On September 30 , India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), organised a panel discussion to commemorate the International Day of Non-Violence.
About International Day of Non-Violence
- Every year, since 2007, the day is observed on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
- Mahatma Gandhi pioneered the philosophy of non-violence (Ahimsa) through his political marches against the British, and talks around India and the world. The event, held at the UN headquarters in New York, saw a life-size hologram of Gandhi displayed.
- Iranian Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, in January 2004, first proposed the idea of dedicating a day to non-violence, around the world.
- On June 15, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution to commemorate October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence, with the core objective to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.”
\What is non-violence?
- According to the United Nations, the principle of non-violence — also known as non-violent resistance — rejects the use of physical violence in order to achieve social or political change. Often described as “the politics of ordinary people“, this form of social struggle has been adopted by mass populations all over the world in campaigns for social justice.
There are three main categories of non-violence action:
- protest and persuasion, including marches and vigils;
- non-cooperation; and
- non-violent intervention, such as blockades and occupations.
