Gandhi Foundation Explained

The Gandhi Foundation is a United Kingdom-based voluntary organisation which seeks to further the work of Mahatma Gandhi through a variety of educational events and activities.

Aims and activities

As part of its mission, the Gandhi Foundation focuses on promoting nonviolence as a remedy for war and aggression and egalitarian economics that emphasize self-reliance, cooperation, and trusteeship. The principal activities of the foundation are a quarterly newsletter and three annual events: a Multifaith Service, a Summer School, and an Annual Lecture. The newsletter is entitled "The Gandhi Way".^[1]

In 2008 the Gandhi Foundation helped to organise The Festival of Non-violence. As part of the festival the British Library unveiled a new travelling exhibition "The Life of Gandhi",^[2] with six 'panels' focusing on the following aspects of Gandhi's life and work: Non-violence and the influence of Jainism, Gandhi's work in South Africa, Gandhi's Philosophy, the Non-Cooperation and Quit India movements, and the independence of India.

Gandhi International Peace Award

Recipients have included:

• 2001: Jubilee 2000 founders Martin Dent and Bill Peters.^[3]
• 2003: Denis Halliday, former UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Iraq. In his acceptance speech,^[4] he described Gandhi as one of his formative influences.
• 2004: Helen Steven and Ellen Moxley received the award in 2004 for their non-violent campaigning against weapons of mass destruction.^[5]
• 2007: Media Lens founders David Edwards and David Cromwell. Media Lens is a British media analysis website established in 2001 which criticises what the editors view as bias and omissions in the British media. In his acceptance speech,^{[6] [7]} Cromwell cited Gandhi's maxim that "non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind".
• 2009: Coram Children's Legal Centre (CLC)^[8]
• 2010: The Parents Circle-Families Forum (PC-FF)^[9]
• 2011: Binayak Sen and Bulu Imam for their humanitarian work with India's Adivasis. The award was presented by Lord Bhikhu Parekh.^[10]
• 2012: St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group, for their humanitarian work.^[11]
• 2013: Jeremy Corbyn, for his "consistent efforts over a 30 year Parliamentary career to uphold the Gandhian values of social justice and non‐violence."^{[12] [13]}
• 2014: Godric Bader and the Scott Bader Commonwealth, for "the alternative business model created by him and his family."^[14]
• 2015: Bike for Peace founders Tore Nærland and Frank Tomlinson.^[15]
• 2016: Peter Tatchell for his "consistent dedication over many decades in promoting human and gay rights".^[16]
• 2017: Ramzi Aburedwan and his organisation, Al Kamandjâti, which teaches music skills to children in the Occupied Palestinian territories and south Lebanon.^[17]
• 2018: Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and Roger Moody of Mines and Communities.^[18]
• 2022: Esther Trienekins of Action Village India.^[19]

Annual Lecture

Lecturers, together with the title (or theme) of their lecture, are as follows:

