Going from a Spaniard fascist dictatorship still suffered in Spain when ISKCON devotees established the first temple in 1975, facing violation of human and civil rights like freedom of religion, or freedom of speech at that difficult times, to the following decade in the 80’s where both ISKCON and Governement/police, rectified their respective mistakes, to a blossoming and more social acceptance in the 90’s, until a cooperation and help from the police to ISKCON calls for help in the new millennium, to the current support from Barcelona City Hall Religious Affairs Office, UNESCO Interfaith Dialogue Association, City Hall Non Discrimination Office, and Police Community Affairs Office. Still Some hitches remain today, like having the right to be accepted as legal marriages made by Hindu – Vaisnava faith priest or right to declare the donations to the temple and thus obtain a discount in their tax declaration, like the roman catholic church members are aloud to do.

The Marshall Meyer Retreat for Social Justice provides professional development and capacity building opportunity for religious leaders, allowing faith leaders to learn about social issues, create networks for mutual support, and meet civic leaders and service providers.

The retreats focuses on four objectives, seeking to: (1) educate grass roots religious leaders about social issues impacting New York’s communities, from interfaith and secular perspectives; (2) build long lasting formal and informal networks of support for the city’s religious leaders engaged in social justice work; (3) connect the city’s religious communities with society’s secular institutions; and (4) generate strategies for addressing common social justice concerns.

Nimai Pandita Raja dasa has been trained in ISKCON Communications courses by Hanuman dasa, and Yadunandana Swami, also has been participating in Interfaith Dialogue with the UNESCO since 2004. After this experience in New York he has witnessed how much positive effect can do effective communications skills. So much so that the Chief Sub Inspector of Spaniard Police sent to New York in the same flight and lodged in the same hotels has set an appoinment to work together in immigration and social problems with the new Indian community in Barcelona through ISKCON advice and counseling, as well as other programs to be promoted in the future.

Also The Sub-Inspector for Community affairs Rosa Negre was invited to ISKCON New York Brooklyn temple, to take darshan (see the Deities) of Sri Sri Radha Govinda, and Srila Prabhupada deity, wich impressed her a lot for the intense presence that she felt. Later took caranamrita (special sweet nectar) with delight, and a delicious maha prasadam plate (pure vegetarian food offered to Krishna in the altar), along with the welcome of the general manager Satya dasi.