Regional Representation Report 21 (gokulananda)
HpS - ASA -- Hare Krsna! Gandharva Das [et al]. Our extended conversation was very nice yesterday. We suggest erasing some things and editing others. I think the letter can go to edited letter can go to Paramatma Das and Mathuresa Das as Secretary and Chairman of the LA RBGC. If you accept the changes we have made.
O.K.?
Hare Krsna dear Gurudeva
PAOHO AGTSP
I'm sending you the RGBC report. The spanish and english versions were sent to your email. I'm waiting for your comments and suggestions. Hope you're doing great and we are very happy that your health is getting better.
*************************
Hare Kṛṣṇa dear RGBC authorities
Please accept my humble and respectful obeisances
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda
My name is Gandharva das (HpS), in charge of the Regional Representation service on behalf of the ISKCON Ministry of Education in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. By the initiative of HH Hanumatpresaka Swami Maharaja, I am writing this letter with the intention of greeting you, humbly requesting your blessings and presenting the activities report that I have carried out during the last two years.
- I was born in Lima, Peru, in 1967 (53 years old) and studied Arts at the National School of Painting, Sculpture and Engraving of Mexico City, between 1989 and 1996. For 25 years I have been teaching and researching in different universities and colleges in my country, having taught theoretical and practical courses in faculties of Architecture (12 years), Plastic Arts (16 years), Design and Visual Communication (10 years) and Photography (13 years). I am married to Indira Sakti dd. and we both received initiation from Maharaja Hanumatpresaka Swami. Currently, we are both serving as pujaris for HH Radha Madana Vihari in the ISKCON Chosica temple in Peru.
- In March 2019 I was suggested by HH Hanumatpresaka Swami and appointed by the National Board as Regional Representative of the ISKCON Ministry of Education for Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, with the permission of HG Mathuresh prabhu (representative of the GBC Zonal Secretary for Peru and Bolivia) and Divya Priya dd. (representative of the GBC secretary for Ecuador). My position is under the authority in consultation with H. H. Hanumatpresaka Swami (member of the board Executive Committee the Ministry) and S. G. Tapana Misra prabhu (Executive Secretary).
- During the first year of service, I made the necessary contacts with authorities and educators from temples and preaching centers to find out their needs, interests and concerns regarding the educational development of their respective communities. For this, two face-to-face meetings were organized with different educators from Peru and several teleconferences with teachers from Ecuador and Bolivia. During 2019 I traveled to Bolivia, in order to establish contact with local educators. A trip to Ecuador was also planned at the beginning of this year, which was frustrated by the health situation.
- The year 2020 has been very fruitful for educational development. The confinement situation has given the opportunity to many teachers to provide their services on online platforms and thanks to this, six Bhakti Sastri courses are currently being taught since March 2020 with 170 students, approximately, in the three countries of the region. In addition a Bhakti Vaibhava course is taking place in Lima with 5 enthusiastic students.
- We are applying, Yugala Kisora dd, and myself as examiner and administrator of for the Bhakti Sastri course at with the Board of Examiners of the Ministry of Education (BoEx). The accredited temple will be ISKCON Chosica and the procedures are advancing, so we await the official appointment for during the first months of 2021.
- In order to increase the capacity skills of the teachers, the TTC2 and TTC3 courses are being taken, having achieved an alliance with Bhakti Culture School, which offers us facilities so that teachers can improve themselves at through the different courses that this platform offers online.
- We have been actively collaborating with the Executive Secretary of the Ministry in the search and recruitment of devotees who can perform a similar service of Regional Representation in different areas of Latin America: Zone 1 (Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador), Zone 2 (Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), Zone 3 (Brazil), Zone 4 (Colombia, Venezuela and Panama), Zone 5 (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana), Zone 6 (Mexico and Guatemala) and Zone 7 (Central America and the Caribbean Islands). At the moment, the applications of Adikarta das (Colombia) and Param Padam das - Nara Narayana Rsi (Argentina), from zones 2 and 4, respectively, have been accepted by the Ministry. I have heard from H. H. Hanumatpresaka Swami that Tapan Misra Das has suggested to you that someone act as a Latin American Regional coordinator for the reporting and communicating with the Ministries Zonal Representatives in these seven areas, the Ministry and your good selves. I think I could do this service for a year while things are developing, but after that it may require more energy than I am capable of.
- Finally, we have had conversations with devotees from Arequipa (Peru), who are very interested in the development of a pedagogical program for children and pre-adolescents. At the beginning of 2021, we will put them in contact with devotees with experience in this field and we will provide them with the translated teaching material, available on the Ministry website.
I say goodbye to you,
Your servant, Gandharva das
