Hindu Americans Represented at National Meeting

[Guest guest]

Hindu Americans Represented at National Meeting

On Faith Based Initiatives For Firtst Time

 

 

DATE: June 14, 2004

FROM: HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION

 

Hundreds of leaders of faith-based and community organizations from

across the United States attended the first Annual National

Conference on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (FBCI) on June 1,

2004 in Washington D.C. Nikhil Joshi, Esq., a member of the Hindu

American Foundation (HAF) Board of Directors

(www.hinduamericanfoundation.org) represented Hindu Americans at the

conference hosted by the White House in association with various

government agencies for the first time.

 

David Caprara, Director of FBCI for the Corporation for National and

Community Service, an agency center for FBCI, wrote to HAF on June

12, 2004, appreciating the first-ever participation of Hindu

Americans in the FBCI dialogue at the national level. "[HAF's]

leadership, values, and service are greatly valued by us," said Mr.

Caprara.

 

Headlined by an address from President Bush and the Director of the

White House Office of FBCI, James Towey, the national conference

aimed to inform community leaders of ways in which to access the $1.1

billion earmarked for faith-based programs, a 15% increase compared

to last year. The speakers repeatedly emphasized the availability of

these funds to organizations and people of all faiths, regardless of

size, that propose social service projects such as food banks, health

centers, job training programs and other such efforts.

 

Reiterating the eligibility of all religious groups for faith-based

funding, President Bush said at the meeting attended by Mr.

Joshi, "When you hear me talk about faith, I'm talking about all

faiths, whether it be the Jewish faith or the Christian faith or the

Muslim faith or the Hindu faith -- all faiths have got the power to

transform lives."

 

Breakout sessions during the one-day conference guided attendees

through the Federal funding process, available funding opportunities,

the requirements that come with the receipt of Federal funds and

discussed the most innovative projects currently funded by the FBCI.

 

"Hindu organizations already maintain health care, domestic abuse and

prisoner rehabilitation service projects and may wish to consider

support from the FBCI," said Mr. Joshi, "As a representative of Hindu

Americans, the Hindu American Foundation's concern is to compile

information about the initiative directly from its source and make it

available to interested parties in the Hindu community."

 

Alka Patel, M.D., Member of the HAF Executive Council and coordinator

of FBCI for HAF, added that after hosting a Capitol Hill reception to

launch HAF on May 5, 2004, and having met with Mr. Caprara at the

White House Offices of FBCI, HAF is continuing in its mission to

establish an effective and credible voice for Hindu Americans.

 

The recently formed Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is a human rights

group whose purpose is to provide a voice for the 2 million strong

Hindu American community. HAF interacts with and educates government,

media, think tanks, academia and public fora about Hinduism and

issues of concern to Hindus locally and globally to promote

understanding, tolerance and pluralism.

 

For further information: Please contact and support HAF

http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/preview/membership.htm