The ISKCON Communications Europe Leadership Team (ICELT), headed by Saunaka Rsi Dasa, held its annual meeting in the scenic surroundings of Hill End Residential & Field Study Centre, near Oxford, from 19-23 April. Attending were devotees from several European countries; Ravindra Svarupa Dasa, the present Chairman of the GBC; and Anuttama Dasa, the GBC for Communications.

The meeting began with reports on the activities undertaken by ISKCON Communications (IC) in Europe and what are seen as the main challenges. In most countries, these difficulties do not come from outside ISKCON - where important and valuable interfaith and academic relationships have been forged - but from within the Society itself. Several reports emphasised a lack of trust, vision and unity amongst devotees, with concern and disappointment being voiced about ISKCON's leadership and organisation, all of which could be contributing factors to devotees' present lack of commitment to the movement and its principles. The presence of this year's GBC Chairman, Ravindra Svarupa Dasa, at the meetings was therefore seen as very important.

Lyall Ward described his work on the production of the ISKCON Communications Journal (ICJ) as well as his extensive work setting up ISKCON's official website (to be found at www.iskcon.com), an excellent resource for devotees, academics, governments, students, etc.

Anuttama Dasa related the positive interreligious and academic relationships developing in the USA, and also gave his analysis of what he sees as ISKCON's present challenges, reiterating the seeming lack of vision and identity. In his eyes the Society appears to be stuck in the old paradigms of the 1960s and 1970s, not realising that the world has changed, and therefore has difficulty in being relevant in people's lives. It doesn't value the grhastha-asrama and still bases its economy on one-time contacts rather than creating a climate where committed, cared-for members support the movement.

Ravindra Svarupa Dasa talked about his vision for the GBC and what he would try to do this year to foster a positive change. He was inspired by the idea of creating an environment where GBC members would get spiritual inspiration in their work. One suggestion he made was the introduction of retreat days between the GBC meetings, allowing reflection on deeper issues. He believed a climate of Pentecostal revelation was needed as well as strengthening the parliamentary procedure favoured by Srila Prabhupada. He also thought that education and regular retreats for ISKCON gurus would be helpful. His talk provoked a long and stimulating question and answer session, many of the questions revolving around the GBC's failure to listen to their constituents.

On the second day, Saunaka Rsi Dasa described the development and future vision of the Oxford Centre for Vaisnava and Hindu Studies (OCVHS), an independent academic institution focusing on the study of Hindu and Vaisnava culture. Of the four students presently studying at the Centre, three are working towards a Ph.D., and all are full members of Oxford University. Prof. Joseph O'Connell, from the University of Toronto, is the Centre's acting Dean of Studies for the present term.

After a brief tour of Oxford, we visited the New Bodleian Library, where Dr Gillian Evison, Head of the Indian Institute Library, kindly gave a tour of its vast wealth of Indian literature. The library has the largest Sanskrit collection outside of India, and it is planned that in the future the OCVHS library will be affiliated with it.

In the afternoon Richard Gombrich, Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University, delivered a speech on the importance and challenges of Sanskrit studies. He expressed concern at present developments, where the government is interested in funding more profitable skills such as computer engineering, leaving those engaged in purely academic studies having to spend a considerable amount of time in raising funds from the private sector.

Days three and four were facilitated by Anuradha Dasi, who assisted in the in-depth exploration of some important subject matters. Day three - entitled 'ISKCON: I Love You, I Hate You' - looked at the IC members' own relationship with ISKCON and how the Society embodies its seven purposes. The session began with a quote from Carlo Carretto, rewritten for ISKCON:

How much I must criticise you, my ISKCON, and yet how much I love you!
You have made me suffer more than anyone and yet I owe more to you than to anyone.
I should like to see you destroyed and yet I need your presence.
You have given me much scandal and yet you alone have made me understand holiness.
Never in this world have I seen anything more compromised, more false,
yet never have I touched anything more pure, more generous, or more beautiful.
Countless times I have felt like slamming the door of my soul in your face,
and yet, every night I have prayed that I might die in your sure arms!
No, I cannot be free of you, for I am one with you, even if not completely you.
Then to where would I go? To build another ISKCON?
But I could not build one without the same defects, for they are my defects.
And again, if I were to build another ISKCON, it would be my ISKCON,
not Prabhupada's ISKCON. No, I am old enough. I know better.

After exploring the topic, each person gave their personal definition of how they saw today's ISKCON. Responses such as: 'I have no idea of what ISKCON is'; 'one society within the Hare Krsna movement'; 'a blobby, invertebrate creature looking for a skeleton'; 'a mess, a miracle, a miraculous mess', raised the thought that this may indicate an identity crisis within the movement. The question was also asked as to whether ISKCON is just an organisation of which those present are members or is it purely a product of its membership? Should the organisation be held responsible for an individual's mistake, or should the individual alone be held culpable? Although the individual must take responsibility for his/her actions, we can see from the history of ISKCON that the same mistakes have been made, repeatedly, by the organisation itself. It was therefore felt that there exists a specific culture spread throughout the organisation, perhaps by its leaders, that facilitates the recurrence of the same mistakes. This could indicate that, to a certain extent, an organisation must accept responsibility for failure to properly educate members.

