|
The scene is an unpretentious apartment room in the
suburbs of Washington DC, US where a group of young people are
getting together. A very common occurrence. However, the group of
youngsters are excitedly throwing ideas back and forth and are
involved in a passionate brainstorming about ways and means to
make India - their homeland, a better place to live in.
These meetings started in the year 1999, and have
evolved into an organization called AIMS India Foundation.
Their vision is to bring about a socio-political transformation in
India through the collective efforts of hundreds of thousands of
like-minded people and organizations spread wide across the globe.
The people of
this organization are motivated
by what they see. Says Srikanth
Meenakshi, an AIMS India volunteer, “I am astounded by what I see
in India today. It deeply pains me to see the terrible economic
conditions of millions of Indians in our country - struggling to
feed themselves and their children, struggling to find work, and
struggling to maintain their family's health. I see a polity that
cares only for retention of power; a bureaucracy that craves only
to sustain and propagate itself; a system of democracy that
engenders corruption in those who practice it. I see the elite and
the literati of the society walk away either unmindful or scornful
of their plight. I see derisive cynicism masquerading as
intelligent analysis; people saying that these things will never
improve or that it is all the fault of the "system" or that "the
people get the government they deserve", or "what can I do as an
individual, I will only get myself dirty in the ditch", all the
while ignoring the fact that it is their bounded duty to fix the
things that are broken“.
To counter these
negative trends that are dominating the society in India is an
enormous challenge. When AIMS India wanted to begin its quest,
the one thing they did not have to worry about was finding a place
to start. They easily realized they could start anywhere in India.
Also, they were confident that any positive, sustainable change
they bring about would only percolate across barriers throughout
the nation.
They started their journey in Tamil Nadu – specifically five districts
in the state where they were able to identify stimulated and enthusiastic
young volunteers who were as keen on social progress as they were.
Thus Coimbatore, Chennai, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, and Salem
became the launch pads for AIMS India Foundation in their mission
to “Bring People Together” to stimulate volunteerism and
bring about effective and sustainable progress. In these various
districts, AIMS India is executing a variety of projects in the
areas of health care, education, and
eco-awareness.
The modus operandi of this organization spans the seas that separate
the two countries (US and India) with ease, thanks to the advances
in the communications using the Internet. Every district in India
has a co-coordinator who has a counter part in USA.. Project proposals
are driven by the needs of people as identified by the AIMS India
volunteers in the respective district chapters. As proposals flow
to the US organization, the board of directors of the organization
and volunteer participants decide on the structure, funding, and
calendar of the execution of the projects (Please refer to diagram
below). The important thing to note is that most of the requirements
and project identification work in India, where the people understand
their needs best.
AIMS India focuses on health care/hygiene, education and eco-awareness
projects.
A main avenue for raising funds is organizing cultural events
in USA which serve the twin purpose of raising money for the projects
as well as providing a platform for advocating the causes and
efforts of the organization among the people to generate a spirit
of participation and social awareness.
That in essence is what AIMS India does best – “Bringing people
together”, as their motto says – to think, speak, act, donate,
contribute and participate towards bringing about a better society.
A motley collection of 7 people has today evolved into an organization
of over 200 volunteers in both US and India. “Anybody could be
an AIMS India volunteer”, says Vijay Anand, one of the
founding members of the organization, “It is a long journey ahead
of us. If we all come together, not only can the journey be fun,
we can also reach our destination sooner”.
If you are inspired
and like to be part of AIMS India, visit http://www.aimsindia.net
|
