Good evening Friends,

Today I'm wearing my most precious badge of honor - the red silk ribbon. The color red says 'Stop, don't ignore AIDS, that's dangerous' and the silken loop says 'Lets bond together & work towards a healthy future'.

We have with us, our esteemed guest- Ashley Judd- the Hollywood star, who is the Global Ambassador for Youth AIDS. Ashley has been constantly promoting AIDS awareness in various parts of the world. In India she has put in so much effort in personally visiting clinics and sex workers studying first hand the issues involved.

Last week I met Kate & Ashley in Mumbai and for two days spent time on what PSI was doing including a visit to one of PSI sex worker's clinic. The passion and commitment of both them and their staff is unbelievable. I was amazed and deeply moved at the grassroots work PSI has undertaken with so much dignity, respect while maintaining a low profile that i came back fully charged up. Ashley, I announce today that all our 14 campuses across the country will offer free counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS as an extension of Youth AIDS.

We do realize that the biggest weapon we have against AIDS & for healthy, happy future is EDUCATION. Education for all, education for every-girl child, irrespective of social-cultural-economic-geographical barriers. We have to help women to understand their rights; this empowerment is critical in the fight against AIDS and other inequities in life. So together we are here to endorse their right to be healthy, happy and educated.

We are providing free scholarships including stay, food and clothing to orphan and underprivileged girls so that these girls also have the right to pursue their dreams. In fact Ashley is so moved that she has done us the honor of personally adding to this effort by donating one such scholarship in her name every year to a girl chosen from India by her to pursue her studies at Rai upto even doctoral level as required. Joining her is Kate Roberts founder of Youth AIDS and PSI with an additional scholarship each. Later on behalf of all these underprivileged girls I would like our students to accept the certificate as a measure of our sincere thanks and gratitude.

In a land that prides itself for its spiritual wisdom and where the highest prayer is for the happiness and well being of the entire universe- loka samasta sukhino bhavantu - it is indeed strange that the haves and well offs have allowed their conscience to be so narrowly focused on wealth creation and enjoyment, that they are blissfully unaware of the other half of India that suffers from malnutrition, ill health and abject poverty. we really cannot allow this to continue- its a time to reflect, a time to act - to answer the call of our dharma - our duty toward self. Society beckons us to rise to the occasion.

Ashley, is here with a mission to awaken our awareness to the problems and issues of the underprivileged and heighten the need for all of us, in particular the rich, to get more personally involved in issues that threaten our society as a whole and in fighting the invisible intruder - the deadly HIV AIDS which even in India is taking on gigantic proportions especially among the Youth.

Ashley you are so much better at explaining these issues, so could I hand it over to you now - i am sure with your intense passion and charm you will get many converts here today !

VINAY RAI