'Shanti Ashram is a creative laboratory where the problems faced by our communities can be both identified and provided with constructive solutions. Our spiritual motivation inspires us to be engaged in social action'.
For the past 30 years, Shanti Ashram has been accompanying communities and individuals in their efforts to move out of poverty, address inequalities, build creative leaders and ensure sustained development. Through a commitment to constructive social action, the Ashram strives to serve as a catalyst to empower the different sections of rural communities, and the society at large.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Sarvodaya, the Ashram was founded in 1986 by Dr. Aram and Mrs. Minoti Aram, along with fellow Gandhians. Locally, our work touches the lives of nearly 250,000 people today in the immediate service area. Standing alongside this service outreach is our collaborative work with over 215 institutions global and local. They are committed members of the partnership platform established as part of the silver jubilee celebrations of Shanti Ashram.
The Ashram’s innovative ‘Development Practice’ draws on this particular but integrated implementing architecture. It has also led to closer and meaningful interactions with people, communities, institutions and governments. Shanti Ashram has a dedicated full-time staff of 50 people and a five member executive team. Over 200 volunteers enthusiastically contribute to our work on a regular basis.
The Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Peace, Leadership and Development was the Ashram’s Silver Jubilee dedication to the community. The vision of the institute is to realize the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi and contribute to developing leadership capacities amongst young students and professionals by academic collaborations, inter-generational ideation and re-imagined partnerships. Over 128 academic institutions work with Shanti Ashram today.
ICPH is an Innovative model for integrating primary care with public health, where the best of global knowledge steers our comprehensive interventions for children.
A Consortium for empowering women through entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation and collective action. Two significant outcome of the path breaking work of the Gandhian movement in general and Shanti Ashram in particular is the empowerment of rural women & recognition of the critical role women have in shaping society’s present & the future. This creative consortium co-developed with rural women, development organizations and donors, financial institutions & business schools has been collaborating to work for women’s entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation and collective action. On ground 86 entrepreneurs spread across 23 villages form part of the consortium.
All our projects, ongoing programmes and centers of excellence
Along this three decade journey, the dedicated team at Shanti Ashram has always taken the time to pause and reflect on the impact of our development practice, the new frontiers we continue to explore with our partner organizations and to celebrate the inspiring stories of change that our women, youth and children share with us in our everyday encounters.
Our service, knowledge & policy outreach provides a template to visualize our future direction. At the heart of this dedication is our complete commitment to active peace-building, being and becoming ‘Instruments for Peace’ as St. Francis of Assisi referred to in his prayer.
PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research
Masonic Medical Center for Children
Avinashilingam University for Women
Haute Ecole de la Sante La Source (HEdS La Source)
Rotary
Eine Welt Laden