Hello America! The Hindus Are Here And We’d Like to Help You!

An overview of our upcoming White House conference, and what this work means to me (i.e. Saumya Arya Haas). Read the full article at Huffington Post.

Photo by flickr user dcJohn

“Through HASC's mission, I have found a way to make my Hinduness part of my American life, and to see that my religious heritage inspires innovative solutions for issues and challenges of the society I live in. I feel less isolated. I've realized that the light cast by Hindu-American lamps travels beyond our own small concerns and community, and that we are not adrift, but rather carried by currents of our own time and place, our own country.”

White House and Hindu American Seva Charities cohost 2012 National Dharmic Seva conference

2012 National Seva Conference - Dharmic American Future: Seva, Innovation, and Tradition

White House and Hindu American Seva Charities cohost conference

Washington, D.C.July 20, 2012.  Hindu American Seva Charities (HASC) is holding its fourth conference, on August 3rd - 4th, “Dharmic American Future: Seva, Innovation and Tradition” to celebrate seva and civic engagement in the “Dharmic” (Buddhist Hindu, Jain and Sikh) and interfaith communities.  The briefing and conference is co-hosted with the White Office of Public Engagement, Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and President's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. On August 4th, it continues at Georgetown University, with the Hindu Student Association and the Campus Ministry. For additional information, please visit http://www.hinduamericanseva.org/events/ngsl-program.

HASC has received a positive response for its new Next Generation Seva Leaders (NGSL) program, an innovative service leadership initiative to empower and support the development of service projects through 2013.  At the request of many stakeholders we have extended the deadline for registering for the Dharmic conference and NGSL program to Saturday, July 28th.  The cost of the program is $250. We request you to complete the application at register.hinduamericanseva.org.  We are pleased to announce that those who register for the conference by NOON, Thursday, July 26th will receive a tour of the White House on August 3rd. 

If you have a qualified person who is unable to come because of funding we will try to subsidize, but have only a few scholarships.

 (Due to a generous donation, HASC is providing scholarships to 22 Bhutanese refugee students, the Class of 2013, from the American Vivekananda Academy, NH.). We request you to support deserving students and youth.

On August 3rd and 4th Senior Administrative officials, Dharmic educators, social innovators, community activists and many more will be discussing seva to alleviate current social justice issues such as poverty, bullying, Bhutanese refugees, environment, health and well-being.  Speakers include Dan Nainan, Master of Ceremony; Varun Soni, Dean University of Southern California; Vineet Chander, Princeton University; Sonal Shah; Chinmaya Mission, M.A. Math (Amma organization), Ashoka Foundation, and many others.

Members of a community understand their community’s challenges and needs, so the emphasis of the NGSL is to encourage next generation leaders to envision sustainable, local engagement and put those ideas into action.  “Seva is a main component of our Dharma and sadhana (spiritual practice). Seva unites and brings our diverse communities together.  What challenges do you see in your community? Your opinions and ideas can be the starting point for social transformation. Our country needs those of diverse faiths and talents to help build and maintain healthy, pluralistic communities.” Siva Subramanian, HASC Founding Board member

HASC will follow the projects for the next year and will invite youth leaders to share their experiences at the next conference in 2013.  Faith plays a significant role in the political landscape and moral values provide a common ground for diverse communities to come together to develop solutions.  Dharmic communities can contribute to peace and harmony, and participate fully as Americans in civic engagement, education, environmental awareness, human rights, poverty alleviation, job creation, public health, foreign policy and global development.  All these issues begin with local, community awareness and engagement.

We request your generous support to enable students to attend this landmark conference! You can click here to make your tax deductible donation. 

Contact:               Sevaevents@hinduamericanseva.org for additional informatio

White House recognizes Hindu American Seva Charities at the Social Innovators Conference

Joshua DuBois, White House Office Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Jon Rosenberg, Repair the World, Anju Bhargava, Hindu American Seva Charities, Bethany Huang, IMJ Institute, Eugene Cho, One Day’s Wages

The Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, in coordination with the Office of Public Engagement, invited Anju Bhargava. Founder, Hindu American Seva Charities to the White House on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 11 to participate in a forum to discuss the important role that faith-based social innovators play in expanding opportunity and addressing social issues. Anju Bhargava was one of 10 speakers at the inaugural White House Faith-Based Social Innovators Conference.

Senior Administration officials as well as leading faith-based social innovators from around the country came together for this event. The afternoon was comprised of a series of briefings, panels, and small-and-large group discussions that explored how faith-based organizations are creating innovative models and entrepreneurial ventures to make a positive impact on our economy and our society, often while serving our most vulnerable communities.

In a TED style conversations, Anju Bhargava stressed that Seva is an important part of our Dharma and sadhana (spiritual practice) and tremendous seva effort is currently undertaken across the country. She highlighted the transformative social justice effort undertaken in Wichita, Kansas. Seva bridged faith and culture divides and brought the voice of our community to the forefront at a town-hall meeting. She pointed out our faith community has much to offer. But, the Dharmic communities’ faith infrastructures are in early phases of development with minimal data collection capacity to obtain grants and funding. She emphasized that with the increased understanding by all stakeholders including the social innovators of diverse faith, the talent of our Dharmic community could be harnessed exponentially, for the common good.

HASC is honored to be recognized as a pioneering social innovator, the one of its kind Hindu/Dharmic organization. Joshua DuBois praised the ground-breaking efforts and accomplishments achieved in a short time.

HASC is continuing to develop Dharmic capacity and programs to serve. HASC’s next annual conference Dharmic American Future: Seva, Innovation, Tradition will be held on August 3^rd and 4^th at the White House and Georgetown University.

HASC encourages social innovators to apply for its new Next Generation Seva Leaders Program.