Articles tagged as Europe

MEPs slam Brussels over ‘beefatarian’ campaign to promote meat
Lawmakers say the EU-funded initiative to promote meat-eating undermines Green Deal goals to cut emissions.
European Yatras Organize 'Spirit of Ratha Yatra' Virtual Festival on July 18th
ISKCON Berlin, London, Radhadesh and Zurich are organizing the Spirit of Ratha Yatra, a unique first-time European virtual collaboration festival jointly hosted on Saturday 18th July, 11:00 - 17:00 CEST / 10:00 - 16:00 BST.
European Religious Leaders Hold Annual Conference and Visit Krishna Temple in Budapest, Hungary
The main topic and the title of the conference was “The Role of Multi-religious Cooperation in Social Cohesion and Human Security.” As part of the program, on May 7th the European religous leaders visited the Hare Krishna Temple in Budapest.
Diplomats and Academics Show Support for ISKCON at European 50th Anniversary Event
Around 200 people attended the European event at the prestigious Bozar Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels on September 27^th. The evening was entitled “Fostering Peace and Cultural Diversity in Europe through Service, Community and Spiritual Knowledge: The Hare Krishna Movement Turns 50!” Attendees included the Indian Ambassador to Belgium and the EU, Manjeev Singh Puri; Mauritian Ambassador Mr H. Dillum; Fijian Ambassador Mr Deo Saran; and Ugo Papi, the Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Italy.
A European Hindu Leader on Refugees and Being a European

Sivarama Swami talks about his personal experience as a refugee fleeing Hungary in 1956, about his recent encounters with Syrian refugees in Budapest, and about the ancient Indian scriptures' teachings of how to treat people who are "different" from us. The video's timeliness is reinforced again by the increasing xenophobia in the wake of Brexit, Britan's leaving the European Union. A video by Karuna Productions.
European Religious Leaders: Mass migration: A European Challenge
Europe is currently facing the type and breadth of challenges that have not been seen for a generation: mass migration, the threat of terrorism, and political and economic problems in many countries.
Sivarama Swami on the European Migrant Crisis
With the European public completely divided over how to treat refugees poring in from war-torn countries, whether Europeans should welcome them or be afraid of them, likewise, being at the epicenter of the crisis, Hungarian devotees have also expressed their concerns about the issue. Sivarama Swami addresses some of these concerns.
The Best Zingers in Pope Francis’s Takedown of Europe
On Tuesday, Pope Francis addressed the European parliament. It was a historic event, 26 years after John Paul II spoke there before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Building Hindu Relationships in Europe
Between March 27th – 28th, 2012 the Hindu Forum of Europe held its Hindu Leaders Meeting in Radhadesh followed by a Networking Luncheon and a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Hindu Leaders Will Meet at European Parliament in Brussels
Hindu leaders and ISKCON devotees from all over Europe will meet on March 27th and 28th in Belgium for The European Hindu Leaders Meeting organized by the Hindu Forum of Europe (HFE). Venues include ISKCON’s Belgian headquarters Radhadesh, and the European Parliament in Brussels.
The American-Western European Values Gap
How do Americans differ from Europeans in their views on religion? A new survey report by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project compares American attitudes on religion with those of residents in Britain, Spain, France and Germany.
Serbian Krishna Devotee Wins In The European Court of Human Rights
On December 14th the European Court of Human Rights ruled against the Republic of Serbia and in favor of Zivota Milanovic, a Krishna devotee, who was attacked five times between 2001 and 2007 because of his religion. The assailants beat him with baseball bats, stabbed him, cut his sikha off and engraved a cross onto his head with a knife.
European Commission And Religions: Fighting Poverty Together
In the European Year against poverty and social exclusion 2010 the European institutions engage in a dialogue with religious leaders, including Sivarama Swami ISKCON representative.
Hindus Laud French Actress Fanny Ardant For Defending Roma Rights
Hindus have applauded French actress Fanny Ardant (Ridicule) for defending Roma rights. Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe in Strasbourg (France) on June 22, Lumiere Award winner Ardant, 61, declared: "We say Dosta! (which means enough) To injustice, humiliation, ignorance and violation of human rights.” She further said that society had proved to be barbarian to Roma people.
Law Professors Urge European Court to Allow Crosses
Thirty-seven law professors hailing from 11 countries have submitted written comments asking the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights to overturn a seven-judge panel’s ruling that crucifixes may not be displayed in Italian classrooms.
8th European Leaders Meetings Held at Villa Vrindavana
ISKCON’s 8th ELM (European Leaders Meetings), held from October 2 – 3 in Villa Vrindavana, Italy this year, yielded inspiring news on the year's accomplishments, as well as some exciting new plans.
Celibate Pride at Europe’s First Brahmachari Conference
It’s summer time in England, 4.30am, and the orange rays of early morning sunshine flood through the old windows of Bhaktivedanta Manor. It’s mid-week but the temple room is packed with saffron clad celibate monks—commonly known as brahmacharis. Enthusiastic, bright-faced, young, old, and somewhere in between, dancing and swaying before the deities.
Blow to Sikhs: European Court Upholds French Turban Ban
JALANDHAR: In a major blow to Sikhs in Europe, the European Court of Human Rights has upheld a French ban on turbans by dismissing the first petition filed against it. France had passed a law in 2004, prohibiting religious symbols in schools.
ISKCON Devotees Embark on Adriatic Coast Chanting Tour
Twenty ISKCON devotees from Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and the USA have set out from the Croatian city of Karlovac on their sixth annual tour of Harinams, or public chanting shows. Their mission: to hold ninety-five Harinams in sixty-five cities along the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Interview: Gaura-Sakti Dasa of Hungary's Krishna Valley Project
ISKCON's Krishna Valley self-sufficient rural project in Hungary now attracts 30,000 tourists per year. Why did these young people turn to a natural and simple life? What is the mission of their community? Gaura-Sakti Dasa, the president of Krishna Valley ISKCON community, answers these questions for Krishna Valley Magazine (published by Manorama Dasa, Hungarian Society for Krishna Consciousness).
Hare Krishnas A Hit at Czech Woodstock
Hare Krishna devotees performed at the 21st annual Woodstock music festival in Trutnov, Czech Republic, this August. Organizer Martin Věcheta first invited devotees to the event – which draws 20,000 people – in 1999. Since then, ISKCON has had its own stage at the festival site, and Lord Jagannatha’s smiling face even features on official promotional material for the event.
European Farm Conference Inspires Hope for Sustainable Future
The New Vraja Dhama Farm Community in Hungary hosted the first ever annual ISKCON Farm Conference this May. Devotees from America, England, Belgium, Germany, Czech, Slovakia, Poland, Sweden, and Hungary attended, many of them cowherds and farmers. European CPA (Cow Protection and Agriculture) Minister Syamasundara Dasa organized the event, aiming to reverse the decline in ISKCON Farm development within the last ten years.
European Communications Conference Looks at the Positive
The European division of ISKCON Communications met this April at ISKCON’s picturesque chateau in Radhadesh, Belgium, with over thirty attendees from countries as diverse as Ireland, Latvia, Sweden and Italy. As outlined by Shaunaka Rishi Dasa at the meeting’s outset, much of the Communications team’s work since 1982 has been focused on dealing with challenges to ISKCON's authenticity – and sometimes even its right to exist.