I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Nonviolence are as old as the hills.
All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could.
-Mahatma Gandhi

2nd October 2023

Here I am wishing everyone blissful celebration of the birth anniversary of the world’s greatest apostle of Ahimsa and peace, after Budha, Mahatma Gandhi and the International Day of Nonviolence declared in 2007 by the United Nations Organization. Gandhi said and lived ‘Ahhimsa is the highest ideal. It is meant for the brave, never for the cowardly’.

For Gandhi, ahimsa was the expression of the deepest love for all humans, including one’s opponents; this non-violence therefore included not only a lack of physical harm to them, but also a lack of hatred or ill-will towards them. Gandhi rejected the traditional dichotomy between one’s own side and the “enemy;” he believed in the need to convince opponents of their injustice, not to punish them, and in this way one could win their friendship and one’s own freedom. If need be, one might need to suffer or die in order that they may be converted to love (Shepard 4).

On April 6, 1930, after having marched 241 miles on foot from his village to the sea, Mohandas K. Gandhi arrived at the coastal village of Dandi, India, and gathered salt. It was a simple act, but one which was illegal under British colonial rule of India. Gandhi was openly defying the British Salt Law. Within a month, people all over India were making salt illegally, and more than 100,000 were sent to jail; many fell victim to police violence, but none retaliated or even defended themselves (Herman 99-101).

Education on Action in Nonviolence

I Gambhir Watts, take the liberty of informing you about my recent active participation at the “Roots to Fruits: Nonviolence in Action” conference at Durban University of Technology, South Africa held between 31st July to 2nd August 2012. I am grateful for the chance to meet revered Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi and founder and trustee of Gandhi Development Trust, South Africa.Inspired by and with the support of Ela Gandhi, Gandhi Development Trust and ICON (International Centre of Nonviolence) Durban, we are launching the International Centre of Nonviolence (ICON) Australia. Announcement was made on 2 October 2012 when celebrating UN International Day of Nonviolence and commemorating the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth.

The main objective of the ICON Australia will be to part education on action in nonviolence at various levels.

Our vision is of a nonviolent society based on the celebration of our common humanity and of the natural environment that sustains us. We will work to make strategic interventions in education – development of educators and curricula, teaching and writing – that challenge structural violence, enable learning untainted by violence and advance a culture of nonviolence. It works through reflective practice and focused research to develop and disseminate its understanding, and to build networks of educators with a similar vision and commitment.

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