• 1985: Johan Galtung. "Gandhi today".^[20]
• 1986: Jonathon Porritt. "Gandhi and the Green Movement".
• 1987: Martin Ennals. "The international concept of human rights".
• 1988: Paul Blau, Austrian Green Party. "The beginning of an epoch: time for the Great Peace Treaty".
• 1990: David Ennals. "Non-violence in international relations".
• 1991: Laxmi Mall Singhvi. "Gandhi today".
• 1992: Desmond Tutu. "Gandhi in South Africa".
• 1993: The Dalai Lama. "Compassion: the basis of non-violence".
• 1996: Donald Soper. "The total repudiation of mass violence as the only way to peace".
• 1997: Madhu Dandavate. "Gandhi's human touch".
• 1998: Mairead Maguire. "Building a culture of non-violence".
• 1999: Bruce Kent. "Time to abolish war".
• 2000: Adam Curle. "Mahatma Gandhi: the master of truth".^[21]
• 2001: Scilla Elworthy. "Gandhi's legacy: the vibrancy of non-violent conflict resolution in the 21st century".^[22]
• 2002: John Hume. "An eye for an eye".^[23]
• 2003: Simon Hughes. "India and Gandhi: their legacy to London".
• 2004: Helen Steven and Ellen Moxley, founders of The Scottish Centre for Nonviolence.^[24] "Our world at the crossroads: non-violence or non-existence".^[25]
• 2005: Mark Tully. "Was the Mahatma too great a soul? Pulling Gandhi off his pedestal".
• 2006: Kamalesh Sharma. "Encounters with Gandhi".^[26]
• 2007: Bhikhu Parekh. "Why is Gandhi still relevant?".^[27]
• 2008: Harold Good. "The essentials of peaceful conflict resolution".^[28]
• 2009: Aftab Alam. "The role of the Indian Supreme Court in upholding secularism in India".^[29]
• 2011: Anthony Parel. "Pax Gandhiana: Is Gandhian non-violence compatible with the coercive state?".^[30]
• 2013: Vince Cable. "What would a Gandhian business model look like? and what steps would a LibDem Government take to get there".^[31]
• 2014: Navichandra Ramgoolam. "The rule of law and nation building".^[32]
• 2016: Rowan Williams. "Empathy, ethics and peacemaking: reflections on preserving our humanity".^[33]
• 2017: Satish Kumar. "Gandhi for the 21st century".^[34]
• 2019: Gopalkrishna Gandhi. "Atonement in politics. Perspectives from Gandhi".^[35]
• 2020: Graeme Nuttall. "EO v3.0 – Employee ownership with added Gandhian purpose". (delivered online)^[36]
• 2022: Alexandre Christoyannopoulos. "Peacefully preventing and stopping war: Some challenges to conventional wisdom".^[37]
• 2023: Paul Bazely. "Becoming Gandhi".^[38]

In some years there has not been a lecture. In 1989 and 2010 there were panel discussions instead of a lecture.^[39]

