International Association for Human Values

The International Association of Human Values (IAHV), a non-profit organisation founded in Geneva in 1997 develops and promotes programs of personal development to encourage the practice of human values in everyday life. It also has programs of community education that foster greater awareness of the shared values among the diverse cultures.

IAHV upholds 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.

Founding Members

* Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
* Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama
* Basdeo Pandey, Former Prime Minister of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
* Sir Ketumile Masire, former President of Botswana
* Justice Bhargava, Commissioner, Human Rights (Northeast), India
* Naveen Ramgulam, Former President of Mauritius
* Mireya Moscoso Rodriguez, President, Republic of Panama (Honorary Member)

Programs

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 past, the volunteers of the 5H program have provided support at the time of the Iran Earthquake, Rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, 9/11 attacks, Gujarat Earthquake, and Indonesia Floods. The 5H program aims to bring about self-empoverment among people to achieve this 5H volunteers have lead literacy projects covering traditional education and vocational training. A strong focus area of all of 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 4,30,000 people
*Conducted 28,350 cleaning camps on indoor and outdoor pollution and sanitation
*Planted 1.3 million trees
*Created 50 model villages, these are 100% 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 Proclamaed by Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, California, USA, 2004
* Certificate of Honour awarded by Board of Supervisors of the City & County of San Francisco, California, USA, 2002
* Letter of appreciation awarded by Senator Dianne Feinstein, California, USA, 2001
* Certificate of Congressional Recognition was awarded by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston, TX, 2001

YLTP - Youth Leadership Training Program

Youth Leadership Training Program is a program started in 1999 under the 5H program with an aim to assist the youth by conducting training programs in areas such as health, hygiene and solid waste management. The aim is to generate long term employment for unemployed youngsters. These trained youth are then responsible for educating villagers in rural areas with the knowledge they have acquired to help villagers identify problems and come up with solutions to overcome them. 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 to 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.

External links

* [http://www.iahv.org Official Website]