by Andreas Christensen with AYUDH Europe

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.

Vast organic gardens and nature sanctuaries are now flourishing upon what used to be barren land in Amritapuri. Because the fields were built over swamp filled with sand and red clay, neighbours warned it was unlikely anything could grow. But the perseverance of a few people dedicated to reviving the land has now resulted in these beautiful habitats.

Kollam, Kerala

The Mata Amritanandamayi Math will give ₹100,000 to families who have lost a member in monsoon floods hitting the state again this year.

“My heart goes out to those families who have lost their loved ones,” said Amma. “I am praying that they are able to get back their self-confidence and attain peace and prosperity. We all need to reach out to those in need with compassion and service. It is only the love and compassion that flows from the heart that can help society in such times.”

Amma also said that she feels the recent flooding is due to indiscriminate chopping down of trees and other such abuses of nature.

The Math once again opened the Amrita Helpline that was created by Amrita University students during Kerala’s 2018 floods. At the Amritapuri Campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, volunteers with AYUDH (our youth wing) responded to phone calls and social media messages. Through the helpline, flood victims could access various forms of assistance.

In 2018, Amrita Helpline volunteers fielded more than 25,000 calls and connected more than 100,000 flood victims with appropriate relief services. This included government officials, the Navy, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Kerala State Police, local fishermen and other volunteer agencies.

The Math also encouraged people to reach out for help via its Amrita Kripa App, which is available for free download on Google Play. The app was developed during the 2018 floods to connect disaster victims with rescue teams and relief providers. People in need also gain access to clothing, food, medicines, and information to restore essential services like water, electricity and telephone.

In addition, the Math opened relief camps, especially in the districts of Wayanad and Idukki. During last year’s monsoon flooding, Math relief camps contributed a total of ₹100,000,000 for immediate rescue and relief, as well as long-term recovery.

As the waters in Kerala receded this year, more than 100 people died due to the flooding. In last year’s Kerala floods, the death toll reached nearly 500.
Photo 1: Taking calls at Amrita Helpline, an emergency call center run by AYUDH at Amrita University.Photo 1: Taking calls at Amrita Helpline, an emergency call center run by AYUDH at Amrita University.

Photo 2: Tracking info for Amrita Helpline.

Photo 3: Led by Brahmacharini Atulyamrita Chaitanya, volunteers set up a relief camp in Edappal and Malappuram.

Photo 4: Brahmachari Akshayamrita Chaitanya and volunteers in Wayanad running a camp that provides food and other basic amenities.

Kochi and Kozhikode, Kerala

The Amrita Institute for Differently Abled is dedicated to providing education to children with intellectual disabilities. This includes people with Down’s Syndrome, epilepsy, autism and developmental issues. The therapy is based on education for daily life skills so that as adults, the students will be able to function as independently as possible.

by Preeta with AYUDH Europe

Three hundred young people from all over Europe participated in the 15th annual AYUDH Europe Youth Summit that was held at the MA Center in Hof Herrenberg, Germany. The week-long gathering focused on the theme of Celebrating Diversity. Several sub-themes included Diversity Within Ourselves, Diversity in Cultures, Diversity in Communities and People, Biodiversity and Diversity in Emotions.

Brombachtal, Germany

Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, Vice-Chairman of Mata Amritanandamayi Math, gave the keynote address at AYUDH Europe’s 2019 Youth Summit. AYUDH is Embracing the World’s youth wing. In Brombachtal, Germany, more than 400 people of 27 nationalities attended Swamiji's talk, which took place in the framework of the summit's overall theme of “Celebrating Diversity”.

The week-long gathering focused on finding unity in diversity and fostering fundamental human values such as solidarity and active civic engagement for inclusive societies. In his speech, Swamiji emphasized the need for people to be open to “emotional diversity” across its entire spectrum.

Delhi-NCR, India

In India’s national capital region, hundreds of people gathered to plant more than 100,000 seed balls in the Rajokri and Ghitorni forest areas. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. AYUDH, our youth wing, organized the planting drive as a way to take action for the city’s pollution problem, as well as honor World Nature Conservation Day on July 28th.

The goal was to increase the green cover in the challenging terrains of the local forests, which are full of huge stones and wilderness. The participants, who were from different backgrounds and age groups, spread out in groups and after six hours of intense physical work, they succeeded in planting all seed balls.

Tamil Nadu, India

Rated as an “Institution of Eminence” by the Govt. of India

India’s University Grants Commission (UGC) has named Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham as one of ten private universities in its prestigious “Institutions of Eminence” list. Ten public universities were also named–including highly ranked branches of the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science.

“It is a great honour for Amrita University, one of the youngest and fastest growing universities, to find a place in this prestigious list,” said Dr. Venkat Rangan, Vice-Chancellor of Amrita University.

Chicago, Illinois

On July 13, 2019, during Amma’s Chicago programs, US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi honored Amma with a congressional commendation recognizing her humanitarian initiatives and conservation efforts across the globe.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi represents Chicago's west and northwest suburbs, which comprise the 8th Congressional District of Illinois. He is known for his dedication to serving his constituents, growing and strengthening the middle class by supporting small businesses, making college more affordable, and rebuilding the area’s infrastructure.

Rural India

"It is our villages that sustain us by providing those who live in cities with the nourishment needed in order to survive," says Amma. "However, today, we are just exploiting villages and casting them aside. It is time to acknowledge that our villages are our very foundation and move forward with one heart and one mind to protect and serve them."

With this goal in mind, Amrita SeRVe (Self-Reliant Villlages) was launched during Amma’s 60th birthday celebrations in September 2013 and ushered in sustainable development in village clusters across India. The vision is to teach villagers the skills they need to live in communities that are prosperous and self-reliant. These are places where people are healthy and educated, and where they lead lives of dignity in a clean, pollution-free environment.