Ravi Chopra is known as the chief builder of the Ship for World Youth Alumni Association-India and the driving force to forge linkages with Japanese government agencies and the Alumni Associations of the world.

Ravi Chopra is a development leader known for his leadership, innovative thinking, macro vision, and practical idealism. Ravi strongly believes that the learning received from the Ship for Youth programs must be channelized to enhance leadership skills for serving the community.Ravi’s leadership successfully contributed towards promoting the India-Japan friendly relations and people to people exchanges since the last three decades.

He is the President of Ship for World Youth Alumni Association India (SWYAA-India), Discover Japan Club in New Delhi, Founder of India-Japan Friendship Group and Konnichiwa Japan Society that areserving as platforms to take forward the friendly relations between India and Japan on one hand and encouraging initiatives based on it by manifesting unique ideas into tangible outcomes and by empowering youth through various cooperating interactions in diverse areas by promoting social contribution activities.

Ravi’s strong leadership successfully steered the post-program activities of the SWY program since the year 2007 along with the active ex-participating Indian youth. With relentless persuasion, he has nurtured and strengthened the activities in diverse fields and led the mega initiative of hosting the 10th Global Assembly, promoted the exchange of friendship between India and Japan, promoted Japanese culture through initiatives like Konnichiwa Japan Festival, Japan Food festival which was held to re-establish the nuances of the Japanese cuisine in India. He started joint programs with 11 Alumni Associations across the globe; Inter-program collaboration between SWYAA-India and SSEAYP-International Indonesia and Cambodia; and collaborative projects with 3 Japanese universities for education of children, disaster relief programs and distribution of relief material during floods; and Relief work during Covid-19 Pandemic.Therefore, he is widely regarded as the creator of the India-Japan relationship in modern days.

Ravi’s current leadership is the collaborative strengths and resources of the ex-participating Indian youth utilized to empower the society to be partners in the development initiative in the Covid-19 era.

Ravi’s focus is on the ethos of contributory, inclusive, and accessible development, championing the cause of a common man. His initiatives have led to hundreds of learning opportunities, collaboration and networking initiativesbetween India and Japan.

Ravi Chopra envisages SWYAA-India as the empowering institution for the post-program activities in India with networking opportunities in the SWYAA-International countries towards the development of leadership with capabilities to serve humanity.Over these 15 years, SWYAA India has become one of the most active AAs promoting the objectives and post-program social contribution activities of SWY program.

Ravi Chopra has also been promoting Global Peace, harmony, and youth leadership by holding lectures in collaboration with Japanese universities, Japanese Government institutions, and NPOs in Japan. He is widely regarded as the promoter of the India-Japan relationship.

In November 2022, The Government of Japan officially conferred the decoration of the 'Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays' award to Ravi Chopra in recognition of his contribution to promoting friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and India through people-to-people exchanges.This decorationhas been bestowed by the Japanese government awarded in the name of the Emperor of Japan.

Dr. Shobhana Radhakrishna is an internationally acclaimed speaker on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Brought up in Mahatma Gandhi Sevagram Ashram in Wardha, Radhakrishna has cultivated a strong ideological connection with Mahatma Gandhi's ideals since childhood. She has established organizations to work for Sarvodaya, Gramswaraj and constructive programs. She has over four decades of experience in social work in different parts of India and dedicated her life to the cause of serving the poor.

She is the Chief Functionary of the ‘Gandhian Forum for Ethical Corporate Governance’ formed under the aegis of the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), New Delhi for promoting ethical business practices and organizational integrity in Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) and has given 282 talks in 39 major PSEs for disseminating Gandhian values. She regularly addresses young probationary officers of the Indian Civil Service in the apex training academies of the Government of India.

She has chalked out a novel way of spreading Gandhian ideology by holding ‘Gandhi Katha’ based on the popularity of the Indian oral tradition nationally and internationally. She has presented ‘Gandhi Katha’ at the UpaRashtrapati Niwas, various Raj Bhavans and Raj Niwas, apex cultural institutes, and universities in India from 2018 to 2022. Her Gandhi Katha and lectures on Mahatma Gandhi’s vision and its relevance attempt to provide some principles, ideas, and alternatives to help address the pressing challenges of our times.

As part of the 150th Birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi from 2018 to 2021, she gave 267 Gandhi Katha/lectures in 135 countries organized by respective Indian Mission and facilitated by the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

On the UN International Day of Nonviolence, 2nd October, she has given the keynote addresses at the UN office, Bangkok in 2014; in the Peace Palace, The Hague in 2017; in the King Faisal Centre, Riyadh in 2018; UN office Vienna in 2019; and UN Office Nairobi in 2020, organized by Indian Mission in respective countries. On 2nd October 2021, the Indian Mission in 55 countries and in 2022 the Indian Mission accredited to 114 countries hosted tributes by her on Gandhi Jayanti.

During the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence-Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, she has conducted an ‘Online Certificate Course on Mahatma Gandhi’s Philosophy’ hosted by 80 Indian Missionfor the international participants. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, supported the courses from 2021 to 2022.

She has delivered special homage to Mahatma Gandhi on Martyrs Day in 2021 and 2022, the 86 Indian Mission hosted her tribute.To commemorate the 92nd Anniversary of Salt Satyagraha, 94th Anniversary of Bardoli Satyagraha, and 80th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement, the Indian Mission covering90 countries, hosted her talks in 2022. She gave talk on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on National Unity Day 2022, which was hosted by 120 Indian Mission/Post supported by ICCR.

The national and international community hashonoured her with several recognitions and awards. The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, recognized her asan Eminent Citizen from 2010 to 2013. She is the advisor and key resource person for ‘GANDHIPEDIA’, the social media platform of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, implemented by the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur and Gandhinagar,along with the National Council of Science Museum, Kolkata.

She is the trustee of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Memorial Trust,Advisor ofthe National Coalition for Education, India, and the member of the International Association of Studies on the Mediterranean and the East in Rome, Italy. .

Salutations to the Ship for World Youth programme. Although I participated 14 years ago the experience remains fresh, it’s just a shut eye away!!!!!!! Ever since the programme the journey of life has been exciting and rewarding. After completing my Law degree I made a concerted effort at writing the premier examination of the country for securing a job with the Government of India. I am now working as Deputy Commissioner in the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, Government of India. I am currently posted at New Delhi . It is an exciting job and gives me an opportunity to help serve my country in economic development and prevention of all forms of trafficking-of drugs, antiques, humans and the lot.

The journey that began on the Nipponmaru, honing skills at comprehending International Perspectives continues to be the guiding force in the journey of life!!!!!!!

When I look back at the 6th ship for world youth I attended in 1994, I have come a long way since then. But the sweet memories picked up during those 70 day period will be cherished for the rest of our lives.

I was studying a professional course in accountancy, Chartered Accountant, during my trip. After coming back I cleared the same and pursued my career in practising the same for few years till 2000. With freeing of economy in the country during early 1990’s ample opportunities were created for professionals like me. Telecom is one sector whose growth in India as amazed the entire world, I got into a basic telecom company in 2001 in the New Delhi.

In September 2007 I got the opportunity in the latest industry in the country, retail. I joined biggest retailer in the mobile handset business in India to be based out of Bangalore. Currently I am working with the same company heading their operations of southern and northern states of India. Surely the exposure gained during SWY6 has gone a long way in making me a better and more responsible human being and citizen of world.