Mr. Tushar Gandhi

Mr. Tushar Gandhi (b.17th January 1960) is the great-grandson of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Mahatma. Tushar is a socio-political activist of peace issues, who also heads the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation.

In 2000, he was instrumental to initiate the “Mahatma of the World Wide Web project” with the help of the Non Resident Indians of the TIE group of USA, an association of Silicon Valley Billionaries of Indian origins. Tushar was also appointed to a sub committee of the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti by the Prime Minister of India.

In 2001, Tushar was invited by the NGO “Peace Initiatives”, to join a group of journalists and social activists to visit the strife torn Kashmir, to interact with the leaders of the separatist “Hurriyat Conference”, the police and the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir with the aim to explore the possibility of achieving peace through development and economic programmes.

A noted Gandhian himself, he has been involved with the US based NGO “Seeds for Peace” which works with children from various strife torn regions of the world, at their camp in Maine.

In 2002, Tushar was invited to London by EMMA, a minorities cultural organization, to receive the Immortal Legends award on behalf of his great-grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi. In the autumn of 2002, Tushar was invited by the Lord Mayor of London to participate and speak at a seminar organized under the auspices of the Black History Month celebrated by the GLA. Tushar also spoke at the Inner Temple Society on “Human Rights post September 11: The Role of the Judiciaty”. Along with Ms. Yolanda King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King jr.; Ms. Zindzi Mandela, daughter of Nelson Mandela; Ms. Attallah Shahbazz, daughter of Malcom X; and Mr. Gamal Nkurmah, son of Kwame Nkurmah, Tushar was the main speaker at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture at the Nehru Centre in London.

A member of the Indian National Congress, Tushar has been active in protesting against religious fundamentalism and fanaticism of any kind. The Mahatma Gandhi Foundation has helped in establishing peace through mutually dependent relationships between religious communities by partnering with local groups.

In 2005, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the famous Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, in defiance of the Salt monopoly of the British rule, Tushar organized a walk for Peace, Justice and Freedom. The 241 miles (385.6 KM) long walk was completed along with over 600 marchers from India, Pakistan and all over the world.

In April 2005, the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation and Tushar were awarded the first Mahatma Mahaveer Award by the TIMES Foundation in recognition of his work in promoting the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.

Tushar strives to create one of India’s biggest electronic archive on the World Wide Web to help Bridge the digital divide that threatens to widen the economic and developmental gap between the “Have Too Much” and the “Have Nothing” segments of the Indian population; and to provide educational, healthcare and employment opportunities to the economically weaker and rural sections of India.

Besides doing a cameo as himself in the Bollywood flick ‘He’ Ram’ based on the life of the Mahatma, Tushar has also written a chapter for a book on the importance of Country Level Domain Names on the internet. He has long been crusading popularize the India specific Country Code Top Level Domain .in on the World Wide Web.

Related Links -
www.mahatma.org.in
www.mahatmagandhi.org.in

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Dr. Susan Perry-Hinton

Dr. Susan Perry-Hinton a Good Will Ambassador/Facilitator of IIMSAM holds a Doctorate Degree in Pharmacy from Xavier University in New Orleans Louisiana and a BS Degree in Biology from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa Alabama. She is President and co-owner of Mag-Lou Enterprises LLC, a distribution and consultant company established in 2003. In September of 2004 Dr. Hinton was featured in The New York Times for her invention of the Perry Potty Portable Toilet Seat. The company distributes its patented product and provides pharmacy consultant services to learning institutions, minority healthcare clinics and long term care facilities. Presently she is a Consultant Pharmacist serving numerous long term care facilities to answer questions and solve pharmacy related problems and issues. Recently she served as a Research Pharmacist for Xavier University and Co-Investigator in a NIAAA-funded study designed to scientifically evaluate the efficacy of pharmacist-mediated brief intervention in preventing HIV & Alcohol abuse in minorities. Previously she served in numerous management, administrative and teaching positions such as ; Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Ambulatory Care Services at Xavier University and Chief Pharmacist for several retail chains. Dr. Hinton also serves as Co-Pastor of the City of Refuge Christian Center.

Dr. Perry-Hinton holds certifications in Open Air-way Asthma Management, Smoking Cessation, Diabetes and HIV Management. She has served on numerous professional committees, and co-authored and submitted numerous manuscripts, abstracts, and poster presentations in the area of HIV and Alcohol Prevention. In 2005-2006 she was enlisted as a member of WHO'S WHO among Executives and Professionals.

