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Shanti Ashram, IndiaShanti Ashram, India
Shanti Ashram, India
Shanti Ashram, an institution founded in 1986 on Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Sarvodaya (progress for all), is an international center for learning, development and collaboration. It accompanies communities in their efforts to move out of poverty, address inequalities, build creative leaders and ensure sustained development. Dr. Aram is deeply committed to the Gandhian spirit and convenes many initiatives that focus on community cohesion and active peace building.
Today, Shanti Ashram serves over 250,000 people in urban, semi-urban and rural areas, including 70,000 vulnerable children across 100 villages in Tamil Nadu.
Dr. Vinu Aram
Shanti Ashram, India
President
“Scientific evidence from the field of neurosciences and child development demonstrates clearly that the developing ‘brain and body’ of a growing child will benefit immensely if all dimensions of child development are given equal importance. Early childhood in a child’s life journey is not only foundational but also critical in shaping adult life and human flourishing. We offer this Toolkit as a resource to the global community, a contribution to the protection of children from violence and the promotion of their holistic well-being.”
On the 30th anniversary of Shanti Ashram in 2017, Dr. Aram founded the ICPH, an innovative model of integrating primary care with public health, where the best of global knowledge steers comprehensive interventions for children. In addition to contributing to the public health discourse and policy at the national level, ICPH directly impacts the health outcomes of 20,000 vulnerable children.
Dr. Aram served on the ‘Experts Committee’ of the Government of Tamil Nadu in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last two decades, Dr. Aram has also collaborated with the Government of India in making several notable contributions to India’s Public Health landscape.
Dr. Aram was invited to serve on the World Economic Forum’s Advisory Committee on the Social Determinants of Health Platform. She also serves as Co-Moderator and Executive Committee Member of Religions for Peace-International and is a Board Member and Chairperson of KAICIID. In addition, Dr. Aram serves as the Vice Chair of the Advisory Board of Arigatou International and is a Trustee at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.
Dr. Aram was awarded the 2021 Leadership Award in Public Health Practice by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – making her the first Indian to receive the award. She has been awarded distinctions by each of her alma maters.
