International Day of Non Violence


INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE

"Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man" – Mahatma Gandhi

UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) and the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations (UN) will jointly commemorate the International Day of Non-Violence through a panel discussion featuring a dialogue between leading young trailblazers and policy-makers on “Education for Human Flourishing”. For the first-time at the UN, a life-size hologram of Mahatma Gandhi will lead the panel discussion. The event will be held on September 30, 2022 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm at the Trusteeship Council, UN Headquarters in New York. It is part of the Ahinsa Lecture Series and will kickstart the 10-years celebration of UNESCO MGIEP.

About the event

Following the recent discussions at the United Nations on “Transforming Education”, the participants in panel will discuss how an education for human flourishing is critical to achieving peaceful and sustainable societies, in line with the SDG 4, Target 7. According to the “Reimagining Education” – International Science and Evidence based Assessment Report released by UNESCO MGIEP in 2022 “Human flourishing refers to both the optimal continuing development of human beings’ potential and living well as a human being, which means being engaged in relationships and activities that are meaningful, that is, aligned with both their own values and humanistic values, in a way that is satisfying to them. Flourishing is conditional on the contribution of individuals

and requires an enabling environment.” Education has the potential to provide the framework for learners to achieve human flourishing and this discussion will explore how education can facilitate this process.

Event Details

Title : Education for Human Flourishing

Date : Friday September 30, 2022

Time : 4 – 5:30 PM

Venue: Trusteeship Council Chamber, UN Headquarter, New York, NY

Event agenda

  • Welcome remarks
  • Message by UN Secretary-General (TBC)
  • Panel discussion on “Education for Human flourishing”
  • Concluding remarks

Members of the Panel

  • H.E. Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, Permanent Representative of India to the UN
  • Bernice A. King, CEO, The King Center, Atlanta
  • Princess Hayu of Indonesia, Youth representative on digital education transformation

The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Director UNESCO MGIEP.

About International Day of Non-Violence

The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace and non-violence. According to General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to "disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness". The resolution reaffirms "the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence" and the desire "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence".

About the Ahinsa Lecture Series

Ahinsa is derived from Sanskrit word ‘hims’ meaning injury and its opposite (a-hiṃsā meaning without any injury) refers to non-violence. This ethical philosophy was popularised by Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest champion of nonviolence in the world. The Ahinsa Lecture brings together public speakers of the highest caliber active in the field of peace and non-violence to the forum for the benefit of peace builders, policy makers, youth, UNESCO Member states, and international community. The Ahinsa Lecture is organized to mark the International Day of Non-Violence celebrated on 2 October to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Ahinsa Lecture was introduced in the year 2016 and is a part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, which is expected to inspire a larger international dialogue on a more peaceful and sustainable world, built through better education, inclusive spaces, and global citizenship. Previous lecturers include: Ms. Tawakkol Karman (Nobel Laureate 2011); Dr. Scilla Elworthy; Prof. Sugata Mitra; Prof. Martha Nussbaum; Madame Irina Bokova; Prof. KP Mohanan, Sadhguru and Sir Partha Dasgupta.

About UNESCO MGIEP

UNESCO MGIEP focuses on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies across the world by developing programmes and products that promote social and emotional learning, innovate digital pedagogies and empower the youth.

UNESCO MGIEP‘s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) interventions draw on the science of learning and aim to build intellectual and emotional intelligence among learners through innovative pedagogies.