HERE'S A Krsna conscious project you might like to support or get involved in.
PROJECT
ISKCON World Review.
HEADQUARTERS
San Diego, California (moving to Alachua, Florida, this year).
PROJECT LEADERS
Mukunda Goswami (Executive Editor), Sarva-satya Dasa (Administrative Director), Kunti Devi Dasi (Editor).
GOALS
To publish news of the worldwide activities of the Hare Krsna movement, to foster communication and cooperation among its members, and to promote their projects, activities, products, and services.
HISTORY
ISKCON Communications, headed by Mukunda Goswami, published the first issue of ISKCON World Review in May 1981, under the management of Uddhava Dasa.
IWR readers have witnessed the rise of Hare Krsna temples, schools, Food for Life programs, and many other projects in nearly every region of the world. They have seen kings, presidents, and other prominent people meet with ISKCON officials.
IWR documented the struggles of the Soviet Hare Krsnas incarcerated for their beliefs. It marshaled aid for their freedom and then reported ISKCON's becoming the first registered religion in the Soviet Union. IWR gathered support for saving New Mayapur, the French temple the government tried to close; Bhaktivedanta Manor, the English temple under legal attack by a few neighbors; and several North American temples threatened by the Robin George lawsuit.
DETAILS
Today ISKCON World Review receives reports from fifty-two inter-national correspondents and goes to subscribers in sixty countries, as well as to scholars, religionists, government leaders, the media, and leaders of animal rights, vegetarian, and environmental movements. Temples send their members ISKCON World Review, which Navina Krsna Dasa of the ISKCON Foundation calls "an excellent way to build pride in ISKCON and strengthen confidence in our future."
The paper's editorials have been on the cutting edge of ISKCON's social progress, championing innovations like ISKCON credit unions, community development, and apprenticeships for second-generation devotees.
The paper has become a major venue in ISKCON for devotional commerce. The IWR Marketplace presents opportunities for devotional service, employment, education, health care, and the distribution of transcendental books, tapes, and other products.
Recently, IWR sponsored the premier issue of The Hare Krsna Directory and Resource Guide, the first compilation of ISKCON's temples, projects, Governing Body Commissioners, spiritual masters, other devotees, and a variety of other resources.
PLANS
Because of a lack of money and staff, IWR now comes out bimonthly, but IWR leaders aim to make it a monthly. The way to accomplish this, they feel, is to help temples develop their communities.
The staff plans to index all previous issues of IWR and offer them on computer disk. They also hope to preserve the photos and the papers through archival methods.
OBSTACLES
Devotees around the world are not fully aware that they can use IWR to promote their projects and enterprises. The paper is not merely a North American publication. It is one of the few vehicles that connects ISKCON members worldwide.
Temples building congregations need to understand the importance of using IWR. They can send it to prospective members and submit stories and photographs about their center. IWR may be able to help centers unable to do their own membership mailings.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Use ISKCON World Review by subscribing, advertising, ordering bulk quantities, patronizing its advertisers, and getting involved with the projects it advocates.
For $20 or more you can sponsor a section of the newspaper, such as Cow Corner, Books are the Basis, Srila Prabhupada Centennial, World News Briefs, or ISKCON in India. Or you can send a tax-deductible donation. For more information, please contact:
ISKCON World Review, P. O. Box 99103, San Diego, CA 92169. Phone (619) 270-6110; fax (619) 270-4183. Please see the ad on page 56.