WWW.SATYAGRAHACONFERENCE.COM
THE CONFERENCE 11th of September, 2006 marked the Centenary of the Satyagraha movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa for the peaceful resistance against discriminatory and unjust laws. It became a powerful mass movement of passive resistance and civil disobedience. Over the years, it converted from a platform of passive idealism to effective action. To acknowledge the historical contribution made by Gandhi and the values espoused by him, the Indian National Congress has undertaken steps to commemorate the centenary in a befitting manner. This will also be an occasion to renew the commitment of our people to his noble mission of building a world that is in peace and harmony with itself. |
(CNN-IBN, Jan. 29, 2007)
NEW DELHI -- The British have long gone but the Congress has found that Satyagraha can still be useful a century later.
Party chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday inaugurated a conference in Delhi to mark the centenary celebration of Satyagraha where leaders,
Nobel Peace Prize winners and activists from 90 countries will discuss the relevance of the non-violent political philosophy.
It would be a "grave error to write off the Gandhian approach as irrelevant to our age. The challenge for us now is to find creative inspiration
from Gandhian ways to evolve a satyagraha appropriate to our times," said Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda got thunderous applause when at the conference he asked America and Britain to "stop the war" in Iraq.
"I appeal to President Bush and Prime Minister Blair to stop this war," Kaunda said. »
MANDELA CALLS FOR GANDHI'S NON-VIOLENCE APPROACH
(Reuters. Jan. 29, 2007)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela joined top leaders,
nobel laureates and elder statesmen on Monday calling on the world to reinvent Indian freedom fighter
Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent approach to solving conflicts. Mandela, who spent 28 years in prison for fighting white rule
before leading South Africa to multi-racial democracy as the country's first black president in 1994,
said Gandhi's non-violent approach which won India freedom from British colonial rule 60 years ago was an inspiration.
Referring to him as "the sacred warrior," Mandela said the Mahatma combined ethics and morality with a steely resolve
that refused to compromise with the oppressor, the British Empire.
"In a world driven by violence and strife, Gandhi's message of peace and non-violence
holds the key to human survival in the 21st century, said Mandela. »
PAPANDREOU ON MAHATMA GANDHI'S LEGACY
(Athens News Agency, Jan. 29, 2007)
PASOK leader George Papandreou, in his capacity as Socialist International (SI) president, spoke in New Delhi on Monday
at the ruling Congress Party's conference, where he referred to Congress founder Mahatma Gandhi's vision and values,
which he said are closely linked with SI's principles, beliefs and its struggle in today's globalised society.
Papandreou, Greece's former foreign minister, emphasised that Gandhi's life was in itself an example towards others.
On Monday, Papandreou was received by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while he also met with
2006 Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Bangladesh-based Grameen micro-lending concept. »
Dr. Yunus:
EMULATE GANDHI'S PHILOSOPHY FOR TOLERANCE
(UNB, New Delhi, 29 Jan 2007)
Nobel Laureate Prof Yunus urged the world community to emulate Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of tolerance,
non-violence, compassion for all humanity and peaceful co-existence for achieving peace and prosperity
and an improved life through banishing poverty into museum.
He came up with the urge in his keynote speech in a two-day conference in observance of the centenary of "Satyagraha Movement",
held at Vighyan Bhaban in the presence of a galaxy of statesmen and elite. »
A NEW, NON-VIOLENT WORLD ORDER
(Indra Adnan, The Guardian UK, Feb. 2, 2007)
So the talking continues - a disappointment for many who expected this rather expensive conference to come up with something radical from India.
But the breadth and depth of participation was undoubtedly impressive.
Over 100 government ministers, and the senior personnel of 120 NGOs from 90 countries around the globe,
responded to the Congress party's call to update Gandhi's vision of a non-violent world order.
Milling around the conference were international heroes such as Lech Walesa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
and Gandhi's own grand-daughter (now, appropriately enough, a social worker).
All have come to exchange stories of "people power", and how non-violence has proved victorious over conventional aggression.
In such a committed environment, it's been difficult to entirely suppress one's optimism.
At the very moment that George Bush is haemorrhaging global support for his escalating aggression in Iraq,
a new narrative for international relations cannot come too soon. For all the tensions on display here,
the century-old doctrine of satyagraha and the rising logic of soft power have many points of fruitful contact. »
Neither this interview or Mrs. Olofsson's participation at the Satyagraha Conference
has been observed by the Swedish media. Neither has the Swedish Government made it public.
Only the business related part of her Indian trip has been recognized.
SWEDEN SEEKS CLOSER TIES WITH INDIA
(Hindustan Times, Jan. 30, 2007)
Hoping to set the negative image of the Bofors gun episode behind them,
Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Maud Olofsson said the small Scandinavian country with a population of just over nine million people
wants to be recognised only for the quality and reliability of its products.
- You have come for the Satyagraha Conference. What is the most important message of Mahatma Gandhi
and what prompted you to come for this meeting?
- The most important message is peace.
Gandhi’s message gives a hope to the future that dialogue, not war, is a solution.
His ‘bottom up’ solution, based on respect for each individual human being, is so important. »
JAG SKÄMS, MAUD OLOFSSON!
Inger Holmlund,
ordförande i Norra Hälsinglands FN-förening
(Ordet Fritt - Hälsingekuriren, 10 feb. 2007)
Maud Olofsson reser med glädje och stolthet till fattiga länder för att sälja svenska vapen.
Jag skäms för Maud och centerpartiet.
Sverige är världens nionde största vapenexportör.
Att ha en så stor roll på världens vapenmarknad bidrar till att göda krig och konflikter.
Det bidrar också till fattigdom, stärker diktaturer och terrorism.
Krig är lidande, smärta, sorg och död för civila, oskyldiga människor,
de flesta kvinnor och barn. Krig slår sönder civila strukturer och förstör miljövärden som är svåra att återskapa.»
SAKERNAS TILLSTÅND
eller State of the Billion
30 JANUARI 1948. Världen sätter tre skott i Medkänslan, Toleransen och Ickevåldet.
2 procent äger 80 procent av världen. Hänger fred och ekonomi ihop?