Amma

Amma has travelled the world for more than 30 years, bringing love, hope and peace through her talks and her darshan - her signature embrace that is a powerful symbol of unconditional love. Accessible to everyone, she has hugged an estimated 38 million people worldwide, and inspired a global volunteer-based humanitarian movement, Embracing the Worl... d (ETW). Honouring her contributions to the effort in spreading world peace and harmony, Amma has received many international awards including the Gandhi-King Award for non-violence, at the UN headquarters in Geneva in 2002. Amma regularly tours the US, Asia and Europe, and visits the UK as part of her Europe tour in the autumn. It is also possible to see her when she is at her centre in Kerala, India. For Amma's early life and the inspiration behind Embracing the World, watch Amma's story in this short video . In 2002, she was presented with the Gandhi-King Award for Non-violence, at the UN headquarters in Geneva, where she also gave the keynote address at the Global Peace Initiative of Women and Religious Leaders. In 2004 she addressed Parliament of World's religions held in Barcelona. In 2012 she addressed the UNAOC (United Nations Alliance of Civilizations) in Shanghai and in 2014 Amma joined Pope Francis in the Vatican and 10 other world religious leaders in signing a declaration against human trafficking and slavery. In 2015 at the UN Academic Impact/Amrita University Conference on Technology for Sustainable Development, Amma gave the keynote address asking world universities to combine ancient spiritual wisdom and modern technology for societal transformation.Read More