$5.00 Living Gandhi Today

Living Gandhi Today A publication of

The 22nd

Annual GANDHI PEACE FESTIVAL Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Towards a culture of nonviolence, peace and justice 2014 Theme: Nelson Mandela's Life & Legacy Saturday October 4, 2014

Sponsored by Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University The India-Canada Society, Hamilton www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi

Suggested Donation

$5.00

http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi

Gandhi Peace Festival 2014 2 www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi

The 22nd Annual Gandhi Peace Festival Saturday, October 4, 2014 A Word of Welcome .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 A Personal Message from The Premier ............................................................................................................................. 5 Message from the President and Vice-Chancellor ............................................................................................................. 6 Message from Mayor Bob Bratina ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Gandhi Peace Festival - Keynote Speaker: Itah Sadu ........................................................................................................ 8 Mahatma Gandhi Lectures on Nonviolence ....................................................................................................................... 9 Nelson Mandela Biography ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Nelson Mandela Quotes .................................................................................................................................................. 12 Gandhi and Mandela: A Comparison ............................................................................................................................... 13 A Tribute to Mandela by Ela Bhatt ................................................................................................................................... 14 The Gandhi Peace Festival ............................................................................................................................................. 15 Community Service Awards ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Winners of Newcombe Prize in Peace Studies ................................................................................................................ 16 On Mandela’s lasting legacy ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Personal Reflections on South Africa .............................................................................................................................. 18 Mandela’s Truth and Reconciliation ................................................................................................................................. 19 Action Steps for the Culture of Peace .............................................................................................................................. 20 Is There a Nonviolent Response to ISIS? ........................................................................................................................ 22 Gandhi Peace Festival's Contribution to Local and Global Peace: A Personal Narrative ................................................. 23 Krishan Chandra Joshee, CM.......................................................................................................................................... 25 PEACE, SOCIAL JUSTICE and COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS .................................................................................. 26

The Peace Studies Program ........................................................................................................................................................ 26 Culture of Peace Hamilton ........................................................................................................................................................... 27 Pray the Devil Back to Hell ........................................................................................................................................................... 27 United Nations Association in Canada .......................................................................................................................................... 28 Mahatma Gandhi ......................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Canadian Foundation for World Peace ......................................................................................................................................... 28 YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford ........................................................................................................................................ 29 Peace Medal Breakfast ................................................................................................................................................................ 29 The Malhar Group ....................................................................................................................................................................... 29 International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons .................................................................................................................... 30 BAND (Burlington Association for Nuclear Disarmament) .............................................................................................................. 30 Empowering Change in People .................................................................................................................................................... 31 Pray the Devil Back to Hell ........................................................................................................................................................... 31 The Children’s International Learning Centre (CILC) ..................................................................................................................... 32 Department of Peace ................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Amnesty International .................................................................................................................................................................. 33 KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives ........................................................................................................................ 33 The People’s Platform.................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Hamilton Organization for Poverty Reduction (HOPE) ................................................................................................................... 34 Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 35 Mahila Shanti Sena (MSS) ........................................................................................................................................................... 35 Environment Hamilton.................................................................................................................................................................. 35 Canadian Voice of Women for Peace ........................................................................................................................................... 36 Act Locally – Local Events Information ......................................................................................................................................... 36 Muslim Women of Hamilton ......................................................................................................................................................... 36 Hamilton Mundialization ............................................................................................................................................................... 37 Ontario Public Interest Research Group - McMaster ..................................................................................................................... 37 The India-Canada Society of Hamilton and Region ....................................................................................................................... 38 Hindu Samaj Women’s Outreach Group ....................................................................................................................................... 38 Seniors Seva Mandal of Hamilton and Region .............................................................................................................................. 39 South Asian Heritage Association................................................................................................................................................. 39 Community-based Interfaith, Peace and Cultural Groups .............................................................................................................. 40

Mahatma Gandhi Peace Festival Sponsors ..................................................................................................................... 44 Themes of Gandhi Peace Festivals ................................................................................................................................. 44 Friends of the Festival – Thank you! ................................................................................................................................ 45 2014 Gandhi Peace Festival Committees and Volunteers ................................................................................................ 46 Memories of 2013 Gandhi Peace Festival ....................................................................................................................... 47 Programme ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48


(Photo courtesy of Consulate of South Africa in Toronto)


A Word of Welcome

Dear Friends: We welcome you to the 22nd Annual Gandhi Peace Festival. This year's theme is "Nelson Mandela's Life & Legacy". Nelson Mandela was first democratically elected President of South Africa in 1994. “Madiba” as he was fondly referred to by those who loved him passed away on 5th December 2013. In many ways Mandela and Gandhi were similar in their thoughts and actions to achieve civil rights and equality for all. They were men of different times, yet they drew upon similar principles in their quests to help humanity. While their causes were distinct to each of their homelands, they inspired similar reverence among followers, eventually standing as inspiration to the whole world. Gandhi Peace Festival (GPF) has evolved over the years and has become a joint effort of India-

Canada Society, McMaster University, and the City of Hamilton. The new GPF Board is to reflect this

reality and shared responsibility. India-Canada Society still remains the primary community

organization to look after the festival in collaboration with the Board.

Gandhi Peace Festival is a pride of our community and the City of Hamilton. It has become a model

of University-community engagement as well as a model of inclusive community participation.

GPF has flourished with your support; we count on your support and welcome your ideas and

suggestions.

Khursheed Ahmed Jay Parekh Editor, Living Gandhi Today Chair, Gandhi Peace Festival [email protected] [email protected]

https://bay173.mail.live.com/ol/





mailto:[email protected]



Premier of Ontario - Première ministre de l’Ontario

October 4, 2014

A Personal Message from The Premier On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am pleased to extend greetings to everyone attending the

22nd Annual Gandhi Peace Festival in Hamilton. There is no more important goal than to achieve peace and harmony in society. Recognizing that

every person is born with the right to be treated justly and with dignity is an important aspect in reaching this aim. I applaud this festival for addressing these fundamental values and for facilitating discussions on a topic of such importance.

It is appropriate that, as we approach the one year anniversary of the passing of Nelson Mandela, the

theme of this festival is Nelson Mandela’s Life and Legacy. Since much of Mr. Mandela’s lifetime was

dedicated to fighting oppression and hatred with the values of freedom and love, you honour his

memory by exploring his teachings and actions at this festival. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Centre for Peace Studies at McMaster

University for organizing this wonderful event. I know that all in attendance will find it inspiring. Please accept my best wishes for a memorable festival.

Kathleen Wynne Premier


President and Gilmour Hall, Room 238 Phone: 905.525.9140, Ext. 24340 Vice-Chancellor 1280 Main Street West Fax: 905.522.3391 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada E-mail: [email protected]

L8S 4L8 http://www.mcmaster.ca

Message from the President and Vice-Chancellor

On behalf of McMaster University, I am delighted to welcome you to the 22nd Annual Gandhi Peace Festival, an inclusive event dedicated to the promotion of peace, nonviolence and social justice. Hamilton’s Gandhi Peace Festival is probably the only peace festival of its kind in the world. It has grown in size over the last twenty-two years and has become part of Hamilton’s cultural landscape, as well as gaining recognition both nationally and internationally. The Festival is jointly sponsored by the Centre for Peace Studies at McMaster, the City of Hamilton and the India-Canada Society and is a splendid example of collaboration between the community and the academy. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding work and dedication of all three partners and to thank the many organizers and volunteers who have made this event possible. The theme of the 2014 Festival is “Nelson Mandela’s Life and Legacy” and will honour and celebrate the work and vision of Nelson Mandela, who firmly believed that each individual has the ability and responsibility to effect positive change every day. Like Gandhi, his life was dedicated to serving the greater good and continues to inspire individuals around the world to take action to help change the world for the better. The Festival provides a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of social justice and human rights issues, to engage in dialogue and to share resources and ideas. I am delighted that you have chosen to attend to celebrate the legacies of both Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela and to demonstrate your support for the promotion of peace and nonviolence in our society. My very best wishes to you all. Patrick Deane President and Vice-Chancellor


Message from Mayor Bob Bratina

On behalf of the City of Hamilton, I would like to extend warm greetings to all those in attending the 22nd Annual Gandhi Peace Festival and Peace Walk in Hamilton. This year’s theme is “Nelson Mandela’s Life and Legacy”. The power and timelessness of Gandhi’s ideas continue to embrace the world. His message of non-violence has to be seen in a broad context that includes harnessing anger and emotion and turning those energies into positive forces. Hamilton is particularly well-suited to hosting this festival because of the amazing diversity of our City, with well over one hundred cultures, ethnicities and nationalities represented among our population. People are learning that those they once may have held in low esteem are contributing at every level to the growth of our City. Of the groups currently engaged in confrontation around the world, almost all are represented here, and they peacefully co-exist as Canadians. I urge everyone to join together again for the annual Peace Festival and Peace Walk to help embed Gandhi’s ideas in our hearts. Sincerely,

Robert Bratina Mayor


Gandhi Peace Festival - Keynote Speaker: Itah Sadu

When meeting Itah Sadu, the first thing you will see is her smile, the first thing you will notice is her warmth. As a dynamic entrepreneur and community builder, she utilizes creativity, leadership and teamwork to build infrastructure and legacy in communities. Her objective is simple and to the point: To work with organizations that engage in programs for youth with the focus on education, pathways and community economic development. From a chat with Sadu or a look at her resume, it is evident that her myriad projects, accomplishments and awards are a testament to her passion for community action and improvement on all levels, particularly as it relates to youth. She has created youth programs that serve as models for job placement opportunities,

skill development and leaders-in-training programming. Featured on the African Canadian History 2012 Poster, Sadu has contributed to the legacy of African Canadians with the naming of Toronto sites in honour of their contributions. She is founder of the Walk with Excellence for schools in Toronto west and founding member of the annual Underground Freedom Ride in celebration of Emancipation Day. Sadu is a bestselling children’s author, whose books are adopted by schools for curriculum and adapted to film. A contributor to the development of the Canadian publishing sector, Sadu is also founding member of the MY People Literary Awards and founding member of the Black Book Affair. The social advocate has designed, planned, developed, implemented and evaluated programs for youth from Aboriginal and racialized communities residing in high density neighbourhoods. One such program is the Fresh Elements/Fresh Arts program – an initiative designed for youth to develop technical and production skills in the cultural industries. From that initiative emerged the excellence of musicians Jully Black, Saukrates, and Kardinal Offishall. Now celebrating its 20

th anniversary, the program has become part of the youth-led conference, Manifesto.

It is fair to say that Itah is an artist at heart. At any level of her community involvement, there is often an element of art. She advocated for and advised as grant officer for the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture, new criteria for diverse artists by collaborating with Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and Scarborough Arts Council. This resulted in community-based youth arts initiatives and spaces (i.e., Art Start) and the training of staff in Arts organization to be sensitive to equity issues. Sadu collaborated with school boards (TDSB, TCDSB, Peel, York Region etc.) colleges and universities (i.e., York University, University of Toronto) across the province of Ontario and Canada in providing opportunities for students, youth and educators to be exposed to educational and artistic experiences from diverse communities (i.e., Nobel Peace Prize presentation in TDSB by African Diaspora Scientists, Bicentenary of the Abolition of Slavery). A 15-year successful bookstore entrepreneur — “A Different Booklist” — Sadu is a board member of Caribbean Canadian Literary Expo (CCLE) with a purpose to support the recruitment of youth as volunteers at literary events, to encourage young emergent writers and illustrators and youth interested in self-publishing and e-book applicants. Ms. Sadu is also a Harry Jerome Scholarship Trustee and board member with a purpose to build awareness of scholarships and grant opportunities for youth. Holding a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from York University, Itah Sadu has received numerous awards and certifications, some of which include: Sesheme Hero Amongst Us; Black Business and Professional Association, Women of Honour; Toronto Arts Council Foundation; and the African Canadian Achievement Award for Excellence in Business.


The organizers of the Gandhi Peace Festival wish to express their gratitude to all those who have contributed so generously over the years to the Mahatma Gandhi Trust Fund, in particular the following major donors: *Dr. Suboth Jain, University of California, Davis Drs. Raj and Sudesh Sood Dr. Shobha and Ravi Wahi, Burlington Drs. Khursheed and Maroussia Ahmed *Dr. McCormack Smyth, Senior Scholar, York University Dr. Rama Shankar and Mrs. Rekha Singh, Hamilton *Mr. Devindar and Mrs. Uma Sud, Brampton *Dr. Sri Gopal and Mrs. Shanti Mohanty, Hamilton *Dr. Douglas and Mrs. Sheila Davies, Hamilton *Mr. Subhash & Mrs. Jayashree Dighe, Hamilton *Dr. Naresh and Mrs. Meena Sinha Dr. Salim and Mrs. Waheeda Yusuf Mr. Kiran and Mrs. Rupa Jani *Dr. Ashok and Mrs. Nirmala Dalvi *Dr. Hemant and Mrs. Abha Gosain, Hamilton *Dr. Harish and Connie Jain *Drs. Mani and Sujatha Subramaniam

Mahatma Gandhi Lectures on Nonviolence Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University

The Mahatma Gandhi Lecture series was established at McMaster University under the direction of the Centre for Peace Studies, to make the value and strategies on nonviolence widely known, and to develop the concept and practice of nonviolence through intellectual analysis and criticism, dialogue, debate and experimentation. Each year a respected analyst or practitioner of nonviolence, chosen by a subcommittee of the Centre for Peace Studies, is invited to McMaster to deliver one or more lectures or workshops on nonviolence. The series is named after Mahatma Gandhi to honour his role in the revitalization and development of nonviolence. Gandhi brought together East and West, spirituality and practical politics, the ancient and the contemporary, and in so doing he helped rescue nonviolence from sectarianism and irrelevance. Our aim is not to put Gandhi on a pedestal, but rather to take seriously the tradition for which he gave his life. The inaugural lecture was given by Ovide Mercredi in 1996. The Mahatma Gandhi lectures series was initiated by India-Canada Society of Hamilton and is funded through private donations. Our goal is to raise $250,000 to provide a sustained yearly income of $10,000 to adequately fund the Lecture series. We have reached 40% of our target and need your support to bridge the gap. We urge you to make a tax-deductible donation to support this worthy cause. Past Gandhi Lecturers: 2013 Ela Bhatt, President SEWA (India): Women and Poverty: The Hidden Face of Violence with Social Consent 2012 Chris Hedges, Senior fellow, The Nation Institute, USA : Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt 2011 Dr. Richard Falk, Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Princeton University 2009 Rajmohan Gandhi, a professor, biographer and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi 2008 Narayan Desai, Gandhian Scholar, India 2007 Satish Kumar, Ecologist/Activist, UK 2005 Sulak Sivaraksa, Peace Activist, Thailand 2003 Acharya Ramamurti – Social Activist, India 2002 Dr. Lowitija O’Donoghue – Elder of Australian Aboriginal Nation 2001 Professor Fatima Meer, University of Natal, South Africa 2000 Medha Patkar, Human Rights Activist and Social Worker, Mumbai, India 1999 Douglas Roche, OC, Senator, Ottawa, Canada 1998 Dr. Adam Curle, Founding Chair, Dept. of Peace Studies, Bradford University, UK 1997 Dr. Gene Sharp, Director, The Albert Einstein Institution, Cambridge, Mass., USA 1996 Ovide Mercredi, National Chief of the assembly of First Nations, Canada Full text of these lectures has been published in previous issues of the Gandhi Peace Festival booklet. These are available on-line through the Gandhi website at McMaster University: www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi Donations to Gandhi Trust Fund are tax-creditable. Please make cheques payable to: McMaster University (Gandhi Trust Fund) and mail it along with your name, address and contact information to: McMaster University (Gandhi Trust Fund) Phone: 905-525-9140 x23112 The Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University, TSH-313 E-Mail: [email protected] Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4M2

* Recipients of Gandhi Donor Appreciation Award


Nelson Mandela Biography From Nelson Mandela Foundation website, www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography

Rolihlahla Mandela was born into the Madiba clan in the village of Mvezo, Transkei, on 18 July 1918. His mother was Nonqaphi Nosekeni and his father was Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela, principal counsellor to the Acting King of the Thembu people, Jongintaba Dalindyebo. In 1930, when he was 12 years old, his father died and the young Rolihlahla became a ward of Jongintaba at the Great Place in Mqhekezweni.

