Tag Archives: dharma manifesto

A Place For Dharma

Dharma, globally, is in trouble. It needs to be saved. We need to save Dharma. Otherwise it will indeed disappear from our sight. Oh, Dharma itself doesn’t disappear, of course, we know that. But it will disappear from our sight. To the point where we will not be able to reach up and reach it anymore. We cannot allow this to happen. In order for Dharma not to disappear we need a place where Dharma is alive.” -Sri Acharyaji

We live in a world seemingly rotten almost to its very core. One that seems to decay further and further with each passing day.

Our cities are hives of decadence and debauchery. Almost any perverse desire can be satiated, for a time, if one knows the right place to look. Children are groomed and pushed into sexual deviancy at every younger ages. Our schools teach them not how to think, but what to think. Our politicians and so-called “leaders” serve anyone else but the people they govern, and use the positions of public office to line their own pockets, or to further another’s agenda.

Massive corporations work their employees to the bone for a relative pittance, in unfulfilling and soul destroying ways, and pollute the world around them in order to create items we dont need, solely to make a profit. Forests are felled, fields farmed beyond recovery, and the very earth is strip-mined with increasing greed. The oceans have been over-fished and over-polluted, and animals are slaughtered on an industrial-scale in their tens of billions every year, often in inhumane and unconscionable circumstances. Root and stem has been paved over to make room for a sprawling world of concrete and steel.

Tradition, culture and faith are often viewed as relics of a bygone era, and discouraged as ‘oppressive’ or ‘superstitious’. The gods of the modern world change on a daily basis. One day its a celebrity or sports star, the next its a doctor or so-called scientist. At the end of the day. The true gods of the modern world are lust and greed. Morality is viewed as subjective, thus almost anything is permissible as long as its packaged in the right fashion.

One can be forgiven for seeing the world in an irredeemable light.



Man has lost touch with Nature. As a result, man has also lost touch with Dharma.

Anyone who has lived close to nature in any reasonable capacity will be conscious of the fact that life (and thus our human reality) is composed of cycles – the seasons being the most obvious example of that. Other examples include reproductive cycle of animals, the phases of the moon and its effects on crops, the cycle of aging in humans, rotations of crops and depletion of soils, and so on.

A brief observation of nature shows us the cyclical nature of our world. Therefore a linear view of reality is but the symptom of a “diseased” mind. The mind of a man cut off from the true reality of nature.

Understanding this does not make witnessing the current state of the world any easier. But understanding it should offer one some context, and some certainty in knowing that just like every other thing in this world, the nature of nation and human civilization is also cyclical. No country, kingdom or empire in history has been untouched by the decline of civilization and the ravages of time. In the end, each and every one of them has reached its inevitable expiry date, often characterized by periods of natural disaster, pestilence, civil conflict, war, social decadence and the decline of morality. The unsustainable existence of a nation in decline always catches up to it, leading to its inevitable downfall. Likewise from that downfall likewise comes a form renewal or rebirth from the ashes of old.

In realizing this, we can look upon the state of the world in a different line. The end is not an end. The end is simply a new beginning, and that beginning can be whatever we as a people are willing to make of it.

How are we, as individuals, to have any meaningful impact on the renewal of civilization itself?

To a single person alone, the mere idea of it must seem almost insurmountable. Like trying to divert a flooding dam with a bucket. Such thoughts, however, are also not entirely unreasonable. Very few men in history have had the power required to be able to reshape the entire fabric of a nation or world in one fell swoop.

However, that does not render individual actions pointless. One man with a bucket cannot stop a flood. but a thousand men with shovels and buckets can divert an entire river with enough will and dedication to their task.

The river is civilization, and its redirection is our task.

To find a place for Dharma to thrive in our world, first we must allow it to truly take root and flourish in ourselves.

As a result of this world of decadence and decay, it is all but inevitable that a generation of highly virtuous men and women will undoubtedly arise, resolute in their rejection of the “old” corrupt world, and motivated by their desire to see the world renewed more in line with Dharma.

