When His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada set sail for the West in 1965, he carried with him the conviction that India’s ancient tradition of devotion to Lord Krishna must be shared with the world. Today, more than forty years since Prabhupada’s fateful journey, many devotees of the organization he established — the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) — grapple with how to stay true to Prabhupada’s mission, and at the same time be relevant to the needs of the particular times in which we live.

Some, however, see this challenge as a blessing in disguise — an opportunity to step outside of the proverbial box and share Krishna with others in dynamic, even unconventional ways. And on April 10 – 12, at a gathering organized by ISKCON North America and ISKCON Communications, many of these devotees will share the secrets to their successes.

“Building Bridges: Outreach in the post-modern world” is a three-day conference being held at ISKCON Washington D.C. This first annual conference focuses on the question: How can we best share the timeless wisdom of Krishna consciousness with increasingly diverse audiences? It is open to all and is especially relevant to those who are engaged in or interested in any form of Krishna consicous outreach.

“The times have changed, and so have the rules of engagement,” said conference convener and Governing Body Commission Chairperson Romapada Swami. “We need to examine and re-examine how we can stay faithful to the principles of the guru-parampara and still be relevant and meaningful to the modern world.”

The conference features a number of guest speakers who will share their practical wisdom and strategies for helping us to answer the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities. Speakers include Devamrita Swami, Romapada Swami, Anuttama Prabhu, and others. The topics range as well, with presentations on everything from —Connecting with the Yoga Community” to “The Relevance of Sustainability in Economics” to”Making Inroads on College Campuses” to “Outreach to Corporate America.”

Organizers of the event encourage devotees to sign up earlier, even offering early bird regsitrants a discount if they book before Maarch 30.

For more information, or to register, please visit www.iskcondc.org/buildingbridges