Dr. Thomas Mathew, a native of Punnakkadu, a village adjacent to the UN heritage village Aranmula, Pathanamthitta, Kerala is the founder and director of SEEDS INDIA. He leads the organization from the forefront and engages in grassroots, national and international level in order to nurture and grow social endeavor to benefit enslaved and vulnerable communities.

Dr. Mathew has a long history of working and holding positions in the international social and peace arena. He is a seasoned social and inter-faith activist. He had served as the International President of the International Association for Religious Freedom (U.K), the Director of the Ferris University (Yokohama, Japan) India Education Centre, National Board Member of YMCA’s of India along with other noteworthy achievements.

Currently he holds multiple positions including:

• Present Positions:

  • President- International Association for Religious Freedom South Asia (iarfsacc.org) ,holds UN ECOSOC Special Status- (January 2015)
  • Director- Human Rights Education Program in South Asia – Sponsored by IARF, Dutch Government and Hibbert Trust (UK) Since 2006
  • Executive Director –Socio Educational Economic Development Service- INDIA (SEEDS-INDIA) since 1990 (seedsindia.net).
  • Vision 2020 Campaigner, Mayors for Peace, Hiroshima-Japan and Ypres-Belgium since 2013
  • Finance & Administration Member ,YMCA-Asia Pacific Region, Hong Kong  Since  March 2016
  • YMCA India Exec. Committee Member & Director of YMCA India Interfaith Center @ Bodh Gaya , Bihar, India since August 2017
  • Director Board Member-YMCA Indian Students Hostel ,London ,Founded in 1920

  Previous Positions:

  • International President (2008-2010) - International Association for Religious Freedom (U.K) (first interfaith organization of the world founded in Boston, USA 1900) (iarf.net)
  • UN ECOSOC (New York) Representative of International Association for Religious Freedom (2008-2012)
  • Chairman- IARF South Asia Coordinating Council (iarfsacc.org)- (2004-2014)
  • Organizer of 400 + Hiroshima & Nagasaki Exhibitions in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
  • Director –Ferris University (Yokohama, Japan) India Education Centre (2005-2015)

He is a recipient of prestigious awards such as the:

• Sadbhavana Award for Social Service- YMCA, South West India Region (2004)
• Human Rights Education Award- Mysore (Karnataka State) Council of Educational Institutions (2008)
• Interfaith Service Award- US Chapter of International Association for Religious Freedom- presented by HH Dalai Lama (2009)
• Interfaith Visionary Award -Temple of Understanding, New York (October 2010)
• YMCA Peace and Harmony Award (2013)

Home Address:

Kulangara Thundyil House

Punnakadu P.O, Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta (Dist), Kerala, India -689652 (Tel: +91 468-2314362 / 9447783362.) email-seedsindia25@gmail.com

Office Address:

SEEDS-India

Punnakadu P.O, Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta (Dist.), Kerala, India -689652 Tel-+91 468-2213082. (iarfsacc.org)

Educational Qualifications:

Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD ) (Dalit Empowerment in India since the independence -1947 )

Masters in Philosophy (M. Phil)

M.A. (History)

Diploma in Social Service (Southern Institute of Appropriate Technology, AL, USA.)

Diploma in Rural Leadership (Asian Rural Institute, Japan)

Follow Thomas Mathew on Twitter: @Thomas Mathew