Inter-faith council submits report to Obama

An year after it was constituted, the US President's Council on Faith-Based and Neighbourhood Partnerships has submitted a report to senior Barack Obama administration officials with recommendations on how the government can better partner with faith-based and neighbourhood-based organisations.

The report contains a significant Hindu American perspective, including the community's seva efforts across the country.

Obama appointed this first-of-its-kind White House advisory group, made up of diverse religious and community non-profit leaders, last spring.

The council represented leaders from across religious, political and ideological lines, who came together to address some of the most pressing issues facing the government and non-profit organisations. They deliberated over months of proceedings and dozens of conference calls and developed more than 60 consensus recommendations.

President Obama thanked council members for their work throughout the year and said he would use his authority to urge the various government agencies to put into practice their recommendations.

A permeating theme throughout the report was recognition of America's religious and cultural diversity with an entire section on inter-faith cooperation, which explicitly outlined recommendations for inclusion.

Additionally, throughout the report, there was a concerted effort to highlight inclusion of groups, such as Hindu Americans and Dharmic institutions that have not been hitherto actively engaged with the government.

The council's recommendations of special significance to communities like Hindu Americans included US government agencies to provide education and training on America's evolving religious and cultural diversity and its relevance to advancing the common good in America.

Also to utilise the expertise and resources in America's diverse religious communities in partnerships designed to enhance civic participation in America and encourage community-building through inter-faith collaboration with intermediaries to leverage the talent of the religious communities currently not participating in service opportunities.

Another recommendation urged ensuring that governmental chaplaincy services employ personnel who reflect the religious diversity of the men and women they are charged with serving.

It also encouraged institutions of higher learning to document and communicate the growing American religious and cultural diversity and related social service capacities.

Anju Bhargava, the only Hindu American member of the council, told rediff.com: "It has been a honour to have served in the council and to be the first and only Hindu American on it and personally for me, it was such a momentous opportunity for which I am immensely grateful for President Obama for appointing me."

She said, "Working with world-renowned faith-based and secular leaders, and council members, this engagement enabled me to interactively combine my professional skills, years of community building and diversity knowledge."

Bhargava said, "It transformed a bleak transition time -- like millions of Americans, I was unemployed -- into a positive, creative, experience to serve the nation."

She said she had in her interactions throughout the year, spoke of how "the Hindu people are today's new Americans and that they and their needs are not well understood. They do not know how to fully engage with the government."

She recalled how 'early on in the appointment term, under the guidance of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighbourhood Partnerships, an inspired team formed Hindu American Seva Charities, and the OFBNP provided a context, a voice and learning opportunities to bridge the gap between the US government and Hindu institutions.'

Bhargava said that HASC had 'started by mobilising a Hindu American response to the President's clarion 'Call to Serve' in the summer of 2009. Since seva (community service) -- is an integral part of our culture and sadhana (spiritual practice) the fragmented Hindu Americans came together for the first time to coordinate and expand their ongoing seva."

She said, "More than 120 Seva Centres conducted over 1,300, mostly inter-faith, service projects nationally and they demonstrated they have the skills and desire to serve all Americans in need, but lack infrastructure capacity to provide sustainable services."

Bhargava said, "Concurrently, while mobilising the community and coordinating service projects, in light of the knowledge imparted by OFBNP, officials and Council members, we conducted pioneering research, with the aim of assessing the capacity of key, large faith-based organization and service providers and to analyse the needs of the community itself, and building upon earlier assessments like President Clinton's Community Builder Fellowship."

She said, "This new understanding enabled identification of partnership opportunities with the administration's innovative federal approach, and the research also highlighted areas of concern within the Hindu American community."