Dr. Perry- Hinton appreciates that being a Goodwill Ambassador with IIMSAM will strengthen her ability of fulfill her life long commitment and passion to help the sick, feed the hungry and assist the needy and less fortunate worldwide. She feels confident that Spirulina, a food supplement that IIMSAM promote, is a powerful vehicle to assist in the global efforts to eradicate malnutrition and disease, decrease obesity, and improve the quality of life for many who need it.

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Mr. Carmelo Castiglione

As an IIMSAM Goodwill Ambassador Carmelo Castiglione's role would be instrumental in facilitating the organization's initiatives that are aimed to counter severe malnutrition and to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals through cooperation with the Italian Republic a Member State of IIMSAM's Intergovernmental Treaty aimed at using Micro Algae Spirulina in order to realize its mandate to make Spirulina a key driver to eradicate malnutrition, achieve food security and to bridge the health divide globally.

His role would play an instrumental role in various initiatives of the IIMSAM to realise a world free of hunger and malnutrition by using his sphere of influence to highlight the immense plight of the peoples of the world caused by malnutrition; and would raise various resources through the Italian Government and other stakeholders necessary to make Spirulina a key-driver to achieve global food security and bridge the health divide.

H.E. Castiglione Selected Political Experiences are listed below:

• March 2003 – June 2008 Delegate to the provincial council – Agrigento, Italy
  • President of the Agricultural commission
• March 2003 – June 2008 President of the regional institute of animal prophylaxis – Palermo, Italy
  • Responsible for research activities;
  • Responsible for institutional activities;
  • Responsible for regional veterinarian activities
• March 1998 – March 2003 President of the provincial council – Agrigento, Italy
  • Responsible for institutional activities of the council;
• March 1987 – June 1988 Major of Licata – Licata, (Ag), Italy
  • Responsible for city’s activities;
• March 1985 – June 1993 Delegate to town council – Licata, (Ag), Italy

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Ms. E. Nana-Fosu Randall

Ms. E. Nana-Fosu Randall, IIMSAM's Special Adviser and Facilitator for Africa with special focus on Ghana, Tanzania, Liberia and Uganda. She was born in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana and received her early education in Ghana and England. She holds a bachelors degree in accounting from Hampton University, Virginia, an MBA in Finance from the New York Institute of Technology and has had more than 29 years of experience in the Accounts Division of the United Nations.

Her years with the UN included many fieldwork missions, as well as at the UN Headquarters. Among other assignments, she served in 1990 as Chief Finance Officer to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, Chief Finance Officer to the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission from 1991-1993, Chief Revenue, Trust Funds and Technical Cooperation Section of the UN, from 1998-2000. In 2001 and 2002 she had a special posting as Chief Administrative Officer for the UN International Commission in the Ivory Coast and the UN Officer of Peace Building Activities in Liberia. She served as treasurer of the UN African Mothers Association, and most recently as Senior Special Assistant to the Director of the UN Accounts Division.

Nana-Fosu Randall has seen much suffering during her service with the UN. She developed an opinion: “Wars do not build nations; wars destroy them. Wars bring unnecessary pain, hunger, distress and suffering especially to the women and children. She believes that there is an alternative to war; the promotion of peace, the sharing of resources and the creation of understanding among all people.” With those thoughts in mind she, along with a group of friends founded Voices of African Mothers.

Related Links:
Voices of African Mothers

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Ms. Celine Ebere Osukwu

Ms. Celine Ebere Osukwu was born in Nigeria during the Civil War. A victim of infantile sickness, she became disabled later during her childhood. Against all odds, discrimination, and marginalization that Ms. Osukwu faced as a girl child and a disabled person, she forged ahead in her life securing basic education and graduating from the University of Benin in Nigeria. Later, she attained a Master`s degree from the University of Middlesex in London. In 2004, Ms. Osukwu completed an internship at UN Headquarters in New York with the Deptartment of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

Ms. Osukwu comes to IIMSAM with a wealth of knowledge in the field of Gender Relations and Conflict Management. She also possesses an extensive and varied experience in the sustainable development issues, her work with the NGO`s in the field of women empowerment, the Girl Child and other related issues that hd made her an asset to all those entities of which she was associated with in the past, in her effort to make the world a better place.

Ms. Osukwu will be working on project-development and implementation for IIMSAM in the field of malnutrition and sustainable development and in support of the UN MDGs most important goal that is the eradication of Hunger and Poverty.