Hearing the elders’ stories of his ancestors’ valour

during the wars of resistance, he dreamed also of making his own contribution to the freedom struggle of his people.

He attended primary school in Qunu where his teacher

Miss Mdingane gave him the name Nelson, in accordance with the custom to give all students “Christian” names.

He completed his Junior Certificate at Clarkebury

Boarding Institute and went on to Healdtown, a Wesleyan secondary school of some repute, where he matriculated.

Nelson Mandela began his studies for a Bachelor of

Arts degree at the University College of Fort Hare but did not complete the degree there as he was expelled for joining in a student protest.

He completed his BA through the University of South

Africa and went back to Fort Hare for graduation in 1943. On his return to the Great Place at Mqhekezweni the

King was furious and said if he didn’t return to Fort Hare he would arrange wives for him and his cousin Justice. They ran away to Johannesburg instead, arriving there in 1941. There he worked as a mine security officer and after meeting Walter Sisulu, an estate agent, he was introduced to Lazer Sidelsky. He then did his articles through a firm of attorneys, Witkin Eidelman and Sidelsky.

Meanwhile he began studying for an LLB at the

University of the Witwatersrand. By his own admission he was a poor student and left the university in 1952 without graduating. He only started studying again through the

University of London after his imprisonment in 1962 but also did not complete that degree.

In 1989, while in the last months of his imprisonment,

he obtained an LLB through the University of South Africa. He graduated in absentia at a ceremony in Cape Town.

Nelson Mandela, while increasingly politically involved

from 1942, only joined the African National Congress in 1944 when he helped to form the ANC Youth League.

In 1944 he married Walter Sisulu’s cousin Evelyn

Mase, a nurse. They had two sons, Madiba Thembekile "Thembi" and Makgatho and two daughters both called Makaziwe, the first of whom died in infancy. He and his wife divorced in 1958.

Nelson Mandela rose through the ranks of the ANCYL

and through its efforts; the ANC adopted a more radical mass-based policy, the Programme of Action in 1949.

In 1952 he was chosen at the National Volunteer-in-

Chief of the Defiance Campaign with Maulvi Cachalia as his deputy. This campaign of civil disobedience against six unjust laws was a joint programme between the ANC and the South African Indian Congress. He and 19 others were charged under the Suppression of Communism Act for their part in the campaign and sentenced to nine months hard labour, suspended for two years.

A two-year diploma in law on top of his BA allowed

Nelson Mandela to practice law, and in August 1952 he and Oliver Tambo established South Africa’s first black law firm, Mandela and Tambo.

At the end of 1952 he was banned for the first time. As

a restricted person he was only permitted to watch in secret as the Freedom Charter was adopted in Kliptown on 26 June 1955.

Nelson Mandela was arrested in a countrywide police

swoop on 5 December 1955, which led to the 1956

http://www.nelsonmandela.org/cache/ce_cache/made/7c041423bcc0c4c8/biography-mast_452_167_80.jpg


Treason Trial. Men and women of all races found themselves in the dock in the marathon trial that only ended when the last 28 accused, including Mandela were acquitted on 29 March 1961.

On 21 March 1960 police killed 69 unarmed people in

a protest in Sharpeville against the pass laws. This led to the country’s first state of emergency and the banning of the ANC and the Pan Africanist Congress on 8 April. Nelson Mandela and his colleagues in the Treason Trial were among thousands detained during the state of emergency.

During the trial on 14 June 1958 Nelson Mandela

married a social worker, Winnie Madikizela. They had two daughters, Zenani and Zindziswa. They divorced in 1996.

Days before the end of the Treason Trial Nelson

Mandela travelled to Pietermaritzburg to speak at the All-in Africa Conference, which resolved that he should write to Prime Minister Verwoerd requesting a non-racial national convention, and to warn that should he not agree there would be a national strike against South Africa becoming a republic. As soon as he and his colleagues were acquitted in the Treason Trial Nelson Mandela went underground and began planning a national strike for 29, 30 and 31 March. In the face of massive mobilisation of state security the strike was called off early. In June 1961 he was asked to lead the armed struggle and helped to establish Umkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation) which launched on 16 December 1961 with a series of explosions.

On 11 January 1962, using the adopted name David

Motsamayi, Nelson Mandela secretly left South Africa. He travelled around Africa and visited England to gain support for the armed struggle. He received military training in Morocco and Ethiopia and returned to South Africa in July 1962. He was arrested in a police roadblock outside Howick on 5 August while returning from KwaZulu-Natal where he had briefed ANC President Chief Albert Luthuli about his trip.

He was charged with leaving the country illegally and

inciting workers to strike. He was convicted and sentenced to five years' imprisonment which he began serving in the Pretoria Local Prison. On 27 May 1963 he was transferred to Robben Island and returned to Pretoria on 12 June. Within a month police raided Liliesleaf, a secret hide-out in Rivonia used by ANC and Communist Party activists, and several of his comrades were arrested.

On 9 October 1963 Nelson Mandela joined ten others

on trial for sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial. While facing the death penalty his words to the court at the end of his famous ‘Speech from the Dock’ on 20 April 1964 became immortalised:

“I have fought against white domination, and I have

fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal

of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

On 11 June 1964 Nelson Mandela and seven other

accused: Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Denis Goldberg, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni were convicted and the next day were sentenced to life imprisonment. Denis Goldberg was sent to Pretoria Prison because he was white, while the others went to Robben Island.

Nelson Mandela’s mother died in 1968 and his eldest

son Thembi in 1969. He was not allowed to attend their funerals.

On 31 March 1982 Nelson Mandela was transferred to

Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town with Sisulu, Mhlaba and Mlangeni. Kathrada joined them in October. When he returned to the prison in November 1985 after prostate surgery Nelson Mandela was held alone. Justice Minister Kobie Coetsee visited him in hospital. Later Nelson Mandela initiated talks about an ultimate meeting between the apartheid government and the ANC.

On 12 August 1988 he was taken to hospital where he

was diagnosed with tuberculosis. After more than three months in two hospitals he was transferred on 7 December 1988 to a house at Victor Verster Prison near Paarl where he spent his last 14 months of imprisonment. He was released from its gates on Sunday 11 February 1990, nine days after the unbanning of the ANC and the PAC and nearly four months after the release of his remaining Rivonia comrades. Throughout his imprisonment he had rejected at least three conditional offers of release.

Nelson Mandela immersed himself in official talks to

end white minority rule and in 1991 was elected ANC President to replace his ailing friend Oliver Tambo. In 1993 he and President FW de Klerk jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize and on 27 April 1994 he voted for the first time in his life. On 10 May 1994 he was inaugurated South Africa’s first democratically elected President. On his 80th birthday in 1998 he married Graça Machel, his third wife.

True to his promise Nelson Mandela stepped down in

1999 after one term as President. He continued to work with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund he set up in 1995 and established the Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Mandela Rhodes Foundation.

Nelson Mandela never wavered in his devotion to

democracy, equality and learning. Despite terrible provocation, he never answered racism with racism. His life is an inspiration to all who are oppressed and deprived; and to all who are opposed to oppression and deprivation.

Nelson Mandela died at his home in Johannesburg on 5 December 2013.


Nelson Mandela Quotes (Source: http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/367338.Nelson_Mandela)

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” “When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” “It always seems impossible until it's done.” “I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.” “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.” “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” “Courage is not the absence of fear — it s inspiring others to move beyond it.” “I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious

vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.” “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” “As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” “ As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.” “A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.” “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” “One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.” “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up” “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/367338.Nelson_Mandela


Gandhi and Mandela: A Comparison Binoy Shanker Prasad, PhD

A former president of the India-Canada Society, Dr Binoy Shanker Prasad is the author of “Violence

Against Minorities: Riots and the State in the United States and India”. He is a former faculty member

at McMaster University Centre for Peace Studies Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) and Nelson Rohihlahla Mandela (1918-2013) have installed their place in human history as the greatest leaders in the struggle against oppression. Called lovingly Bapu and Tata -- both meaning “Father” -- they integrated morality and ethics into political strategies. They were prepared to undergo endless physical suffering for the cause of liberty and emancipation. Both the statesmen came from upscale politically influential families: Gandhi’s father and grandfather were Dewans (Prime Minister) of the Indian state of Porbandar; Mandela belonged to the lineage of the rulers of Thembu peoples in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Both of them graduated in and practiced law. For Mandela and Gandhi, South Africa happened to be the work-field where they, among other things, experienced personal insults in their own lifetime. Mandela went through racial discrimination, apartheid, at the hands of white Dutch colonizers, Gandhi was infamously evicted from the first class compartment of a train at Pietermaritzburg Railway Station. Gandhi also endured collective humiliation at the racist 1906 anti-Indian legislation in the Transvaal. In becoming champions of the oppressed classes -- the subjugated lower class in India and the victims of apartheid in South Africa -- both Gandhi and Mandela emerged from their own unique encounters with history, both of them reached their deep conviction after intense exposure and inner reflection. For Mandela, South Africa was his home territory, whereas Gandhi was a settler there invited initially by the local migrants to litigate their cases. Some of Gandhi’s earlier writings in South Africa were cited to be unfavorable to the “negroes” as he was seen to be protecting the rights and privilege of people of Indian origin. The local South Africans regarded Indian traders and businessmen as exploiters of black labor. However, later on Gandhi immersed himself in non-violent struggle for justice to all. After twenty-one years of living and working in South Africa, Gandhi came to the conclusion that all suppressed people, whatever their religion, ethnicity or caste, must stand together against their oppressors. He noted in his autobiography: “When we come to think of it, the distinction between heterogeneous and homogeneous is discovered to be merely imaginary. We are all one family.” For Gandhi, the pursuit of truth through non-violence, Satyagraha, was an absolute instrument of faith. That meant under no circumstances would Satyagrahis pick up

arms or cause physical/emotional damage to the other side. There might be umpteen causes for him to die, Gandhi asserted, but not a single reason to kill anyone. Mandela, on the other hand, would call for non-violent protest for “as long as it was effective.” He had -- at least in his earlier phase of struggle -- certain misgivings about a non-violent mass action. He was at one time learning lessons in revolution and the art of leading successful insurgency from Menachem Begin’s “The Revolt.” Unlike civil rights leaders in the mould of Martin Luther King and others, who had unwavering adherence to the Gandhian tools of non-violence, Mandela carefully crafted a strategy befitting the condition in South Africa: After the Sharpville massacre on March 21, 1960 which claimed the lives of 69 unarmed Black South Africans, Mandela became the founder and head of the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC), Umkhonto we Sizwe. He did not directly encourage violence against humans, but did pursue strategies of violent sabotage against key structures of the apartheid regime. In a speech in the Pretoria Supreme Court on April 20, 1964, Mandela explained why he had departed from Gandhi's strategy: “We felt that without violence there would be no way open to the African people to succeed in their struggle against the principle of white supremacy. All lawful modes of expressing opposition to this principle had been closed by legislation, and we were placed in a position in which we had either to accept a permanent state of inferiority, or take over the Government. We chose to defy the law. We first broke the law in a way which avoided any recourse to violence; when this form was legislated against, and then the Government resorted to a show of force to crush opposition to its policies, only then did we decide to answer with violence." Two points need to be mentioned out here: First, even in the Gandhian scheme in practice, a stage in the popular struggle might be reached where use of violence by the protesters could become unavoidable. Second, Gandhi always offered to pay the price of civil disobedience or for truthfully following one’s conviction. Mandela preferred to serve out a prison sentence for 27 years but did not renounce such violence. Incidentally, 54 years apart -- in 1908 and 1962 -- both Gandhi and Mandela were imprisoned in the same 19th Century Johannesburg’s old Fort where black prisoners were segregated from white convicts.


Leaders of the liberation movement as they were in their own countries, Gandhi didn’t accept any office after independence whereas Mandela became the president of South Africa. However, Mandela picked F.W. de Klerk, his former tormentor, as his Vice-President, constituted Truth and Reconciliation Commission and launched his country on the path to a non-racialized society where all could live in freedom. Like many leaders around the world, he didn’t show any attachment to power and very soon dedicated himself to the global emancipatory causes. Now, both India and South Africa have yet to take long strides toward fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of the two statesmen. In addition to handling poverty and hunger, the two societies have to guard against corruption and stealing of democracy by the rich and resourceful. Believers in the dictum, “hate the sin, not the sinners,” both Gandhi and Mandela have etched their names in history as architects of unity and harmony among conflicting parties (while keeping truth and fairness intact); both

treated their political opponents with respect and politeness. As the world bid good bye to Mandela, it was quite awkward that South Africa under the pressure of China didn’t grant visa to the Dalai Lama, another apostle of peace and friend of Mandela. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister was another persona non grata at Nelson Mandela's funeral. In the current international scene where the Middle East and Ukraine are engaged in internal wars, major powers are flexing military muscles, vulnerable people are in the grave risk of being subjugated and exploited. It’s time to take inspiration from the two leaders and recall the words of Nelson Mandela who wanted us to be optimistic and unite the world: "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

A Tribute to Mandela by Ela Bhatt (Gandhi Lecturer at McMaster University 2013)

I am deeply saddened by the death of Nelson Mandela. In paying tribute, I join millions of people around the world who were inspired by his courage and touched by his compassion. All will mourn his passing. Mandela - or Madiba as he is known in South Africa - called us, the Elders, together in 2007, urging us to be bold, independent and to speak the truth. He told us to work in the interests of peace for all humanity. The world has lost a great leader. Madiba showed the people of the world that great nations are built with moral courage and collective strength, with truth and reconciliation, with love and forgiveness. He was indeed the Gandhi of South Africa. His spirit lives on in the people of South Africa and in the hearts of all who loved him. I last offered my regards to Madiba when I went to attend The Elders meet in Cape Town in October last year. For me, his face is difficult to forget, so kind and so caring! It was his message of 'Ubuntu' meaning 'common humanity' that drew me to him and to the Elders. We can do no better than honour his memory by bringing the spirit of Ubuntu to every corner of the world. Madiba always loved the khadi garland I put around his neck. I will not forget the words Madiba said to us frequently that "money won't create success, but the freedom to make it, will."

