Young people in Britain today are facing unprecedented challenges, with youth unemployment at its highest level since records began. For young British Asians, the challenges are even greater. According to a report published by Race for Opportunity, ethnic minorities are less likely to find employment after graduation. The report cites that “only 56.3% of BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) graduates found full-time or part-time employment within a year of graduating compared with two thirds of white students (66%)”[1].

YASE is a unique social enterprise scheme that will the youth to improve their employability prospects. The scheme is based on a national competition, whereby participants use their entrepreneurial skills to organise projects and activities to raise funds. Participants that show real entrepreneurial drive and raise the highest funds will be rewarded with a career development package, including a work placement at a leading firm, mentoring by industry professionals and bespoke coaching on application forms and interviews.

The funds raised through YASE will go directly towards social projects that empower underprivileged children in India. The Akshaya Patra foundation is one of the social projects that has been selected by YASE. This foundation runs a school meal programme, feeding over 1.3 million underprivileged children daily in more than 8,260 schools in 18 locations, across 8 states in India.

The first phase of the scheme is being launched at the Asian Voice Youth Conference, taking place on Saturday 3rd March at SOAS University (in collaboration with the Asian Voice newspaper and the City Hindus Network).  The YASE team will provide details on how you can participate in this scheme at this conference. In addition, leading professionals from various industries including: media, finance, politics, medicine, accounting, law and others will be providing practical tips on how you can achieve your career ambitions.

For further information on YASE, visit www.yase-uk.com or email infoyase-ukcom  (infoyase-ukcom)  .
Details of the Youth Conference are on the CHN website here; the event poster is here. To register for the Conference, email Rupanjana at rupanjanaduttaabplgroupcom  (rupanjanaduttaabplgroupcom)  .

For the first time, the CHN is hosting, in conjunction with the CMS Cameron McKenna Hindu Network, a debate on the importance of vegetarianism for Hindus today, modeled on the British Parliamentary Debate style. This will be preceding by a short talk on Holi.

Hindus from many parts of India have practised vegetarianism for centuries. Many of the first generation immigrants in Britain were from strong vegetarianism backgrounds from West India or East Africa. But for many other Indians, fish and meat are a part of daily life because of historical cultural factors. Far fewer Hindus in Britain today are vegetarian, especially amongst second generation Indians, compared to the first large batch of immigrants in the 1970s.

Does this matter? Do today’s Hindus regard vegetarianism with as much importance as the previous generation several decades ago? Is vegetarianism is a fundamental part of the Hindu religion, or is it more related to incumbent cultural factors? Do today’s Hindus regard other facets of Hinduism as overriding concerns relative to vegetarianism, or is it just that the prevalence and availability of non-vegetarian food has eroded vegetarian considerations amongst Hindus forever?

[Full details, including speaker details, TBC]

We discuss these matters and more in a debate modelled on the British Parliamentary Style. You can read general guidelines here. A summary is as follows:

• The Motion for the debate is expressed as “This House believes…”, with two Proposers of the Motion and two Opposers.
• Proposer 1 speaks first for the Motion, followed by Opposer 1. Proposer 2 speaks next, often in response to the points raised by Opposer 1. Opposer 2 speaks last. Each speech is 10 minutes in length.
• The first and last minutes are protected time – no Points of Information (such as questions on the content of the speech) may be made during this time.
• The floor, or the opposing team, may raise Points of Information during the unprotected time. The speaker can decide to accept or dismiss them
• Speeches should have a clear Internal Structure. It is often best to begin by attacking the arguments of previous debaters from the other side and then to make you own points, and to separate arguments into three or four clearly defined areas such that it is easier for the floor and Moderator to follow.
• Debaters should ensure their arguments are consistent and complementary with their team members’.
• Points of Information should be offered during the 8 minutes of unprotected time when members of the other side are speaking.
• If a debater is not acting in the spirit of the debate, the opposing team or the floor may raise a Point of Order objection. It is in the Moderator’s discretion, whether to uphold the Point of Order.
• The Moderator follows strict procedures in chairing the debate. Each debater is given a 1-minute warning before their allocated time is complete. They may not speak further than their allocated time, and the decision of the Moderator is final.
• After this, there is a floor debate which may include Q&A to the teams, moderated by the Moderator.
• The proposing and opposing team, in that order, summarise their arguments following this floor interaction. Finally, the floor votes on the ‘winner’ of the debate.
• The teams are competing against each other for the floor votes and, as such, they must show the Chair and floor they can debate more persuasively than the other teams.

