2020 is bringing in new things for ISKCON North America (NA) Communications Department: new management, with the appointment of Madan Gopal Das as Director and Kumari Kunti Dasi as Administrative Director, as well as back-to-back events to boost the North America teams with a Training Workshop and Communications Conference in the fall of this year.
ISKCON Communications, the agency charged with interfacing with the public on behalf of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is undergoing a major makeover, including a new website.
ISKCON Communications Minister Anuttama Dasa, in collaboration with the Bhaktivedanta College, Radhadesh, adapted the 'ISKCON Communications' training he gives world-wide in the classroom to the online environment.
We offer our prayers for the well-being of all those affected by the pandemic. We pray for those souls who have passed away, and for their family members and friends. We also pray for those currently ill and their loved ones. And, we pray for those millions of people who suffer from the financial impact of the coronavirus and who worry for the safety of their families.
ISKCON Communications Minister Anuttama Dasa, in collaboration with Bhaktivedanta College, translated the 'ISKCON Communications' training he gives world-wide in the classroom into the online environment - dynamic, powerful and thought-provoking as it is when taught in person.
In celebration of the auspicious day of Gaura Purnima, now, 'The Joy of Devotion' film, produced by ISKCON Communications Ministry, has been released on YouTube, and available worldwide for everyone to enjoy for free.
Over 25 participants assembled to introspect, reflect, analyze, strategize and prepare an effective plan of action for ISKCON Communications India representatives.
The ISKCON Communications Ministry hosted the Fifth Annual Vaishnava Christian Dialogue in India, December 16-18. The Dialogue is part of a global effort by the Ministry to promote understanding between members of ISKCON and other major religious communities.
The Newsletter is sent by mail every Ekadasi (every 15 days), informing about upcoming classes, programs, seminars and outstanding visits. In addition, several of the newsletters include a note thanking a member of the community for their service.
What do John Lennon, Indira Ghandi, Allen Ginsberg, and Sterling Moss (Formula One Racer) have in common? They all met Srila Prabhupada. To say that Srila Prabhupada was an epic “Communications” person is an understatement.
Day Two of the European Communications Conference began with a very relevant and hard-hitting talk by Willy Fautre of Human Rights Without Frontiers. Next was an enlivening discussion where ISKCON leaders from across Europe and the US shared their experiences of using advocacy, engaging with politicians and examples of when this has been successful.
Around sixty devotees from across Europe and the US have gathered in New Vrajamandala in Spain, to participate in the European Communications Conference running from 27th - 30th May.
Over 1,000 attended the service in Washington, DC,, including religious dignitaries representing Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish and Christian faiths, members of Congress, U.S. government representatives, Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, and Sri Lankan community members.
Under the organization of Ministry of External Affairs Government of India and Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Prayagraj hosted at least one person from every country at the occasion of the sacred Kumbh festival.
Communication achievements within ISKCON Croatia - such us meeting the country presidents, government officials, city majors and other VIPs - significantly exceed the expectations, which initially were put on such a small team of communication devotees ISKCON has in the Zagreb temple (Nova Jaladuta) in Croatia.
Thirty-five devotees participated, including communications directors from various states and cities, temple presidents, and volunteers from the “Midday Meal” school food relief program.
ISKCON Communications Director Anuttama Das attended the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) in Denver, Colorado from November 17thto 20th, as a representative of the Hare Krishna Movement. Representatives of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust also participated with a booth at the event, which promotes the study of religion from an academic perspective.
Terrible darkness moved out of the shadows and into our national and global psyche last weekend in Pittsburg. Spurred on by hatred, ignorance, and a growing culture of civic unrest that increasingly divides, alienates, and deprecates those different than ourselves, a gunman attacked the Tree of Life Jewish Congregation killing eleven men and women, and injuring more.
The World Hindu Congress, which has been billed by many as one of the largest international Hindu conferences with over 2,500 participants from 60 countries, recognized Srila Prabhupada and his International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for its vital role in spreading the message of Bhagavad Gita around the world.
Now, in time for the upcoming Janmasthami and Srila Prabhupada Vyasa Puja festivals, ISKCON Communications Ministry offers centers around the globe the opportunity to entertain and inspire their congregation by screening the hour-long ‘The Joy of Devotion’ film. Now, the film also available in Spanish.
To make the ISKCON50 film more suitable for educational purposes and special events, the filmmakers have released a hour-long version of the documentary feature.
Last week, ISKCON Communications European (ICE) leaders and representatives from 17 Countries gathered in Prabhupada Desh just outside of Venice, Italy, to discuss and share their thoughts on some pressing issues such as women's position in ISKCON, veganism, social media and other topics.
On April 25th, twenty officials and staff from the Israeli Embassy, including a representative from its Community Relations office, visited ISKCON of Washington D.C.
A short film about a recent conference at Harvard University, in which academic scholars appreciate ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada, while also encouraging devotees to self-reflect, brought an audience at the Mayapur festival to tears.
