“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man. ”
–Mahatma Gandhi–
The International Day of Non-Violence is observed every year on the 2nd of October, to honor the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The International Day of Non-violence was created in 2007 by the United Nations and this day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.”
The world aims to live in peace and without violence. But there might be some people who want to engage in violence when most of us want peace for ourselves. When it comes to the principle of non-violence, it always rejects physical violence in order to achieve some changes in political and social activities. For example, “the politics of ordinary people” is one of the forms of social struggle that has been adopted all over the world when it comes to campaigns for social justice. There are three main types of non-violent action, such as protest, persuasion, and including marches. The #kindnessMatters campaign was launched in 2018 to foster a positive culture of kindness. So far, nearly 1.5 million people have shared kindness across the world, and this campaign mobilized people to carry out transformative acts of kindness.
As mentioned before, this day is celebrated on Gandhi’s birth anniversary to honor him. Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest men who worked hard for non-violence. He was a leader of the independence movement of the Indians. He raised his voice for the rights and justice of the poor and marginalized people. Therefore, as he once mentioned, poverty is the worst form of violence. And also, people including civil rights Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks have given inspiring and fascinating stories. Children are not the same. They can be cruel to one another. But on days like International Day of Non-violence, we should show the right path to individuals to carry the legacy of people like Mahatma Gandhi. The world cannot be changed by one person. Every single person has to join together to change the world.
