Unite to be the change we want to see
The Gandhi Development Trust (GDT) will turn 15 on June 26. Honorary Executive Trustee ELA GANDHI explains the trust’s work and how it strives to make a change in society
THE year 2017 will be remembered by many as a year when we witnessed some of the most horrific violence in South Africa and around the world.
We witnessed individual violence against women and children, brutal murders and mass killings as a result of xenophobia, intolerance, extremism and revenge.
But we also witnessed deaths and devastation arising from natural disasters.
How have the efforts of peace movements and organisations such as the Gandhi Development Trust (GDT) helped in minimising the escalation of violence, recklessness, hatred and intolerance in society?
These violent confrontations are attributed to structural problems that include poverty, deprivation and exploitation on one hand and the propagation of hatred and violence on the other.
Many poor communities live happily in peace and tranquillity in many parts of the world – where people live in respect and dignity.
There is little chance of there being violence and strife even if they are poor.
It is in situations where there are glaring disparities and inequalities that violence and dysfunction thrive.
The GDT began in 2002 with humble beginnings to promote a culture of non-violence.
Gandhiji said: “If all worked for their bread, distinction of rank would be obliterated; the rich would still be there, but they would deem themselves only trustees of their property and would use it mainly in the public interest… Again invidious distinctions of rank would be abolished when everyone without exception acknowledged the obligation of bread-labour.”
An ardent follower of Gandhian ideas, Vinoba Bhave wrote: “The idea of Sarvodaya… is to merge oneself in the good of all… If we could rivet the attention of the young and the old on this great concept, the solution of all the problems of the world would be found therein.”
Over our 15 years of existence, the GDT has learnt that it is important that we work within communities to try to bring about systemic changes, so our social order may more effectively respond to the needs of the marginalised and deprived sections of our population.
At the same time, there is an even more urgent need for change in our thinking and lifestyles to enable a more egalitarian and compassionate social order to emerge.
We are witnessing the malaise resulting from a selfcentred, materialistic attitude, which responds only to personal needs at the expense of family or community.
This attitude leads to injuring and killing people without impunity, almost as a way of life.
This starts from early childhood exposure to violence as normal, going on to school and experiencing bullying and in society experiencing aggressive power relations, where simple elimination of what or who we do not like is seen as the solution to all problems.
The GDT celebrates its 15th anniversary on June 26 at the Kendra Hall, in Durban, with a rap artist, who it is hoped will attract youth and place our work squarely among them as the torch bearers of the future. We will also be recalling two important anniversaries of courageous events from our past.
June 26 marks the 62nd anniversary of the Freedom Charter of 1955 and the 71st anniversary of the Passive Resistance Campaign of 1946.
In its 15 years, the GDT has, through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme, schools and community programmes and annual community events tried to instil a sense of responsibility, a calling to go beyond the self and try in small ways to make a difference, to create the ripple that could grow and bring about a wave of change to create a new and better world.
In doing this, our work does not only centre around children and youth but around significant elders. The changes at both these levels can lead to a more conscious and conscientious society.
This involves thinking about how we can experience the agony of others, rather than condemning them; how we can change our society to reduce the agony of others.
How we can treat our environment and Earth with care to conserve and preserve rather than to destroy it.
How we can change our focus from amassing wealth and living a life of leisure to making it possible for everyone to enjoy life, while also carrying out our responsibilities.
It will involve learning about happiness as not centring around material accumulation but around developing aesthetic values and learning about love as protection and caring rather than lust and exploitation. We do this through education and awareness raising.
So as we celebrate our 15 years of existence and look once more at the effectiveness of our programmes, we ask two questions: Do we see a huge problem in the way we are living, thinking and consuming natural resources, and do we feel there is an urgent need for change?
If we agree then we should come together and decide how we need to change and how we can, together, bring about that change.
The GDT believes that Gandhiji has shown us a way to achieve the changes needed and accordingly has designed three programmes.
1. A programme to promote values in education starting from ECD level to schools level, reaching approximately 5 000 youth over the years.
2. A new programme of empower ment for youth out of school, which we have just started.
3. An awareness programme for the masses through special events, such as our Annual Salt March, Awards Evening, Day of Non-Violence, Annual Mahatma Gandhi Media Lecture and observance of Martyr’s Day – Day of Gandhiji’s assassination.
In addition, we organise occasional seminars to look at innovative ways in which we can reach out as widely as possible.
We also organise a conference once in four or five years to bring together international partners to lear n from each other and to reflect on the work we each are doing to create channels of communication for collaboration.
Reflecting on Gandhiji’s work and message, we came across this quotation from one of his writings: “Scientists tell us that without the presence of the cohesive force among the atoms that comprise this globe of ours, it would crumble to pieces and we would cease to exist; and even as there is cohesive force in blind matter, so must there be in all things animate and the name for that cohesive force among animate beings is love… where there is love there is life, hatred leads to destruction.”
Nelson Mandela similarly said that people learn to hate and can learn to love.
The GDT work draws its inspiration from these icons.