ISKCON News | Creating a Vision for North America - Leadership Summit 2021

Creating a Vision for North America – Leadership Summit 2021

By ISKCON News Staff | Jan 01, 1901

More than 110 devotees in leadership and youth with leadership capacity across the US and Canada met over the May 15-16th, 2021 weekend to strategize and plan how to bring to life the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) North America (NA) vision.

The essence of the summit was that any leader, wherever they are located, can become the positive change they want to see in both: their temple community and nationally.

Some of the vision statements about ISKCON NA that were developed through the conferences leading up to the summit were: “ISKCON North America is at its best when …”

We trust Krishna’s magic, have the attitude of service, and tolerate difficulties for Krishna
Our vision is radical, shared, inspiring, bold, courageous, and clearly articulated
We create spiritual homes that feel like family, through nurturing, caring, loving relationships

And “ISKCON North American Leaders are at their best when they are….”

We take the time to identify an individual’s strength and engage their gifts accordingly
People orientated and deeply invested in loving relationships – people over projects
Actively involved with the community – lead by example
Proficiently qualifies, accountable, brilliantly resourceful and personal

The vision of NA was then brought to specific initiatives based on these vision statements, that was then further developed into initiatives groups that leaders volunteered to convene. There were more than 20 new initiatives created, including:

NA Mentoring Program
ISKCON NA Technology Ministry
Devotee Care: Access to Hospice, Residential, and Home Care
National Youth Department
Diversity and Inclusion Training
Young Yogis Youth Camp

During the summit, groups created the basic framework to begin these initiatives and continue meeting after the summit to do so.

Initiative/Project Groups Created During the Summit

Bhaktivedanta Financial Foundation	Indresh Dasa
Revenue Generation: Bhakti Yoga Studios	Kalyan Dasa
Process to Match Devotee’s Propensity to Service and Occupation	Caitanya Kishor Dasa
Men’s Mental Health and Counseling	Dhira Krishna Dasa
Making Srila Prabhupada’s 7 Purposes Specific	Urmila DD
ISKCON NA Tech Ministry	Mahasundari Madhavi DD
Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive ISKCON Environment	Yasodamayi DD
ISKCON National Youth Department	Kumari Kunti DD
Govinda’s Global Food Franchise	Adi-Kurma Dasa
Worldwide Mentoring Program	Gopisa Dasa
Karuna Care Education: Increased Self Awareness and Interpersonal Relationships	Rambhoru DD
Young Yogis	Nanda-braja Dasa
Organizing a Movement for Simple and Natural Education K-12	Yogendra Dasa
ISKCON Relevance to Local Society	Nrtya Kishori DD
Devotee Access to Home Health Care, Residential Care, Hospice Care	Sri Rangavati DD
Structural Models for Farm Communities	Salagram Dasa
Keeping Srila Prabhupada in the Center	Narada Muni Dasa
ISKCON 3.0 Initiatives Support	Ananda Vrindavan DD
Cow Protection	Laxmi Nrsingadeva Dasa
Creating a Culture of Radical Personalism	Sudharma DD
Supporting Arts + Artists in ISKCON	Gauravani Dasa

About the Organizing Team

The North American Council (NAC) appointed a Conference Committee in September 2020 made up of Ananda Vrindavana dd, Jaya Krishna das, and Praharana dd who worked closely with Gopinath Bloch as visionary organizer and facilitator. He in turn recruited 12 volunteers to assist with graphics work, promotions, technical assistance with the conferences. There were four preliminary conferences targeting different demographics: NAC, temple presidents, second-generation including other youthful devotees, and the older, experienced devotees. The Summit united all of these groups to create projects and initiatives for North American yatras.

About the North American Council

The NAC is the ISKCON management entity for the USA and Canada, now made up of five ISKCON zones. It’s members are NA GBCs, zonal supervisors, ISKCON Ministers or Ministry representatives and other leaders.

The NAC funded the ISKCON 3.0 conferences and The Summit partly with donations from the participants.

The Summit was considered a success by the NAC, attended by more than 100 devotees in a leadership capacity, and twenty initiative groups were formed; including the “The Initiative Support Group” that will provide support and resources and will liaise with the NAC to facilitate successful implementation and roll-out of action items.

“The NAC is very grateful for the overwhelming devotional enthusiasm of all the teams and is anticipating excellent outcomes to move ISKCON NA to an amazing future,” said Praharana Dasi, Chair of the NAC.

Tag: conference , leadership , north-america