Who is your Diversity Hero for 2009?

Welcome to Diversity Today – a blog which celebrates difference.

We are celebrating 2009 with the launching of our new blog in honor of Diversity Heroes. We define a diversity hero as someone who embraces difference and dedicates their lives to building bridges between people and across difference.

Our Diversity Hero for 2009 is:  His Holiness Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj (Pujya Swamiji) - President of Parmarth Niketan Ashram (parmarth.com) and Founder/Chairman of the Indian Heritage Research Foundation (ihrf.com), non-profit international humanitarian organizations.

Millions of people all over the world consider Pujya Swamiji to be a Saint, Humanitarian and World Leader. These descriptors are meaningless to the incredibly humble and dedicated spiritual leader who travels around the world and works tirelessly to bring people together and help those who are suffering. His organizations fund orphanages, schools, and a multitude of programs and humanitarian work initiatives covering an amazing spectrum of issues, some of which are: disaster relief, poverty, youth education, health care, women’s rights,  rural development and environmental concerns.

Pujya Swamiji has a fundamental belief in unity, harmony and in infinite paths to God.

Together with the World’s greatest Religious and Political Leaders, he leads and serves on numerous international and interfaith groups and events (the World Economic Forum, World Council on Religious Leaders, World Conference of Religions for Peace, UN Global Youth Peace Summit), the most recent of which was last week in Melbourne, Australia at the Parliament of World Religions. (http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/).

To learn more about Pujya Swamiji and his work around the world, go to: http://www.parmarth.com

Because H.H. Pujya Swamiji embodies intercultural grace, kindness and dedicated service to the unity and harmony of all people – we have chosen Him to be our Diversity Hero of 2009.

 Who is your Diversity Hero for 2009?