Sunthar Visuvalingam
CHICAGO: A full house of volunteers assembled here at Itasca Park District, May 19, to coordinate efforts and complex logistics in preparation for the World Hindu Congress 2018 that will be held from September 7 to 9 at the Westin Hotel, Lombard, a south west suburb of Chicago.
Intended to commemorate and consolidate Swami Vivekananda’s spectacular implantation of the Hindu vision here at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in September 1893, the WHC mission is to “provide a global platform for Hindus to connect, share ideas, inspire one another, and impact the common good” under the philosophical banner of “think collectively, achieve valiantly” (sumantritésuvikranté). The seven parallel three-day conferences will cover economy, education, media, politics, and include separate streams focused on women, youth and temple organizations.
More than 2000 delegates are expected from over 80 countries. Among the plenary speakers are HH Dalai Lama, RSS chief Mohan Rao Bhagwat, Prime Minister of Mauritius, Vice-Presidents of Suriname and Mauritius, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, global heads of Chinmaya Mission and Gayatri Pariwar, and mathematics professor Manjul Bhargava at Princeton University.
Abhaya Asthana, President of the World Hindu Council of America (VHP-A for Vishwa Hindu Parishad), emphasized to India Post that, though its spiritual basis and Dharmic foundation are a given, the WHC focus is not religion but the evolving Hindu identity, aiming for balance in its material and secular dimensions on the world stage. Moreover, the organizers are keen to avoid negativity in any form and deliver a wholly positive outlook and ambience. Held every four years, the first WHC in Delhi drew 1800 delegates from over 53 countries to its likewise seven parallel conferences.
The Economic Forum fosters transnational collaboration among Hindu businesses, ensures them global market access, facilitates entrepreneurial capital and mentoring. High-level executives from Indian, U.S. and multinational companies are participating in its various sessions, especially to promote Indo-American partnerships.
Education Forum aims to impact the policy framework of the Indian government, improve the administration of institutions, train faculty, introduce latest curricula but from an indigenous perspective, and secure a healthy campus environment. Leading academics and administrators from India and the Diaspora are to discuss access to high-quality but affordable values-based education that includes the study of Hindu dharma, history and society.
Media Forum aims to establish a vigorous Hindu presence across all forms of media, traditional and emerging, to “influence stakeholders in entertainment industry to correct the misrepresentation of Hindu culture and civilization.” A medley of journalists, bloggers, artists, movie directors and media house executives, including actor Richard Gere, are to evolve strategies to ensure accurate, honest and unbiased reporting of events across the Hindu world.
Democratic Forum seeks to translate higher education and financial success into effective political participation both in India and the Diasporas, crossing party lines to safeguard Hindu interests, to develop support systems for politicians, and get young people involved. Participants include the Governor of Bali (Indonesia), Chief Minister of Northern Province (Sri Lanka), President of National Federation Party, Fiji, representatives from Guyana, Bangladesh, and UK.
Ohio State Representative Niraj Antani and Chicago-based Raja Krishnamoorthy (D-IL) are also participating.
Organizational Conference (HOTA) addresses the chronic disorganization of Hindu society by providing a unified institutional platform to facilitate collaboration, with the aim of subsuming regional, linguistic and denominational differences within an overarching Hindu identity. HOTA takes the temples as nuclei serving the needs of the wider community. A key concern is human rights violations around the world.
Women and Youth Forums aim to harness underutilized talents through greater participation towards a Hindu renaissance, by fostering feminine and youth perspectives on contemporary challenges. Accomplished women from education, media, science and arts, will speak their mind. Hindu student and youth leaders from U.K., U.S., Norway, Netherlands, Australia, will confer on best practices, mentorship, pathways to leadership and community service to complement the other conference tracks.
Asthana took pains to emphasize that, more than a grand multidimensional event now being repeated in Chicago, WHC is a “movement” from pre-conference organizational and mobilization efforts to post-conference tangible, sustainable, measurable outcomes and follow-up leading into WHC 2022 to be held in Bangkok, and well beyond. This WHC movement is that of “organizing the global Hindu community.”
Full information regarding registration, etc., may be found at the WHC 2018 official website: http://www.worldhinducongress.org/
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