Date: To be announced
Time: To be announced
Venue: To be announced
Service charges: Rs. 1900 This course offered an essential introduction to the many preaching fields in ISKCON. Students could identify ISKCON Communication's main target audiences, including the media, academia, interfaith, and government, and learn the different approaches to each. One had the opportunities to hear about case studies of ISKCON's successes and failures in communications preaching and learn applications in one's own' desa, kala, patra' Topics included an introduction to public speaking and planning and preparing presentations to specific audiences. Participants have gained experience in TV presentations with a video workshop that clarifies what to do and what not to do. This course was comprised of a series of hands-on interactive workshops that has equipped participants with the knowledge, skills and values of communications preaching to apply in relevant and practical ways within ISKCON. --- [node:110 body] --- ### Testimonials **Guna Grahi Swami (Argentina, SW USA)**: "Although I was not able to fully attend Anuttama Prabhu's Communications course, what I was able to participate in has left a lasting impression on me. I have felt a new found sensitivity in my dealings with the devotees and a greater eagerness to appreciate their service and association. I have seen this as well in all of the 45 Vaishnavas who took the course here in Buenos Aries, Argentina. I am sure that if we continue to apply the principles that we have learned, the 'heart' of our community here in Argentina will become as soft as a rose and irresistably attractive. I highly recommend that every devotee community that we have participate in Anuttama Prabhu's course. He has done a remarkable job." **Kripamoya das (Bhaktivedanta Manor-Congregational Director)**: "I thought the communications Seminar was very well structured and comprehensive. It gave me the tools I needed to approach any preaching situation, including presentations to media, with greater confidence. I feel it is a course, which cannot help but be of use to all preachers, whatever their particular discipline may be." **Dhirasanta das (UK)**: "Without oversimplification, the communications Training Course was informative, engaging and vibrant. The training should be seen as a crucial aspect for any devotee who wishes to understand communication, both from a broad perspective and from within the society of devotees. As a person Anuttama Das is warm and genuine. As a speaker he is skilful, honest and challenging." **Sankirtan das (TP Taipei, Taiwan)**: "The course is a great asset for every devotee, because one learns how to build and sustain auspicious relationships with all kinds of people in this world. Thanks to Anuttama Prabhu's systematic teaching I'm now much better prepared and focused in our efforts of creating a favorable environment for advancing the goals of the Krishna Conscious Movement." **Shyamananda das (TP Choupatti, Bombay)**: "The communications course developed by IC for ISKCON preachers is a very important preaching tool and should be extensively used by all managers. Many things taught in the course may be known to some extent by all managers, but for me attending the course made all the difference in knowing these techniques and actually putting them into practice." **Revati Raman das (TP Tirupati, India)**: "I recommend this course to all the devotees interested in Improving their quality of life by communicating properly, especially how to deal with devotees, general public, media persons and others. In fact I never knew that communication plays such an important role in one's life till I attended this seminar. As a Temple President I found the course drastically helped me to better my day-to-day practical devotional services, mainly how to relate with people, media persons, how to present myself with VIP members, improving the quality of bhagavat pravachan. This seminar has improved my communication skills to such an extent, that I could better my relationship with my family people. So I strongly feel it helps all ISKCON devotees if they participate in this seminar seriously. The beauty of this seminar is HG Anuttama prabhu's honest urge to impart his knowledge to participating devotees and sincerely trying to help them to improve his or hers communication skills. One more specialty with this seminar is a devotee who is training us not just a professional." **Divyambara dasi (GBC Office, Mayapur)**: "The communications course is an excellent training for everyone who wants to become a better servant in spreading Krsna consciousness. Now I experience that communication, when done with the right attitude and behavior, becomes a dynamic process of mutual trust, respect and acceptance that brings about better understanding and appreciation of Krsna consciousness. Lots of fun and a powerful conclusion that's hard to forget. Many thanks to Anuttama Prabhu for his expert facilitation." **Giridhari Das (GBC Deputy, Brazil)**: "I expected the Communications Course to be very professional and useful, given the importance of this field in our work and the excellent reviews it had gotten in other countries. What I couldn't imagine, however, is how FUNDAMENTALLY crucial it turned out to be. I foolishly thought that communications referred to only one aspect of our work and thus did not realize that I need it in just about everything I do. I learned techniques which will be of great use in my every dealing, be it preaching, be it building a temple, or just nurturing healthy relationships with others, devotees and non-devotees alike. No one should miss this course. Do not think, like I did, that only those involved with the top echelons of administration can benefit from it. This is a course every serious devotee should take. Everyone just loved the course, from beginning to end. Anuttama Prabhu has developed mastery in teaching, using humor and his keen intellect to keep everyone greatly involved. This is a real must!" **Satvata das (Curitiba Mandir - Brazil)**: "Sometimes we believe that we know how to communicate but actually we often forget about small details that make a lot of difference. This is what really builds a successful communication. As a sankirtan devotee I really appreciated this course and I think that all sankirtan men and women would enjoy this opportunity as well. It is essential for us to know how to communicate so we can obtain success in our preaching efforts. As far as I could see Anuttama Prabhu is very qualified to teach us the art of communication. Sankirtana yajna ki jaya!!" *(Satvata prabhu is a leading sankirtana book distributor in Brazil.)* **Vidura Das (Vice-President - ISKCON Coventry, U.K.)**: "Being a grihastra devotee with a daytime occupation as a senior software engineer in a highly technical company, I've had the privilege of attending (courtesy of the companies I worked for) many courses throughout my 20 years of working. Over that time I developed a lot of cynicism for courses generally, feeling that a lot of money was wasted by companies sending people to expensive courses where little of value was learnt. On the whole the courses were given by self-appointed "experts" who didn't have an in-depth grasp of their subject and who proceeded to deliver the course contents to you in a very mechanical way to a set formula, whether it works or not. With this background, I went to the ISKCON Communications Course (given by HG Anuttama Das from the Ministry of Communications) full of cynicism and apprehension, ready to leave if I felt I wasn't getting anything out of it. To my complete surprise I thoroughly enjoyed it (as did the rest of the 26 devotees who took part) and came away feeling I had learnt some very valuable lessons which I can apply as a devotee in my dealings with other people, whether to individuals, to a group, or to the media, and irrespective of whether they are devotees or not. The strength of this course is that it is completely based on the fact that we are all devotees of ISKCON and followers of Srila Prabhupada i.e. it is specifically tailored for devotees by devotees. Therefore there was an instant connection between the course material, the course tutor and the other attendees. The course was that much more enjoyable because of Anuttama Prabhu's knowledge and skills and importantly, his humor. Humor is a very effective tool to impart knowledge and Anuttama had an abundant supply of it. Another huge plus for this course was its cost (£35 per person). Courses of this duration aren't cheap in the business world - another zero can easily be added to the cost per person, so it's a very affordable course for the devotees. I feel every devotee, irrespective of his position or duty, can benefit immensely from this course, and I will certainly be pushing for all the devotees of my temple to attend this course at their earliest convenience."