Elders meeting Mandela in South Africa 2012


The Gandhi Peace Festival Community Service Awards

Gail Lorimer

Gail is a founding member of and has worked tirelessly for IDEA Burlington, an interfaith group which raises awareness about issues of global injustice and which promotes tolerance and understanding among the world religions. She has also been the backbone of and is the current Chair of the Hamilton Burlington KAIROS Ecumenical Justice Committee (formerly known as Ten Days for World Development) which organizes ecumenical development education programs in the Hamilton Burlington area. Gail also worked to establish the Mundialization Committee of Burlington. cities which involves the twinning of cities with their counterparts in the South in order to promote global understanding. She is a Raging Granny and has occasionally but persistently staged vigils in front of L-3 Wescam against the weapons of war manufactured there. Gail is also a long time active member of Amnesty International Burlington group and the Hamilton Simple Living Group. On the local level Gail has worked long and hard to help those less fortunate

members of her community through food banks, low cost housing initiatives such as the Don Quixote Housing Coop and, most impressively, by opening her own home to house refugees, former psychiatric patients and run-away teens with nowhere to go. She is a faithful supporter of The Healing Oasis for women in crisis, and regularly helps cook meals for the Wesley Centre. She also chairs the Social Outreach Committee of East Plains United Church.

Tanya Vojdani Fathieh

Helping others has been Tanya's watchword since she can remember. While

engaging as a volunteer in High School and later as a university student in multiple

ways, for the last three years in particular, several days a week, Tanya Fathieh (24)

has committed countless hours working (as a volunteer) with youth ages 11 to 14

years of age from diverse backgrounds in an after-school program in the

McQueston neighbourhood. She has been leading youth in small group study and

service projects where young people can learn to discuss and problem-solve issues

of importance to them, develop their capacities for service to their community, and

form a strong moral identity, within a supportive, respectful and non-judgmental

social environment.

As a skilled facilitator, Tanya has also guided and encouraged older youth to help

their younger peers in a process that now engages many dozens of youth, and their

families, in the neighbourhood. The vision of youth as community-builders, problem-

solvers and peace-makers inspired by the Baha'i teachings (Tanya's faith community), and translated into

workbooks developed in Columbia, South America, used by Tanya and her co-facilitators, is consonant with

Gandhi's emphasis on self-empowerment and sarvodaya (service to the community). As Tanya noted, "it is

clear that junior youth passing through this unique period of their lives need the support of older youth, but that

many interested older youth did not have the tools or support to do so effectively. Over the last two years I

have dedicated my time to the identification, training and accompaniment of these older youth" so that they

then become the change they want to see in the world.


Winners of Newcombe Prize in Peace Studies

Daniella Porano is a fourth year Communications and Peace Studies student at McMaster University who is interested in global politics and international conflict resolution. She enjoys reading, writing, and traveling. Samhita Misra is (perhaps first and foremost) a lover of sunrises, chai chillers and long hugs. Born in Bahrain to Indian parents and moving to Toronto when she was one and a half, Sam identifies as a third culture kid. As such, home to her occupies different places, spaces, times and people. In Hamilton, she has fallen in love with the sense of community and the creative strength that permeates through the city. A third year History and Peace Studies student at McMaster University, Sam is drawn to stories of struggle and resistance, finding inspiration in the innovative potential of nonviolent protest and action.

Dr. Hanna Newcombe Hanna Newcombe

(Abstracted from Wikipedia)

Hanna Newcombe, co-founder of Peace Research Abstracts and Peace Research Reviews,

was the recipient of the 1997 Pearson Medal of Peace and was elected a member of the Order

of Canada in 2007 for her work in peace research and international relations. Newcombe was

born Hanna Hammerschlag on Feb. 5, 1922 in Prague. She was the only surviving child of

Arthur and Paula Hammerschlag (née Seger). When she was 17, the Nazis marched into

Prague, prompting her Jewish parents to emigrate with her to Canada in 1939.

Hanna Newcombe earned a BSc from McMaster University in 1945. She met her husband Alan

George Newcombe at McMaster, and they then both went on to earn doctorates in chemistry

from the University of Toronto. After receiving her PhD in 1950, she never worked full-time as a

chemist, due in large part to the fact that, at that time, married women with children were not

expected to work. In 1955, the Newcombes moved to the Hamilton area of southern Ontario.

After meeting Norman Alcock, a physicist who had founded the Canadian Peace Research

Institute, Newcombe realized that she had found her calling: the use of science to better understand the path to peace.

Alan joined her in working for CPRI shortly thereafter. The Newcombes founded the Peace Research Institute in Dundas,

Ontario in the late 1970s. Hanna was prominent for many decades in the World Federalist Movement, the Canadian Voice

of Women, and the Canadian Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). She was also an advocate of mundialization and of

twinning. Her writing ranged over many topics, including ruminations on philosophy, religion and the history of science.

Hanna Newcombe died in Hamilton in the early morning of April 10, 2011, after a short illness. Family and friends have

endowed the Newcombe Prize in Peace Studies at McMaster University, which is given annually to an outstanding

undergraduate in Peace Studies. McMaster is also the home of an electronic record of her writing.

Samhita Misra

Daniella Porano


On Mandela’s lasting legacy Rama Singh

(First published in The Hamilton Spectator 23 Dec 2013)

Rama Singh is a professor of Biology at McMaster University and the former Chair of Gandhi Peace Festival

In death, as in his life, Nelson Mandela has captured the imagination of the world. Mourning mixed with celebration has electrified crowds all over South Africa and elsewhere. His life’s achievements and his lasting legacy are the topics of discussions. He has been described as a great warrior, a great liberator, the last giant in the fight against colonialism, forgiver, peace maker, and in many other ways.

All this week, Mandela’s lasting legacy has been on my mind. We tend to capture the legacies of great men and women in a word or two. A scientist becomes famous for an important discovery, a writer for a famous book, a musician for a great composition, and so on.

People like Mandela fall in a different category. He is in the category of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King. They are known for their fights on behalf of oppressed people; they are known for their personal sacrifice, and for their moral authority. If we are to look for words to associate with these men, it will be “nonviolence” for Gandhi and “love’ (beloved community) for Dr. King. But what about Mandela- how will we describe his legacy?

What were the important transformational changes in Mandela’s life?

Mandela the great warrior: Mandela has been described as a great warrior, but he was no ordinary warrior. All legendary warriors, mythical or real, are known for the destruction of their enemies. Mandela was different; he did not seek annihilation of his enemy; he transformed his enemy into his collaborator.

Mandela the resilient sufferer: I know of no other person living or dead who was forcefully made to disappear from the scene for this long (incarceration for 27 years) and who survived and made his triumphatic return. Gandhi said there is no other way to show your love for the suffering of your loved ones than to suffer yourself with them, for them. Mandela suffered the longest because his work was the hardest. Mandela the great liberator: Colonial rulers are known for their ruthless treatment and putting down of citizens but South Africa was not a typical colonial rule. The rulers were Afrikaners, citizen of South Africa. I know of no other country, outside of the United States, where the blacks were so harshly treated by another segment of their own country. It was a true liberation. Thanks to Mandela, sad

songs of seeking freedom through death were transformed into freedom in life.

Mandela the magnanimous forgiver: Gandhi’s nonviolence is a complete philosophy of life and it includes love of your enemy and forgiveness. Nonviolence had to be tested to show that it works and that it’s not just a philosophy. Dr. King tested nonviolence with his own suffering and love for his people. His passion for his “beloved community” became the brand of his civil rights struggle for which he paid with his own life. As Gandhi said, the only two places of non-action for such fighters are prison or death. Mandela went to prison, suffered longer, and tested his resolve to forgive his “enemy”. We can only imagine the blood bath had he not done that.

Mandela the peace maker: Gandhi, Dr. King and Mandela, together, constitute a shining trinity of peace and their contributions, respectively, nonviolence, love, and forgiveness provide a prescription for peace if the humankind needs to survive. Truth and Reconciliation will remain one of Mandela’s brilliant and innovative contributions for healing wounds between warring people, warring nations. Gandhi, King and Mandela, all tested nonviolence in their own way and they all came out with the same result: The path of peace and liberation goes through love, suffering, and forgiveness.

Mandela the spiritual father: We go through life with two sets of parents. Our own parents, of course, who brought us in this world, whom we owe our life, body and brain, whom we remain eternally grateful for their sacrifice and care to help us grow and to teach us how to live.

There are another set of parents, for a lack of a better word we can call them our “spiritual parents”. These are men and women whom the whole humanity owes gratitude because it is their discoveries, contributions and, teachings that we like fill our brain with, they make us human- kinder, gentler, and humane.

We call ourselves human because we made a pledge with destiny that we will become humane. It has been a long and arduous journey. With his love, suffering and forgiveness, Mandela has brought us further on the path and has warned we still have a long way to go.

Gandhi-King-Mandela, or Mohan, Martin and Matiba, are angels of peace. We are their descendents, the keepers of their dreams.


Personal Reflections on South Africa Paul R. Dekar

Paul Dekar is a former professor at McMaster University and a co-founder of Centre for Peace Studies.

In my youth I collected stamps. This stimulated interest in Africa as former colonies attained independence. In 1957, I read the published version of a sermon by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. after his trip to Nigeria and Ghana where he represented the United States at ceremonies marking the country’s independence. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, I enrolled in courses on economic development, politics in Africa and African history. In 1965, I was part of an Operation Crossroads Africa delegation that helped build a school in N'Djamena (Fort Lamy) Chad.

Subsequently, serving in Cameroon from 1968-1970 as a United States diplomat, and during my doctoral work in African history, my wife and I became friends of South Africans expelled from the country. We traveled in southern Africa, which enabled us to meet and network with people in the anti-apartheid movement.

Over the years, I corresponded with the Reverend Beyers Naude, who I met in Chicago where I was studying. A leading Afrikaner anti-apartheid activist, Naude was "banned" (a form of house arrest) from 1977 to 1984. After he was freed, he wrote me that he had received my post cards with personal words of encouragement. Highlighting phrases like “The harvest of justice is sown in peace” (James 3:18) or “people need water, not weapons,” he explained that he had pinned the cards on a bulletin board in his home.

In the late 1970s, in my capacity as chair of McMaster’s Campus Ministries Council, I worked with the Finance Committee of the Board of Governors to formulate McMaster’s socially- responsible investment policy, which the Board approved on September 17, 1980. We also sponsored the visit to campus of Alan Boesak, a “coloured” clergyperson who served as president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches from 1982 to 1991.

An anti-apartheid committee organized on campus, and in the wider community. Among actions, we encouraged boycotts of South African products such as wines or shoes manufactured at Bata’s factory in Kwazulu, a so-called “homeland.” During the week of November 10-14, 1986, the McMaster Student Union organized an “apartheid education week.” The MSU showed several films: “You Have Struck a Rock” (a history of resistance by women in South Africa); “Last Grave at Dimbasa” (a film regarding anti-apartheid activities); “The Launching of Cosatu” (about the birth of the Congress of South African Trade Unions); and “We Live Like Dogs” (about South African Miners’ struggles).

On Feb. 11, 1990, when Nelson Mandela was to be released from prison after 27 years, many of us gathered to watch this historic moment on television. Moved by his resolve to carry on, ever greater numbers of people around the world joined the struggle against apartheid.

The week of March 26-30, 1990, McMaster’s anti-apartheid committee organized around the question, “Does McMaster University support apartheid?” Activities included the wearing of black-arm bands; vigils and rallies; announcement of anti-apartheid events in classes; posters, fliers, banners and street theatre. As a member of the University Senate, I introduced a motion for total divestment, which was accepted. A month later, the Board of Governors voted in favor of total divestment from all companies with holdings in South Africa.

From 1994–1999, as the first President of South Africa elected democratically, Mandela helped dismantle apartheid. When he died on December 5, 2013 at the age of 95, many gathered at Hamilton’s city hall to acknowledge his pivotal role in the transition to majority rule. Events might have unfolded differently, especially more violently. That the changes unfolded in a spirit of reconciliation attests to his greatness. While the transformation is not complete–especially in economics–we are better for his having guided the process thus far.

Nelson Mandela smiles after recieving an honorary Investiture into the Order of Canada at a ceremony in Ottawa in 1998. It was the first time a foreign Head of State had recieved the award.


