Gandhi still an inspiration, event hears
Celebrations were held yesterday at the Indian embassy in Bangkok to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, the peace icon who led the country to independence. Leaders and policymakers around the world were encouraged to adopt his non-violent approach to solve conflicts.
The actual anniversary on Wednesday coincided with the International Day of Non-Violence.
At the Embassy of India in Bangkok and Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap) gathering, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of Unescap, stressed that Gandhi’s advocacy of non-violence is still relevant today as it can be used to address challenges such as climate change, human rights violations, hate crimes, inequality and poverty.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Vijavat Isarabhakdi urged leaders to start working towards change to prevent a rise of violence by citing Gandhi’s words: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
The remedial measures suggested by Mr Vijavat include instilling a nonviolent mindset that champions tolerance, interfaith coexistence, compromise, inclusiveness and mutual respect among youth.
He also suggested that policymakers combat violence by building legal infrastructure which ensures tolerance and inclusiveness, increases access to justice, ensures gender equality and the protection of the elderly.
The vice-minister reiterated that the promotion of sustainability and inclusiveness through the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals will help reduce all forms of violence by providing structures of rule of law, good governance, respect for human rights, humanitarian principles.
He added that inclusiveness and strong infrastructure will help ease violence that stems from poverty.