Cultic symptoms include isolation of members, lack of accountability of leaders, denial of appropriate care for members, unquestioned submission to leaders, excessive demands upon followers, and physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual abuse by leaders. Not particularly inspiring topics. So why go to a conference discussing them?
A 10-minute video has been released about the prestigious ISKCON50 Gala event that took place in September 2016 at the Hilton Presidential Ballroom, in Washington, D.C. Over 300 people attended the event, seventy-five of them special invitees including religious leaders, religious liberty experts, members of the media, and political leaders. The video presents the highlights of the Gala, including some of the speeches and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard's leading kirtan.
Forty communications staff will meet in Villa Vrindavana, Italy from May 13th to 16th for the European ISKCON Communications Conference. The conference will tackle several issues that are very relevant to ISKCON today. These include ISKCON and Politics, ISKCON and the Gaudiya Math, and Media and Religious Freedom.
At the 2017 Religion Communicators Council (RCC) annual DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards ceremony in Chicago, Illinois on March 30th, ISKCON Communications won several awards for excellence in religion communications, including a Best of Class award for “The Joy of Devotion” film. “The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years” magazine also won an award for excellence in overall design and a merit award for single-issue periodicals.
One of the final events of the ISKCON 50th anniversary year, the 85-minute film has been called “one of the best films ever produced about ISKCON” by the society’s Communications Minister Anuttama Das.
The average person spends 23 days a year on the phone. Ironically, we seldom use them for the purpose they were invented – to audibly speak to people.
Major newspapers and TV channels across four continents covered the 50th anniversary of ISKCON’s incorporation on 13th July with positive stories that reached out to millions of people around the world. The BBC UK, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Chicago Tribune, the Times of India and India’s government-owned DD National TV gave extensive coverage to the history of ISKCON, the achievements of Srila Prabhupada and local events happening in their area.
We live in an overcommunicated world. The prevailing culture insists we reply to all text messages within 10 minutes, be mindful of the mountain of emails building up in our inbox, and religiously return random ‘missed calls’ on our phones.
I'd like to point out an important aspect of ISKCON's interaction with anti-cult organizations, or cult-watching organizations. The goal of such dialogue is not to ascertain whether ISKCON is, or is not, a "cult."
It was the first time Anti-Cult members have visited an ISKCON temple and did a presentation. It was held during Radhadesh’s hosting of the ISKCON Europe Communications conference. ISKCON is no stranger to the organisation. Over the years Anuttama Das, ISKCON Global Communications Director, has built a relationship with the organisation by attending conferences and speaking openly about ISKCON’s issues.
This year, ISKCON Communications Europe invites devotees from outside of Europe as well to discuss important international strategies and issues.
ISKCON Communications Ministry is looking back on decades of gaining support for Prabhupada’s society.
Effective communication is not easy. Communication doesn’t happen merely by our sending the right message – it happens when our message is rightly understood.
The first day of the conference at Kanpur was indeed a day of inspiration and planning for the near future. Prominent ISKCON leaders addressed the audience which consisted of communication personnel from different parts of the Indian subcontinent. Devotees were also given the opportunity to give detailed reports on their communications efforts at their respective centers.
Hasty communication can break relationships and ruin careers. Too often we write an email or send a text without double-checking the content or being mindful of the tone of the message.
Over thirty devotees from the UK and Ireland attended a special ISKCON National Communications Training Day at Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK.Taking part in a series of innovative and interactive workshops, the group learned about why engaging with the media matters, what makes a good news story and how compatible the worlds of spirituality and media really are.
We live in an overcommunicated world. Good etiquette insists we reply to all text messages within 10 minutes, be mindful of the mountain of emails building up in our inbox, and unfailingly return all ‘missed calls’ on our phones.
The Office of Communications for ISKCON launched its brand new website, communications.iskcon.org. The site’s main purpose is to serve as an initial touchpoint for outside parties. It allows groups such as the media, academics, neighbors and the interfaith community to find contact details for their local ISKCON communications liaison, and to get some basic information about what ISKCON is and what it does.
Anuttama Dasa has been a member of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) since 2000 and is also the Minister for ISKCON Communications. His vision for the future of ISKCON is that it will mature and grow to be a respected and influential culture and religion around the world. A valuable member of the Strategic Planning Initiatives, he is involved in both the Communications and Succession Committees
After a series of successful communication conferences in the Northern, Western and Eastern parts of India, ISKCON Communications conducted its annual "All India conference", at one of the prominent temples in South India, at Sri Radha Govinda temple, Tirupathi.
A position is open immediately to serve ISKCON as Executive Assistant to the Minister of Communications, Anuttama Dasa. The service will be performed at the ISKCON Communications (IC) offices at the Washington, D.C. temple, in suburban Maryland, USA.
Although multimedia and the Internet are no longer new to preachers, the continued development and increased availability of digital communications is giving rise to a new surge in electronic religion.