Mandela’s Truth and Reconciliation Sri Gopal Mohanty

Sir Gopal Mohanty is a Professor Emeritus at McMaster University

A Canadian story Lloydminster is the Canadian city that shares the unique distinction of being split down the middle by two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, but still operating as one municipality. In theory, this should be a model Canadian city, reminding other Canadians that although it is divided between two provinces its residents can cohabit in a bi-provincial paradise. In reality, it is a place for clashing ideologies, provincial intolerance and where people on both sides are constantly fighting and perceive the people on the other side are different. In 2001, Maggie Baron (?) married a man from Saskatchewan and was shunned by her family in Alberta. Instead of getting angry she decided to focus her energy on doing good and founded the Lloydminster Foundation of Peace. On enquiry regarding her work by Pat Kelly who produced a documentary on Lloydminster for CBC’s ‘This is That’ show, her message was summed up in these words: a kid from Saskatchewan side comes in and looks at a little boy from Alberta side and says, “Hey, you look like me; You are not so bad”. Hearing this, Pat Kelly takes comfort that one day harmony will become realty; one day these two seemingly different groups of people will realize they are actually more alike; one day there will not be Lloydminster Saskatchewan and Lloydminster Alberta but Lloydminster Canada. (Ref: http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/popupaudio.html?clipIds=2470863174) Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) A true legacy of Nelson Mandela is his establishment of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). It was a court like justice body assembled after the abolition of apartheid in South Africa. Witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human rights violations were invited to give statements about their experiences, perpetrators of violence could also give testimony and request amnesty from both civil and criminal prosecution. In sharp contrast to Nuremberg trials, the Commission’s objective was to provide restorative but not retributive justice. The Constitution of South Africa described the need for the Commission: “The Constitution provides a historic bridge between the past of a deeply divided society characterized by strife, conflict, untold suffering and injustice, and a future founded on the recognition of human rights, democracy and peaceful co-existence and development opportunities for all South Africans, irrespective of colour, race, class belief or sex…There is a need for understanding but not for vengeance, a need for reparation but not for retaliation.” Reconciliation is all about forgiveness and maintaining respectful relationships between the oppressors on one hand and victims on the other, but the truth has to come out by none other than the

perpetrators since they can only tell the real facts – forgive but not forget. The connection Human beings are constantly tossed between their similarities and their differences with others. Their perception, real, imaginary or even artificially created, is ingested often to form the tradition as if part of truth. If the differences weigh heavily then they engage in conflicts almost spontaneously which sometimes lead to war. Alternatively, the differences might be diffused, reduced and even respected by a creative mechanism so as to build harmony and peace. The differences in Lloydminster are rather imaginary and artificial and yet have led to unpleasant feelings and relationships among residents of both sides. Lloydminster Foundation for Peace aims to follow the alternative path with the hope of bringing peace to this small community. In case of South Africa, the differences were real and vast. Mandela’s approach of Truth and Reconciliation is noble not mundane, and has a strong spiritual and moral undertone. It sought to reduce the severity of differences between Whites and Blacks. In spite of its limited success in South Africa, it at least avoided a civil war something similar to the one in America and has become a paradigm of peace and harmony providing inspiration for other countries to follow. A TRC is established in Canada which hopes to guide and inspire Aboriginal peoples and Canadians in a process of reconciliation and renewed relationships that are based on mutual understanding and respect. In connection with recent Ferguson killing of Michael Brown, Mandela’s approach could be a model for the US to deal with the long legacy of racial inequalities that still haunts her. Nation-state Let us review TRC from the point of view of nation-state. A nation-state is understood to be a state, or country, that has defined borders and territory in which a nation of principally the same type of people exists, organized by either race or cultural background, who would generally speak the same language, probably practice the same or similar types of religion, and share a set of cultural, “national,” values. The obvious reason for creation of a nation-state is to recognize the similarities (uniformity) among its people and its obvious impact is to provide a relatively effective governing system that benefits most, by taking advantage of homogeneity of the population. The most noticeable characteristic is the degree to which nation states use the state as an instrument of national unity, in economic, social and cultural life. Examples of nation- state are Germany, France, Italy and most European countries.

http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/popupaudio.html?clipIds=2470863174

http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/popupaudio.html?clipIds=2470863174

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty


While the cultural uniformity and homogeneity of the population increase within the state, there is a strong possibility of growing tension among bordering states because of sharper cultural divergence among them. The very nature of nation-state has the potential to induce the danger of narrowly focused overdose of nationalism. In effect, the more devastating situation can arise by attempting to enforce nation-state where it does not exist in a natural way. It often results in suppressing rights of minorities, mass eviction of other nationalities and in extreme situations in ethnic cleansing. Hitler attempted to establish Germany as a nation-state by first exiling Jews, and then ultimately, by killing the majority of Jewish residents in Germany, and in other countries he conquered like Poland. In the name of nation-state, the artificial creation of Pakistan and Israel has lingering serious impacts that haunt us even today. Human diversity is more natural and will show up sooner or later. Thus the challenge is how the diverse groups in a given geographical region can coexist so that a state can be formed with a pluralistic society. It is possible when they reconcile their differences and come together to work for the state. This was indeed the aim of Mandela’s TRC.

Canada has rejected nation-state political structure and accepted pluralism long back by adopting bilingualism and multiculturalism. Under Gandhi-Nehru’s leadership, India at the time of its independence could not accept nation-state structure because of the very existence of her multiphase diversities although Pakistan concurrently was formed with nation-state as its foundational tenet. The result of recent referendum for Scotland’s independence is an indication that there is trend to move away from nation-state model. Concluding remarks In the days of globalization which attempts to foster economic unity among various states, the concept of progressive pluralism that attempts to sustain democracy, pluralistic society, human rights and gender equity is more appealing. It comes out of believing universal humanism. Mandela and Gandhi were true believers of universal humanism. Mandela’s TRC and Gandhi’s tenet of non-violence are instruments for building peace and harmony for the entire humanity.

Action Steps for the Culture of Peace

Hon. Douglas Roche Address at United Nations High-Level Forum on The Culture of Peace

Panel: Global Citizenship as a Pathway to the Culture of Peace, United Nations, New York, September 9, 2014

Douglas Roche is a former Canadian politician, He served as a Member of Parliament from 1972 to 1984. In 1984, he was appointed Canada's Ambassador for Disarmament, a position he held until 1989. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada on September 17, 1998, where he served until 2004. He has written many books and articles on nuclear disarmament and the futility of war. Currently he resides in Edmonton, Alberta.

The moment I realized I was a citizen of the world was during my first visit to Hiroshima. When I saw the scale of the destruction, the wrenching remnants of massive deaths, the plight of the injured, and understood for the first time the vulnerability of all humanity to such a catastrophe, I knew that we are one people on the planet. I sensed immediately that the world must have common security or no security. I felt then the interdependencies that later came to be called globalization. I knew that I belonged not just to a national grouping but also to the larger human family.

In later years, when I began to teach, I told my students I would take them up a mountain for a new view of the world: one in which survival could be assured through co-operation on the pillars of human security: economic and social development, environmental protection, nuclear disarmament, and the full implementation of human rights. I showed them what a culture of peace would look like. Of course, this view was often obstructed by the crises of the day, with conflict breaking out in one place or another and

political leaders entangled in blaming one another. It has always been challenging to get the political systems, so greedy for power, to cooperate in building the conditions for peace. The violence-torn summer of 2014 has been particularly depressing. We find it hard to have our voices heard against the relentless barrage of bombings, mayhem, and maimed children that fill the TV screens. Stopping the carnage seems overwhelming. But this period of global instability is not a time to back away from the UN agenda for the culture of peace; rather, when barbarism breaks out, it is time to re-double our efforts to build the rule of law.

After the 20

th century in which two world wars plus the

Korean and Vietnam wars and numerous conflicts killed upwards of 100 million people, did we think that it would suddenly be easy to turn the corner and enjoy peace gardens everywhere? Did we forget that the political structures are still mired in a culture of war in which the economic interests of the military-industrial complex


outweigh the peace proposals of visionaries? Did we suppose that institutions to guarantee peace through the rule of law would just blossom in a desert?

We are living through a transformative moment in history and movement forward is uneven. The ugliness of war has become etched in people’s minds, but the force of humanitarian law is not yet engraved in public policies. We now realize that in modern warfare there are no victors, but we have not yet gained sufficient confidence to reinforce the structures of peace. We must probe further to comprehend Dag Hammarskjöld’s message that peace is not just a passive state of affairs in a world without war, but a state of living devoted to action.

The negative news of the day must not dissuade us from continuing our work for peace. Gradually, humanity is beginning to understand that war is futile. That is an enormous gain in the struggle for peace. The public rejection of war has enormous ramifications for how society will conduct its affairs. It portends an upswing in acceptance of the role of the UN as a mediating force and increase its capacity to judiciously implement the Responsibility to Protect doctrine. New thinking for the protection and development of the human community is taking form. It is a moment of astonishing change in the history of the world. Humanity is discovering a power it never had before to construct a more peaceful world.

So that is why we are here today, marking the 15

th

anniversary of the adoption of the UN Programme of Action on the Culture of Peace. We draw strength from one another as we work to extend the culture of peace. I can only tell you how I do this in my own life.

First, I think often of Hiroshima and am proud that I am an honorary citizen of that city. Also, as a citizen of the world, I try to break loose from the chains of nationalism. Hiroshima has made me understand that the full implementation of human rights is incompatible with weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear weapons are a crime against all humanity. I must promote a comprehensive diplomatic process to achieve a legal framework for the universal prohibition and phased elimination of nuclear weapons.

Second, I must help my own government of Canada to enlarge its vision of responsibility. The narrow interests of Canada – constant development of its huge depository of natural resources – must be done in a way that contributes to the well-being of all humanity, not just the Canadian people. My own country must raise its level of participation in global development through more equitable trade and finance laws, sustainable development policies, and cooperation in forging common security policies.

Third, I must work to expand the culture of peace framework to achieve recognition of the right to peace. The debate currently taking place in the Human Rights Council on a draft UN Declaration on the Right to Peace shows the obstreperousness of several governments, which are still denying that the right to live in peace is inherent in human dignity. Particularly at this moment when barbarity has broken out, the international community needs to adopt a declaration affirming that all individuals have the right to live in peace so that they can develop fully all their capacities – physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual – without being the target of violence. Such a declaration would be a step in the outlawing of war.

Let us be frank in acknowledging the opposition to the culture of peace. The thinking I have been expressing here is described by some self-appointed realists as “flawed.” They argue that terrorism defines the 21

st

century and can only be met by a “war on terror.” I disagree. There will always be individuals willing to give their lives to attack an enemy. But terrorism is an aberration, not a system of change in people’s lives and attitudes toward one another. There are not civil society groups by the thousands coalescing around terrorism, rather there are civil society groups by the tens of thousands implementing at ground level, in many ways, the values of the culture of peace.

This huge and often unsung movement, which rejects war, is driving the present transformative moment for humanity. It is, however, still overshadowed by the immense news coverage the media gives the existing violence and strife. The movement to the culture of peace, however “soft” it may appear on the surface compared to the “hard” decisions of warfare still lingering in the militarists’ offices, is the real power of the 21

st century. We must encourage

young people to play a role in exercising this new power.

I call on the UN Security Council to overcome narrow, short-term interests and act in such a way that the hope of the world for peace is re-kindled. The barbarism the world has witnessed in the summer of 2014 cannot be allowed to define our time. I believe a permanent, highly-trained UN Peacekeeping Force, capable of rapid deployment by the Security Council in emergency situations, has now become essential to protect civilians and prevent regional conflicts from spreading into wars. A UN emergency peace service – what might be called an international “911” – would protect civilians and prevent regional conflicts from turning into wars. We must express our global citizenship by protecting the most vulnerable in the global community. This is a path to the culture of peace.

A global conscience is at work, stirring us, animating us, and making us reach out beyond ourselves. We must keep reaching and reaching.

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." - Gandhi


Is There a Nonviolent Response to ISIS? Derek Flood

Derek Flood is the author of Healing the Gospel: A Radical Vision for Grace, Justice and the Cross. Follow Derek on Twitter @theRebelGod and on Facebook. This article appeared in The Huffington Post - August 12, 2014 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-flood/is-there-a-nonviolent-isis_b_5670512.html Alarm and outrage has been growing over the mounting humanitarian crisis in Iraq at the hands of the Islamic State (IS) also known as ISIL (Islamic State of Syria and the Levant) or ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). Christians in the region are being forced to convert, pay tribute or die as the al Qaeda-breakaway group sweeps into predominantly Christian villages and Hamlets in Iraq, sending tens of thousands fleeing for their lives. Other non-Muslim groups, in particular the Yazidi, who practice a faith that predates Islam, are reportedly considered as infidels by the fanatic Islamic State and targeted for extermination in what many are calling a genocide. The UN is still gathering numbers but it believes that hundreds of Yazidis have been killed while others, primarily women, have been abducted and taken into slavery. Around 40,000 Yazidis have fled into the mountains of Northwest Iraq where they face the prospect of starvation on mountain or massacre by the Islamic State militants below. The news is devastating and overwhelming. The suffering and acts of brutal violence staggers the imagination. What would a nonviolent response look like? Traditionally the question has been to ask under what circumstances war and violence are "justified." From such questions comes what is known as Just War criteria. The problem is that Just War often focuses on justifying violence, when what we should be focusing on is asking how we can work to reduce violence in our world, rather than justifying it. On the flip side are those who argue for pacifism, taking the stance that they cannot participate in war or killing, regardless of the consequences. However, in light of what is happening in Iraq it is understandable that many insist that we have a moral obligation to protect the vulnerable from harm, and cannot simply stand idly by with a clean conscience while others suffer. Let me therefore begin by saying that I agree that we cannot stand by and do nothing. The practice of nonviolence and enemy-love cannot entail accepting abuse. It cannot entail neglecting to protect ourselves or our loved-ones from harm. This is where we must begin. The goal of nonviolence is to stop violence and abuse, not tolerate it. What's crucial to understand is that nonviolence is not simply a refusal to add to harm (whether that harm is physical or spiritual/emotional), but more importantly it

involves acting to restore, heal, and make things right. So in the case of the Islamic State, the question we need to ask is: What can we do to make things right? What can we do to protect the vulnerable? What can we do to stop the violence? Jeremy Courtney, who started the hashtag #WeAreN -- which became a symbol rallying cry worldwide for Christians to express their solidarity with their brothers and sisters in suffering Iraq -- had this to say in an interview with with Huffington Post's religion editor Paul Rauschenbush: We need a long-term plan, not just a short-term fix. There are agencies helping Christians, Yezidis, Turkmen, Shabak and others, and those services are necessary. But this isn't only about what Obama or Maliki must do now. The Christian church needs to reconsider its relationship with violence; that is part of what has landed us and others in this dire situation. We cannot carp about Christian persecution and not talk about violence and our use of violent solutions. We need a 40- to 50-year plan so that when the time comes to overthrow the next dictator, we are not as blind to our own complicity and stuck with short-term gains. The fact is, there may not be a good short-term solution to a situation that has gotten so out of hand that people are describing it in terms of Frankenstein monster, but what we need to face is our complicity in creating that monster. The fact is, violence has not only failed to create stability, in many ways it has acted to exacerbate the situation of instability and injustice which fuels terrorism. Violence does not stop violence, instead it causes it to escalate like a wildfire burning out of control. So what can we do? In some ways, the situation is perhaps comparable to a person who has been chain-smoking for 50 years, and is diagnosed with stage-four terminal cancer who asks how doctors can help them. The answer is: They probably can't at this late stage. That does not mean that medicine does not work, it means it needs to begin earlier. If we truly wish to find a way out of the escalating cycle of violence we are caught in, we need to start at the roots and we need to think long-term. We need to deal with our complicity in creating the mess, and work towards making it right. Not with bombs and drone strikes, but by working long-term towards humanitarian goals such healthcare, poverty, and education which work to create stable and safe societies. So thinking long-term, what can we do to prevent the next ISIS or al Qaeda from being born out of the soil of