Details:

Date: Wednesday 7th March

Timings: 6:30-9pm

Location: CMS Cameron McKenna LLP, Mitre House, 160 Aldersgate Street, London, EC1A 4DD (closest tube station: Barbican; St Pauls)

Registration: Through Eventbrite only here

Chapter 2, verse 15 and 16:

Chapter 2, verse 17 to 19:

Chapter 2, verse 20:

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Introduction in English:

Chapter 2, verse 47:

Chapter 2, verse 48:

Chapter 2, verse 49:

Chapter 2, verse 50:

Chapter 2, verse 51:

Chapter 2, verse 52:

Please note that these recordings are external to the CHN. The CHN has not attempted the accuracy of any of these recordings.

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The youth is the future of a country and in order to have a secure and prosperous future, we must invest in our youth today. The global financial crisis has led to record youth unemployment in Britain, according to Government figures.

We at Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar believe that youth need to be empowered to bring about the right social and economic changes. We recognise that educational achievements alone are not sufficient to get ahead in the ever more competitive employment market, but that young people, now more than ever, need to stand out with their skills, experience and personal accomplishments.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar are organising a Youth Conference at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, University of London on Saturday 3rd March 2012 for 15-25 year olds. The conference will feature leading professionals from different walks of life (including finance, law, medicine, politics, media and the arts) who will share their personal experiences and offer practical advice on how young people can fulfill their aspirations and get ahead in the world of work. The conference will also include interactive sessions and mentoring opportunities.

Confirmed speakers include: Menhaj Huda (film director, producer and writer); Divya Talwar (BBC News Reporter); Misha Patel (Assistant General Counsel, KPMG); Councillor Krupa Sheth (the youngest Councillor in Brent, at the age of 20); Aekta Mahajan (Cabinet Office); Pratik Dattani (economist and Chair of the City Hindus Network); Amit Sodha (lifestyle coach & stand up comedian); and Dr Pranav Somaiya (vascular surgeon).

We will also be launching the pilot for the national enterprise scheme Young Asian Social Enterprise (YASE), launched in collaboration with the City Hindus Network. This innovative scheme is based on an annual national competition for students to fund raise for charities supporting free education for underprivileged children in India. In return, the participants will be invited to present their idea and fund raising results to a panel of esteemed judges at the end of the competition. Those that have shown a real entrepreneurial spirit and drive will be presented a YASE award, which will receive expert mentoring and bespoke coaching from some of the City’s top firms.

If you are interested to take part in this FREE conference, please email Rupanjana with your full contact details and age by Saturday 18th February 2011 at rupanjana  (rupanjanaduttaabplgroupcom)  duttaabplgroupcom  (rupanjanaduttaabplgroupcom)  . We have limited seats available and are filling up fast, so please register asap to avoid disappointment.

Date: Saturday 3 March 2012

Timings: 11:30am- 4:30pm.

Location: Brunei Gallery (SOAS, University of London), Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG (near tube stations: Russel Square, Euston)

Registration: Email Rupanjana with your full contact details and age by Saturday 18th February 2012 at rupanjana  (rupanjanaduttaabplgroupcom)  duttaabplgroupcom  (rupanjanaduttaabplgroupcom)  . Strictly limited capacity and pre-registration required.

Target age range: 15-25 year olds.

Other details: A vegetarian lunch will also be served. Click here for the event poster.

