Meeting in New York to commemorate the birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar

April 24 :
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, one of India's most revered independence warriors, celebrated his 133rd birthday at the United Nations headquarters in New York. For the first time in UN history, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the focus of a two-day event organised by the Foundation for Human Horizon, an NGO with strong relations to the UN. In attendance were dignitaries and leaders from 195 nations who came to pay their respects to the leader.

Delegates from throughout the world expressed their admiration and gratitude for Dr. Ambedkar's work. The importance of the occasion was underscored by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulations to event organiser Deelip Mhaske.

World leaders gather at the United Nations to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the second leader to have this honour after Nelson Mandela. The 1.4 billion Indians and 5 million Indian Americans in the United States take great pride in this. "The interest shown by world leaders in this event clearly reflects Dr. Ambedkar's vision of making India a superpower," remarked Mhaske, head of the Foundation for Human Horizon, during the ceremony.

"Youth-Led Solutions for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" and "Harmony High: Empowering Peaks, Nurturing Futures - Indigenous Youth Leading the Charge for Resilient Mountain Agriculture" were the two thematic conversations that took place at the celebration. In September, the papers that come out of these debates will be presented at the UN General Assembly.

Following in Dr. Ambedkar's footsteps, a diverse group of speakers—including, but not limited to, Phoolman Chaudhary, Hanieh Moghani, Luisa Castaneda, and Alexi Tsykarev—discussed ways to empower indigenous peoples and youth through sustainable development.

At the same time, the event highlighted how different countries are working to apply Dr. Ambedkar's principles to modern-day global issues.