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-flood/

http://therebelgod.com/healingthegospel.htm

https://twitter.com/therebelgod

http://www.facebook.com/TheRebelGod

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-flood/is-there-a-nonviolent-isis_b_5670512.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/what-can-christians-do-about-iraq_b_5662233.html

https://twitter.com/JCourt/status/490975728247119873/photo/1


violence? Erin Niemela proposes these three common-sense pathways to peace: 1) Immediately stop sending funds and weapons to all involved parties. This is the easiest of the three. Ten years of terrorism-making and we still think our guns aren't going to fall into the "wrong" hands? The hands they fall into are already "wrong." If you need a good example, take a look at our darlings, the Free Syrian Army, and their blatant human rights violations, such as using child soldiers, documented by Human Rights Watch in 2012 and 2014. 2) Fully invest in social and economic development initiatives in any region in which terrorist groups are engaged. In his 2004 book, Nonviolent Response to Terrorism, Tom Hastings, Ed.D., professor of conflict resolution at Portland State University, questions: "What if the terrorists - or the population base from which they draw - had enough of life's necessities? What if they had secure jobs, decent living standards, drinkable water and healthy food for their children? Do we seriously think they would provide a recruiting base for terrorism?" ISIS gained some of its current strength from economically providing for the families of fallen fighters, promising education to young boys (and then handing each a weapon), and capitalizing on grief and anger in Syrian communities. If we want to weaken ISIS and any other group engaging in terrorist activities, we have to start focusing on the needs they fill in those communities. Local communities in the region should be self-sustainable and civilians should feel empowered to provide for themselves and their families without taking up arms or using violence. 3) Fully support any and all nonviolent civil society resistance movements. Whoever is left - give them whatever support is needed the most. Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephen, in their 2011 groundbreaking study on civil resistance, "Why Civil Resistance Works," found that "between 1900 and 2006, nonviolent resistance

campaigns were nearly twice as likely to achieve full or partial success as their violent counterparts." In addition, successful nonviolent resistance campaigns are less likely to descend into civil war and more likely to achieve democratic goals. We should have fully supported the nonviolent Syrian revolution when we had the chance. Instead, we gave legitimacy to the violent rebel factions -- those same groups now fighting alongside al Qaeda and ISIS. If we send our unconditional support to whatever nonviolent civil society actors are left on the ground in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, we might just find that the best remedy for terrorists has been right in front of us the entire time -- civil society. As Niemela concludes, these above three steps represent a sensible path to decreasing hostilities, preventing the emergence of new terrorism recruiting environments, and empowering local communities to engage in nonviolent conflict resolution strategies. This is not to categorically rule out the use of violence in the short-term, although we certainly do need to be careful that in using violence we do not act to make things worse than they are. The U.S. has begun sending heavy weapons to Iraqi Kurds to fight the Islamic State, uncritically repeating its longstanding policy of arming groups that often become the terrorists of tomorrow (it's worth noting the irony that the reason the U.S. needs to arm the Iraqi Kurds is because the Islamic State is fighting with hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. military equipment seized from the Iraqi Army who abandoned it). Thinking in the long-term however, it is high time that we explored other options, rather than repeating and cheer-leading for the mantra of the war-culture of our country that violence is the only option, the only response to evil. It's time that we all became aware of other solutions to resolving conflict besides immediately and only resorting to violence, and calling that "good."

Gandhi Peace Festival's Contribution to Local and Global Peace: A Personal Narrative

Jahan Zeb Jahan Zeb is secretary for Gandhi Peace Festival Board and Community Engagement Coordinator for

Community Child Abuse Council and Focal person for Global Peace Council Gandhi Peace Festival is unique and probably the only organization of its kind to represent all peoples and groups in Hamilton aspiring for peace, justice, and human dignity using Mahatma Gandhi's principles of Ahimsa and Satyagrah. The Festival is organized by a city-wide inclusive committee consisting of founding members, academics, students, ethno-cultural and faith leaders, and grassroots community members representing Hamilton's

diverse communities. The Peace Festival also organizes annual lectures and facilitates dialogue year-round. The reason for my engagement with the Gandhi Peace Festival was my intent to get hands on experience on the process, functions, and operations of a civil society organization mobilizing people and connecting them with local and global issues of peace, social justice, and human dignity. My goal from my association with the

http://www.peacevoice.info/2014/07/06/before-the-next-isis-we-need-nonviolent-counterterrorism-strategies/

http://www.amazon.com/Nonviolent-Response-Terrorism-Tom-Hastings/dp/0786418745

http://www.amazon.com/Nonviolent-Response-Terrorism-Tom-Hastings/dp/0786418745

http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/isec.2008.33.1.7

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-us-iraq-weapons-20140811-story.html#page=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/08/world/middleeast/isis-forces-in-iraq.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/08/world/middleeast/isis-forces-in-iraq.html?_r=0


Festival was to take advantage of the opportunity to explore and enhance my understanding, connections and build new networks that will contribute to my learning of peace process. The Festival has allowed me to focus on grassroots peace processes that promote a culture of peace and nonviolence by creating a model peace-loving and diverse community. Immigrating to Canada a decade ago and discovering the Gandhi Peace Festival was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life. While I started my volunteer and professional work with local civil society organizations, I became an active supporter and volunteer for the Festival by bridging the festival with arts, cultural, and faith groups. There was another significant and personal connection to the festival in that Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988), my national and spiritual hero, who is also known as the Frontier Gandhi, Bacha Khan (King in English and Bacha in Pashto), Fakhr-e-Afghan (pride of Afghans), and a non-violent Muslim soldier of Islam. Badsha Khan was a close companion of Mahatma Gandhi through their shared struggle of leading the Indian freedom movement using non-violent and peaceful means of pacifist resistance. Millions of Pashtun people were positively influenced by Baacha Khan when he applied Gandhi's principles of non-violence in the mountainous region of primarily agrarian Pashtun land in Pakistan and Afghanistan overcoming the difficulties and hardships of family and tribal feuds.

While the West and East were busy in World War I, Bacha Khan was carrying forward the noble cause of social, economic, and educational improvements through his Anjuman-e-Islah-e-Afghan (Reformation of Pashtuns/Afghans), a voluntary missionary organization in the

North West Frontier Province of India. Eknath Easwaran notes that "[I]n the Frontier, Ghaffar Khan worked with new centrifuge, stepping into the leadership role vacated by Haji Saheb, a Pashtun educationist, who was exiled by British rulers to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas - FATA. He stormed the Pathan villages, reopening schools, starting new ones, and using villagers to improve their lot...Khan's attempts at reforming and educating the Pathans took on a new meaning: this was not only to uplift, it was also the path to freedom. Buoyed, Khan redoubled his efforts. Between 1915 and 1918, he visited every one of the five hundred villages in the settled districts of the frontier."

1 In the meantime, the British

1 Easwaran, Eknat. Nonviolent Soldier of Islam: Badshah

Khan: A Man to Match His Mountains (California: Nilgiri

colonial rulers banned Baacha Khan's entry to the FATA to stop his reforming the people of FATA who shared the language, culture, geography, and faith of Khan. Baacha Khan preached in favour of the active role of women in the social and political lives of their families and community. "He encouraged them to come out from behind the veil, as the women in his own family had done. His sisters became increasingly active in his movement, until 1930 touring the districts of the Frontier and giving speeches - activities that would have required courage in the cosmopolitan capitals of Islam, but which in this conservative Frontier showed truly extraordinary daring."

2

Khan set an example for women's education and empowerment for his fellow Pashtuns and Muslims of India when he sent his own daughter, Meher Taj, to England for higher education. Baacha Khan's torch of non-violent resistance and love of education is now taken up by thousands and millions of Pashtuns. The struggle of the young Pashtun Muslim girl and global peace and education activist Malala Yousafzai is the latest example in the caravan of Baacha Khan and Mahatma Gandhi. In October 2012, the then 15-year-old Malala was shot by the Taliban for boldly resisting their bombing of schools, banning of girls from schools, floggings, and beheadings. She brings renewed courage and hope to the people of Pakistan and the world at large in a time of intra-state conflicts and global despair. The recognition of Malala’s courage and bravery by millions of people around the world proves that extremism and Talibanization are not a Pashtun phenomenon. They are rather imposed upon them. Malala has become the face of Pashtuns and Muslims today and her struggle and courage are testament to Pashtun society's longing for peace and development and its rejection of all sorts of violence. Malala's struggle is a continuation of the non-violence philosophy of Baacha Khan which is based on the teachings of Islamic 'sageness' — the basic principles of Pashtunwali and indigenous egalitarian Pashtun society that is fully aligned with universal humanism, bonding Punchayat and Jirga (dispute resolution councils) and Sulha (reconciliation). When Prof. Rama Singh of the Gandhi Peace Festival invited Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala's father to speak at the Festival at McMaster University this year, Ziauddin was pleased to share his gratitude about Mahatma Gandhi and Bacha Khan's non-violence movement with students and community members. These renewed relationships are testament to how Gandhi Peace Festival is connecting Global North and South for world peace.

Press, 1999), 77-78. 2 Ibid., 104.


In Memoriam

Krishan Chandra Joshee, CM (1923-2014)

Krishan Chandra Joshee was born in Lahore, India on March 19, 1923. From the beginning he was greatly influenced by his maternal grandfather, Pandit Lakhpat Rai, who was a leader in the Arya Samaj movement in Punjab, working primarily for the eradication of caste barriers and accessibility of education for all girls and boys regardless of caste or religion. Krishan’s parents carried on the tradition of working for equality through education. It is no surprise that Krishan became a lifelong activist for peace and social justice. He came to Canada in 1960 as a teacher, with his wife, Karuna and their three oldest children (the fourth was born in Canada). They started their Canadian life in a small town in Alberta where Krishan immediately became involved in activities for the betterment of the community. In 1967, with their four children, Krishan and Karuna moved to Edmonton where Krishan continued his practice of community involvement. In the late sixties, he became involved in efforts to create a federal Multiculturalism Policy and thereafter was a key player in building multiculturalism in Alberta. He was a founding member of a number of ethno-cultural and multicultural organizations including the Hindu Society of Alberta, the Council of India Societies of Edmonton, and the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association. He received many recognitions and honours for his community work. He was the first person of Indian origin to receive the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the City of Edmonton Community Service Hall of Fame and he received the Stars of Alberta Award. Of his many achievements he was most proud of being a founding member of the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace. In 1986, he brought together a group of community leaders in Edmonton to commission and install a bust of Gandhiji in downtown Edmonton; this

was the first bust of Gandhiji in North America. After two years of celebrating Gandhiji’s birth anniversary with a garlanding ceremony and a dinner, he and others decided to form the Gandhi Foundation with a view to working for peace through education. Krishan passed away in February 2014. One of his last wishes was that his family continue to work with the Gandhi Foundation and with a unique Edmonton school, Inner City High. Inner City is a school that works through a philosophy of peace to educate young people who live in extreme poverty. Krishan’s family and friends are working with the school to establish the Krishan C. Joshee Promise Fund, a fund that would be used to support students as they work to achieve their academic goals. Krishan’s work for peace and social justice continues.

A project has been started in Mr. Joshee’s name. Anyone interested in donating or finding out more about the project can either go to the Inner City Youth Development Association website (http://innercity.ca ) or they can contact Dr. Reva Joshee at [email protected]. The funds raised will be used to support some basic needs (e.g. food, shelter) for students who are progressing in their academic work so that they can continue to go to school. The Gandhi Peace Festival of Hamilton expresses deep condolences to Mr. Joshee’s family. Mr. Joshee was an inspiration and did some groundbreaking work for promotong Gandhi’s ideals in Canada.

Mr. Krishan Joshee placing a garland on the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Edmonton in 1986

Photo: The Edmonton Journal

http://innercity.ca/


PEACE, SOCIAL JUSTICE and COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

The Peace Studies Program www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~peace/

Our globalizing world is in a process of continuing, complex change, and our communities are all too often the receptors of the impacts that result, leaving citizens bereft of security, basic necessities, dignity and hope. In his letter, “Forward With Integrity”, McMaster President Patrick Deane says: “The purpose of the institution from its inception has thus been through education and research to develop and realize the potential both of individuals and of society at large.”

1 President Deane

continues his letter by identifying principles to guide our academic mission, including the following: “We will acknowledge, and seek to integrate in all our work and in ways appropriate to our specific fields, an obligation to serve the greater good of our community— locally, nationally, and globally.”

2 The principle resonates with the

aspirations of the United Nations Academic Impact document, to which McMaster adhered in 2009.

3 For

Peace Studies, the greater good is clear: it is the prospect of a just, equitable, sustainable, local, national and global community capable of fostering the health and well-being of all of its citizens, and of the very Earth itself. In Hamilton, we are blessed with a strong local community dedicated to peace, health and sustainability. The Culture of Peace Hamilton is very clear about taking a principled approach to these aims, succinctly articulates them in its Principles for a Culture of Peace

4, based in part on United

Nations General Assembly resolution 53/243: Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.

5

Peace Studies looks for connections, seeking to understand, and transform our lives, our societies, and our human conduct in the world from “warpaths” to ‘paths to peace’, from violence to nonviolence, from conflict to conflict transformation. In doing so, we look for ways to promote health and well-being, equity and sustainability. Not for the few, but for all. Not as charity, but in solidarity. Peace Studies is distinguished from other academic studies by its focus on transformation, its integration of multi-disciplinary efforts, its explicit values and its engaged scholarship. We not only walk and talk. We make our best efforts to walk the talk, or as Gandhi said to “be the change”. Sometimes this means we must also make new paths. Peace Studies is an engaged discipline: action learning supports the integration of theory and practice, or

1 http://www.mcmaster.ca/opr/html/discover_mcmaster/

presidents_message/integrity.html 2 Ibid.,

3 Ibid.,

4 Interview with Ray Cunnington,

http://cultureofpeacehamilton.com/?page_id=321 5 http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/uk/uk_sum_ethicalcharter.htm

praxis; as well as fostering a sense of self-efficacy essential to developing “thick citizenship” and a strong sense of agency. Engagement requires integration of local and global concerns across scales. We do not exist in isolation and would not survive if we did.

Peace Studies is value and process centred. While many academic disciplines regard war and peace, violence and nonviolence, conflict and conflict transformation as important aspects of human social life, Peace Studies regards these conditions as consequences of previous choices and decisions, as things than can change, and be changed for the future, depending on our future decisions and actions. The large forces of globalization translate across scales to environmental, social and cultural impacts that further exaggerate the economic asymmetries visible in societies everywhere. Peace Studies seeks to address these inequalities strategically and systematically, bearing in mind their spatial and temporal interconnections. We are of the view that inequity, injustice, discrimination, racism, bullying and other forms of even more extreme misery, such as genocide, torture, and war, for example, can be addressed. Peace Studies is actively engaged in finding creative responses in practice, politics, policy and law through action, education and research.

The Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University offers a combined honours undergraduate program in Peace Studies that can be combined with virtually any other undergraduate program, as well as a Minor in Peace Studies, that is available to all students. The Centre for Peace Studies sponsors the independently endowed Bertrand Russell Peace Lectures and Mahatma Gandhi Lectures on Nonviolence. As well, the Centre organizes conferences, publishes research and educational materials, and participates in international projects. Currently, Peace Studies hosts the AUCC Canada-India Internship, funded by the Government of Canada. In the years ahead, McMaster’s Peace Studies Program will explore curriculum revision, new graduate programming, and new publishing opportunities. One exciting new development is the approval by the Faculty of Humanities of the creation of an institute to focus on cross-scale, peace process research. If you would like to find out more about the Peace Studies Program, future graduate opportunities, or the Centre's activities, please contact:

Dr. Nancy C. Doubleday, Director, Centre for Peace Studies, and of the Program for Peace Studies at McMaster University, E-mail: [email protected] or Tel: 905-525-9140 ext. 23087.

http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~peace/



Six Principles of Peace by Nobel Peace Laureates Respect All Life: Respect the life and dignity of each human being without discrimination or prejudice. Reject Violence: Practice active non-violence, rejecting violence in all its forms: physical, sexual, psychological, economical and social, in particular towards the most deprived and vulnerable such as children and adolescents. Share with Others: Share my time and material resources in a Spirit of generosity to put an end to exclusion, injustice and political and economic oppression. Listen to Understand: Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity, giving preference always to dialogue and listening without engaging in fanaticism, defamation and the rejection of others. Preserve the Planet: Promote consumer behaviour that is responsible and developmental practices that respect all forms of life and preserve the balance of nature on the planet. Rediscover Solidarity: Contribute to the development of my community, with the full participation of women and respect for democratic principles, in order to create together new forms of solidarity.