Please note: If you do not register beforehand, you may not be allowed to take part for security reasons.

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London, 24 December 2011: A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others – according to Wikipedia.  (Funnily enough that definition would probably put Wikipedia itself as a guru for many of us, but let’s leave that for another day.)  A shishya is simply a student, a devotee, a follower of the guru.

It is worth dwelling on the definition of the guru for just a minute.  Increasingly in the Indian sense, the word has become interchangeable with ‘teacher’, giving it an almost exclusively academic taste.  In the Western world, we are at the other extreme, where almost anyone with subject matter expertise becomes a ‘guru’, irrespective of his or her bhavna (loosely, ‘attitude’) to imparting the knowledge.  In the Vedic (or Wikipedia-ic) sense, both parts – the beholder of knowledge, wisdom and authority; and the selfless impartation to guide others – are equally important.

Now, the next frequently asked question – is each shishya (the young man or woman working his or her way through life) constrained to having just one guru?  The answer, in my mind, is a starch ‘no’.  Gurus, to me, come in two broad categories.  First there is the academic or technical guru – your teacher at school or university – the one who equipped you with your technical skills.  For the sake of this argument it doesn’t really matter whether the academic guru is singular or plural.  In today’s world having a singular guru from year one at kindergarten to the end of university education can broadly be ruled out.  At the spiritual level, the Advaita Vedantic will tell you that it doesn’t matter because it is the qualities and the essence of the guru that the shishya aspires to, not the individual person.  To that extent, both singular and plural are one and the same, so ‘sub-gurus’ are fine.

Too deep.  Let’s move on to the second type of guru – the trade or business guru.  No, not Lord Sugar or Peter Jones from Dragon’s Den.  The trade guru is more personal than that – a bit like the academic guru.  The overriding role is to impart softer skills, such as influencing and creating gravitas, and to provide guidance or work as a sounding board in times of difficulty.  Once again, it is the qualities of the guru that will attract the shishya – the aura, the character, the respect, the wisdom and the authority.  It is no coincidence that these qualities overlap with our earlier definition of the guru.  But just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, these qualities will reflect differently to different shishyas, and it is up to the shishya to find their own trade guru.  So maybe Lord Sugar does qualify as a trade guru to some of his apprentices.  But not necessarily to all.

Is the concept of having two different gurus for technical training and for learning the tricks of the trade, as it were, a new phenomenon in an increasingly complex world?  Not really.  I avoided it so far, but it is almost impossible to complete a guru-shishya debate without discussing Dronacharya and Arjuna – probably the most discussed guru-shishya pairing in Hinduism.  “Aha, so Arjuna just had one cradle-to-grave guru, right?”  Right?  Wrong.  He had at least one technical guru in Dronacharya, who was the school master, if you will, combined with a university professor.

However, Dronacharya only taught Arjuna the art of warfare and theoretical war strategies.  Chapter One of the Bhagavad Gita (verses 26 to 29) will tell you that Arjuna’s limbs still quivered at the onset of the great battle of the Kurukshetra, his body trembled, his bow was slipping and his skin was burning.  Later verses of the Mahabharata will tell you that time and again through Arjuna’s battle, he had decisions to make where he himself may have erred if it wasn’t for the timely guidance of Lord Krishna.  Lord Krishna, Arjuna’s trade guru.

Hence I decipher that Dronacharya and Krishna were both his gurus, and both in and of themselves, playing the roles they played, would have been inadequate for Arjuna’s (and therefore the Pandavas’) success in the Mahabharata.

The young man or woman entering the City today, or indeed one who has been in the City for a few years but is still seeking to become the “top dog”, is no different from Arjuna at inception, and/or part-way through the battle of Kurukshetra. Asian culture today places emphasis in making the most out of academic life, and learning as much from the technical guru’s knowledge as possible.  The emphasis seems to have diminished on the trade guru.  I would urge the ambitious young man or woman working, or about to start work, in the City, to remember to continually ask of themselves “Who is (are) my Krishna?”  Don’t let your ego, or the self-perception of weakness, get in your way. It may cost you your success in the City.

