Vivekananda Institute of Indian Studies and The Engaged Cornell initiative of Cornell University, USA - jointly hosted a “Partnership Convening” - a week-long workshop focused on the theme of ‘Healthy Food, Healing Plants’ from 12th Sept to 16th Sept 2016 at SVYM, Mysore.
        
        The workshop had diverse participation from various community partners with Cornell including representatives from Malawi, Tanzania, The Dominican Republic and India (Keystone Foundation and SVYM) and Cornell faculty and staff. The focus of the workshop was not only on growing and promoting of healthy food and medicinal plants but also on building and fostering partnerships across the globe. The participants representing 13 organizations from 5 countries discussed the ways they could cultivate and promote plants as healthy food and medicine and hence build partnerships at the grassroots level. Each group shared the joys and challenges that they encountered in their work and hoped to realize solutions based on the strengths and assets of the other. The group collectively visited an organic farm and SVYM Ayurveda hospital and understood about medicinal plants and healthy eating practices.
        
        The other objective of the workshop was nurturing of ‘Engaged Cornell Partnerships’ and each partner that agreed for a successful partnership mutual trust and respect was of prime importance.