Culture of Peace Hamilton

In the footsteps of Nelson Mandella, Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Culture of Peace Hamilton is part of a cluster of local groups and individuals who believe that peace is not confined to reducing war among nations, and are actively engaged in building peace in the city, the home, and the community at large. For the past fourteen years Culture of Peace Hamilton (an affiliate of United Nations in Canada – Hamilton Branch) has focused its efforts on six paths of action proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly under the name Manifesto 2000. Peace at the local level fosters cooperation, reduces social friction and smoothes the inter-personal conflicts that occasionally lead to violence. A less adversarial culture can benefit the whole community. City Council has declared Hamilton a City of Peace, and has taken steps to create a peace garden at City Hall. By working with the Gandhi Festival, McMaster Centre for Peace Studies, the Canadian Peace Initiative and many others, members of Culture of Peace have been able to plant peace poles, build two labyrinths, and spread white narcissi as fields of peace in celebration of peace and environmental issues. Culture of Peace Hamilton holds regular monthly meetings, sponsors a peace lunch twice a year for representatives of likeminded groups. A Peace Fund has now been created at the Hamilton Community Foundation entitled: the United Nations Culture of Peace Hamilton Fund at hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca. You can donate on line or by mailing a cheque payable to Hamilton Community Foundation. Please indicate ‘Culture of Peace Fund’ on the cheque memo line. Donations are tax receiptable.

For more information and to get involved, please visit:

www.cultureofpeacehamilton.com Gail Rappolt <[email protected]>

www.facebook.com/cultureofpeacehamilton

http://www.cultureofpeacehamilton.com/


http://www.facebook.com/cultureofpeacehamilton


Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace

Box 60002, University of Alberta Postal Outlet, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2S4

www.gandhifoundation.ca Email: [email protected]

Who Are We? Established in 1988 in Edmonton, Alberta, The Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace is comprised of like-minded individuals of diverse backgrounds committed to the advocacy of a peaceful society through non-violent means as upheld by Gandhi. The foundation facilitates a variety of programs and events throughout the year. Annual programs include the Mahatma Gandhi Summer Institute: Building Peaceful Communities held at the University of Alberta, a youth conference aimed at exploring issues of peace and social justice, a commemoration of Gandhi’s birth, and a memorial event held in remembrance of Gandhi’s death. Other events we have supported include the Edmonton Walk for Values, Daughters’ Day, the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl, and the Season for Non-violence. Recently, we raised funds to assist those impacted by floods in Northern India and Southern Alberta, Canada. As well, in our hope to cultivate future generations of peace-minded individuals and our concurrent belief that education plays a key role, the foundation has established a number of scholarships for youth and graduate students. What is Our Vision? Inspired by Gandhi's life and principles we envision a just and peaceful society. What is Our Mission? We promote peace and encourage nonviolent action based on Gandhian principles through education, public awareness, collaboration, and building intercultural understanding.

“There is no path to peace. Peace is the path.” -Mahatma Gandhi “The future depends on what we do in the present.” -Mahatma Gandhi Where Can You Find Out More? For more information about membership, upcoming programs, and/or to make a donation, please visit: www.gandhifoundation.ca. You may also find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

United Nations Association in Canada (Hamilton Branch)

The United Nations Association in Canada (Hamilton Branch) has supported the important message of the Gandhi Peace Festival Committee over the years. This year, the theme of Nelson Mandela’s Life and Legacy follows the installation of the Gandhi Statue dedicated in 2013. We are proud not only to support the event this year but to be a financial sponsor as well. We work closely with Culture of Peace Hamilton to celebrate a number of activities as part of the UN Fall Season

The 2014 Hamilton UN Fall Season includes the celebrations of the Right to All Peoples to Peace on Sunday, Sept. 21 for International Day of Peace - the picnic and celebration will be held in the City Hall Peace Garden at 1 PM.

On Monday evening October 27th at 170 Dundurn St. S., in consultation with the Unitarian Church United Nations Association and Empowerment Squared the film Pray the Devil Back to Hell will be shown. The film chronicles the efforts of Liberian Women to being the civil war to a close. There will be refreshments and a discussion following the film.

The third event is 8TH Fire Dispatches, a 4-part CBC documentary series from a team of Aboriginal storytellers from across the country. It is sponsored by the UU UNO at First Unitarian and supported by UNAC Hamilton Branch – on four Monday’s in November 7 – 9 PM at First Unitarian Church. This event is open to all and there will be facilitated discussions and light refreshments.

http://www.gandhi.ca/

http://www.gandhifoundation.ca/


YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford Peace Medal Breakfast

Tuesday November 25, 2014

Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s 7:00 am to 10:00 am

For tickets please visit www.ymcahbb.ca or Call 905-681-1140 x233

Keynote Speaker: Thomas Froese

Thomas Froese is an award-winning author and journalist of 25 years who has written widely about his experiences in the

Arab World and Africa. His columns on life and culture have appeared in various Canadian and international newspapers,

including the Hamilton Spectator since 2002. Froese, who is a native of Berlin, Germany, is author of “Ninety-Nine

Windows: Reflections of a Reporter from Arabia to Africa and other Roads Less Travelled.” He is also adjunct professor of

Creative Writing, which he has taught American students in Africa. Froese, who also blogs on fatherhood, lives with his

wife, Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese, and three children in Hamilton, four months annually, when they’re not all living in the

Kampala capital region of Uganda the rest of the year. Find his work at www.thomasfroese.com and www.dailydad.net

For tickets please visit: www.ymcahbb.ca/peace-medal/breakfast.cfm

For nominations please visit: www.ymcahbb.ca/peace-medal/nomination.cfm

“Peace has many dimensions. It is not only a state of relationship among nations. We cannot expect to live in a world of

peace if we are unable to live in peace with those close to us – even those who differ from us. The responsibility for peace

begins with each person, in relationship with family and friends, and extends to community life and national activities.”

~ YMCA Statement on Peace

The Malhar Group www.themalhargroup.org

Operating since 2001, the Malhar Group Music Circle of Ontario is an incorporated not-for-profit arts organization based in Hamilton and dedicated to the mission of presenting and promoting Indian classical music and musicians. The Malhar Group operates in Ontario and holds musical events of excellent standards. The group is focused to create opportunity for all to listen to and to learn about this great musical heritage in its traditional forms. Upcoming events: December 6, 2014: Listening Session with the theme of Sarang Group of Ragas. Mississauga. Free. April 4, 2015: Annual General Meeting. May 23, 2015: Tenth Annual Springfest Featuring Pandit Uday Bhawalkar on Dhrupad and Pandit Indrajit Banerjee on

Sitar. Hamilton Place. August 8, 2015: Listening Session with the theme of Raga Pilu. Hamilton. Free. September 19, 2015: Third Annual Arohi Music Festival Featuring Pandit Vinayak Torvi on Vocal and Pandit Anindo

Chatterjee on Tabla Solo. Mississauga. December 5, 2015: Listening Session with the theme of Raga Shree. Mississauga. Free.

Email: [email protected] | Tel: 905-627-7496. Please email or telephone for further details.

http://www.ymcahbb.ca/

http://www.thomasfroese.com/

http://www.dailydad.net/

http://www.ymcahbb.ca/peace-medal/breakfast.cfm

http://www.ymcahbb.ca/peace-medal/nomination.cfm

http://www.themalhargroup.org/



Physicians for Global Survival We are physicians and colleagues (both health workers and others) who work together to be an informed and responsible voice for healing our planet. We collaborate with other health workers across the planet to bring information to people about the continuing threats posed by nuclear weapons - from mining of uranium, from accidental or deliberate weapons use, from hazards of storage of nuclear waste; about the devastating effects on population health, and on the environment, of militarism, war and arms acquisitions; and about non-violent alternatives in conflict management. We conduct dialogues with decision makers in our national government and other bodies. We are part of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985. We meet periodically in Hamilton and surrounding municipalities and try to further the goals of PGS and the ICAN campaign. We welcome students and others with goals similar to ours. To contact PGS (Hamilton), call 905-979-9696 or send e-mail to: [email protected] Visit PGS website for current projects, background papers and links to related sites at: www.pgs.ca

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

www.icanw.org

Ignoring the message of Gandhi that violence only breeds violence has left the world to-day with the clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists at five minutes to mid-night. The powerful peaceful protests and actions of Gandhi and King brought hope in their day, and bring still in ours, for non-violent solutions. Today many voices are calling for nuclear abolitionICAN, the Mayors for Peace Campaign, the Ten Steps of the Federation of American Scientists all demonstrate practical and urgent steps to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.

Please sign the ICAN petition at www.icanw.org/take-action ICAN is an international campaign to eliminate nuclear weapons organized by

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (www.ippnw.org)

BAND (Burlington Association for Nuclear Disarmament) The Burlington Association for Nuclear Disarmament, (BAND), is a community organization established in 1983 to

educate its members and the public on the dangers of nuclear weapons and to promote peace and disarmament. Although BAND is a small group (about 60 members) from a small city, our members believe strongly in the importance of raising public awareness at a community level. We follow the motto "think globally - act locally". Our local actions have been mostly educational by organizing public talks by prominent peace advocates such as Joseph Rotblat, Rob Green, Barrie Zwicker, Yves Engler, Jim Loney and Rosalie Bertell. We also lobby the Canadian government in peace and disarmament issues through a letter-writing committee.

BAND is a member of several regional, national, and international coalitions working for peace and nuclear disarmament including the Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War and the Culture of Peace Coalition in the Hamilton; the Canadian Peace Alliance; and Abolition 2000. If you would like more information on BAND - or would like to become a member please contact us at [email protected] or call Doug Brown at 905-632-4774.

Our mission statement is: Because of our concern for global health, we are committed to: the abolition of nuclear weapons, the prevention of war, the promotion of nonviolent means of conflict resolution, and, social justice in a sustainable world

ICAN Demands for

A Nuclear Weapon Free World

A Treaty to Eliminate the present 25,000 weapons

No New Weapons or upgrading of old

Threat Reduction: Off high alert & No First Use

Nuclear Free Defence Policy: dismantling of NATO nuclear weapons; no nuclear armed vessels in Canadian ports

No Fuel for Weapons: no export of uranium to nuclear weapons states or those not signatory to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

http://www.pgs.ca/

http://www.icanw.org/

http://www.ippnw.org/


Empowering Change in People Based in Hamilton, Empowerment Squared is a Canadian charity that works with individuals and communities to effect sustainable change. Our mission is to support youth and individuals through academic mentoring, leadership development and access to sports and recreation opportunities.

Liberian Learning Center The Liberian Learning Center Project will house Liberia’s first post war fully functional Library and a living cultural archive to encourage literacy, preserve Liberian culture and serve as a space for building peaceful communities. ShAIDS of Grey Taking its inspiration from a local Hamilton woman who lost her husband to AIDS in 1990, ShAIDS of Grey uses vignettes, songs, and dances to weave together the stories of men, women and children affected by the disease into a thought-provoking and modern masterpiece. Academic Mentorship Homework Club Circle provides academic Mentoring and tutoring sessions twice a week for students (grades 1 to 12) in all subjects. Sports and Recreation The Sports and Recreation program serves as an incredible tool for engaging and recruiting youth through sports. Empowerment Squared 905-523-4444 [email protected] 267 King Street East, Hamilton, ON L8P 3A7 http://empowermentsquared.org/

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a documentary film that premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the

award for Best Documentary.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the astonishing story of the Liberian women who took on the warlords and regime of Dictator

Charles Taylor in the midst of a brutal civil war, and won a once unimaginable peace for their shattered country in 2003.

Featuring Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee.

The film documents a peace movement called Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. Organized by social worker

Leymah Gbowee, the movement started with praying and singing in a fish market. Leymah Gbowee organized the

Christian and Muslim women of Monrovia, Liberia to pray for peace and to organize nonviolent protests. Dressed in white

to symbolize peace, and numbering in the thousands, the women became a political force against violence and against

their government. Their movement led to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, the first African nation with a

female president. The film has been used as an advocacy tool in post-conflict zones like Sudan, mobilizing African women

to petition for peace and security.

