Vishwa Adhyayan Kendra (VAK), Mumbai was established in 1997 as a registered, non-profit, non-political and non-governmental voluntary organization with the following objectives.
· To be a coordinating centre from Mumbai for HSS activities overseas.
· To establish contact with various Hindu organizations overseas and compile exhaustive information about their activities.
· To promote international understanding, cooperation and world peace by highlighting the time tested philosophy and teachings that originated since ancient times.
· To organize short duration seminar on Cultural Heritage of Bharat and also conduct Heritage Tours for foreign students and tourists.
. To publish books and research material about PIOs / NRIs overseas and ancient traditions influenced by Indian culture.
. To conduct samskar varga for children coming from overseas during vacations.
· To organise short duration sewa darshan programme for NRI / PIO students from various countries.
. To conduct cultural orientation programmes for NRI / PIO students studying in various Indian Universities.
. To coordinate in exchanges of visits by scholars, academicians, opinion-makers, artists & writers.
. To arrange and assist in organizing interviews with professionals and resource persons for overseas research students, institutions or film producers.
. To organise, assist and participate in seminars and symposia on leadership training, national development, international affairs, ancient cultures & traditions, people of Indian origin and such relevant issues.
. To prepare presentation of informatics, audio-visual material on Indian culture, people, tradition, history, philosophy, arts & sciences etc.
. To provide assistance for foreign students visiting and / or studying in India
. To conduct various competitions for students of schools and colleges.
. To establish good relations with embassies and consulates.
. To promote the common cultural heritage and legacy of global P I Os and N R Is.
Countries in touch with: Australia, Canada, Fiji, Germany, Gulf countries, Guyana, Hong Kong, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Thailand, Trinidad, UK & USA.
Sewa activities: Coordination with several organizations from India and abroad for sewa activities. Organising visits to various service projects in and around Maharashtra.
Athiti devo bhava: Facilitating stay, travel and tours of visitors coming from overseas for camps / seminars.
Regular informal activities :
1. Family gatherings during visit of delegates from overseas.
2. Lectures during visit of HSS workers and overseas scholars.
3. Family trips to service projects.
4. Gatherings during festivals.
Universal Brotherhood Day :
This program is held around Rakshabandhan. The event is targeted at select elite audience comprising of –
* Consulates of all countries with offices in Mumbai
* Office bearers of international organizations working from Mumbai
* Academicians and intellectuals
* CEOs of select corporate organizations
* Members of select NGOs and representatives from different cultures.
* Foreign nationals residing, studying or working in Mumbai
‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ meaning ‘The whole world is one family’ & ‘krunvanto vishwamaryam’ meaning ‘Let us ennoble the world’ are two shining gems from the immensely rich Vedanta that have extreme relevance today. U. B. Day is an occasion to reaffirm our commitment and faith in the time-tested Indian philosophy that has given the world the priceless message of unity in diversity.
Dignitaries like Hon. Daniel Zohar Zonshine, Consul General of Israel in Mumbai; Prof. Bal Apte, M.P. - Rajya Sabha; Shri Yashwant Sinha, M.P. & former Finance and Foreign Minister and Shri S. Balakrishnan, Political editor TOI, Mumbai and Dr. Subramaniam Swamy have attended the U. B. Day programmes.
Lakshmanrao Bhide Memorial Lecture :
VAK holds an annual lecture series in memory of late Lakshmanrao Bhide who traveled all over the world relentlessly for five decades to organize People of Indian Origin in different countries of the world. He guided many international Hindu conferences during these years, including the unprecedented Hindu Rally at Milton Keynes in 1989 attended by over one lakh Hindus in UK. This lecture series celebrates the spirit of this great soul who worked selflessly for Indians globally till his last breath.
The First Laxmanrao Bhide Memorial Lecture (LBML) was delivered by Shri K. S. Sudarshan ji, Sarsanghchalak of RSS on the topic ‘Hindutva in global context’ on 11th January 2007. The Second Lecture was delivered by Swami Aksharananda of Guyana on 4th January 2008 on the topic ‘Challenges before the Global PIO Community’.
Milestones in the history of VAK:
1. Organised a grand week-long gathering of 568 Hindu delegates from 38 countries in year 2000 at Keshav Srushti, Mumbai called Vishwa Sangh Shivir – VSS 2000.
2. Organised First International Conference of World Elders in February 2002 at Mumbai. VAK was co-host along with International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS) of USA and Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, Mumbai. The conference was attended by over 200 delegates from 45 countries representing 75 different ancient traditions of the world. It was a path breaking initiative which will have has long term historic ramifications in international co-operation in the field of revival and regeneration of old cultures and traditions.
Membership profile: Professionals, intellectuals, businessmen / women with interest in study of international affairs.
Membership: VAK invites applications from individuals and institutions desirous of becoming members. Application form can be downloaded from our website. Membership is subject to approval by the managing committee.
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