BIG NEWS about My Indian Mother

Parent Cafe
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<p>Those of you who have been around this site long enough will remember when my daughter and I went to south India to help out two days after the tsunami hit in December 2004. I reported regularly here, and to my blog. Some of you were very generous in helping out. The folks I worked with there - Land for Tillers Freedom (LAFTI) - are folks I have been working with for more than 30 years. We have managed to find a way to provide land to 13,000 landless Dalit (“untouchable”) women (representing some 100,000 people), and help them convert their homes from rat-infested mud huts to small brick homes. I have also founded a foundation to continue to help with the work - [Friends</a> of LAFTI Foundation](<a href=“http://www.friendsoflafti.org%5DFriends”>http://www.friendsoflafti.org) - and edited an oral biography about my adopted Indian parents called “The Color of Freedom”.</p>

<p>Well, two big things have happened:</p>

<p>Krishnammal Jagannathan and Land for Tillers Freedom (LAFTI) has been named as a finalist for this year’s Opus Prize, which will be awarded in Seattle at Benaroya Hall on Tuesday evening, November 18th. She was nominated through Seattle University, which is hosting three days of events, November 17-19. Information about the award and about her work can be found in the following links:</p>

<p>[Seattle</a> University - University news - Seattle University and Opus Foundation announce finalists for humanitarian service award](<a href=“http://www.seattleu.edu/home/news_events/news/news_detail.asp?elID=99200891324&elYear=2008]Seattle”>http://www.seattleu.edu/home/news_events/news/news_detail.asp?elID=99200891324&elYear=2008)</p>

<p>[Seattle</a> University - Opus Prize 2008 - Award Recipients - Krishnammal Jagannathan](<a href=“http://www.seattleu.edu/opusprize/recipients_krishnammal.asp]Seattle”>http://www.seattleu.edu/opusprize/recipients_krishnammal.asp)</p>

<p>[Seattle</a> University - Opus Prize 2008](<a href=“http://www.seattleu.edu/opusprize/]Seattle”>http://www.seattleu.edu/opusprize/)</p>

<p>[The</a> Opus Prize | 2008 Nominees](<a href=“http://www.opusprize.org/winners/08_Jagannathan.cfm]The”>http://www.opusprize.org/winners/08_Jagannathan.cfm)</p>

<p>"Currently in its fifth year, the Opus Prize is a $1 million faith-based humanitarian award and two $100,000 awards given annually to recognize unsung heroes working on the front lines of today’s most persistent social problems. Opus Prize winners combine a driving entrepreneurial spirit with an abiding faith to combat social problems, including poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease and injustice. The monetary awards are granted to organizations in honor of the Opus Prize winner.</p>

<p>Established to honor the innovative humanitarian work of those dedicated to helping transform the lives of people facing a future with little or no hope, the Opus Prize recognizes and supports the winners’ extraordinary life commitment to life-changing work. Beyond supporting the humanitarian efforts, the Opus Prize aims to inspire people to pursue service to others."</p>

<p>Krishnammal and two other individuals from LAFTI will be touring the U.S. in the month prior to the award ceremonies, with events thus far planned for Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Raleigh NC, Greenville, SC, Atlanta GA, San Diego, the Bay Area (San Jose/San Franciscio), and finally in Olympia/Seattle. They will arrive in Olympia the morning of the November 13th - when my house becomes an Indian Railway station! If you would like to know about any events in your area, just PM me.</p>

<p>Life on Lens put their wonderful LAFTI video back on their website for us. Here it is:</p>

<p>[Lifeonlens.org</a> - 2. Amma’s journey. India - The Landless Poor.](<a href=“http://www.lifeonlens.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=37]Lifeonlens.org”>http://www.lifeonlens.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=37) </p>

<p>Well, as if that wasn’t enough, today we received word that they and LAFTI have been awarded this year’s Right Livelihood Award - the “alternative” Nobel Prize awarded by the Swedish Parliament. You can read about it at [Right</a> Livelihood Award: Home](<a href=“http://www.rightlivelihood.org%5DRight”>http://www.rightlivelihood.org)</p>

<p>And I get to go to Stockholm in December!</p>

<p>Please feel free to PM me if there’s more info. you’d like to have</p>

<p>david</p>

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<p>Congratulations, David. Bravo to you and your family from all of us who are doing our small part in trying to make this world a better place, and, in doing so, modelling that behavior and passion for our children to continue on in our stead.</p>

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<p>How wonderful! I know the award money will be put to generous use. Congratulations to all of you!</p>

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<p>Many congratulations to you. This is the most heartening thing I’ve read on CC in many weeks. Thanks for posting it.</p>

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<p>WOOHOO!!! Well deserved! Thank you and yours for caring and taking action!</p>

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<p>Thank you David/mini for sharing the news with us and congratulations!</p>

<p>(PS Stockholm is a wonderful city; it has the best breakfast herring I’ve ever had ;)! If you do have some extra time for tourist activities, the Vasa museum is not to be missed).</p>

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<p>Excellent news and congrats.</p>

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<p>That’s just wonderful. Congratulations!</p>

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<p>Really nice work! Congratulations!</p>

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<p>Most hearty congrats!</p>

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<p>Wow, that’s fantastic. Congratulations to you, and thank you for helping make the world a better place.</p>

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<p>Wow, well done, and congratulations!</p>

<p>I have to admit, my first thought while reading this thread:
Mini’s name is David?!?</p>

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<p>Adding one more congratulations to the list! This is wonderful news!</p>

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<p>Congrats, and congrats! Just to clarify, the prize in Stockholm has been won, but the prize in Seattle is a nomination? Perhaps while visiting Seattle she can see someone from the Gates foundation.</p>

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<p>How very wonderful and well deserved!</p>

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<p>Congratulations!</p>

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<p>What a wonderful honor. Congratulations!</p>

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<p>Thank you all for your good wishes. Krishnammal is a finalist for the Opus Prize (in Seattle), which means LAFTI receives a minimum of $100,000. Bill Gates, Sr. sits on the panel that chose the finalist, and there are meetings planned with him, and folks from the Global Development Bank, and others. Events are being organized in Seattle/Eastside, where a director at Microsoft is taking the lead, as well as in Silicon Valley, and Microsoft, Oracle, and several other companies are matching all employee donations. We are hoping to build another 5,000 houses (each costs roughly $2,500, but we have the roofs donated, so, we say, “15,000 dimes build a house.” We are beginning a “Dime-a-Brick” campaign with children taking the lead.</p>

<p>I’ve spent most of the day on the phone (and in e-mail) with various media.</p>

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<p>Great to hear it, mini. The work continues.</p>

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<p>Congratulations mini, I mean David! :)</p>