External links

• Gandhi Foundation Peace Award

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Gandhi Way . 24 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130402001728/http://gandhiway.org/ . 2 April 2013 .
2. Web site: . The Big Hope Exhibition Programme . 20 October 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090324092848/http://www.hope.ac.uk/thebighope/template.php?pagename=artists.html . 24 March 2009 .
3. Web site: William (Bill) Peters, co founder of Jubilee 2000 and joint recipient of the Gandhi Foundation Peace Award in 2000. gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 8 April 2014. 17 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160422023010/https://gandhifoundation.org/2014/04/08/william-bill-peters-co-founder-of-jubilee-2000-and-joint-recipient-of-the-gandhi-foundation-peace-award-in-2000/. 22 April 2016.
4. Web site: Denis Halliday . 2003 Gandhi International Peace Award acceptance speech . 20 October 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070920190028/http://www.gandhifoundation.org/DenisHalliday-GF.pdf . 20 September 2007 .
5. Web site: Obituary: Ellen Moxley: 12 March 1935 – 8 July 2019 Peace News. 2022-02-21. peacenews.info.
6. Web site: David Cromwell . 2007 Gandhi International Peace Award acceptance speech.
7. Web site: John Pilger. John Pilger. The Cyber Guardians of Honest Journalism . . 29 November 2007.
8. Web site: The Gandhi Foundation Peace Award and Annual Lecture 2009. gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 28 October 2009 . 11 November 2009.
9. Web site: The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2010. gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 8 April 2010. 15 November 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101101234756/http://gandhifoundation.org/2010/04/08/the-gandhi-foundation-international-peace-award-2010/. 1 November 2010.
10. Web site: The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2011. gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 30 July 2012. 17 December 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121111132607/http://gandhifoundation.org/2010/04/08/the-gandhi-foundation-international-peace-award-2010/. 11 November 2012.
11. Web site: The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2012. gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 14 November 2012 . 2 May 2014.
12. Web site: The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2013. gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 9 January 2014. 2 May 2014. 13 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170613221405/https://gandhifoundation.org/2014/01/09/the-gandhi-foundation-international-peace-award-2013/.
13. Web site: The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210926090352/http://gandhifoundation.org/2014/01/09/the-gandhi-foundation-international-peace-award-2013/ . 2021-09-26 . gandhifoundation.org . The Gandhi Foundation . 9 January 2014 . 23 October 2021.
14. Web site: The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2014. gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 30 October 2014 . 29 December 2014.
15. Web site: Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2015 handed over to Bike For Peace. Bike For Peace. 7 November 2015. 17 July 2016.
16. Web site: Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2016. 24 October 2016. 30 October 2016.
17. Web site: Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2017 . 24 August 2017 . 14 November 2017.
18. Web site: 8 October 2019. Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2018 – presented in 2019. 8 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
19. Web site: 10 January 2023. Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2022. 6 September 2023. The Gandhi Foundation.
20. Annual Report 2011-2012, The Gandhi Foundation, Annual Lecturers 1985-2009, and lecture titles.
21. Web site: Curle. Adam. 15 January 2000. 2000 Peace Award and Annual Lecture. 8 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
22. Web site: Elworthy. Scilla. 14 November 2001. 2001 Annual Lecture: Scilla Elworthy. 8 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
23. Web site: 14 November 2002. 2002 Annual Lecture: John Hume. 6 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
24. News: 22 April 2016. Obituary: Helen Steven, peace activist. The Scotsman. 3 August 2021.
25. Web site: Moxley. Ellen. Steven. Helen. 14 November 2004. 2004 Peace Award and Annual Lecture: Helen Steven and Ellen Moxley. 6 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
26. Web site: Rowley. John. 3 November 2006. 2006 Annual Lecture: Kamalesh Sharma. 6 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
27. Web site: 2 December 2007. 2007 Annual Lecture: Bhikhu Parekh. 6 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
28. Web site: Hayat. Omar. Good. Harold. 30 October 2008. 2008 Peace Award & Annual Lecture – Harold Good & Alec Reid. 6 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
29. Web site: Hayat. Omar. 28 October 2009. The Gandhi Foundation Annual Lecture and Peace Award 2009 – The Children's Legal Centre. 6 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
30. Web site: Parel. Anthony. 13 October 2011. Pax Gandhiana: Is Gandhian non-violence compatible with the coercive state?. 6 August 2021. Sevagram Ashram.
31. News: 2 November 2013. Vince Cable on Gandhi today in business. Asian Voice. 5 August 2021.
32. News: 1 October 2014. Gandhi Foundation Annual Lecture – 2014 The rule of law and nation building. Minority Voice. 3 August 2021.
33. Web site: Sill. Jane. 6 June 2019. Annual Lecture 2016 – Empathy, ethics and peacemaking. 5 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
34. Web site: Hoda. Mark. Kumar. Satish. Rhind. William. 6 June 2019. GF Annual Lecture 2017 – Gandhi for the 21st century. 3 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.
35. Web site: 7 July 2019. The Gandhi Foundation Annual Lecture 2019. 5 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation. 5 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210805181911/https://gandhifoundation.org/2019/07/07/the-gandhi-foundation-annual-lecture-2019-2/. dead.
36. https://web.archive.org/web/20210803184041/https://gandhifoundation.org/2020/07/10/fieldfishers-graeme-nuttall-obe-to-deliver-the-gandhi-foundation-annual-lecture-2020/
37. Web site: 10 January 2023. Gandhi Foundation Annual Lecture 2022. 6 September 2023. The Gandhi Foundation.
38. Web site: 7 August 2023. Gandhi Foundation Annual Lecture 2023. 6 September 2023. The Gandhi Foundation.
39. Web site: Activities. 3 August 2021. The Gandhi Foundation.