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DATE: June 14, 2004
FROM: HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION
Hundreds of leaders of faith-based and community
organizations from across the United States attended the first
Annual National Conference on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
(FBCI) on June 1, 2004 in Washington D.C. Nikhil Joshi, Esq.,
a member of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) Board of Directors
(www.hinduamericanfoundation.org)
represented Hindu Americans at the conference hosted by the
White House in association with various government agencies
for the first time.
David Caprara, Director of FBCI for the
Corporation for National and Community Service, an agency
center for FBCI, wrote to HAF on June 12, 2004, appreciating
the first-ever participation of Hindu Americans in the FBCI
dialogue at the national level. “[HAF’s] leadership,
values, and service are greatly valued by us,” said
Mr. Caprara.
Headlined by an address from President Bush
and the Director of the White House Office of FBCI, James
Towey, the national conference aimed to inform community leaders
of ways in which to access the $1.1 billion earmarked for
faith-based programs, a 15% increase compared to last year.
The speakers repeatedly emphasized the availability of these
funds to organizations and people of all faiths, regardless
of size, that propose social service projects such as food
banks, health centers, job training programs and other such
efforts.
Reiterating the eligibility of all religious
groups for faith-based funding, President Bush said at the
meeting attended by Mr. Joshi, “When you hear me talk
about faith, I'm talking about all faiths, whether it be the
Jewish faith or the Christian faith or the Muslim faith or
the Hindu faith -- all faiths have got the power to transform
lives.”
Breakout sessions during the one-day conference
guided attendees through the Federal funding process, available
funding opportunities, the requirements that come with the
receipt of Federal funds and discussed the most innovative
projects currently funded by the FBCI.
“Hindu organizations already maintain
health care, domestic abuse and prisoner rehabilitation service
projects and may wish to consider support from the FBCI,”
said Mr. Joshi, “As a representative of Hindu Americans,
the Hindu American Foundation’s concern is to compile
information about the initiative directly from its source
and make it available to interested parties in the Hindu community.”
Alka Patel, M.D., Member of the HAF Executive
Council and coordinator of FBCI for HAF, added that after
hosting a Capitol Hill reception to launch HAF on May 5, 2004,
and having met with Mr. Caprara at the White House Offices
of FBCI, HAF is continuing in its mission to establish an
effective and credible voice for Hindu Americans.
The recently formed Hindu American Foundation
(HAF) is a human rights group whose purpose is to provide
a voice for the 2 million strong Hindu American community.
HAF interacts with and educates government, media, think tanks,
academia and public fora about Hinduism and issues of concern
to Hindus locally and globally to promote understanding, tolerance
and pluralism.
For further
information: Please contact
HAF.
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