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H.E. Mr. John Suran

H.E. Mr. John Suran [Vanuatu] was appointed by the Prime Minister of Vanuatu as the Chairperson for the Disability Promotion & Advocacy Council (Vanuatu) from year 2000-2006 that deals especially with the rights and employment and other matters of the disabled peoples of Vanuatu. As the Chairperson for Disabled People of Vanuatu, he was responsible for attending and observing the Special Body Meeting for the extension of Decade for Person's with Disability in the Asia-Pacific Region from 2003 - 2012. He represented the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Government Delegation of Vanuatu at the meeting that assembled for the adoption of the extension of Decade for Person's with Disability in the Asia-Pacific from 2003 - 2012 and also for the Capacity Building for Sustainable Tourism in the Asia-Pacific Region. He was invited by the UN to represent as a leader of Vanuatu and the Pacific and was nominated by our government to participate in the Ad-hoc meeting on the Rights of Disabled Peoples within the UN in New York . H.E. John Suran was appointed Special-Envoy of IIMSAM POMUN to Vanuatu in October 2005.

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Mr. Enrique S. Sarfati

Mr. Enrique S. Sarfati is an Engineer-Agronomist who is Resident Representative and Special Adviser on Disability Issues to the Republic of Argentina . Mr. Sarfati has had a long and impressive career as an agronomist and he is a staunch advocate for the advancement of the rights of disabled peoples in the Latin American Region. Mr. Sarfati was designated as the best Agronomist of Argentina in the year 2003. He has conducted numerous studies on the issues that concern the advancement of the disabled as well as participated as an NGO and on the Argentinean delegation to the various Sessions of the UN Ad-Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.

He is IIMSAM 's Resident Representative to the Republic of Argentina & Special Envoy for Malnutrition and United Nations' MDGs.

Related Links:
UN Convention on the Human Rights of People with Disabilities, 8th Session of the ad-hoc committee, Background paper by Mr. Sarfati, 30 May 2006

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H. E. Mr. Perry Hughes

H. E. Mr. Perry Hughes, IIMSAM's Goodwill Ambassador Facilitator, is described by the press as a "music mogul", and is a major figure in the music and entertainment business; perhaps best known as the manager of opera sensation Russell Watson. Mr. Hughes also manages a number of the new generation of world- class recording artists including tenor Jon Christos, jazz singers /songwriters Rick Guard & Kristyna Myles, baritone Robert Meadmore and sopranos Juliette Pochin and Hannah Clarke. Mr. Hughes is also a founding partner of the Roots Music Group, an independent record company based in Manchester, United Kingdom that includes Roots Music Management and Roots Music Publishing.

Mr. Hughes is actively involved in contemporary issues that impact the humankind. His association with the United Nations as part of music and charity activities has made him traverse much of the globe where he has interacted with various international figures, such as the Pope John Paul II, Mrs. Cherie Blair and President George W. Bush as well as some of the biggest names from the world of sport, music, film and TV.

At a local level, Mr. Hughes is actively involved with a number of charities in Manchester including The Red Cross, The Kirsty Howards Appeal, The Prince's Trust, Help The Aged, Christies and Alderhay Hospitals among many others.

Mr. Hughes is very much a family man and also a lifelong Manchester City supporter. What little free time he has after his work and familycommitments, sees him cheering on 'the blues' at the new City Stadium in Manchester.

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Calvin Dean Hinton Sr.

Calvin Dean Hinton Sr., Principal Advisor to the Director-General in matters and initiatives concerning IIMSAM in the Asian region, has a Masters in Adapted Physical Education from University of New Orleans and a Bachelor of Science in Health & Physical Education from Alabama A&M University in Normal, Alabama. Mr. Hinton has devoted over 30 years of his life as an Adapted Physical Education Specialist working with students of various exceptionalities. These exceptionalities include severe/profound, physically challenged /disabled pre-schoolers, autistic, mentally challenged cerebral palsy, etc. He has also assisted with special events, such as, Special Olympics, Deaf Olympics and an annual Special Track & Field Day for special needs children. Additional he serves as Co-Director of Tulane University Youth Summer Day Camp Ripples which is currently recognized as the number one youth day camp in the United States. Furthermore Mr. Hinton is Senior Pastor of the City of Refuge Christian Center and CFO of Mag-Lou Enterprises LLC.

Mr. Hinton recognizes that being apart of IIMSAM gives him an opportunity to help positively impact children on a national and international level.

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