India's social warrior to now heal Asia

From Kerala to Assam, from Africa to Sierra Leone, his are the ears that heard the cries from the corners of India and the world.
His are the eyes that saw the plight of the war-ravaged, the poverty-stricken, the malnourished, tormented and mutilated lives. His is the mind that couldn''t keep quiet, forcing his hands to work ceaselessly for innumerable causes all aimed at bringing back hope and justice to the unfortunate.
For John Samuel, former director of National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS), being appointed as the new international director for Asia of ActionAid, a universal NGO working in over 45 countries for social justice in last 30 years, has only strengthened his resolve to carry on the fight.
As Samuel is now in-charge of community education all over the world, he plans to work extensively for human rights.
"Rights can''t be given, they have to be claimed by the individuals. That''s why, all our plans target individual participation," he elaborates.
In 11 Asian countries, including China and Cambodia, ActionAid has already started Right to food and AIDS awareness programmes, the funds being generated from paper recycling plants and other special environmental enterprises.
"Apart from this, we have started aggressive campaigns in Australia and Japan for youth awareness regarding global disparity. Trained personnel are now appointed to educate and handle the media in all these countries. I''m am sure we will connect at least 100,000 youngsters from affluent as well as developing countries," he says, with the conviction of a social warrior.
Though a Keralite by birth, there is no particular identity attached to Samuel. "I was brought up in the 1970s, an era when student activism was in its prime, which is a blessing and curse. Blessing because it made me thoroughly aware of social discrepancies and inspired me to act, and a curse because I can''t stop myself from getting involved in any movement for a social cause," Samuel explains.
As a student, Samuel learnt valuable lessons from the Silent Valley and Save Education movements, edited his own social awareness journal Echo for four years and wandered all over India with his street theatre group, Bodhi.
"Pune was my headquarters for quite a long time, as I developed from a student to a journalist and activist. I remember writing on social issues for The Times of India," he grins.
It was in Aizwal, the capital of Mizoram, that he felt the need to be involved in the larger picture. "I had mobilised a group there to educate the whole community, but the limitations on my work made me restless, making me join NCAS," he says. Samuel doesn''t believe in ''affluent'' charity, but social justice for ''smaller people''.
"I saw the inhuman conditions that people in Vietnam and Sierra Leone have survived and I have seen the countries that have thrust this condition on them. Donations help for some time, but Action Aid believes in investing in communities. Our latest programme, apart from Karma-Mitra, which assures benefits and incentives on charity, is called Invest In A Generation, to ensure a fair global media forum and leadership training for youth in 45 countries. We''ll reap our returns when an aware, healthy and fair leadership will lead the world some day."