Welcome to Avritah
Anushka Bhaskar (center), founder of Avritah, with part of Team Avritah at the Harvard Environmental Action and Leadership Summit created and hosted in October 2019.
Hi!
If you’re reading this, it means that after a lot of hopes and dreams, sweat and tears, and probably some blood (dang paper cuts), Avritah has finally come to life.
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Before we begin—how does one pronounce Avritah?
AHV-RI-THA.
When you say THA, your tongue should touch the front of your teeth, not hit the roof of your mouth.
It’s not AHV-REE-tah.
But don’t worry, we’ll help you get used to it.
Avritah loosely translated means environment in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language which holds centuries upon centuries of wisdoms. Avritah literally translated means that which encircles us, or that which is all around us.
The “ritah” or “rta” part of the word means rhythm, or the natural order of things.
We like to think that our conception of Avritah refers to both human health and the environment, as they are ever present for us as human beings when we move through the world. They are two experiential objects we take for granted when they’re whole and usual and often remember to consider only when they’re not.
We became incredibly passionate about issues of human health and the environment after our grandfather, the healthiest 74 year old we knew, died of colon cancer after a long, unaffordable and inaccessible battle with his disease.
Avritah was born—or rather, evolved—from a decade of work as a young Indian-American woman inspired by the intersecting challenges of One, reforming systems of healthcare to better support all patients and Two, addressing the public health crisis posed by climate change in all of the different ways that it manifests in our human world.
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Avritah is a platform for action built with the sense that each and every person can be an active force for change.
We all have a role to play in creating better systems for human and environmental health.
Whether that looks like actively amplifying and supporting marginalized communities through mutual aid networks, compiling resources and committing womanhours to educate those in your community, directing people towards community projects led by those on the frontlines, creating opportunities for connection and rejuvenation, advocating for health policy and environmental policy that serves all, or “simply” making changes to your personal lifestyle to inspire others to do the same—this activism is for everyone.
We hope that you will join us on our journey as we continue to evolve, learning as we grow. We hope to contribute unique perspectives at the intersection of human and environmental health, cultivate and support incredible projects, connect individuals, organizations, and communities, and synthesize the conversations in the worlds of human health, healthcare, social justice, and environmental action that usually happen separately.
Systemic change requires each of us to identify the leverage points closest to us at which we can take action for rippling change, and it is a mission best undertaken together.