The City Hindus Network offers an informal mentorship program to amateur and mid-level professionals in the City.  It also offers numerous networking opportunities with other City professionals through regular networking and educational events.

Tarang Katira is the Community lead in the CHN. You can sign up to be a member or find out more about the CHN at www.cityhindusnetwork.org.uk.

ENDS

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Notes to the Editor:

The CITY HINDUS NETWORK (CHN) is a non-profit organisation with a membership of more than 1,000 professionals who mainly work in the financial services and related industries in the City of London and Canary Wharf. Its activities include organising major networking and education events each year, consultation with local and national governmental bodies and other non-governmental organisations, running a mentoring scheme for its members and promoting volunteering and charity work. It was founded by Dhruv Patel and is currently chaired by Pratik Dattani.

To highlight these issues, City Hindus Network (CHN) is hosting a Mental Health Awareness event titled “Mental health illness in the South Asian community” on Thursday 26 January at 6pm at the Metropolitan Police’s New Scotland Yard, Broadway, SW1H 0BG. The event will be hosted in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police Hindu Association (MPHA) and the Time to Change campaign.

The CHN seeks to address these stigmas by supporting the anti stigma Time to Change campaign run by the leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink. This is the biggest attempt yet in England to end the discrimination that surrounds mental health. More details of the campaign can be found at: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/about.

The evening will consist of speakers giving first-hand accounts of their personal experiences of mental health and the stigma, shame and secrecy attached. This will be followed by 17-minute award winning short film ‘Open Secrets‘ about mental health in a South Asian family,  and Q&A panel session with the speakers and other mental health experts.

Contact Information: City Hindus Network at infoCityhindusnetworkorguk  (InfoCityHinduNetworkorguk)  .

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

The CITY HINDUS NETWORK (CHN) is a non-profit organisation with a membership of more than 1,000 professionals who mainly work in the financial services and related industries in the City of London and Canary Wharf. Its activities include organising major networking and education events each year, consultation with local and national governmental bodies and other non-governmental organisations, running a mentoring scheme for its members and promoting volunteering and charity work. It was founded by Dhruv Patel and is currently chaired by Pratik Dattani.

The METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE is famed around the world and has a unique place in the history of policing. It is by far the largest of the police services that operate in greater London (the others include the City of London Police and the British Transport Police). The Royal Parks Constabulary have now become part of the Metropolitan Police Service. Founded by Sir Robert Peel in 1829, the original establishment of 1,000 officers policed a seven-mile radius from Charing Cross and a population of less than 2 million. Today, the Metropolitan Police Service employs more than 32,500 officers together with about 14,200 police staff, 230 traffic wardens and 4,300 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). The MPS is also being supported by more than more than 5,000 volunteer police officers from the Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC) and its Employer Supported Policing (ESP) programme. The Metropolitan Police Services covers an area of 620 square miles and a population of 7.2 million.

TIME TO CHANGE is an anti-stigma campaign run by the leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink. These two charities decided to work together, combining their knowledge, skills and expertise, in the biggest attempt yet in England to end the discrimination that surrounds mental health. Scotland and New Zealand have led the way with similar campaigns, but this is the first time England has benefited from major, country-wide initiative. The campaign is funded by the Big Lottery Fund  and Comic Relief  and is evaluated by the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College, London.

• Increased membership across mailing list, Facebook and LinkedIn platforms by 20% to over 1000 unique members
• Over 800 attendees at events organised by the CHN
• Organised 14 events; participated in another 5
• 14 press articles featuring the CHN, 1 radio interview and 1 TV show

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London, 24 December 2011: The strength of our Sanatan Dharma lies in its heterogeneity in thought and ideas. It has no ecclesiastical hierarchy because individuals do not need a priest as an intermediary in their relationship with God, or in their pursuit of moskha (salvation). There are no sermons like at Easter Day at theVatican that expound one single unifying view.

