ICELT Podcasts

[Guest guest]

Dear Devotees

 

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

 

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology you will be able to

hear this year's ICELT Meetings (18-22 April) almost as soon as

they happen.

 

ISKCON Communication Europe Leadership Team (ICELT) meetings are

an annual sanga and think-tank that provide thoughtful analysis

in a devotional atmosphere. These meetings are an opportunity to

step back and consider the implications and direction of our

preaching.

 

This year we give special focus on our relationship with Europe

and Western culture. For many of us this is our prabhu-datta-desa

- many of us come from this culture. Do we understand it as well

as we think we do? How much of it do we carry with us? How does

it affect our understanding of Vaisnava philosophy? What are its

guiding principles and what is our attitude towards these? How

well do we need to understand these issues if we are to preach

successfully here?

 

These questions and more are being asked with special reference

to the events and history of ISKCON in Europe but have

implications for all of us.

 

We will also be examining one of our most important preaching

tools — consideration of time place and circumstance. We'll also

take a day out to visit the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL)

and the American Seminary in Louvain to hear Catholic

perspectives on the issues at hand.

 

If you would like to stay tuned to these discussions we will be

making audio recordings available at the end of each day. Simply

go to http://podserve.biggu.com/podcasts/show/icelt-2006 where

you can either:

(1) Listen online

(2) Download for later listening

(3) Subscribe to the podcasts (with iPodderX, Juicer, iTunes,

Odeo or other podcast client) so that they are automatically

downloaded on to your computer/MP3 player as they become

available.

 

For a more indepth overview of the discussions, please see the

end of this text

 

Your servant

Lal Krishna Dasa

 

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OVERVIEW OF DISCUSSIONS

 

DAY ONE: ISKCON in Europe: Where am I and what am I doing here?

 

Morning

 

(1) Introductions and orientation (60 mins)

 

(2) Session: Europe, ISKCON and the Future (90 mins plus break)

Saunaka Rsi Dasa

 

What expectations does Europe have of its citizens, including

ISKCON and its members? We will deal with issues of modernity,

including freedom, fundamentalism, democracy, individualism,

science, and secularism. How can ISKCON respond to Europe's

expectations? Is there a definite strategy? What has our

response been to date? Do we integrate, assimilate or maybe

isolate? How European are we or how European do we want to be?

 

Afternoon

 

(3) Session: Bhrgupada Dasa (90 mins)

With special reference to his studies of the Gaudiya Matha in

Europe in the 1930s, Bhrgupada asks:

What is our relationship with European society?

What are our values?

To what extent are they the same or different? Why?

Do we understand Europe? Or do we just think we do?

 

(4) Plenary (75 Mins)

 

 

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DAY TWO

 

Morning

 

Retreat: Trnad api sunicena

How do we apply respect, humility and tolerance as the basis for

our preaching.

 

Afternoon: Time, Place, Cynicism

What is our understanding of time, place, and circumstance?

 

Session: Am I a Hindu? Yes, no, when it suits me. (60 mins)

Rembert Lutjeharms

 

Session: Opportunity or opportunism?(60 mins)

Akhandadhi Dasa

Our campaigns sometimes lean on values such as democracy and

equal rights or our role as representatives of Hinduism. After

the campaign, what is our approach to these values? Do our former

allies view us as opportunists?

 

Session: Overview and discussion (60 mins)

Anuttama Dasa

Where is the balance between "time, place, and circumstance" and

integrity? Is there a conflict? Should there be a conflict?

(External audience)

Do we use time, place, and circumstance as an excuse to avoid our

duty? (Internal audience)

Discussion

 

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DAY THREE: Big Day Out!

 

Aprox 22 Euros extra inc. prasadam

 

9.45am depart Radhadesh

 

11.30am Meet with Rector Kevin Codd of American College at

Louvain. The American College is a seminary founded in the 19th

century by the American Bishops Conference to train US priests.

The Rector will speak with us on their approach to issues such as

secularism and how they deal with changing society.

 

1pm Picnic lunch and Tour Louvain

 

4pm Prof. Rick Torfs at Catholic University of Louvain. Catholic

church's historical response to the concerns we are dealing with

now.

 

5.30 pm Depart Louvain

 

7pm Arrive Radhadesh for Pizza! (included in cost, alternatives

available)

 

 

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DAY FOUR: The Clash of the Cultures!!!

 

Morning

 

Session: Clash (90 mins)

Federico Squarcini

To what extent is the difficult history due to cultural clash?

Which cultures? Is it as simple as Vedic vs. Western? How Vedic

is the West and how Western are we? How Vedic are we and how much

of what is proposed as Western culture is actually accepted?

 

Session: Preaching (90 mins)

Saunaka Rsi Dasa

Do we serve Europe or wait for Europe to serve us?

We all agree it is the essence, but what does it mean? Are we

preaching effectively to our audiences? Are we even preaching to

the choir?

 

Afternoon

 

Focus on France

 

 

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DAY FIVE

 

Morning

Reports, trends, and direction

 

 

Afternoon

Wrapping it all up

Open session