Like a sword forged in the heat of fire, so too will the dharmis of this generation forge the world that is soon to come. That is the Golden Age – an age within the Kali Yuga, where human quality is at it’s highest, and where the best of the best will once again stand at the top. As that age progresses, those men of virtue will progressively build the civilization anew, forging something more healthy, more holy and more pure than the society we know and live under today.


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In fact, we already see this coming into shape today. With increasing regularity, the teachings of Dharma, and view points more in line with its philosophy, continue to become evermore prevalent in the public sphere of thought and discourse. A burgeoning renaissance of traditional thought is beginning to show signs of its arrival, if one looks around. A renaissance that we can all be a part of.

For this to occur, each and every one of us must first allow Dharma to take root in ourselves.

We must become the embodiment of the world which we desire to see manifest. We must become reflections of Dharma. Before the Golden Age is manifest externally, it must first be manifest internally.

Then, moving up from the mere individual, comes the time of action. From engaging in grassroots political activism in your own community, to organizing a group of devotees, or even participating in the Vedic Heartland Initiative, there are countless actions an individual can take in order to bring the world one step closer to Dharma. The world we all seek comes first in ourselves, then through our healthy and thriving communities, and finally will take root within the scope of our very nations themselves.

This all starts with cultivating an unassuming attachment to God. By doing that, we can live a life that is untethered by the constant entanglements of the modern world. By giving everything in your life to Him, and expecting little in terms of material boon or sense gratification, we can raise ourselves to be more worthy vessels of Dharma within the material world. In doing this, we open ourselves to being empowered in our pursuits to right the wrongs of this world. So take shelter of the lotus feet of the lord, for he is the source and sustainer of all things, and when the time is right, the world as we know it will be radically different to the one into which we were all born.


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Finding Calm Amongst the Storm.

The world many of us find ourselves living in today is a radically different one that the one we all knew just a few years ago.

Despite having witnessed over recent decades the ever increasing trend towards state intrusion into our lives, and the seemingly endless downward spiral of morality within wider society. The sudden and impactful nature of events over the last two years left many of us reeling. The events that have unfolded may have been inevitable, and it is no surprise that many politicians and ‘social leaders’ alike took advantage of a perceived global catastrophe to pursue their own perverse agendas.

The experiences of recent months and years have impacted everyone differently. Some dharmis may have been impacted greatly on a daily basis, and lost much in the past few years. Others may have felt little to no impact at all, or even inadvertently benefited in some way. Regardless, in the face of such turbulence and uncertainty, it is very easy for one to fall into the trap of negative thinking, or to adopt a defeatist mentality. After all, even the great warrior-prince Arjuna found himself overwhelmed upon the eve of battle.

B.G 1.30

na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ
bhramatīva ca me manaḥ
nimittāni ca paśyāmi
viparītāni keśava

na—nor; ca—also; śaknomi—am I able; avasthātum—to stay; bhramati—forgetting; iva—as; ca—and; me—my; manaḥ—mind; nimittāni—causes; ca—also; paśyāmi—I foresee; viparītāni—just the opposite; keśava—O killer of the demon Keśī (Kṛṣṇa).

TRANSLATION

I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling. I foresee only evil, O killer of the Keśī demon.

As His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explained in the purport to this verse, fearfulness and loss of mental equilibrium take place in persons who are too affected by material conditions. Arjuna envisioned only unhappiness in the battlefield-he would not be happy even by gaining victory over the foe. When a man sees only frustration in his expectations, he thinks, “Why am I here?” Everyone is interested in himself and his own welfare. No one is interested in the Supreme Self. Arjuna is supposed to show disregard for self-interest by submission to the will of Kṛṣṇa, who is everyone’s real self-interest. The conditioned soul forgets this, and therefore suffers material pains. Arjuna thought that his victory in the battle would only be a cause of lamentation for him.

“Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.” B.G 2.43


None of us may compare to the great Arjuna, and we may not have found ourselves upon the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Nonetheless, there are many important lessons we can draw from such verses that can be applied to the state of the world at this very moment, and how we conduct ourselves in the face of such turbulence.

