Hindu Community Institute and Kutumba
Hindu Community Institute (HCI) was founded in 2018 to provide foundational training for community volunteers and spiritual care providers, such as Spiritual Directors and Chaplains. On our 4th anniversary, we are proud to introduce the semi-annual newsletter, "Kutumba". The name Kutumba represents the Hindu tradition of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, translated as "universe is a family".
Kutumba also sums up the workings of HCI as a "by the community, for the community" institution.
On behalf of our network of over 300 volunteers (board, management, faculty, instructors, and trained CHTs), we would like to share the following highlight of HCI's accomplishments of the last 4 years:
1. The first of its kind "Counselor of Hindu Tradition" (CHT) course - this global graduate certificate course will graduate its 4th cohort in August, 2022, with scholars from the US, Canada, Australia, India, and South Africa.
2. The HCI-GTU new pathway to Hindu chaplaincy - CHT's with advanced degrees can enter GTU (www.gtu.edu) for the Interreligious Chaplaincy Program (ICP). The first three CHTs are currently on their way to becoming Hindu Chaplains through this prestigious pathway.
3. The new Fellowship fund, in collaboration with the Motwani Jadeja Foundation (mjf.world), to support the training of Hindu Chaplains for universities.
4. Start of a dial-in guidance services on Hindu tradition and quality of life - On the HCI website www.hinduci.org, one can request guidance services from HCI volunteers.
Our daily free yoga classes started as pandemic relief. To date HCI has conducted over 3,000 classes with over 40,000 attendees.
Kailash Joshi, Ph.D.5. Our daily free yoga classes started as pandemic relief. To date HCI has conducted over 3,000 classes with over 40,000 attendees.
Our plans are to continue on a growth path and help connect the Hindu Diaspora through HCI's training and service programs. We are also building strong bridges with interfaith institutions and have begun the accreditation process for HCI as a global online training institution.
We welcome you to connect with us in your area of interest.
Kailash Joshi, Ph.D.
Kailash Joshi, PhD, is President of Hindu Community Institute. He is a retired IBM division GM and has been engaged in managing positions and mentoring of entrepreneurs and startups in Silicon Valley. He is a co-founder of TiE (www.TiE.org) and AIF (www.aifoundation.org).