Hindu Collective Initiative  

                 (Click here to see Brochure in PDF )                    

     How Do We Move Forward?      

HCI provides a framework for Hindu organizations to come together and share their experiences and expertise in strategic cooperation to improve our collective effectiveness.
This will help us confront major issues facing our community, such as:

      Improving education about India and Hinduism in schools, colleges, and universities

      Correcting the portrayal of India, Hindus, and Hindu Dharma in the media

      Speaking up on behalf of the Hindu community with government agencies on common issues, such as visas for priests, faith-based initiatives, textbook adoptions by school boards, zoning ordinances for religious places, etc.

      Helping Hindu organizations find ways to connect to Hindu youth, Hindus with non-Hindu spouses, and their children to increase their interest and involvement. Through networking HCI will enable Hindu organizations to share best practices and learn from each other. 

Also HCI can serve as a clearing house of experience, knowledge, expertise, and a resource to any individual organization, as needed, to help problem-solve and improve functioning.

“As I have gotten older, I really wish that I had learned a lot more about my culture. For most kids the desire to learn more about their culture comes with time and is not always what we think as kids. I am sure that I complained and argued about going to Sunday school when I was younger but I do appreciate what I know now, and wish I had learned more when I had the time to.”
                                                                          A.K., 24 years old, Jacksonville, FL

How Can We Assure a Bright Future
for Hindu Dharma in North America?

In the last decade the success of the NRI community in the IT field helped boost the IT sector in India, which in turn helped the economic resurgence of India.  Also, NRI success in the political arena helped bring the US and India closer and projected India as an emerging global power.  Similarly, as Yoga spread and became more popular in the western world, it has gained more respect in India too and is now practiced by the multitudes. 

This phenomenon presents an unprecedented opportunity for -NA to act as a catalyst to gain better acceptance of Hinduism in North America and elsewhere by positioning Hindu Dharma and the community in a new light, as follows:

      Hindu Dharma through its abiding respect for all life (bio-diversity) and spiritual diversity offers the right approach for peaceful coexistence of man and nature and all faith traditions.

      Dharma is “a sustainable way of life in harmony with nature.”  It has answers to the ills of modern society such as violence, terrorism, stress, drug abuse, excessive consumption (resulting in pollution of air, water and earth), global warming, obesity and other diseases.  The answers to these problems are inherent in the concepts of ahimsa, vegetarianism, preventive health care with Ayurveda, organic gardening, and stress reduction through yoga and meditation.

      Hindu organizations welcome those Americans who have developed an interest in Hindu traditions through yoga, meditation, kirtan, Ayurveda, Jyotish, etc.  It is estimated that in North America, more than 10% – or over 40 million people – of non-Hindu birth are participating in such practices.  Most are middle class to wealthy; 80% are females; they are becoming vegetarians and seeking spiritual inspiration from Hinduism and Buddhism.  As they assimilate with the Hindu community, the notion of Hinduism being an alien religion is being dispelled and Hindu Dharma is gaining more acceptance and respect in the larger American society.

CanCan We Promote the Universal Values
of Hindu Dharma in North America?

      Dharma offers a platform for like-minded traditions such as all Hindu sampradayas, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Bahai’s, Unitarians, and Native Americans to come together because they share a similar worldview, such as:   

\  Respect for nature and protection of environment,

\  Respect for diversity, pluralism, and not merely tolerance, but

\Peaceful coexistence of all faith traditions with

     genuine mutual respect for each other’s traditions.

The time has come for global cooperation of all faith traditions with similar worldviews to form a sort of ‘United Nations’ of religious organizations. The coming together of diverse elements of Hindu culture while maintaining their unique individuality is crucial to the emergence of a global Hindu renaissance. 

“Hinduism has to show that its plurality
and all-encompassing acceptance
 are not signs of disparateness or disunity.”
“For that, a collective voice is needed.”
-                  
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Arsha Vidya Gurukul, PA

 If you believe in the universal philosophy of Hinduism and want to preserve the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of India, you must make a commitment to support this important movement by joining and supporting Hindu Collective Initiative (HCI) of North America today.

                            Can we count on your support?

            and mail it with your generous contribution.