Whether your tastes tend toward bright lights and big cities, quiet contemplation or off–road racing, groups around the world are gearing up to celebrate World Diabetes Day and raise awareness of the growing threat of diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF), which led the effort to get the United Nations to recognize the existing World Diabetes Day (November 14) as an official UN world day, announced that this year’s campaign theme is “Diabetes in Children and Adolescents”.

The Federation issued a call to action to light monuments around the globe in blue for World Diabetes Day (worlddiabetesday.org). Blue is the color of the global symbol for diabetes, the blue circle. The significance of the symbol is overwhelmingly positive. Across cultures, the circle symbolizes life and health. The colour blue reflects the sky that unites all nations and is the colour of the United Nations flag. The blue circle signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

Supporting the UN’s call, Isha Foundation’s Dhyanalinga will join The Pyramids, London Eye and Burj al Arab, San Francisco City Hall...(among a total of 500 monuments and iconic buildings), to light up in blue to mark World Diabetes Day on November 14.

These events join a host of other national and global events to mark World Diabetes Day. IDF will host an NGO Briefing and hold a panel discussion at the UN to discuss access to essential medicines for children with diabetes in the developing world. IDRF and Isha Foundation will host a one day training programme (Nov.15th, in Coimbatore) for medical and paramedical professionals, thus providing them the expertise required to conduct additional Diabetes screening camps. Additionally, on November 16th 2008, the Isha Rural Health Clinics will offer free diabetic screening camps for the public in Alandurai, Coimbatore.

Isha Foundation has been working to alleviate the suffering of the rural population from Diabetes in Tamil Nadu by:

• Conducting 1500 camps for screening of Diabetes and providing information on the disease.
• Providing free treatment to 1090 villages in TN on a regular basis for the last 5 years
• Using alternate systems of treatment for diabetic treatment through the Isha Yoga Marga residential camps. Over 5000 people have been benefited so far.
• Holding awareness camps in villages and schools in Tamilnadu through Isha’s ‘Arokiya Alai’ project. This project was launched in Dec 2007, and aims to bring early awareness of diabetic symptoms and other chronic ailments through specially designed short films, posters and stickers to 5000 villages by the end of 2009.
• Utilising Isha Yoga programs to encourage and educate people to eat healthy foods to prevent chronic ailments like Diabetes.

Isha invites you to be our guest, participate and support the cause by being witness to this spectacular temple being illuminated in blue on November the 14th, 2008.

Contributed by
Dr. Bhavani Balakrishnan
MD phsychiatrist, Isha Foundation