Shobha K Sharma

With Indian roots, Shobha was born and raised in British Columbia. Fostered by her ancestral heritage, as well as the social issues within her community of Prince George, she was influenced by the implications of colonization on individuals and society at large. Determined to engage this dialogue, from 1999-2003, Shobha pursued a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she majored in History with a focus on the impact of colonization on Indigenous populations the world over.

Further inspired by the need for Indigenous perspectives amidst domineering local/global foreign perspectives, Shobha began a Masters degree in Indigenous Governance from the Faculty of Human and Social Development at the University of Victoria in 2005. This academic experience, which effectively drew on visiting professors, international experiences, and the integration of students within the local community, exposed her to the process of necessitating universalism in forgiveness and tolerance when generating understanding between cultures and people with conflicting worldviews. Compelling further insight into the present impact of economic globalization, from 2006-2007 her research interests led her back to India. In partnership with the local community, Shobha began examining and re-defining education in order to work towards reviving Indigenous Governance structures amongst young people. By exposing global politics, economics, and prevailing social perspectives, the community and Shobha began to examine and address the implications of globalization on local empowerment and mobilization.

From 2007-2013, based out of Udaipur, Rajasthan, Shobha served as the Country Director of India for Free the Children and Me to We. While facilitating volunteer opportunities to India for youth and adults alike from North America, the United Arab Emirates and Japan, Shobha predominantly worked alongside the rural communities in India to integrate sustainable development that honored local worldviews and prescribed to Indigenous knowledge.

Driven by the need to continue to break down social, economic, and political hierarchies that are perpetuated by discriminative processes such as gender division and the caste system, Shobha has begun a new initiative. The organization, Our Satya, was founded by Shobha in 2015, and examines the necessary interventions to secure the health and well being of women and children within impoverished conditions.