VIDEO: In collaboration with the Spanish organization Visió Sense Fronteres (Vision Without Borders), Embracing the World was invited to conduct another cataract surgery campaign in Africa. The Ophthalmological Department of Zambia’s Ministry of Health supported the initiative, and 140 procedures took place at the provincial hospital of Kabwe in the north of the country.
At Amma’s 66th birthday, Shri Rajnath Singh—India’s Honourable Minister of Defence—inaugurated the Amrita School for Sustainable Development. The department will have undergraduate, master’s and PhD programs that focus on areas in line with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The approach centers on students undertaking experiential learning in villages across India alongside classroom and research studies.
VIDEO: Pepe is a hand-shaped robot with a small video screen mounted behind its green plastic exterior. Installed on a wall near school washrooms, its purpose is to encourage children to practise proper hygiene as they pass by. Designed by researchers with Amrita University and the University of Glasgow, Scotland, Pepe’s pilot project in rural Kerala has proven to be a huge hit.
Three members of AYUDH Europe travelled to New Delhi for UNESCO MGIEP’s first World Youth Conference on Kindness. The goal of the gathering was to impart critical competencies such as empathy, compassion, mindfulness and critical inquiry to enable young people to transform themselves and build long-lasting peace in their communities. MGIEP is UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development.
Tens of thousands of devotees and well-wishers from across India and around the world attended Amma’s 2019 birthday gathering in Amritapuri. The event included prayers for world peace, financial support for families in urgent need, and the inauguration of a new school of Sustainable Development at Amrita University.
For five days, more than 175 youth from across North, South and Central America met to explore how collective, global peace begins with inner peace for each person. The gathering was for AYUDH Americas’ sixth annual youth summit—the Ripple Effect 2019. Youth from different walks of life, be it students to young professionals, learned to harness inner strength, self-love and awareness as the first steps in achieving a harmonious community.
VIDEO: Saukhyam means happiness and well-being in Sanskrit. We chose that name for our reusable pad project because we believe menstruation has been undervalued and ignored for too long. Women give birth to every human being and menstruation makes that cycle possible. When you switch to reusable pads, you are respecting the environment, celebrating the life cycle and honoring your place in it.
Three hundred young people from all over Europe participated in the 15th annual AYUDH Europe Youth Summit. The week-long gathering in Germany focused on the theme of Celebrating Diversity. This included exploring ideas around diversity in cultures and communities, diversity in our world’s biosphere and environment, and diversity within our own emotions and personal identities.
VIDEO: The Amrita Institute for Differently Abled is dedicated to providing an education to children with intellectual disabilities that will help them live independent and dignified lives. The students include children with Down’s Syndrome, epilepsy, autism and developmental issues. The therapy is based on teaching daily life skills so that as adults, the students will be able to function as independently as possible.
The Mata Amritanandamayi Math will give ₹100,000 to families who have lost a member in monsoon flooding hitting the state again this year. Amma said that her heart goes out to those families who have lost their loved ones and that we all need to reach out to those in need with compassion and service. As well, the Math set up relief camps in flooded areas, an emergency phone line, and an app to connect flood victims with essential services.