It was also agreed that ISKCON had changed since Srila Prabhupada's departure, both in positive and negative ways. The question arose whether the organisation itself was leading that change or had it merely been influenced by the passage of time. If the Society was not at the forefront of proactive change, then why not? This was perhaps the most controversial, yet stimulating, part of the discussion. In trying to preserve Srila Prabhupada's legacy, while at the same time expanding his movement, ISKCON appears to be stuck in certain patterns that don't foster creativity. One could say, therefore, that while there is a drive for change, there is also a leaning towards preservation. Although there is no need for these two forces to conflict, they sometimes do when there is a lack of clarity, and the organisation is left paralysed.

The discussion then moved on to whether it was right to change things originally set up by Srila Prabhupada. It was agreed that there were several things that could (or even should) change. Most of them had to do with organisational matters concerned with the Society's need to readjust to reflect the changes in today's world. However, there were other things that couldn't be changed, such as the basic principles upholding ISKCON's tradition, keeping it in line with its original seven purposes. Although no consensus was reached on this matter, since the vast and difficult subject matter obviously needs further exploration, valuable contributions were received from Tamala Krsna Goswami, Krsna Ksetra Dasa and Krpamaya Dasa, all of whom joined the group for this one day.

Ravindra Svarupa Dasa started the sessions on day four with a talk on his experiences of academic study, and the challenges that faced devotees who were pursuing this path. He commented that, at a certain point, there arose a need to confront one's beliefs with the 'scientific' Western empirical worldview, but said devotees should understand that faith in authority is also an intrinsic part of academia. Therefore, any worldview accepted is based upon faith; an opinion reflected by Anselm, a follower of St Augustin, who stated that all forms of knowledge begin with an act of faith. Ravindra Svarupa also felt that ISKCON could learn some useful skills from academia such as critical self-awareness and thoroughness in pursuing arguments.

After discussing the problems with ISKCON and what we might like to change in the organisation, the attendees then looked inside their own hearts. It was understood that any external reform has to start from within the individual. Inspiration was found in a poem by T. S. Eliot:

They constantly try to escape
from the darkness within and without
By dreaming of systems so perfect
that no one will need to be good
But the man that is will shadow
the man that pretends to be

Each of those present envisioned how they would like to be seen by themselves and others, considered the sometimes painful reality and the challenges to be faced in achieving the desired goals. Each person wrote a letter to Krsna expressing their struggles and hopes, and also penned an answer from Krsna to themselves. It was a very interesting and touching experience, especially when the letters were shared within the group. We were looking at what could be done to bring about a positive change in our lives so that we can move forward.

During the last part of day four, the group perceived a need to make a thorough analysis and evaluation of the Society, especially the performance of the GBC. It was felt that without such analysis it would be very difficult to plan a strategy. On this point, some members of the group expressed surprise that a previous and thorough attempt at analysing and evaluating ISKCON, Burke Rochford's 'Prabhupada Centennial Survey', hadn't been taken very seriously by ISKCON's leadership. It was hoped that they would take a closer look.

On the final day Saunaka Rsi Dasa summarised the discussions that had taken place and emphasised the importance of these meetings, saying that this year's had been particularly special since it was the first time that a GBC chairman had so openly and frankly discussed the problems of ISKCON to its ordinary members. Indeed, all those present had expressed pleasure at Ravindra Svarupa's openness and receptiveness to their feedback.

Saunaka Rsi also highlighted that the ICELT team was responsible for initiating many valuable projects such as the Radhadesh seminars, Vaisnava Training and Education (VTE), the Oxford Centre for Vaishnava and Hindu Studies, the Child Protection Team and the ISKCON Communications Journal. The ICELT also introduced the philosophy and culture of education in ISKCON in Europe; initiated a frank, yet conservative, process of analysis of ISKCON and its problems; developed an international strategy for interfaith dialogue and dialogue with anti-cult organisations; and directed various national missionary campaigns in Europe.

The focus for the next year is to consolidate and strengthen these areas. Nevertheless, one particular area to concentrate on will be to formulate a statement of identity for ISKCON (what it is, what it does, where it is going and its membership criteria), put together a moral code for the Society and produce pamphlets on different issues for internal and external communications.

In conclusion, it was felt that as long as there was a forum for such open and sincere discussion, there is a hope for ISKCON. Such discussions can eventually lead to a positive and visible change within the Society.