Friends of Vrindavan is a community project which has arisen from the existing World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Vrindavan Forest Revival Project. This project focusses on environmental regeneration and care based on the spiritual values of Hinduism, which are deeply ingrained in the cultural traditions of Vrindavan.
Friends of Vrindavan's work in India focuses around three main areas: Greening, Cleaning and Education. These are the factors which directly impinge on the quality of life of the people of India.
In addition, Friends of Vrindavan now works in partnership with Food For Life Vrindavan, who offer essential support in villages of the Vrindavan region in the form of free food for the children, the handicapped, pilgrims, widows and sadhus, free health clinics for mothers and children and the Trees for Life programme in village schools.
The Vrindavan Declaration
At WWF India's 25th Anniversary Congress in 1994, a declaration written by a senior religious figure of Vrindavan, Shrivatsa Goswami, was presented to the President of India along with a sacred Kadam tree from Vrindavan. The declaration explained how Lord Krishna had acted to restore the ecological balance of Vrindavan, and underlined the community's commitment to conserving their environment.
'Nature enjoys being enjoyed, but reacts furiously to exploitation. Today's situation is caused by our separation from Krishna and his message of commitment. Let us act on his message to play, not to exploit. '
