Thought Leader
19 pieces
First Indian Literary Festival at Columbia a Best Seller
New York, N.Y. Under the direction of my good friend Aroon Shivdasani , the first literary festival of the Indian American Arts Council ( IAAC ) with Columbia University…
Habitat for Humanity Notes Importance of World Toilet Day
New York, N.Y. The jokes are too easy, the ramifications too deadly. People are dying all over the world from a lack of proper sanitation and hygiene – and access to basi…
Hellenic Education Continues Thanks to The Orpheus Luxury Collection
New York, N.Y. In synchrony with their philosophy of "indulging in the finer things in life for a deep appreciation of humanity and nature," The Orpheus Luxury Collection…
Micro-Finance Meets Multi-Nationals at Clinton Global Initiative
New York, N.Y. Nobel-prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus , founder of the microfinance pioneer Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, addressed our breakfast at the Clinton Global…
Jonathan Reckford, C.E.O., Leads Habitat for Humanity
New York, N.Y. I met Jonathan T.M. Reckford this fall when Habitat for Humanity International (LINK) invited several foundations, including the Ford Foundation and our ow…
Living Passionately: 21 People Who Found Purpose – How You Can Too
New York, N.Y. In our hearts, we all wish for a life filled with meaning and purpose, but how many of us are meeting this goal? Life seems to continually throw obstacles…
Untold South Asian Stories at IAAC Literary Festival in New York
New York, N.Y. Aroon Shivdasani, Executive and Artistic Director of the Indo-American Arts Council ( IAAC ), did not sleep much last month - though she seldom does. Aroon…
Film on Haitian Art: In the Eye of the Spiral
New York, N.Y. The Haitian Cultural Foundation (HCF) has just released its nine-minute trailer for its upcoming film Dans l'oeil de la Spirale - In the Eye of the Spiral…
Soledad O’Brien Opens Violence Symposium
By Soledad O'Brien. New York, N.Y. It all started with a deep desire… to alleviate stress and promote peace in the lives of people everywhere… by giving them the gi…
The Two Krishnas: A Novel You Can't Ignore
New York, N.Y. When I was a freshman in college I moved into the international dorm and was faced with people from around the world who spoke English better than I. Many…
Asia Society's President on Global Citizens Like Barack Obama
New York, N.Y. “As Americans, we have the unfortunate idea that we should and need to learn more about the world, but it’s not a priority. “We get to it when we can, whic…
Balinese Natural Birthing Center Threatened by Global Downturn
Denpasar, Indonesia . Mid-wife and clinic founder Robin Lim is a legend in the world of women's maternity health. I have heard of her from Port-au-Prince in Haiti to New-…
Fifty Lessons Learned from a Decade of Service in International Development
New York, N.Y. I recently had the honor of addressing the Fellows of the New York City New Leaders Council (NLC) as part of their 2010 Institute. Other presenters include…
Fifty Lessons Learned from Decade in International Development
New York, N.Y. The purpose of the symposium was to train and support the next generation of progressive political entrepreneurs. Mark Green 's former campaign staffer Kei…
Film Shown at U.N. Donor Conference on Collapse of Haiti's Presidential Palace
Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The film "Thirty-Five Long Seconds: Haiti's Deadly Earthquake" was screened recently as part of the recent Donor's Conference at the United Nations…
Franketienne: Haiti's First Nobel Laureate - Hopefully
New York, N.Y. As a cultural area studies graduate, seldom do I feel over my head culturally. Standing in the home of possibly the next Nobel Prize recipient for Literatu…
Indo-American Arts Council Feeds American Mind with Sub-Continental Culture
New York, N.Y. The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk, and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. They work cooperatively wi…
Meet a Muslim Voice of Reason: Ibrahim Ramey
Washington D.C. I first met Ibrahim Abdil-Mu'id Ramey after he delivered the plenary speech about Dr. Martin Luther King and the linkage between Dr. King's movement and t…
Meet the Amazing Aroon Shivdasani of NYC's Indo-American Arts Council
New York, N.Y. Indo-American Arts Council founder and executive director Aroon Shivdasani has lived all over the world but has called New York home for about half her lif…