India
Name: Anand Vandana
Country: India
Email: vandy2006anand@gmail.com
Date of Birth: July 6, 1978
Education: Masters (History), LLB, Mass Communication
Occupation: Media and Communication Professional
Please describe your vision of a world that works for everyone.
I envision the quality of life for everyone. When people share and care for those who don\’t have, there will be no scarcity of resources. I want the rich-poor divide to end, sustainable life for everyone where people can generate their own income without being dependent on others. A world where there is gender equality, equal opportunity for all, and freedom to live life on own terms is the world of my dream.
What do you see as the most pressing problems facing the world today?
The following are the most pressing problems of today 1. Dealing with Problem: The most important problem is how to deal with a problem. COVID-19 has exposed how vulnerable and unprepared humans are to tackle any emergency situations. We need new skill sets to deal with it. Humans are not realizing their full potential to deal with emergencies. There is a fault in our preparation, our systems, our infrastructure, and governance. We need to relook at all of these and strategies better before proceeding further. 2. Climate Change: if this problem goes uncontrolled, humans will extinct. 3. Violence against girls and women. 4. Lack of care for the elderly. 5. Lack of robust Public Healthcare system. 6. Tackling emergencies like COVID-19. 7. Lack of equitable and quality education for all. 8. Food insecurity. 9. Gender Inequality. 10. Conflict, and humanitarian crisis. 11. Loss of Biodiversity. 12. Lack of access to modern energy and techno logy for all. 13. Water Scarcity. 14. Lack of Waste Management skills. 15. Poverty
How do you feel these problems could best be solved?
Global Leaders: We need global leaders capable of leading the world and driving people across countries to be the change they want to see. People will be empowered when they have leaders who believe in empowering others and are visionary. Collaboration: Collaboration and engagement between countries, organizations, public-private sector are essential to creating a win-win situation for all. Empathy: Building a culture of empathy is another area that can help solve problems. Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship will define the next decade. The world needs more entrepreneurs to solve global problems. Global Mindset: Create leaders who work locally but have a global impact. Problem solvers: The world needs more problem solvers and not problem creators. Each one of us is capable of realizing our full potential and contribute to the world.
Profile
I am a media and communications professional with 14 years of experience across various sectors. Coming from a small town in one of India’s most miserable state of Bihar, I wanted to break barriers that existed for girls like me. Since childhood, I wanted to become a doctor. Service to humanity was at my core, and I am thankful it still exists. I could not become a doctor. I was shattered, but I did not give up. I had to chart my path that was different from the rest. I rebelled, and after completing my post-graduation, I came to Delhi, India’s capital. I had the deadline of one year to find a job else I would be married off. I enrolled in a Mass Communication diploma course and started looking for a job. Since I attended the evening classes, I utilized my day running around offices and sharing my resume with the editors. I never feared visiting an editor’s cabin. The fire within me had made me fearless. Finally, I was lucky to get a month’s internship at Hindustan Times, one of India’s leading dailies. I worked, learned and left. There was no option to stay beyond a month. The second internship was at United News Agency that again continued for a month. The third internship was at CNN-IBN, an English news organization. I was excited to be in the newsroom. My Internship period had to be for a month, but I continued. Nobody asked me to leave as I was giving my best at no cost. I continued working for the next six months. I knew the deadline my father had set for me had ended. I took a break for a week and went home. My father extended the deadline for the next 2 months. I came back ready to take my internship letter and try elsewhere. At times you find the silver lining in dark clouds. My boss, who knew how desperate I was for a job, asked me to come along to speak with the owner of the News Channel. You guessed it right. I was employed. The next nine years and three months was a roller coaster of a ride. I had never worked so hard in my life. I gave everything. I gave my sleep, did not go home, just worked and worked. While working, I also completed my LLB from Delhi University. Morning college and evening shift at work. Almost a decade in a news organization, stagnation crept in. I felt purposeless. I was working, earning and spending. I was not doing anything meaningful. I decided to quit media. I joined a healthcare consulting firm and worked as a communication and advocacy professional. The work was different, and I felt good for a while. But again, there was no meaning to my work. Next, I tried the education sector thinking maybe I will find my Ikigai. Over two years in the education sector, I again became restless. I wanted to do something different. The social sector was calling me. As I mentioned earlier service to humanity is still at my core. In February 2020, I formed Aagya Foundation, an organization that aims to work for the elderly. I am passionate about elderly care, and I will do everything possible to bring about sweeping changes in the way an elderly leads a life in India – from healthcare to daily essentials, to income security and economic empowerment. Since February 2020, the world has seen the disruption of a different kind. Covid-19 has created havoc everywhere. My organization remains on paper as of now. The backend work is ongoing, and once the situation turns to normal, I plan to give it my full-fledged time and effort. I don’t just care about the elderly; I am equally passionate about education; gender equality, climate change, nutrition and many other areas. I feel humans have not realized their full potential. So many problems remain, and we keep fighting it for centuries. We are not prepared for the worst, for emergencies, for uncertainties in life. Humans have the potential to find a solution to every problem, but it remains untapped. The world needs global leaders who can bring about changes in sectors where humans are struggling. I feel our experiments with education in the last century have failed. We need to do something different. This is not how the earth will survive. This is not how humans will thrive. I will try and do my best in the area of elderly care and other areas in my lifetime. I have an insatiable curiosity to learn, and I consider myself to be a lifelong student. Apart from my professional work, I volunteer with “Uday Foundation,” an organization that feeds the hungry outside government hospitals in Delhi.
Click Here to Read My Book Assessments
Books Completed
As a Man Thinketh
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Keys to Success
PsychoCybernetics
Success through Positive Mental Attitude
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Awaken the Giant Within
Creating your Path through Leadership
Maximum Achievement