Much like Arjuna, we are faced with great uncertainty in outcome, and it often can seem like that no matter what we do, all possible futures are doomed to be bitter-sweet at best, outright tragic at worst. Despite this, it is important for us to remember that it is because of the excessive attachment to our societies and this world around us that we experience such fearfulness and anxiety. A good man experiences suffering in the presence of un-righted wrongs. Like Arjuna, we are passionately attached to aspects of the world around us, and because of that we are invested in the outcomes and possibilities that are yet to come. As a result, we are caused great anxiety.

In the face of such calamity and chaos, it is increasingly important for every devotee to take time to reconnect with God and turn their attention to their sadhana. By cultivating detachment from material world, the dharmic activist is able to view the world with increasingly greater clarity, and to see things through a wider lens. By minimizing attachment, and therefore reducing the degree in which one invests themselves in outcomes well beyond our individual control, the dharmi can live a life of purpose and understanding, even as the world burns down around him.

This does not mean the dharmi should not care, nor does it mean he should not act. To the contrary, each and everyone one of us, now more than ever, must live with integrity and be sure to do whatever is within our power to bring about a positive change within this world. A change more in line with Dharma. However, the dharmi must act with detachment. The dharmi must act in understanding that all things are in the hands of the Divine, and that whenever God has deemed the time to have come, the demons that rule our world, who at times appear to have us out-numbered in every way, will be washed aside to make room for the Golden Age that is to come. All injustice and evil is temporary, but the divine is eternal.

Thus the dharmi should ultimately take shelter of the divine, and in turn Kṛṣṇa will protect the devotee who comes to him submissively and with affection.

“We live in a world that we know is infinitely complex, overpoweringly beautiful, and often times deeply mysterious. From time immemorial, human beings have peered into the heavens and contemplated the meaning of the world around them, and the meaning of their own lives within this world. When we human beings do begin to contemplate the meaning of our reality, there are really only two mutually exclusive conclusions that we can possible come to. And we must choose between one of these two possible explanations. The first way of viewing reality tries to convince us that the world we see around us is ultimately devoid of any real and lasting meaning. That everything happens in a thoroughly random manner. That the world is an inherently chaotic place, without an ultimate purpose, or any higher principle governing what happens in our cosmos or what happens to us. We are alone. This uninspired response to the mysteries of the world around us is the typical secular materialist response. It is the depressing conclusion that the atheist comes to. This atheistic way of viewing reality is now the dominant worldview, purposefully and systematically foisted upon us for over two centuries by those who control public discourse and culture.

The second way in which we can choose to see our world tells us just the very opposite of the above pessimistic and ultimately hopeless scenario. This second way envisions the universe around us as being full of deep meaning and alive with exciting possibility. Our cosmos is understood to be a reality in which, while oftentimes seemingly chaotic or confusing at a cursory glance, is in actuality governed by a higher and benevolent intelligence. It is a reality in which a nuanced order, balance, harmony and purpose lay hidden behind every important occurrence. Ours is a cosmos that is ruled by Natural Law. Though each and every one of these eternal principles of this Natural Law are not necessarily all known to us at all times, they are nonetheless discernible by those among us who are wise, patient and sensitive enough to listen to the quiet whispers of nature and to humbly open ourselves to the many lessons to be learned from Her.

When we fully realize the nature and power of this Natural Law, and live according to its wise guidance, then we are living in harmony with the cosmos, and we open ourselves to experiencing the peace, health, joy, sense of oneness with all of creation and with every being in creation, and deep sense of meaning that each of us, in our own way, yearns for. This second response to the mystery of our cosmos represents the optimistic and hopeful world-view of Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Natural Way. The spiritual path of Sanatana Dharma, or “The Eternal Natural Way”, is the most ancient spiritual culture and tradition on the earth. Indeed, it is “sanatana”, or eternal. To one degree or another, it forms the archetypal antecedent of every other later religion, denomination, and spiritually-minded culture known to humanity.”
― Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya, Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way


Acharya – Dharma, Natural Law: A Remedy to the Spiritual Crisis in the West?

