All of us share common destinies. We live by hope, dream of a better tomorrow, fear failure and revel in success. With chaos flooding our world, we are constantly looking for stories of hope. Those silver linings that inspire and fill us up with a can- do optimism.

The story of ASHA is one such uplifting story of hope.

It began with a feisty lady called Zerbanoo Gifford who dared to challenge the all-white male bastion of politicians in Britain. A Zoroastrian-Indian by birth, Zerbanoo’s parents immigrated to London when she was just five. Having spent her formative years of her life in India with her grandmother, she was deeply moved by how the poor lived. As a seven-year-old, Zerbanoo came up with an ingenious plan. She made little cloth flags and sold them for a penny each outside her father’s hotel in London. After she collected ten pounds, she posted it to the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, with a note that said, “This is for the poor children of India.” Chacha Nehru, as he was popularly known, wrote back to the little girl with a big heart, saying, “If every girl in England did what you did, there would be fewer poor children in India.” Years later, Zerbanoo was presented the Nehru Centenary Award for internationally championing the rights of women, children and minorities.

UNITED IN HOPE: (top) Fatima from the UK and Tatiana from Columbia discuss how they can be catalysts of change; (bottom) Zerbanoo with a member from an African charity that has a tie up with the ASHA centre

The anecdote speaks of Zerbanoo’s desire to improve the lives of those less privileged. She made history as the first ethnic woman to contest elections in Britain. It meant breaking glass ceilings, facing horrendous prejudice, being ridiculed by sceptics who were threatened by the lady who was determined to be a catalyst of change.

Apart from being compared to Halley’s Comet that lights up the sky every 75 years, Zerbanoo, who is married to human rights lawyer Richard Gifford, has been described as Durga, the invincible Indian war goddess who breathes fire and fights injustice. When her detractors tried to pull the carpet from under her signature shoes, she had the courage to walk away from the world of self-serving politicians. She instead inves-ted her energies into creating an ideal world for generation next. As a former advisor to the British Home Secretary and chair of the Race Relations Forum, she realised how crucial it was for the younger generation to celebrate their differences instead of going to war about them.

Knowing that it is the youth who inherit the world, she created the ASHA Centre in the Royal Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, which was the magical setting for Harry Potter and Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

WORK AND PLAY: (left) Youth workers and volunteers at the ASHA Centre; (right) Khalid Mia addressing youth workers at an intercultural programme in Poland

ASHA, which means hope and righteousness in Persian and Hindi, is a haven for the young leaders of tomorrow. It is a breathtaking five-acre estate that rolls out a warm welcome to youth workers and volunteers from the Europe, the Middle East, African countries and India. It is here that the youth are empowered and trained by thought leaders. The workshops on leadership, conflict resolution, peace building and self-awareness, apart from sustainable development, inculcate a healthy respect for the environment.

Doctors and teachers from Palestine, Jordan and Egypt have been sponsored at the ASHA Centre, as have under-privileged women from India. “With more than 30 countries passing through every programme, I do believe that the world conver-ges at ASHA,” says 33-year-old Khalid Mia, pursuing a career in international politics. “You get to build an incredible network of friends the world over.” Khalid now addresses seminars on multiculturalism in Egypt, Cyprus, Palestine, Bulgaria, and Romania, as he informs them about the work that the UK charity does.

HOME FRONT The ASHA centre, the old Georgian house in the Royal Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, which is the hub of all activity

“We have created a pan-European network. The Mediterranean partnership window can be seen as bringing humanity back to people,” he says.

Lucie Klein, a French graduate, adm-itted that being at ASHA has helped her reinstate her faith in her generation. “I am very positive that we can make a difference,” she says, giving Zerbanoo the entire credit for creating an environment where they can confidently say, ‘Yes, we can’. “I’ve met people here who are doing such good work. Like a 19-year-old from Romania who has started an NGO and wants to bring about a change. ASHA is radiating light because there are so many youth who come here and take back so much with them,” states the French volunteer with a passion for theatre.

Vojislav Vujic, a strapping young political worker from Siberia who arri-ved for the ‘Youth in Action programme’ at the ASHA Centre, was so inspired by Zerbanoo’s story that he took a leaf out of her book. “Zerbanoo has been a path breaker. I want to follow in her footsteps.” Vojislav provides support for new youth organisations in Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro. He dreams of having a youth centre in the Balkans, which will be based on the ASHA principles.

“I want to create an ASHA centre where people can come and give a part of themselves. It will be an inspiration to many. This is what the world needs. I wish that ASHA will continue to have more power and like the explosion of the sun, parts of it will go back to the sun, helping to create other suns worldwide,” he says, with touching sincerity.

Whilst most leaders just talk about peace and ridding the world of racial, gender, ethnic and religious prejudice, Zerbanoo actually took up the gauntlet. “It is here that real peace building is done. I have always believed that it is the right moment in history. It’s the moment to bring together young leaders across different cultures and faiths, to understand that they can bring about change in the world and leave behind the legacy that will transform not only their life, but the lives of whole communities and our planet which we have shamelessly polluted and raped with our insatiable greed,” says Zerbanoo.

Nothing can be more powerful than instilling in the young, confidence and courage so that they can make the world a better place.

The future is about interfaith dialogue, respect for other people’s way of living, communication skills and true community leadership that engages people and helps them realise their unique potential.

The historic 500-year-old Georgian Home which is now the ASHA Centre gives the youth an opportunity to do volunteer work as well as become active participants in co-creating and developing their destinies and the communities around them. wknd@khaleejtimes.com

(For general enquiries, you can connect with the ASHA Centre on contact@ashacentre.org.)