Join us for free screening of this documentary at First Unitarian Church, 170 Dundurn Street, Hamilton, Monday October 27

th 7:30 PM. For information and to confirm your attendance, please call 905-527-0470

Pray the Devil Back to Hell Free Screening at

First Unitarian Church

170 Dundurn Street, Hamilton

Monday October 27th 7:30 PM

Info: 905 527-0470



The Children’s International Learning Centre (CILC)

OUR MISSION: With international resources and input from community and global experts, we develop dynamic hands-on programmes which encourage attitudes of respect for all people and for our common environment. WHO WE ARE: The CILC was established on Oct. 24, 1970, as a volunteer project of UNICEF. In 1988 the Centre was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization with its own board of directors. The Centre is supported by admissions, memberships, donations, grants and volunteers. PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE: Festivals of Light (November 4, 2014 to January 30, 2015). Celebrated locally in our communities and globally in neighbourhoods are many celebrations which use light. This programme gives each participant the opportunity to discover many traditions such as: Iroquois Mid-Winter Ceremony, Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali and more! Orbit the Earth (January to October) An engaging, hands-on, planetarium-like programme that enables exploration of parts of our solar system including the moon, the stars, and plahets. Earth’s unique significance to all living things will also be explored. (Excellent for grade 6 curriculum and Guiding Astronomy badge). The Global Playroom (January to October) A programme for ages 3-5. Through play acting in homes presenting traditional lifestyles in a variety of climates, our youngest participants will learn that all people share the same basic needs: food, water, love and of course a home to live in. OPEN TO: School classes, home schools, community groups, day camps, guiding and scouting units, adult groups and religious groups are welcome to book for a 2 hour programme. We also do FUN-educational birthday parties. For more information about the Centre, to book a 2 hour programme, or are interested in volunteering please contact us: The Children’s International Learning Centre 189 King William St., (across from Theatre Aquarius), Hamilton, ON L8R 1A7 Tel: 905-529-8813 Fax: 905-529-8911 E-mail: [email protected] Visit: www.cilc.ca

Department of Peace The Canadian Department of Peace Initiative is committed to the establishment of a Cabinet-level Minister of Peace and Department of Peace within the Government of Canada, as well as other peace-building activities within the federal government. Please visit our website www.departmentofpeacehamilton.ca to learn about the activities of the Hamilton Chapter of The Canadian Department of Peace Initiative and how can join the group. E-mail: [email protected]


http://www.cilc.ca/

http://www.departmentofpeacehamilton.ca/


Amnesty International

Group 1 (Hamilton) and Group 8 (McMaster University)

Amnesty International is a worldwide voluntary movement that works to prevent some of the gravest violations by governments and non-state actors of people’s fundamental human rights. The main focus of its campaigning is to free all prisoners of conscience - those who have been detained because of their beliefs, ethnic origin, sex, colour, or language, and have not used or advocated violence. Amnesty International also works to ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners, to end extrajudicial executions and disappearances, and to abolish the death penalty, torture, and other forms of cruel and inhumane treatment or punishment. The organization has received the Noble Peace Prize. Amnesty has always been very happy to co-sponsor the Peace Festival Amnesty Canada Website: www.amnesty.ca To get involved, please contact: Group 1 (Hamilton): Web: amnestyhamilton.com E-mail: [email protected] Group 8 (McMaster): Co-Presidents: Avni Mehta Email: [email protected] Find us on

KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

Who We Are KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives unites eleven churches and religious organizations in faithful action for ecological justice and human rights. * Ordinary Canadians, of faith and conscience, working together for extraordinary change * People from Africa, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East partnering with Canadians to change the world

What We Do * Defend dignity and human rights for all * Promote sustainable energy policies * Build right relationships with Indigenous peoples * Inspire Canadians to seek climate justice * Link women of courage around the world in common actions to end violence * Urge companies to respect human rights and ecological integrity * Join together across denominations in worship that inspires faithful justice

How Can You Reach Us KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives: 310 Dupont St. : Suite 200 : Toronto, ON : M5R 1V9 Tel: 416-463-5312 Toll-free: 1-877-403-8933 Fax: 416-463-5569 Locally THE HAMILTON BURLINGTON KAIROS GROUP welcomes new members. Please call 905-522-3330 for more information. For further information, please visit the Kairos website: www.kairoscanada.org




The People’s Platform What is The People’s Platform?

The People’s Platform is an initiative of the Hamilton Civic League.

We’re bringing people together from all across the city to come up with proposals for the future of Hamilton.

We’ll present those proposals to the candidates in the upcoming municipal election and ask for their support.

We’ll ask the candidates to evaluate each proposal and say whether they:

1. Support the proposal without changes;

2. Support the proposal with changes, and if so, what changes; or,

3. Do not support the proposal, and if so, why not.

Then, we’ll share their answers with you, and as always, the people of Hamilton will decide who to support for

the municipal election on October 27.

For further information and sign up for updates, please visit www.peoplesplatform.ca

Hamilton Organization for Poverty Reduction (HOPE)

Hamilton Network for Poverty Reduction/HOPE is a coalition of people comprised of community members

including people with a lived experience of poverty, staff of various social service organizations, associations

and legal aid clinics, board members from local service agencies, individual community members, students,

academics, faith community members and provincial riding association members.

We are a volunteer group advocating for those living in poverty in Ontario.

For a discussion on current initiatives, please visit the Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/pages/HOPE-Hamilton-Organizing-for-Poverty-Elimination/165672476921976

http://www.peoplesplatform.ca/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOPE-Hamilton-Organizing-for-Poverty-Elimination/165672476921976


Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion is a community-based organization committed to working as a catalyst for creating a welcoming and inclusive community. HCCI initiates and supports transformational processes that promote equity and create inclusive environments in all areas of civic life. We assist the city, major institutions, business, service providers, and others to initiate and sustain transformative processes to create an inclusive and welcoming environments. HCCI is a source of support and information to newcomer immigrant and refugee communities, diverse ethno-racial/cultural groups, aboriginal communities, persons with disabilities and LBGTQ communities. Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion 267 King Street East Hamilton, ON L8N 1B9 Tel: 905-297-4694 Web: www.hcci.ca E-Mail: [email protected]

Mahila Shanti Sena (MSS) It is a peace movement

To empower women in order to build a peaceful and just society;

To raise mass awareness among women to realize their strength and power;

To focus on problems facing women such as violence, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and neglect;

To provide training in the rudiments of peace, democracy and development;

To promote Gandhian tradition of engaging in constructive village service. Participation in MSS is open to both men and women. “Can we not use her (women’s) creative talents to make society more human and enlightened?” - Acharaya Ramamurti Contact us: Rama Singh <[email protected]>, Sri Gopal Mohanty <[email protected]>,

Anne Pearson <[email protected]>, Reva Joshee <[email protected]>

Environment Hamilton Environment Hamilton was incorporated as a non-for-profit organization in 2001 and has worked since then to inspire people to protect and enhance our environment through leadership, education and advocacy. Together we:

Raise awareness and offer hope that we can all make a difference.

Fearlessly and persistently tackle environmental injustices and remove environmental stresses to living systems.

Identify, involve, support, and celebrate the commitment of those who share our vision for a better community and engage those who may not.

Offer locally relevant solutions to achieve: food security, sustainable transportation, and healthy, clean air, water, and land.

Connect with, mentor, support, inspire, and spark creativity in our youth in order to engage them in our efforts and to prepare them for what the future holds.

Take local action on climate change and other global environmental issues. Environment Hamilton is engaged in both education/outreach and advocacy activities. As an organization, we take positions on important issues. In order to share our viewpoints. Environment Hamilton is now generating Viewpoint Papers to detail the organization's position on key environmental issues facing society.

Location: 22 Wilson Street, Suite 4, Hamilton, ON, L8R 1C5, Phone: 905-549-0900 Email: [email protected], Web: www.environmenthamilton.org

http://www.hcci.ca/



Canadian Voice of Women for Peace

About Established in 1960, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) is a non-partisan Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) comprised of a network of diverse women with consultative status at the United Nations ECOSOC. For almost 50 years, VOW has tirelessly advocated for a world without war. VOW is one of the non-governmental organizations (NGO) cited by UNESCO’s standing committee in the working group report entitled “The Contribution of Women to the Culture of Peace”. An accredited NGO to the United Nations, affiliated to the Department of Public Information (DPI) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), VOW was the Canadian lead group for peace at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. VOW is a non-partisan, non-religious organization that values women in all their diversities. Our Mission To provide a means for women to exercise responsibility for the promotion of world peace and justice, through education of themselves and others to take an equal part in the democratic process of decision making; and to cooperate with women throughout the world to create the mutual respect and understanding necessary for the peaceful resolution of international conflict. We welcome new members and donations.

NATIONAL VOW OFFICE Sandra Ruch, National Coordinator

7 Labatt Avenue, Suite 212, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1Z1 416-603-7915, [email protected]

Act Locally – Local Events Information

Your Community Bulletin Board

actlocally.info provides a place for environmental, peace, social justice, anti-racism groups and other community organizations in the Halton, Hamilton and Niagara regions of Southern Ontario to promote their activities and share information. Non-profit groups can post upcoming events directly to the website, it's fast and easy. Individuals can subscribe to receive a weekly e-mail list of the next week's upcoming events. The website is managed by Hamilton Area Eco-Network. You may reach us at: [email protected]

Muslim Women of Hamilton Muslim Women Council of Hamilton (MWCH) is a grass root organisation devoted to raising the profile of Muslim women in the community. MWCH achieves this by engaging Muslim women in Hamilton community by holding events and providing a forum for community engagement. We are happy to support the screening at Gandhi Peace Festival of Malala’s recent speech at UN.

Contact: Basharat Tayyab, President. E-Mail: [email protected]




Hamilton Mundialization The Hamilton Mundialization Committee is a council mandated advisory committee which responsibility is to facilitate and support peace initiatives and the twinning relationships between Hamilton and its ten twin-cities around the world. Its purpose is to assist City Council in implementing its Mundialization resolution. The main functions are:

To promote Hamilton as “A World (Mundialized) City” dedicated to global awareness, international co-operation and

world law.

To further the work of the United Nations through publicity and education and to have the United Nations flag flown with

the Canadian flag from City Hall at all times.

To undertake twinning programs in international cooperation with like-minded municipalities in this and other countries

to foster an understanding of the increasing interdependence of the municipalities, peoples and countries of the world.

To involve Hamilton citizens of different cultures, especially those from the countries of our sister communities, to share

in our multicultural programs.

To include representatives from City Council in the Committee for implementing the above programs.

The Hamilton Mundialization Committee welcomes any individual or organization to join its membership and, to

participate in any of the mundialization programs and special events throughout the year.

Inquiries may be forwarded to: The Hamilton Mundialization Committee, c/o Customer Service, Access and Equity 71 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 4Y5 Tel: 905-546-2489 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.mundialization.ca

Ontario Public Interest Research Group - McMaster

OPIRG McMaster links research with action on a broad range of social justice and environmental issues, both locally and globally. Through research, proactive education, community networking and action, OPIRG empowers students to become active participants in the decisions which affect their lives. And it is the energy and imagination of these students that is the driving force behind the work of OPIRG. Subscribe to our e-mail events list to stay informed about our many public events, including workshops on consensus decision-making and anti-oppression, film nights, guest speakers and much more. Upcoming events: OPIRG’s Fair Trade Fest: Wed. Nov. 5, 2014 @ 10 am - 5 pm, McMaster University Student Centre Marketplace. Twitter.com/OPIRGMcMaster, Facebook.com/OPIRG.McMaster Web page: www.opirg.ca Tel: 905-525-9140 Ext. 27289 or 26026, E-mail: [email protected] OPIRG is located at McMaster University Students Centre, MUSC 229 Twitter.com/OPIRGMcMaster, Facebook.com/OPIRG.McMaster, Web page: www.opirg.ca


http://www.mundialization.ca/

http://www.opirg.ca/

http://www.opirg.ca/


The India-Canada Society of Hamilton and Region

India Canada Society of Hamilton congratulates all the people who worked relentlessly to reach this milestone to celebrate

the Twenty-Second Year of Gandhi Peace Festival in Hamilton

India Canada Society of Hamilton feels proud to have started modest Gandhi festivities 22 years ago which, with the help of other partners and the Hamilton community has blossomed into this amazing event. Many Hamiltonians look forward to attend this. India-Canada Society started the Annual Mahatma Gandhi Peace Festival in 1993, a year before Gandhi’s 125th birth anniversary. It is now a co-sponsor of the Festival with the Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University. It saddens to see that PEACE is still elusive in many parts of the world today, but there is always HOPE. Even the birth country of Gandhi is frequently marred by violent incidents. The most pressing issue in many parts of the world today is Violence Against Women. It is embarrassing to see that this crime is very prevalent in Gandhi’s own homeland. In spite of all the lip service by the politicians there, the frequency of this crime is ever increasing. Last December, India Canada Society participated in a vigil at the city hall for one of the most talked about gang-rape crime victim of India, Nirbhaya which was well attended by Hamiltonians. Finally a verdict and sentencing against the perpetrators have just been delivered and seems like THAT chapter is closed. But how many such chapters are still open and victims are waiting for years for justice. Founded in November 1973, the India-Canada Society is a secular not-for-profit organization devoted to upholding the rich social and cultural heritage of Indians of South Asian origin, contribute to the enrichment of Canadian life and culture and championing the social and cultural interests of the Indo-Canadian community. With an explicit intention to contribute to the variety of Canadian life and experience, the Society has actively sought to facilitate mainstream dialogue around the rich Indian philosophy and culture.

Society is always in active communications with other organizations in the city, Hindu Samaj, HCCI and Seniors Seva Mandal to name a few, and is always prepared to lend a helping hand. In short, India Canada Society is “ Helping to build an engaged community” For more information, please check our web site: www.indiacanadasociety.org Raj Jadon, President

Hindu Samaj Women’s Outreach Group "A non-political, non-denominational, inter-generational group that promotes links between diverse groups to build an inclusive, culturally rich community and promotes civic awareness” Please join us with family and friends for reception to Celebrate Diwali at City Hall on October 10th Friday, 6pm to 8pm. Diwali Exhibition starts on September 29th to October 10th at Hamilton City Hall, Second floor. For more information call Surekha Parekh (Ph:905-388-5791) Email:[email protected] Virbala Kumar (Ph-905 575 7795) [email protected]

A secular non-profit organization devoted to upholding the rich social and culture heritage of India, contribute to the enrichment of Canadian life and culture, and championing the social and cultural interests of the Indo-Canadian community

http://www.indiacanadasociety.org/

mailbox://C:/Users/Khursheed/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/5dma4hfv.default/Mail/univmail.mcmaster.ca/Inbox?number=24172319

mailto:Email:[email protected]

mailto:Email:[email protected]


Seniors Seva Mandal of Hamilton and Region congratulates the organizers of Gandhi Peace Festival

and wishes them the best on the 22nd year of celebration Seniors Seva Mandal is dedicated to selflessly serving South Asian seniors of Indian origin in this region.

Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN) is supporting “aging at home” for

senior’s initiative started by LHIN

Some members of our Indian community felt that our seniors may not be getting the services suited to their ethno-

cultural needs.

In order to facilitate the modifications in the services for our seniors and to identify their unique needs, the seniors Seva

Mandal of Hamilton region was formed with volunteer participation of concerned community members.

In collaboration with VON of Hamilton and a grant from LHIN, Seniors Seva Mandal had started a Congregate Dinning

program for South Asian Seniors, which, after 4 years, is taking a new direction from October of this year.

Currently, this weekly program runs at Hindu Samaj Temple on Wednesdays from 10:15 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.

With the help of a generous grant from the Federal Government, Seniors Seva Mandal is able to help alleviate some

isolation of our seniors by taking them for day outings, which have been very appreciated by seniors.

These programs are just a beginning and Seniors Seva Mandal will be looking into many more avenues to help our seniors. Seniors Seva Mandal was nominated for SAGE award ( Service Award for Geriatric Excellence) for 2010. For participation and further information, please contact: Narendar Passi at 905-383-9199

South Asian Heritage Association

Since 2004, South Asian Heritage Association of Hamilton & Region (SAHAHR) has been working on bringng the South Asians from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan as a unified community and on the same stage. We organize several events through the year to promote the South Asian culture and create better understanding of the rich hesitage of South Asians to all Canadians. Our activities include:

Annual Cultural Program on the second Saturday of May (May is the South Asian Heritage Month in Ontario)

Cultural programs and South Asian cooking demonstrations on Cable 14 and YouTube

Presentations on history and current affairs in South Asia

Annual Members’ Dinner

Meena Bazaar

Canada Day Picnic

and more!

