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Address by Dr. Abraham M. George on November 23, 2009 at Hall of Flags, Commerce Building, Washington, DC.
Honorable Prime Minister of India, other dignitaries and guests,
I wish to thank USIBC for giving me the opportunity to address this distinguished gathering.
India, as we all know, is a country of great strength and untold potential. Much of that potential lies with children -- like the ones you just saw.
If we can find a way to include them as part of India’s success story, it would be a great human triumph. I ask you to imagine what India would be like if we properly educate and prepare the children of the poor for the future -- for their full potential, their creativity, and their drive to create a better life for themselves.
I would like to briefly tell you two such stories of personal triumph. One is the story of a boy named Anith who is now in 12th grade at Shanti Bhavan, whose family lives in a single room dwelling in an urban slum. The other is Karthika, a bright-eyed girl in the 11th grade whose mother provides for her family by breaking rocks in a quarry.
Today, Anith and Karthika, along with their classmates, coming from among the poorest families, have made academic history in India. They are part of the first two batches of Shanti Bhavan students – the entire two classes -- who graduated from high school in first class in the nationally accredited and highly regarded ICSE examinations. Further, over 50% of their classes, passed with distinction. Their stories are stories of human triumph, and an affirmation of the possibilities -- if given the opportunity to succeed.
It is for children like Anith and Karthika that we started Shanti Bhavan. We imagined an India where Karthika and Anith would get a fair shake at fully expressing their potential.
Imagine an India where 100 schools like Shanti Bhavan exist throughout the country, complementing other efforts, to include today’s disadvantaged populations in the productive potential of India. Imagine the implications to the society, to the economy, to our two countries’ shared sense of social justice.
It takes less of an investment than you would think to run a school like Shanti Bhavan -- barely $4 per child per day. When you think about the generational and multiplicative impacts created, it is without doubt a worthwhile investment – with tremendous returns, and equally important, the right thing to do.
Organizations like ours cannot do this work alone. We need the support of institutions and individuals like you who have the capacity and ability to make a difference. I ask you to imagine what India would be like – rich in ideas, innovation, and energy – a country capable of creating more wealth for more people, and an empowered base of consumers and employees – a country ready to seize the opportunity to harnesses the untouched potential of its masses. As it is said…….yes, we can.
Thank you. | 
