Asha Desai Evans’ Story
Asha Desai Evans, whose calm and thoughtful demeanor reflects the meaning of her given name ("hope" in Hindi), is also one of the most intelligent, capable and determined women I've ever met. In addition to raising two small children and supporting her husband through a recent career transition, Asha coordinated the 2nd annual Summer Institute for our New Haven based nonprofit, Pathways for Mutual Respect (www.pfmr.org). The institute was cosponsored by the Yale Center for Faith and Culture (www.yale.edu/faith). It is for this outstanding endeavor – an archetype of citizen diplomacy that empowers US citizens as well as
citizens of other nations to communicate effectively with one another to effect change – that I urge you to consider Asha for this award. In her capacity as Institute Coordinator, Asha oversaw recruitment and selection of highly qualified individuals from around the globe.
Hailing from Turkey, Italy, Iran, Ghana, Uganda, Australia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Canada, the UK, and the US, our participants represent Muslim, Christian, Jewish and secular viewpoints. Prior to the institute, Asha corresponded with each applicant, supported visa applications, and oversaw need- and merit-based scholarship designation. On a very small budget, she recruited high caliber speakers from an astonishing diversity of backgrounds. She worked with representatives of urban public schools, churches and mosques, Yale professors, and university administrators. Asha led workshops during the Institute, focusing on her areas of giftedness – leadership, team-building, values and writing personal mission statements. Institute alumni will go on to careers in government (of various countries), education, research, humanitarian work, the clergy, diplomacy, and community activism - each of them will create positive impact in their spheres of influence and beyond.
For example, one of our Institute alumni, a Pushtun Pakistani young woman, plans to establish the first Peace Studies program at her university in Peshawar. Another plans to open a school for disadvantaged children on his home island of Mindinao in addition to his role in the Philippine legislature in Manila. These individuals were no doubt headed for impressive and significant positions of influence. However, I believe that if you asked any of them, he or she would gladly describe the role that Asha played in giving them critical tools, skills and experiences, as well as modeling respectful listening, compassion, inclusivity and creative problem-solving during their time at the Pathways Summer Institute. Institute alumni will facilitate goodwill and put into practice what they learned in New Haven in a multitude of arenas – and without Asha's creative vision and tireless work these young leaders from around the globe (13 in 2009; 23 in 2010) might have never had the chance to interact in a safe space, discussing issues both deeply personal and universally relevant.
Space does not permit me to list many of the things that make Asha an amazing individual: the fact that she has a degree in Physics, she is a doula, she lived in and gave birth to her first child in Turkey, she excellently leads a ministry to women and moms in our local community, she has mentored at-risk teens. Asha would never describe herself as a superstar, because that's not in her humble nature. She is the first to point out her own weaknesses – and laugh at them – in a way that invites others to engage, ask for help, and collaborate in fresh ways. In a way that offers hope exactly when and where it's needed. Just like her name - Asha.