We welcome new members to join us. Please visit our website for current activities and let us know what talents and skills can you contribute to advance the South Asian Culture in Hamilton. Please contact us If you want to join our Committee or need any information: E-Mail:[email protected] Indu Singh 905-807-4638, Jesmin Haq 905-304-3350 Web: www.southasianheritage.org Noshi Gulati 905-692 5596, Zafar Pasha Siddiqui 905-296 6636 www.facebook.com/southasianheritage


Community-based Interfaith, Peace and Cultural Groups Hamilton Quakers Hamilton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Proclaiming a testimony of peace since its founding 355 years ago, the Quaker faith is one of the officially recognized "peace churches" in Canada. Meeting for Worship is every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Children's Religious Education is provided most weeks -- call to confirm. Anyone who feels called by the Spirit to speak may offer ministry during this time of worship. All are welcome. Friends in Hamilton Meeting are involved in a wide variety of peace, social justice, and environmental activities. We invite you to join us. Hamilton Quaker Meeting, 7 Butty Place, Hamilton, ON, L8S 2R5. Phone: 905-523-8383. Website: www.hamiltonquakers.ca E-Mail: [email protected]

Hamilton Eat Local In a Gandhian spirit, Hamilton Eat Local works to promote a sustainable food system in the City of Hamilton. Our objectives are to:

Create a more supportive environment for local farmers and urban growers;

Assist and encourage Hamiltonians to eat more locally produced food;

Improve food knowledge and skills in our community; and

Empower people to utilize neglected food sources. For more information on any of the projects: hamiltoneatlocal.blogspot.com/ E-Mail: [email protected], Phone: 905-549-0900

Climate Change Hamilton

The City of Hamilton is working with the community to develop a Community

Climate Change Action Plan to help the Hamilton community address climate

change and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change that can be expected to occur in and around Hamilton

over the coming decades. The plan will focus on adapting and preparing the community for the risks of climate change,

such as more variable and extreme weather, more social and infrastructure stresses, risks to infrastructure, and insurance

costs. It will also address reducing the community’s contributions to climate change, such as the emission of greenhouse

gases, a major contributor to climate change.

We will be forming a number of Task Forces to work in more depth on theme-specific discussions over the length of

developing the Plan. Learn more about these at the event or contact us at [email protected].

Web: climatechangehamilton.ca, Phone 905-540-8787

Hamilton Interfaith Peace Group The group's aim is to foster interfaith understanding and respect in Hamilton as one facet of creating a culture of peace in

our community. (Contact: Anne Pearson [email protected]); Rotary Peace Fellowships

Are you looking to make a significant impact on the world by promoting tolerance and cooperation? Each year, Rotary funds some of the world’s most dedicated and brightest professionals to study at our Rotary Peace Centers. These fellows are committed to the advancement of peace, and often go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank. http://www.rotary.org/en/peace-fellowships.

climatechangehamilton.ca/sign

http://www.hamiltonquakers.ca/



http://www.rotary.org/en/peace-fellowships


We would like to extend

Our Sincere Thanks

To the following organizations for their generous support

www.indiacanadasociety.org Centre for Peace Studies www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~peace

The City of Hamilton

www.hamilton.ca

www.phri.ca


We would like to thank the following businesses for supporting Gandhi Peace Festival



Mahatma Gandhi Peace Festival Sponsors

Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University The India Canada Society, Hamilton

Co-Sponsors

Amnesty International, Antiviolence Network, Black History Committee, Canadian Indo Caribbean Association, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Canadian Department of Peace Initiative, Children’s International Learning Centre, Council of Canadians, Culture of Peace Hamilton, Dundas Independent Video Activists, Hamilton Action for Social Change, Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI), Hamilton Interfaith Peace Group, Interfaith Development Education Association , Interfaith Council for Human Rights and Refugees , McMaster Students Union, Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) , Peace Brigades International, Physicians for Global Survival (Hamilton Chapter), SACHA - Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton and Area, Strengthening Hamilton’s Community, The Immigrant Culture and Art Association, The Malhar Group Music Group of Ontario, The Mundialization Committee, City of Hamilton, UNICEF, United Nations Association of Canada, Hamilton United Way, Unity Church and Retreat Centre, World Federalists of Canada, YMCA Hamilton/Burlington, YWCA of Hamilton/Burlington, 93.3 CFMU

Financial Supporters

The City of Hamilton Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University

The India-Canada Society, Hamilton Culture of Peace Hamilton Canadian Indo-Caribbean Association, Hamilton Hamilton Malayalee Samajam McMaster Students Union McMaster Ontario Public Interest Research Group Physicians for Global Survival

Immigrant Culture and Art Association K.Malhotra Legal Professional Corporation Mississauga Vision Centre – Optometrists Population Health Research Institute United Nations Association of Canada - Hamilton

and a number of individual supporters listed near the end of this publication.

Themes of Gandhi Peace Festivals

2014 Nelson Mandela's Life & Legacy 2013 STOP Violence Against Women 2012 The Gandhian Path to Peace: Truth,

Nonviolence, Service 2011 No to Fear – Yes to Peace 2010 The Power of Nonviolence 2009 Swadeshi: Gandhi's Economics of Self

Reliance 2008 Living Gandhi and King Today 2007 Building Sustainable Communities 2006 First Nations Peacemakers: Building

Inclusive Communities 2005 Breaking the Cycle of Violence: An Eye for

An Eye Makes the Whole World Blind 2004 Creating True Security: Freedom from Fear 2003 Power to the People: The Agenda of the

Peace Movement 2002 Peace and Human Security 2001 The Problem of Racism 1993-2000 Towards A Culture of Peace,

Nonviolence and Social Justice

PDF version of this publication and previous Gandhi Festival publications can be downloaded from:

http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi/festival/booklets.html

http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi/festival/booklets.html


Friends of the Festival – Thank you!

The Gandhi Peace Festival Committee has launched a drive to establish an endowment fund in support of the Gandhi Peace Festival at the Centre of Peace Studies, McMaster University. The Gandhi Peace Festival was started in 1993, a year before the 125th anniversary of Gandhi’s birthday, and has been held annually in the City of Hamilton. To our knowledge, this is the first Gandhi Peace Festival of its kind and we would like to do everything possible to make it a permanent part of Canadian cultural heritage. We encourage individuals as well as organizations to support it. Donations to Gandhi Peace Festival are tax-deductible. Cheques should be made out to: “McMaster University (Memo: Gandhi Peace Festival)” and mailed to: The Centre for Peace Studies For information, please contact: McMaster University, TSH-313 Dr. Rama Singh, 905-525-9140 x24378 1280 Main Street West, E-Mail: [email protected] Hamilton, ON, L8S 4M2. www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi As a token of our appreciation, the names of all donors to Gandhi Peace Festival Fund, with their consent, will be listed in this publication to serve as an encouragement to others.

WE THANK THE FOLLOWING FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL FOR THEIR DONATIONS Anand Bose Anne Pearson Anthony and Philo Vayalumkal Arun and Sashi Sharma Arvinda and Ratna Bobba Ashok and Nirmala Dalvi Balbir Singh Sahni (Montreal) Basanti Majumdar Bhagwat Verma Bhagwati and Bairavi Gupta Bhawani and Rama Pathak Binoy and Reeta Prasad Bipasha Chiu Canadian Afro-Carobbean Assoc. Cathy and Paul Younger Comondore and Shanti Ravindran Cordoba House Culture of Peace Hamilton Dee Maharaj Dinesh and Usha Singh Douglas and Sheila Davies Douglas Scott East Plains United Church Gary and Joy Warner George and Leonor Sorger Girija and V S Ananthanarayanan Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton Malayali Samajam Harish and Connie Jain Hemant and Abha Gosain Hindu Samaj of Hamilton & Region Hirsch and Indra Rastogi

Immigrant Culture and Art Assoc. Jay and Surekha Parekh Jayaram Nair Jose and Anita Kudiyate June Baxter K. Malhotra Legal Association Kanwal Shankardass Karn and Dolly Malhotra Karun and Nomita Singh Khursheed and Maroussia Ahmed Kiran and Rupa Jani Lakshman and Saraswati Das Mahendra and Jyoti Joshi Mahendra Deonarine Mala Singh Mani and Sujatha Subramanian Mark Patel Mark Vorobej Mohan and Veena Juneja Mohan and Veena Juneja Monica Chopra Monolina and Saurav Ray Narendar and Chitra Passi Naresh and Meena Sinha Naresh and Munmuni Singh Naresh and Saroj Agarwal Nawal and Veena Chopra Nidhi and Mukesh Jain Nikhil and Bharati Adhya Nithy and Lalitha Anand Om and Anjana Modi Om Prakash Bhargava

OPIRG (McMaster) P.L. Kannappan Prabha Singh Prakash and Sunita Abad Pramila Jha Prem and Nisha Lal Radhey and Rajni Gupta Raj and Sudesh Sood Rajat and Manju Bhaduri Rama and Rekha Singh Ramesh and Darshana Kumar Ray cunnington Salim and Waheeda Yusuf Sanatan Mandir (Toronto) Saroj Ram Satendra and Rita Varma Seema Nundy Sheryl Wickens-Perrie Shobha and Ravi Wahi Sri Gopal and Shanti Mohanty Srinath and Pushpa Singh Subhash and Jayashree Dighe Sushil and Shashi Sharma T. Biswas Tapas Mondal Tilak and Krishna Mehan Uma and Davinder Sud United Nations Assoc. Canada V.K. Sehgal Veena Chopra Vishal and Shivani Sud

2014 Gandhi Peace Festival Committees and Volunteers

Board Members:

Jay Parekh (Chair) Rama Singh (Past Chair) Jahan Zeb Khan (Secretary) Khursheed Ahmed (Editor) Gail Rappolt (Culture of Peace)

Anne Pearson Gary Warner Janice Lukas Joy Warner Raj Jadon (India Canada Society)

Raj Sood Nancy Doubleday (Centre for Peace Studies)

Advisory Committee: Anne Pearson - Hamilton Interfaith Council Anupam Bagchi – The Malhar Music Group Ashok Dalvi Ashok Kumar - India-Canada Society Binoy Prasad - India-Canada Society Carol Wood - Chaplain, McMaster University Gail Rappolt Gary Warner - (Emeritus) McMaster University George Sorger - (Emeritus) McMaster University Graeme MacQueen- (Emeritus) McMaster University Hemant Gosain Marisa Rosato - Centre for Peace Studies Jahan Zeb Janice Lukas - Hamilton Media Advisory Committee Jay Parekh - India-Canada Society Joy Warner - Kairos, Voice of Women

Kanwal Shankardass Khursheed Ahmed - Physicians for Global Survival Leonor Sorger - Interfaith Council for Human Rights Mahendra Joshi – Hindu Samaj Temple Mani Subramanian – Hindu Samaj Temple Mark Vorobej - Department of Philosophy Mohan Raghbeer Nancy Doubleday – Director, Centre for Peace Studies Nikhil Adhya Paul Dekar Raj Sood - India Canada Society Ray Cunnington – Culture of Peace Hamilton Suzie Miller (Six Nations) Sri Gopal Mohanty – India-Canada Society Shelly (OPRIG) - McMaster University Subhash Dighe

Organizing Committee:

Anne Pearson Ashok Kumar Binoy Prasad Carmen Cuming Daljeet Juneja Gail Rappolt

Gary Warner Halima Hatimy Jahan Zeb Khan (Coordinator) Jay Parekh (Chair) Janice Lukas Joy Warner

Khursheed Ahmed (Editor) Leo Johnson Raj Sood Rama Singh (Past Chair) Ray Cunnington Sri Gopal Mohanty

Publicity:

The Hamilton Spectator Hamilton Cable 14 McMaster Student Union (MSU) Radio CFMU 93.3 The Silhouette (MSU Newspaper) Hamilton Radio 900 CHML, Y95.3 FM Bhajanawali Webcast (www.bhajanawali.com) CJMR 1320 CHML Radio - Hamilton Eye on Asia (TV)

Sound System:

Jordan Abraham Studio J. (Phone: 905-522-7322)

Food: Food Supplied by: India Village Restaurant,

Dundas/Ancaster 905-304-1314

Multimedia: Photography: Khursheed Ahmed Facilities Arrangements: Hamilton City Hall staff members Rose McGowan Special Help: City of Hamilton: Rose MacGowan McMaster University: Lorraine Redford Banners: Russ (Eye Catcher Signs)

Volunteers: Aliza Malik, Amber Al-jbouri, Amer Mirza, Ayaan Khan, Ayaan Khan, Carmen Cuming, Hannan Khan, Halima Hatimy, Isma Khan, Isma Nasim, Maiedah Chaudhry, Maira Matin, Malaika Matin, Muhammad Hannan, Naseer Malik, Nausheen Fatima, Nazia Zeb, Nazli Khan, Rukhsana Amer, Sehrish Khan, Shahnaz Tehseen, Sumbal Naseer, Syed Shayan, Zaina Mirza, Zarish Mirza, Dolly Malhotra, Krish Moro, Ashok Kumar, Arvind Sahay, Daljeet Singh Juneja, Raj Jadon

..... and many more. Thanks to them all.

https://www.facebook.com/n/?halima.hatimy.31&medium=email&mid=afb7798G32767b3cG0G0G1872a9db&bcode=1.1418820208.AblPUVg5pOMHOfuD&n_m=ahmed%40mcmaster.ca


Peace March with the festival theme banner: “STOP Violence Against Women”

Opening of the conference on STOP Violence Against Women STOP Violence Against Women Conference with native drumming by Elder Wilamina McGrimmond

(Photos by Khursheed Ahmed)

Dedication of Gandhi statue installed in 2013

Gandhi Lecture 2013 by Ela Bhatt, founder of SEWA

Memories of 2013 Gandhi Peace Festival (Theme: STOP Violence Against Women)

Festival Volunteers with a picture of Gandhi Akhila Rachkonda performing a classical dance

Candle light vigil for missing aboriginal women


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The 22nd Annual Gandhi Peace Festival

Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada

2014 Theme: Nelson Mandela's Life & Legacy

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Programme

9:00 – Refreshments, set up Information/display tables 10:00 – Master of Ceremony

- Mr. Leo Johnson, Empowerment Squared Cultural program

- Thillana, a Bharat Natyam dance choreographed by Sujatha Suresh-Swaramudra Dance Academy performed by Rachel, Jyothy, Teena, Raina,Tanya, Ashmitha, Ayesha, Afraah.

- Voices of Savannah - Together We Can

11:00 – Greetings - Mr. Raj Jadon, President India-Canada Society - His Worship Bob Bratina, Mayor of Hamilton Spoken Words - Word Mason

Keynote Speaker - Itah Sadu, Author, Activist and Community Builder (Introduced by Dr. Gary Warner)

Hana Newcombe Peace Prize - Dr. Nora Newcombe,

Temple University Community Service Award - Dr. Anne Pearson Note of Thanks - Mr. Jay Parekh, Chair, Gandhi Peace

Festival Committee

12:30 - Peace Walk

1:00-3:00 pm - Lunch, Music and Drumming

Itah Sadu Keynote Speaker

Leo Johnson MC


Documents

$5.00 Living Gandhi Today