Acharya

Acharya interviewed on Dharma on Red Ice Radio.

Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya is the author of The Dharma Manifesto and the leader of the Dharma Nation movement. In this amazing interview, he discusses many topics, including: ancient forms of spirituality; Natural Law and Natural Order; the deep connections between pre-Christian European spirituality and Sanatana Dharma; the evils of Abrahamism; contemporary politics; defeating the New World Order; the Golden Age; and many other topics. You don’t want to miss this interview!

Watch ‘Acharya – Dharma, Natural Law: A Remedy to the Spiritual Crisis in the West?’


Interview with a Vedic Guru

Watch 'Interview with a Vedic Guru'

Sri Acharyaji interviewed about his book ‘The Dharma Manifesto‘ on the Survive the Jive show

In this fascinating interview, Acharya is asked about the contemporary political scene in Europe and America; the rise of Nationalism; the Trump presidency; the ancient connections between Sanatana Dharma and European Paganism; Natural Law; and many other topics.

Watch ‘Interview with a Vedic Guru


The Ides of March

Ides of March

Tuesday, March 15th is the Ides of March. In America, it is also “Super Tuesday II”, the day in which multiple states will be conducting primaries for the Republican and Democratic parties. Voters in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio will be going to the polls to elect their parties’ nominees for President of the United States. Most analysts are in agreement that tomorrow will serve to winnow the field of candidates considerably, perhaps even revealing conclusively who the likely nominees will be. At a minimum, Marco Rubio and John Kasich are expected to abandon the race. On March 16th, we will be providing our own analysis of the primary results from a Vedic perspective.


Neither Left Nor Right!

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Sri Acharyaji – Author of ‘The Dharma Manifesto’ – in New York City

“The terms ‘left-wing’ and ‘right-wing’ have historically signified no more than an artificial political dichotomy imposed upon the public by a corrupt and controlling establishment. Anyone thinking in such contrived terms today is living in the past. The only real dichotomy of any valuable relevance in today’s political realm is not Left versus Right, but the People versus the Establishment.”

– Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya


Ted Cruz: Evangelical Fanatic

cruz-evangelical“I really hope we don’t see Yoga on this stage.” – Senator Ted Cruz (Republican debate, 3/3/16, 9:38 PM EST)

Ted Cruz is a religious fanatic who most likely truly does see Yoga as the “work of the Devil” and “a dangerous emptying of the mind”, as so many Christian fundamentalists do. If he were to ever be elected President, he would probably begin the process of the systematic suppression of all non-Judeo-Christian religions. He should not be allowed to ever come within a thousand miles of the White House. His Presidential run should be defeated, and he should not be re-elected to the Senate.


February 23rd Republican/Democrat Primary Analysis

Pres_CandidatesThe Dharma Nation Movement has not endorsed a candidate for President of the United States, and will not be doing so in the present Presidential race. The following, however, is our analysis of the race thus far.

With his latest massive crushing of his opponents in the Nevada caucuses last night (Trump 46%, Rubio 24%, Cruz 21%), it is clear that Trump will be the Republican nominee.

If Rubio at any point during the present race ever even had a chance to overcome the front-runner, which he does not, he is correctly perceived as being too young, too inexperienced and too inconsistent in his positions to truly be taken seriously by the majority of voters.

From a Dharma perspective, a potential Cruz presidency is a disaster just waiting to happen. A Christian Evangelical fanatic, Cruz is by far the most dangerous candidate for any voter who does not spend the majority of their time dreaming of the eventual rapture!

A potential Cruz administration would see all non-Christian religions actively suppressed in America. His campaign is all but over at this point, despite “winning” Iowa via dirty tricks, which has consistently gone with losing Evangelical candidates every caucus cycle (Huckabee in 2008, Santorum in 2012), thus being a bell-weather of nothing.

We say, good riddance to the Cruz campaign.

