Gandhi’s message of non-violence needed now more than ever by UN News / The Hindu 4:08am 5th Oct, 2007   2 October 2007    The message of Mahatma Gandhi, whose peaceful struggle helped birth an independent India and inspired countless people around the world, is needed now more than ever amid rising global tensions, intolerance and conflict, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.    Addressing the United Nations General Assembly’s first-ever observance of the International Day of Non-violence, Mr. Ban said that communities around the globe were “increasingly mired in rising intolerance and cross-cultural tensions. We see extremist dogma and violent ideologies gaining ground, as moderate forces retreat.    “And we have witnessed lethal force being used against unarmed and non-violent marchers who exemplified the very spirit of the Mahatma’s teachings,” he added, referring to the recent wave of peaceful protests witnessed in Myanmar.    Calling the man who inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world a “personal hero,” Mr. Ban said that “by incorporating non-violence into everyday life, the Mahatma inspired countless individuals to lead better, more meaningful lives.”    He added, “The Mahatma’s inspiration is needed now more than ever.”    The Secretary-General said he hoped the Day, which will be observed annually on 2 October, Gandhi’s birthday, will help to advance true tolerance and non-violence at every level, from individuals all the way up to Governments.    “May this Day help spread Mahatma Gandhi’s message to an ever wider audience, and hasten a time when every day is a day without violence,” he said.    Also addressing the observance, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim highlighted the need to spread the message that “non-violence, tolerance, respect for human rights, democracy, development, and diversity, are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.”    It was Gandhi’s belief, Mr. Kerim said, that intolerance was the worst form of violence, and that without genuine tolerance, no dialogue can have a lasting impact.    “This message underlines the importance of having various initiatives within this Organization to promote dialogue among cultures, religions and faiths as well as to strengthen mutual understanding,” he added.    The Assembly is set to convene a high-level dialogue on interreligious and intercultural cooperation later this week.    Also marking the occasion, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today participated in a roundtable discussion, at which she said today’s violent and unsettled times “cry for Mahatma Gandhi’s healing touch.”    Gandhi’s philosophy guides much of the UN’s work for peace, she noted. “That is because all of us at the Organization realize that the UN’s efforts to end war must reach well beyond the mere absence of conflict. Peacekeepers and preventive diplomacy remain essential tools in our efforts to silence guns and implement ceasefires. But, by themselves, they are not enough to counter humanity’s worst instincts.    “Instead, the search for a durable and enduring peace demands action at a deeper, more profound level... In short, it requires a culture of Gandhian peace and non-violence,” she stated.    2 Oct. 2007    ‘Collective failure on universal disarmament’. (The Hindu/India)    As the United Nations marked Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as the first International Day of Non-violence, Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke of the international community’s “collective failure” to move towards comprehensive universal disarmament. She also referred to the “disturbing emergence” of non-state players in the spread of terrorism.    “It is not the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi that is in question today ... it is whether we have the courage to emulate his preachings and what he lived and died for,” Ms. Gandhi said in an address to the 192-member U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.    Ms. Gandhi said the world was facing violence of various kinds and there was a collective failure on the part of the international community in tackling terrorism and checking nuclear proliferation.    The United Progressive Alliance Chairperson also had a word of caution for representatives from across the world, asking them not to make the Mahatma Gandhi birth anniversary another annual ritual.    “Fallacies” about non-violence abound, Ms. Gandhi said, rejecting the contention by some that it was a sign of weakness or cowardice. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” she told sceptics, adding non-violence went far beyond passive resistance or even civil disobedience.    “To practise it in its true spirit demands strict discipline of mind: the courage to face aggression, the moral conviction to stay the course and the strength to do so without harbouring any malice towards the opponent.”    At the heart of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence was his belief that strength came from righteousness, not force; power came from truth, not might; victory came from moral courage, not imposed submission.    “He held that means and ends are inseparable, and that in fact the means themselves shape the ends. He believed unworthy means can never produce worthy ends.”    History, both past and contemporary, confirmed that violence only begot violence in an unending spiral, fostering hatred and revenge. “Violence seeks to impose and overwhelm, which is why its victories are transitory. Non-violence seeks to engage and persuade, which is why its results are enduring,” Ms. Gandhi said amidst cheers.    Emphasising that the Mahatma himself was, first and foremost, a man of action, she said he was indeed a man of deep contemplation and galvanising energy.    “It is this energy that enabled him to overcome resistance arising from hostility, indifference and cynicism. It is this energy that gave him the resilience to press ahead, in spite of tremendous obstacles and tribulations,” the Congress leader said and recalled the Mahatma’s remark, “We must ourselves become the change we seek.”    If the 20th century was the bloodiest in human history, it was also the century when non-violence saw its greatest triumphs, cutting across the boundaries of continents and faiths. “It is worth remembering that among the myriad civil disobedience movements, the only army of non-violence was the one led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known to history as ‘The Frontier Gandhi’.”
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