Prepare

How to Prepare

Pilgrims of Peace

Many Paths, One Purpose

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE ▪ GLOBAL ASSEMBLY 2008

Mayapur, West Bengal, India ▪ November 30 - December 5, 2008

About the Assembly ▪ How to Register ▪ How to Prepare ▪ Young Leaders Program

Apply for a Scholarship ▪ Apply for the Bowes Award ▪ Make a Donation

Throughout the year we will post on this site as much as we can to help you prepare for the Global Assembly in 2008. Major updates will be announced to the uri-contacts list and to the list of participants as it grows.

We will add to this page frequently asked questions and answers, and we will encourage discussion on the e-mail lists.

Please send your questions to Mark Mancao at the URI global office at mmancao@uri.org, Skype name: markmancao-uri, phone +1 415 561 2300 x20 or by fax +1 415 561 2313.

BEING A PILGRIM

What does being a pilgrim mean to you? Please send your thoughts to mmancao@uri.org, and we will collect and post the ideas on the site.

PROGRAM SUGGESTIONS

If we decide to have a common focus to a series of sessions for the whole group (plenary sessions), what do you think that program focus could be?

What other suggestions do you have for tracks or workshop sessions on different topics?

What kinds of opportunities do you hope participants will have at the assembly? What do you hope participants will be able to offer and receive?

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

Planning Your Travel:

We recommend that you make your flight arrangements before May 26, 2008. Travel scholarship recipients must do so in order for their airfare to be reimbursed. At the same time, you may want to wait a month or so as we try to find recommendations for extending your pilgrimage before or after the assembly. The ISKCON Mayapur website provides some suggestions (www.mayapur.com) to get you started.

Most people will travel by plane to Kolkata (CCU). Mayapur is a 3-hour journey from there.

If you are are attending the Global Assembly only, we suggest that you plan to arrive in Kolkata sometime before 4:00 PM on November 29 (Saturday) so that you can make use of the ground transportation that we will arrange around common arrival times. Plan your departure from Kolkata for sometime after 9:00 AM on December 6 (Saturday).

If you are participating in the Young Leaders Program, the planning team is making arrangements for a pre-assembly experience (3 days of meeting and 2 days for optional local experiences. Plan to arrive in Kolkata sometime before 4:00 PM on November 24 (Monday) so that you can make use of the ground transportation that we will arrange around common arrival times. Plan your departure from Kolkata for sometime after 9:00 AM on December 6 (Saturday). Please wait to book your flights until you receive official word from the planning team about the start date of the Young Leaders Program.

If you are a current or incoming trustee or member of the global staff participating in the Global Council Transition meetings and staff training, plan to arrive in Kolkata sometime before 4:00 PM on November 27 (Thursday) so that you can make use of the ground transportation that we will arrange around common arrival times. Current trustees (2005-2008) may plan their departure from Kolkata for sometime after 9:00 AM on December 6 (Saturday). New trustees (2008-2011) and global staff may plan their departure from Kolkata sometime after 9:00 AM on December 7 (Sunday).

We will be making the arrangements for shuttles between Kolkata and Mayapur for an additional fee of $20 round-trip. We are planning for a kiosk at the airport to assist people when they arrive, direct them to the shuttle or hospitality area. The shuttles will be arranged in conjunction with the flight arrivals. For those arriving in the late afternoon, we will assist with hotel arrangements as needed. If you would like to make your own ground transportation arrangements, visit the ISKCON Mayapur website (www.mayapur.com) for a detailed list of the other options and prices.

Staying in Mayapur:

As pilgrims, participants of the Global Assembly will honor the norms of our host community at ISKCON while creating a distinctly URI experience within that context, including eating a variety of delicious vegetarian food and abstaining from intoxicants, like alcohol, nicotine and caffeinated beverages - although coffee and tea will be made available especially for our group, but to a limited extent, like during breakfast and in special areas.

The ISKCON Mayapur website offers some guidelines for pilgrims visiting the holy site. Some key suggestions for the URI participants include:

•Behave with the deep respect of a pilgrim
•Respect the other pilgrims and disciples, greet devotees of the temple saying, “Hare Krishna”
•Respect the whole campus as holy ground, including removing shoes in temple areas
•Eat only vegetarian food (no onions, no garlic; milk products are allowed)
•Ask for permission before taking photos or recording video in temple areas

The ISKCON community prohibits the following activities: smoking, drinking, using other intoxicants, gambling, eating non-vegetarian food, sexual activity, playing modern music and radio, shouting, and playing in the main park area.

Others who have visited Mayapur and have further practical suggestions for pilgrims visiting the ISKCON campus, please send your suggestions to mmancao@uri.org.

Helpful Links:

About getting a Visa:

http://www.divinerevelation.org/IndiaVisa.html

About getting shots:

http://www.indiamike.com/india/health-and-well-being-in-india-f2/do-i-need-shots-t3593/

About traveling with a laptop:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Should-I-Take-a-Laptop-Backpacking

About the Hare Krishna tradition:

http://www.harekrishna.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare_Krishna

About ISKCON:

http://www.iskcon.com/