women from across five major faith groups who are working collectively to ensure that the experiences, skills, and dedication of women in faith communities are focused on today's key issues.
On February 25th, Mendoza, Argentina, held its annual "Blessing of the Fruits" festival, thanking God for a bountiful harvest. The cultural event, which has been going on since the 1930s, included religious leaders from different traditions who each contributed to the program. Baladeva Das, ISKCON's Regional Director of Communications in Latin America, beautifully chanted the Panca-tattva and Hare Krsna mantras and blew a conch shell for the estimated 15,000 people who were gathered at the festival.
17 January 2024- At their annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released a "Faith in Action" report to world leaders gathered at the iconic event. According to the WEP press release, the report "offers examples of businesses partnering with faith-based groups to support vulnerable populations and address the world’s interconnected crises." Among the eight case studies highlighted is a new partnership between the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the Haribol food company. The recognition of ISKCON-Haribol as a case study inspired by Vedic values illustrates the promise of meaningful partnerships between faith communities and the private sector to address complex global challenges.
On 17th January, Prabhupada Prana Das, Temple President of the ISKCON Karuna Bhavan temple in Lesmahagow, Scotland, met with Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf along with other representatives of the Scottish Hindu Foundation (SHF).