At the CHN, at end-2010, the current committee drafted a set of six Core Principles that we ensure every event and pursuit of the CHN is consistent with. Three I’d like to draw upon are: to promote solidarity, both amongst Hindus and with other faiths; promote the principles of the Sanatan Dharma; and provide members access to education about the Dharma. Though these three principles, we believe that we can celebrate this heterogeneity within ourselves and with others. The CHN does not represent any single sampradhaya or particular view of our Dharma and, as such, our talk and discussion series in 2011 has focussed on the basic principles of the Sanatan Dharma, often from an objective, academic context.

In doing so, we have collaborated closely with the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS), as well as organisations representing other faiths, such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BDBJ). We were invited by the Royal College of Art (RCA) to a panel debate run by FuelRCA, the RCA’s professional development platform, entitled “Ambition – Can I have it all.” I participated on behalf of the CHN, alongside designer and entrepreneur Clare Brass, author and business guru Charles Handy and psychoanalyst Darian Leader, and spoke on what Hinduism taught about the pursuit of wealth and success in front of a truly multicultural audience.

Over the last year, we have hosted several such talks at prominent City professional services firms including Deloitte, Ernst & Young and Accenture in conjunction with the OCHS. The CHN’s unique selling point is that we are able to facilitate discussion on the foundations of our Dharma for young generations of Indians in the City, who have grown up learning cultural rituals, but not necessarily understanding the foundations that underpin these customs. We aim to make our rich heritage accessible to younger generations, seeking to contextualise the teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and other texts in an environment and language which our members working in the City will be most familiar with.

At Deloitte, we discussed how the influence of Indian subcontinent thought has pervaded throughout the Far East includingChinaandJapanover the centuries and how the beliefs and value systems of the East might translate into the business philosophies of the future. At an event organised by the BDBJ and hosted by the law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, and again at a round-table discussion to mark the start of Diversity Month at professional services firm PwC, the CHN discussed the role of faith in the modern City workplace and challenges faced to being true to your faith. In both instances, we did so alongside, amongst others, leading Jewish, Christian and Muslim organisations.

This followed on from a talk on the polarisation of modern religion in both its liberal and fundamentalist branches, and the impact this has on the level of dogmatic and prescriptive practices in a secular world. Dr Nick Sutton from the OCHS posed the examples of diktats from the Manu Smriti and Dharmashastra which, in the context of modern-day values in Britain, may no longer seem appropriate, while other guidance endures successfully. Gopal Gupta, again from the OCHS, presented a talk related to the conflict, coexistence and cooperation between Hinduism and science. The discussion examined the relationship between scientific and religious knowledge, and specifically the ways in which Hinduism contributed to the dialogue between science and religion.

I firmly believe that to know where you are going, you need to know where you’ve come from. In today’s economic climate of budget cuts, when many are questioning the social usefulness of many City finance professions, this is an even more important consideration. The CHN provides a guidance and facilitation role, particularly in City professional networks to assist in young Hindus, and Indians more widely, understanding more about their rich heritage. Next year, we will be continuing our series of talks and debates and we hope you can join us.

Pratik Dattani is the Chair of the CHN. You can sign up to be a member or find out more about the CHN at www.cityhindusnetwork.org.uk. 

ENDS

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Notes to the Editor:

The CITY HINDUS NETWORK (CHN) is a non-profit organisation with a membership of more than 1,000 professionals who mainly work in the financial services and related industries in the City of London and Canary Wharf. Its activities include organising major networking and education events each year, consultation with local and national governmental bodies and other non-governmental organisations, running a mentoring scheme for its members and promoting volunteering and charity work. It was founded by Dhruv Patel and is currently chaired by Pratik Dattani.

The CHN invites to you its first ever ski trip. Following feedback from you, our members, as part of our Members’ Survey in March 2011, we’ve decided to expand the activities offered by the CHN to include a wider variety of social and networking opportunities for busy City professionals, who may want to get to know like-minded people from outside their workplace.

