Mahesh Wasnik
The Ambedkar Association of North America (AANA), a US-based nonprofit organization, donated Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches (BAWS) Volumes to the Harvard University Library at Harvard Yard, 1, Cambridge, MA 02138, on March 8th, 2024. A total of 18 volumes were donated to this university library. Today was a historical day for the AANA and Ambedkarite communities, which are based in the United States of America.
Dr. Santosh Raut (Maitriveer Nagarjuna), a senior research fellow, was instrumental in the process of making donations by fulfilling technical formalities and making an entry in the Harvard Library. The official formalities were initiated with the required process to make it happen. Dr. Santosh Raut has expressed his sincere gratitude to the faculties that received the books and to the Ambedkar Association of North America for donating all the printed writings and speeches of our hero and ideal Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The BAWS books will be available for all students to access in their research, which is needed more than ever before in the fields of humanities, religious studies, economics, and other relevant fields of study. As we all know, Babasaheb Ambedkar has written extensively on various subjects, be it politics, world religions, judiciary, economics, sociology, anthropology, theology, human psychology, social justice, social reforms, pedagogies, and also the Indian Constitution.
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Its influence, wealth, and rankings have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world, with 25,266 undergraduate and graduate students, 19,639 faculty and staff, and 400k+ alumni worldwide. Through continued efforts at inclusion and belonging, Harvard has built a community comprising many backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.
It’s a matter of joy for the entire Ambedkarite community that upcoming and future generations of scholars at the University of Harvard will benefit from accessing the writings of such an ocean of wisdom.
In the past, AANA has donated BAWS books to Wayne State University Michigan, the University of Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Eastern Mennonite University, the University of Delaware, North Park University Chicago, North Western University, Pacific University Oregan, Arizona State University, Michigan State University (digital catalog: https://baws.in), the University of Cincinnati, and many more USA-based universities.
AANA has been instrumental in donating books to local libraries in the USA, and many books written by Dr. Ambedkar are in circulation. https://aanausa.org/portfolio/book-donation-in-north-america/
The Ambedkar Association of North America (AANA) was formed in 2008 on the guided principle of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s lifelong work and vision to uplift the downtrodden through education. Education provides the suppressed an opportunity to escape their poverty, experience a better quality of life, and have a voice in their communities. AANA also makes it its mission to spread Buddha’s message of peace and kindness to humanity through cultural, educational, social, and economic activities among the South Asian Diaspora in North America.
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