International Association for Human Values
Encyclopedia
The International Association of Human Values (IAHV), a non-profit organisation founded in Geneva in 1997, develops and implements personal development programs that encourage the practice of human values in everyday life. It also oversees socio-economic development projects that aim at sustainability, forums for dialogue, and community education programs that raise awareness of shared values among diverse cultures.
IAHV upholds that the incorporation of human values into all aspects of life will ultimately lead to the development of a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
In fostering human values, the Association works in collaboration with partners dedicated to similar goals, including governments, educational institutions, other NGOs, corporations and individuals. IAHV is an international NGO in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Listing of 5H activities in India:
The contributions of the 5H program have been recognised as follows:
The first YLTP in the United States was held in Brownsville, Texas
, in the summer of 2002. The youth leaders have conducted several awareness camps in the rural areas of Texas
, Mexico
and Belize
.
Starting immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast, IAHV volunteers have been conducting trauma and stress relief courses for the people of New Orleans and the greater gulf region.
In April 2007, His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited New Orleans and met with Mayor Ray Nagin to establish new programs working toward a Stress Free, Violence Free New Orleans.
's visits to Pakistan
, Kosovo
, Jammu and Kashmir in India, and Sri Lanka
.
IAHV upholds that the incorporation of human values into all aspects of life will ultimately lead to the development of a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
In fostering human values, the Association works in collaboration with partners dedicated to similar goals, including governments, educational institutions, other NGOs, corporations and individuals. IAHV is an international NGO in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Honorary Members
- The Honorable Nirj DevaNirj DevaNiranjan Joseph "Nirj" De Silva Deva-Aditya FRSA DL is a politician from the United Kingdom. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been a Member of the European Parliament representing South East England since 1999...
, Member of European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... - The Honorable Erika MannErika MannErika Julia Hedwig Mann was a German actress and writer, the eldest daughter of novelist Thomas Mann and Katia Mann.-Life:...
, Member of European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... - The Honorable Ketumile Masire, Former President of BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
- Justice S.N. Bhargava, Commissioner, Human Rights (Northeast), IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- The Honorable Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Prime Minister of MauritiusMauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
- The Honorable Mireya Moscoso Rodriguez, President, Republic of Panama
5H Program
The 5H program adopts a holistic approach to social upliftment. The five main areas of focus are Health, Homes, Hygiene, Human Values, and Harmony in Diversity. In the wake of disaster, volunteers have provided trauma relief support to the victims of the Iran Earthquake, Rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, 9/11 attacks in New York, Gujarat Earthquake, and Indonesia Floods. The 5H program also works to foster self-empowerment among people, and to achieve this 5H volunteers have led literacy projects that cover traditional education and vocational training. A strong focus area of all 5H projects has been women’s empowerment, i.e. training women in different vocations and promoting health, hygiene, harmony and leadership in young women.Listing of 5H activities in India:
- Adopted 25,000 villages in 25 States
- Organised 12,857 medical camps benefiting 430,000 people
- Conducted 28,350 hygiene camps on indoor and outdoor pollution and sanitation
- Planted 1.3 million trees
- Created 50 model villages that are clean, hygienic, alcohol and tobacco free
- Conducted over 75,000 free Breath - Water - Sound workshops benefiting 2.3 million people.
The contributions of the 5H program have been recognised as follows:
- 5H Day proclaimed by Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA, 2004 - Certificate of Honour awarded by Board of Supervisors of the City & County of San Francisco, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA, 2002 - Letter of appreciation awarded by Senator Dianne FeinsteinDianne FeinsteinDianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA, 2001 - Certificate of Congressional Recognition was awarded by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson LeeSheila Jackson LeeSheila Jackson Lee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. The district includes most of inner-city Houston. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life and education:...
, Houston, TX, 2001
YLTP - Youth Leadership Training Program
Youth Leadership Training Program started in 1999 under the auspices of the 5H program with the aim to revive and enrich communities by empowering youth through training programs in areas such as personal development, health, hygiene and community development. One additional aim is to generate long term employment for unemployed youngsters. Trained youth are then responsible for educating villagers in rural areas to help them identify local problems and come up with viable solutions for them. YLTP has conducted most workshops in India, where it was founded.The first YLTP in the United States was held in Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, in the summer of 2002. The youth leaders have conducted several awareness camps in the rural areas of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
.
Starting immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast, IAHV volunteers have been conducting trauma and stress relief courses for the people of New Orleans and the greater gulf region.
In April 2007, His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited New Orleans and met with Mayor Ray Nagin to establish new programs working toward a Stress Free, Violence Free New Orleans.
Forums for Dialogue
IAHV has hosted numerous conferences and peace initiatives since its inception. Its conferences aim at bringing together different parties to raise awareness of human values and their inextricable links to spirituality and development. Peace Initiatives have included the foundation's work and Sri Sri Ravi ShankarSri Sri Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar usually known as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, born Ravi Shankar Ratnam, born 13 May 1956) is a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation , which aims at relieving individual stress, societal problems and violence. It is an NGO with UNESCO consultative status...
's visits to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Jammu and Kashmir in India, and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
External links
- Official Website
- Charity Review by Better Business Bureau, December 2009