Barbara Nath-Wiser
Encyclopedia
Barbara Nath-Wiser is an Austria
n doctor. She studied Medicine in Vienna
and emigrated to India
in 1978. She founded the NISHTA centre (NISHTA = Sanskrit "Trust") for the people of the Kangra Valley
. Nishta is situated in Sidhbari
, the hometown of her former husband Krishan Nath Baba, near Dharamsala
in Himachal Pradesh
. This rural health, education and environment centre provides alternative medicine
such as homeopathy
, acupuncture
or Ayurveda
, but also traditional treatments.
In 1986 her husband died. Barbara Nath-Wiser decided to stay in India in order to continue her project. In 2004 she received the Two Wings Award; she was also named among the "1000 PeaceWomen across the Globe" in 2005.
Since 2003 Nistha is an official partner institution of the Austrian Social Service
and hosts volunteers from the Austrian Service Abroad
who work at Nishtha for 12 months.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n doctor. She studied Medicine in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and emigrated to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1978. She founded the NISHTA centre (NISHTA = Sanskrit "Trust") for the people of the Kangra Valley
Kangra Valley
Kangra Valley is situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is a popular tourist destination, with the peak season around March and April.Dharamsala, the headquarters of Kangra district, lies on the southern spur of Dhauladhar in the valley .-Geography:...
. Nishta is situated in Sidhbari
Sidhbari
Sidhbari is a small town, situated in the foothills of Dhauladhar mountains, in Kangra district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.-Overview:...
, the hometown of her former husband Krishan Nath Baba, near Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. This rural health, education and environment centre provides alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
such as homeopathy
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
, acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
or Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
, but also traditional treatments.
In 1986 her husband died. Barbara Nath-Wiser decided to stay in India in order to continue her project. In 2004 she received the Two Wings Award; she was also named among the "1000 PeaceWomen across the Globe" in 2005.
Since 2003 Nistha is an official partner institution of the Austrian Social Service
Austrian Social Service
The Austrian Social Service is part of the Austrian Service Abroad, founded by Andreas Maislinger in 1998. It offers the possibility to substitute the compolsary military service in Austria with a 12-months service abroad....
and hosts volunteers from the Austrian Service Abroad
Austrian Service Abroad
Austrian Service Abroad is a non-profit initiative and was founded in 1998 by Andreas Maislinger and Andreas Hörtnagl. Since 2001 Michael Prochazka is part of the managing committee.-General Information:...
who work at Nishtha for 12 months.