Happy Birthday Gandhi: Celebrating a legacy of non-violence

This article was originally written for Actionary and published on their blog to celebrate International Day of Non-Violence. Learn more about my work on their blog project here.

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Celebrating Gandhi

On one blazingly warm June afternoon, in the not-so-distant past of 2007, the United Nations General Assembly met together in New Delhi where they voted unanimously to mark October 2nd, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Who better to help us remember the importance of striving for greater tolerance, respect, and understanding in our world
than Gandhi, a man of deep belief and humble faith? As we commemorate this great leader, we tell stories of his courage with murmurs of wonder and admiration. We praise his brave leadership with the utmost respect. We herald his opposition to injustice as an important marker in the history of our world.

As we celebrate this man, we also remember other leaders who were inspired by Gandhi; people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the list goes on and on. These men and women mark the stories of our world in ways that few others in history have. Yet, as time passes, history has a strange way of idyllically memorializing the actions of these strong, bold, outspoken, and daring leaders. And with this memorializing comes the risk of softening and taming these leaders’ actions.

The cost of speaking up

Because when we stop and think about it, there is nothing idyllic about spending 27 years in prison because your every action was working to create a society with equal opportunities for all people. There is certainly nothing tame about organizing a walk of civil disobedience through the segregated streets of Birmingham only to be knocked out and blasted by water while police dogs attacked the school children standing by your side. And there is absolutely nothing timid about encouraging your entire country to join you in wide spread civil disobedience against the long-ruling British authority.

We remember these leaders. We remember their words. We remember the faith that gave them endurance for the long journey. We remember images of their steady expressions that stared straight into the face of injustice and violence and said, “Enough.”

But most of all, we remember their bold and courageous actions.

As Gandhi once said,

“Action expresses priorities.”

Today, as we celebrate the International Day of Non-violence, let’s all take a moment to remember these simple men and women who lived extraordinary lives of non-violent action. And let’s take a moment to wonder about how each of our individual actions, whether big or small, can influence our own communities as we work to create more respect, tolerance, and greater understanding for one another.

Photo applauds go here.