Date: Saturday 25^th February – Saturday 3^rd March 2012

Location: This is open but we are currently looking at Tignes and the Les 3 Vallees in the French Alps. The location chosen will be based on what the majority of the group wants to do, and what fits with the group’s budget

How many people: Strictly 10-15 people only

Cost: We are currently being quoted £650 – £850pp which will include flights, transfers and accommodation (half-board). However ski equipment and lifts passes will be extra – around £150. Lessons if required will also be extra. Once we have confirmed numbers we have a better idea of to the total cost.

Catering: The chalet will be on a half-board basis, including breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner. Included in the price will be two in-house staff, who will be responsible for cleaning and preparing food (we can specify vegetarian and other dietary requirements)

Accommodation: This is open but we have been shown a number of great deals for catered chalets in good locations. An example is below:

“This stunning chalet will appeal to those guests seeking a combination of excellent modern facilities and traditional character. The interior is particularly attractive with exposed stone and beams, complemented by vintage decorative touches.

The chalet is spread over three floors and the bedrooms are decorated to a high standard offering en suite facilities. The generous and comfortable lounge, with exposed high ceiling, is light yet cosy with large picture windows offering fabulous views.

The chalet features a sauna and steam room on the first floor and an outdoor hot tub-the perfect finishing touches for this super chalet.

Access to the slopes is via a non-pisted track, which is only 50 metres away, or you can take a short 3 minutes walk to high speed chairlifts.”

If you are interested please contact us via chnskitripgmailcom  (chnskitripgmailcom)   asap. We anticipate being fully booked in November 2011.

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*UPDATE 20 JANUARY 2012: THIS FREE EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT. *

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Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder exist in the South Asian community, just as with any other health condition. 1 in 4 of us is affected in any given year. It is therefore important that we understand the truth about mental health to break down stigma and make our lives better.

However mental health is often a taboo subject in the South Asian community. This stigma and discrimination prevents 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems from living their lives to the full and doing everyday things like having relationships to looking for work. Fear of discrimination can also stop people with mental health problems from being open about how they are feeling, and can stop them from getting help when they are unwell.

For nearly a third of people with mental health problems said that the stigma wanted them to give up on life.

The shame and secrecy surrounding mental health problems often make it harder for people affected to get help and recover. Having a mental health problem is nothing to be ashamed of and talking about it helps tackle the stigma.The key issues that need to be addressed are: Shame, fear and secrecy surround mental illness. The causes of mental health problems are often misunderstood. The family can be both caring and isolating. Social pressure to conform. People with mental health problems are not valued. Marriage prospects can be damaged.

It is these stigma-related attitudes specific to the South Asian community that the City Hindus Network, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Hindu Association (MPHA) and with Time to Change, would like to address. Time to Change is an anti-stigma campaign run by the leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink. This in the biggest attempt yet in England to end the discrimination that surrounds mental health. More details of the campaign can be found here.

The CHN in conjunction with the MPHA is therefore hosting an event on Thursday 26 January at 6pm at the Metropolitan Police’s New Scotland Yard offices to help raise awareness of mental health and the stigma in the South Asian community.

The evening will consist of various speakers giving first-hand accounts of their personal experiences of mental health and stigma. This will be followed by a powerful short film ‘Open Secrets‘ which tackles the issue of mental health stigma in a South Asian family and Q&A panel session with the speakers and other mental health experts on the stigma within the South Asian community.

Come and join the CHN and MPHA in taking the first step to raise awareness of mental health problems and tackle stigma in the South Asian community. Please see details below for registration.

If you would like given any comments in advance of this event, but would like for them to be treated with the strictest of confidence, you can email infocityhindusnetworkorguk  (infocityhindusnetworkorguk)  , specifically marking your email “For Attention Of Pratik” – your email and any comments will be dealt with complete discretion and only read by Pratik.