The Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship

We live in a multi-cultural society where education and awareness of our diversity is essential. As students, we recognize the necessity of education through experience and its role in creating a cohesive community. To this end, we present the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship.

The Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship was established in 1998 by a group of students in Sangam, a South Asian awareness group at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who sought to create a unique new educational opportunity for their fellow students at UNC. The Fellowship awards two students each year up to $3000 to execute a project of their own design that benefits South Asians in some way, whether it is through direct service or increasing awareness of South Asian culture and issues. There is no restriction on where the project is undertaken nor on the exact nature of the project, just that it apply to South Asian issues in some way. All full-time students at UNC-Chapel Hill are welcome to apply.

To date, MGF has sponsored eighteen Triangle-area students since the Fellowship's inception. Past fellows have been involved in a wide range of activities, ranging from the study of the condition of women in Tamil Nadu to research on cataracts and their effects in South India. Another past fellow traveled with a group of students from the United States across India conducting AIDS/HIV prevention education while simultaneously establishing a plan to create a self-perpetuating group in India do continue the work after they left. These Fellows have all been highly motivated, perseverant, and thoughtful individuals with a great deal of passion towards their topics.

Currently, students at UNC-Chapel Hill are working to raise the Fellowship's $125,000 endowment, a fund that will guarantee that this opportunity is available to all students for years to come. These fundraising efforts, as well as the Fellowship itself, are coordinated by the MGF Co-Chairs of Sangam.

Apply to MGF

2008 MGF Application - [Download]

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 29, 2008

History / Mission

In 1998, a small group of friends got together to establish a program that would provide a new opportunity for their peers to learn about and work for the South Asian community while augmenting their education through valuable experiences. To do this, they began researching the procedures through which a Fellowship could be established to support students in a way that would help promote South Asian awareness and support the South Asian community while allowing the recipients the independence and freedom to explore original avenues to accomplish these goals. The Fellowship was named after Mahatma Gandhi because Gandhi, perhaps the most famous South Asian in history, himself most elegantly and thoroughly pronounced these beliefs of social awareness and acceptance as well as personal dedication and hard work to accomplish this goal. Thus, the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship was established under the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill. Recognizing this effort to be one that itself seeks a more open and accepting society.
Today, the main goals of the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship are as follows:

• To increase awareness of South Asian issues
  
• To promote the value of education through experience
  
• To provide students a unique opportunity to serve the South Asian community

These goals, derived from the original philosophy behind the Fellowship, are carried on today by the current MGF Co-Chairs and the Fellows who are selected each year. The Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship is administered today through Sangam, a South Asian awareness organization at UNC-Chapel Hill, which selects the MGF Co-Chairs and coordinates all fundraising efforts. Through the efforts of Sangam and its members, progress continues to be made as students work to raise the $125,000 endowment fund that will guarantee this Fellowship for years to come by allowing new Fellows to be funded simply off the interest generated.

The Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship, which has sponsored 16 Fellows to date, continues to uphold the beliefs under which it was established, namely the value of social awareness and of education through personal experience and service. Each Fellow selected is a highly motivated, dedicated, and open-minded individual who not only possesses the creativity and imagination to create amazing projects, but also the thoroughness and dedication to follow them through. Through the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship, not only are students gaining invaluable educational experience, but issues important to the South Asian community are being raised and addressed in order, making the general community more socially conscious not only of the diversity on a regional level, but also of the great and amazing diversity within South Asia itself.

Benefactors

Though the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship was established and is currently coordinated by students, it could not be successful without the generous support of the community. One of the central goals of the Fellowship is to increase general awareness of South Asian issues, not just for the Fellows and those directly affiliated with MGF, but, perhaps more importantly, for the general community, making this a truly communal effort. The following individuals and groups from the community have generously and selflessly contributed to this endeavor, all aspects of it, and for this, receive our greatest appreciation and thanks.

The Princeton Review
Carolina Pride
Udipi
Tower
Kashmir
Harris Teeter
Food Lion
India Bazaar of Cary
Around the World Market Royal India
Chapel Hill Florist
Fallon's Creek Flowers

Mr. & Mrs. Shantilal Gondha Mr.& Mrs. Kumar Kori
Mr.& Mrs. Vasnani
Mrs. Manjula Raja
Shailika Shah
Archana Ramesh
Rezwan Ahmed
Niketa Desai

Benefit Events

Students at UNC-Chapel Hill are currently working very hard to raise the $125,000 endowment fund for the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship, coordinated through Sangam. If you would like to support the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship, there are many ways to do so. We welcome all donations which are tax deductible. Also, upcoming benefit events are listed, all of which we welcome any and all individuals and groups to attend. For further information on making a donation or any of these events, please feel free to contact either of the MGF Co-Chairs, whose contact information is listed on the Contacts page.

AKD – Aaj Ka Dhamaka, meaning “Today’s Excitment” in Hindi, is an intercollegiate dance competition featuring teams from all over the East Coast as well as local talent, all performing a range of high-energy South Asian dances. Exhibition performances are put on by students from UNC-Chapel Hill. In the past, it has featured guest performances by internationally acclaimed artists such as RDB (Rhythm, Dhol, Bass), Bikram Singh, Juggy D, and most recently Raghav. The competition, in past years, has been held at the Carolina Theater in Durham and the recently renovated Memorial Hall. This past year, the show was held at Hillside Theatre in Durham, NC. An after-party for this show was also held, where Raghav performed as well as some of the top DJ’s in the region. For ticket information, driving directions, and further information for both the competition and after-party, please visit the website, www.uncakd.com. All proceeds from both events go directly to the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship.

How to Apply

Interested in applying for the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship? Well, everything you need is right here. You can either print a copy of the application and mail it in or submit it online. However, if you decide to submit it online, keep in mind that some materials may need to be mailed in anyways.

2008 Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship Application:

2008 MGF Application - [Download]

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 29, 2008

Mail the application to:

Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship
c/o Sangam
Box 5
CB #5210 Carolina Union
UNC-Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Or Email the application to:

Parin or Afshin

Resources / Links

The following are links that may provide additional useful information. (The content of these websites is the responsibility of the groups that administer them.)

Sangam – A South Asian awareness organization at UNC-Chapel Hill. This organization currently administers the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship and coordinates fundraising activities for its endowment fund. Sangam is also involved in organizing social events, service projects, political awareness activities, and cultural programs, all aimed at raising cultural awareness and making positive contributions not only to its members, but to the university community and general community as well. – www.uncsangam.org

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – www.unc.edu

College of Arts and Sciences, UNC-CH – The College of Arts and Sciences is the unit of the university under which the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship is established, as well as the largest college within the University. – artsandsci.unc.edu

Office of Distinguished Scholarships, UNC-CH – This is the administrative office at UNC-Chapel Hill responsible for coordinating all merit based fellowships and scholarships available to students, including the Rhodes Scholarship. – www.distinguishedscholarships.unc.edu

Center for International Studies, UNC-CH – This department within the University was established to promote the appreciation and understanding of global issues among students. They provide a number of courses in this area, and work heavily with the Study Abroad program. – www.unc.edu/depts/ints

Contact

For more information, please feel free to contact either of the following Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship Co-Chairs or Sangam President:

Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship Co-Chairs:

Afshin Humayun
afshinh (at) email.unc.edu
Sophomore

Parin Desai
parin (at) unc.edu
Junior

Sangam President:

Prashant Katwa
pkatwa (at) unc.edu
Junior

Mailing Address

Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship
c/o Sangam
Box 5
CB #5210 Carolina Union
UNC-Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Office: Carolina Union Room 3508F