On the Democratic side, on the other hand, it is still a very close race between Clinton and Sanders. Of the two, Sanders is the only honest and reputable candidate, Clinton representing Washington corruption and cronyism personified. Indeed, that Hillary Clinton is not sitting this primary out in a prison somewhere is a testament to the corruption of the present justice system in America.

Unlike the Republican side, the Democratic Nevada caucuses was extremely close for Clinton and Sanders. (52% Clinton, 46% Sanders) Sanders won New Hampshire by a landslide; and all by won Iowa, but for the dirty tricks and corruption of the process by the criminal Clinton campaign. In an honest primary race between Clinton vs. Sanders, Sanders would win the nomination by a landslide!

Next on the primary schedule is Super Tuesday, which will be on March 1st, and in which 12 states will be having primaries, including the crucial states of Texas and Virginia. More analysis then!

Aum Shanti Aum


THE DHARMA MANIFESTO

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The Dharma Manifesto is a call to action for those who seek a form of social and political action that has a firm spiritual foundation, but which also challenges the prevailing social and religious order in the postmodern West. It does not merely offer criticism – it is also a blueprint for how a national community founded upon Dharmic principles could operate in the twenty-first century. Its author defines the term “Dharma,” which in the ancient Sanskrit language means “Natural Law,” in an unconventional way. For those who embrace Dharma Nationalism, Dharma is predicated upon the pressing need for the organic and munificent re-sacralization of culture and of all human endeavor, as well as the manifestation of the highest potentials attainable by every individual in society in accordance with transcendental principles. Thus, Dharma does not only refer to traditions with which it is usually associated such as Hinduism and Buddhism, but also to the Taoist, Confucian, Zoroastrian, Native American, and European pagan traditions, all of which, this book holds, share a common, basic worldview. This book is therefore a resource for those who want to carry out both an inward, contemplative revolution within themselves as well an outer, social revolution in the world around them, in harmony with one another. It is intended to serve as a systematic program signaling the beginning of a what will hopefully be a new era in humanity’s eternal yearning for meaningful freedom and happiness.

PURCHASE THE DHARMA MANIFESTO TODAY:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Arktos Media


Dharma Revolution: An interview with Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya (Part One)

The Dharma Manifesto by Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya is a “blueprint” for creating a new type of society based on the ancient spiritual principles. At its core is to restore the sacred to the ordinary and dignity to the individual so that each person might fulfill their full potential. Below is the first of a two-part interview exploring Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya’s life, work, the principles and purpose of The Dharma Manifesto, and his vision for a new, very different, and Dharmic politics and nation state.

About Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya:

Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya has been a follower of Sanatana Dharma (“Hinduism”) for four decades, and has been a recognized teacher in the tradition since 1988. He holds a doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and is the founder, head, and guide of the global Dharma Nation movement.  He also lectures and writes on the Dharma. His other books include The Shakti Principle: Encountering the Feminine Power of God and Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way.


The Dharma Manifesto: An interview with Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya (Part Two)

The global rise of Dharma, the future Dharmic nation state, and the thousand-year war against Hinduism. These are just a few of the subjects Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya (an ordained orthodox Vedic brahmana, and author of The Dharma Manifesto) discusses in this, the second part of a two-part interview with People of Shambhala. We hope you enjoy.



About Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya:

Author David Frawley has said of Sri Acharyaji, that he “represents the Sankalpa [the will] of the Hindu people and the cause of Sanatana Dharma.” He has been a follower of Sanatana Dharma (“Hinduism”) for four decades, and has been a recognized teacher in the tradition since 1988. Sri Acharyaji holds a doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and is the founder, head, and guide of the global Dharma Nation movement. He also lectures and writes on the Dharma. His other books include The Shakti Principle: Encountering the Feminine Power of God and Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way.


Organic Government – The Dharma Manifesto

It is possible to have government function in a way that is healthy, efficient, spiritual and organic.

 

Read “The Dharma Manifesto”, by Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya, to learn how.

