Official Highlights How Philanthropy and Volunteerism Shape Lives

NEW YORK, NY, May 12, 2012

Speaking before the supporters of Karuna Charities in Scarsdale, NY recently, Dr. Molly Easo Smith, Executive Director of the International Association of University Presidents' (IAUP) Initiative to Develop Women as Academic Leaders, recalled her own upbringing as an example of how philanthropy and volunteerism in education shapes many lives. Dr. Smith's mother received her education when the headmistress of a school in Chennai, India, allowed her grandmother to work at the school so her daughter would receive an education. Dr. Smith's grandmother had been widowed and this was her only course to bring education to her daughter and ultimately to Dr. Smith.

Referencing the name of the charity hosting her remarks, as well as calling on her own upbringing in India, Dr. Smith defined for her audience the Sanskrit word Karuna, which incorporates both concepts "philanthropy and volunteerism." Karuna, which translates often as compassion, refers to any action taken to diminish the suffering of others; it is rooted in the concept that individuals experience enlightenment, and enlightenment, in turn, prompts karuna. Karuna, in other words, is compassion towards others which results from an enlightened perspective which recognizes the interconnectedness and interdependence of all life.

"Philanthropy and volunteerism - characterized by informal but firm rebellion against norms - bound the women who most influenced my life, an educator, a widow, and my mother, in leadership. Their impact on my sister and me has been profound," says Dr. Smith. "I did not meet my mother's volunteer mother because she died before I was born, but I often think about this empowering story and my part in this chain of influence across time. I think of it also as generations of women holding hands across time."

In her remarks, Dr. Smith cited a January 2010 report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which showed the highest rate of increase in volunteer activity had occurred in the United States during in the previous six (6) years.

Dr. Smith noted that those who have been the beneficiaries of education (enlightenment) have a particular obligation to engage in karuna and promote philanthropy and volunteerism, especially as applied to providing opportunities of higher education to women across the globe.

For additional information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Smith, contact Paul Bailey at the Fallston Group at 410-420-2001 or via email at paul.bailey@fallstongroup.com.

ABOUT

Dr. Molly Easo Smith currently serves on the Executive Committee of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), where she leads an initiative to develop women as academic leaders, globally. Dr, Smith also serves as an IAUP representative to the United Nations. A passionate advocate for the transformative power of a liberal arts education and access to education, Dr. Smith has lectured on the subject of women's leadership, higher education, the liberal arts, and global learning. Dr. Smith regards philanthropy and volunteerism as bedrock values which sustain community, both locally and nationally, and considers it her responsibility to instill these values in succeeding generations. Dr. Smith has served in a core leadership position in a number of higher education institutions, including Seton Hall University, Wheaton College and Manhattanville College.

Fallston Group is a crisis management, marketing, and public relations firm specializing in strategic planning and execution of client messages.