Available through Arktos Media:

http://www.arktos.com/sri-dharma-pravartaka-acharya-the-dharma-manifesto.html


The Sanatana Dharma Conference

The Sanatana Dharma Conference


TOWARD A GLOBAL VEDIC RESTORATION

August 17th–18th, 2013

ISDS (International Sanatana Dharma Society) Ashram
Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Dharma Flag International Sanatana Dharma Society
Dharma Rakshati Rakshitaha 
“As we preserve Dharma, we are
likewise protected by Dharma.” 
– Mahabharata 

 

 

 

The Sanatana Dharma Conference will be a historic gathering of dedicated devotees of the Sanatana Dharma religious tradition with the purpose of laying out the future of the Vedic spiritual tradition for the 21st century and beyond.

This conference is designed to greatly further our understanding of the Vedic path, to deepen our own personal spiritual experience, and to share with the entire world the life- changing teachings of Vedic spirituality. This unique Vedic conference will bring together the spiritual, aesthetic, health, social-political and sadhana (practice) aspects of Dharmic culture in a very practical and immediate manner.

Join us for two days of profound spiritual practice and experience, inspiring discourses by advanced Dharma teachers, meditation and Yoga sessions, puja and yajna (sacred fire ritual) ceremonies, an initiation (diksha) ceremony, as well as spiritual workshops and activities designed to help bring about the new Golden Age.

Seating is very limited. Lunches and dinner will be provided. Please begin the registration process today to ensure admittance. A $10 registration processing fee (non-refundable), along with a fully filled out registration form, are required to submit your registration.

Register Here

 

Co-Sponsored by:

International Sanatana Dharma Society
Dharma Nation Movement
The Center for the Study of Dharma and Civilization


Atheism & Moral Cowardice

atheismSanatana Dharma (The Eternal Natural Way) begins with the natural supposition that God not only exists, but is the basis of all reality. Atheism is a pseudo ideology predicated upon a need to justify moral and existential cowardice. “If there is no God,” the atheist hopes, “then I am accountable to nothing but my own whims.” Sanatana Dharma offers a path free from such amoral self-delusion!


Taxation is Theft

The America Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”

– Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859)

Taxation is theft.   This one of the foundational political mantras of the Dharma Nation Movement.

Taxation is TheftGovernment produces no wealth. It only confiscates wealth in the form of taxation from those who do actually create wealth, and redistributes that wealth to those who did not earn it. Moreover, government officials and corrupt politicians engage in such taxation theft, not for the actual betterment of the poor, but to buy the votes of the poor. Writing about the duplicitous nature of such corrupt politicians, Prabhupada stated the following:

“Tax exaction is not meant for the sense gratification of the so-called administrative heads. Tax revenues should be distributed to the citizens in times of need, during emergencies such as famine or flood. Tax revenues should never be distributed amongst governmental servants in the form of high salaries and various other allowances. In Kali-yuga, however, the position of the citizens is very horrible because taxes are exacted in so many forms and are spent for the personal comforts of the administrators.”

(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.16.6, Purport)

Wealth belongs exclusively in the hands of those individuals, families and businesses who are directly responsible for its creation, and is not to be forcefully redistributed by the government to those who did not create it – even in the name of poverty reduction.[1] Taxation must be recognized as a necessarily unavoidable evil that all governments must seek to reduce to the absolute minimum degree that is necessary to provide basic and foundational services to the people.

A Dharma Nationalist government would call for the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service, abandonment of the current complicated, confusing and inequitable tax system, the elimination of the progressive income tax, and a rapid transition to a more fair, flat tax system. Very simply, all households with a combined family income above the poverty level (income reflecting the year 2012) will pay a simple and fair 10% maximal tax rate, and when an atmosphere of economic prosperity warrants it, less than 10%. Whether a family makes $50,000 per year, $500,000 per year, or $5,000,000 per year, the yearly tax rate will never exceed 10% of that family’s total earnings. The property tax, marriage penalty tax, death tax, and inheritance tax will be abolished outright

 



[1] Poverty reduction is more effectively achieved via the volunteer work of private charitable organizations, and not through the inefficient and corrupt programs of government bureaucracies.