Gandhi Foundation

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

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]

The Multifaith Service is usually held in London on 30 January, the anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination. The Service brings together people of different faiths such as Buddhist, Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh in remembrance of Gandhi and to share elements from their different traditions.

The Summer School is held in July. Around 40 people of all ages and nationalities live together for a week in the countryside, sharing the necessary tasks of cleaning, cooking, and washing-up as well as attending daily workshops which take up different aspects of the chosen theme for the year. A variety of crafts are taught, and conventional lifestyles and attitudes are challenged. The Summer School has a loyal following with many participants returning year after year.

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.
• 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,[5][6] Cromwell cited Gandhi's maxim that "non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind".
• 2009: Coram Children's Legal Centre (CLC)[7]
• 2010: The Parents Circle-Families Forum (PC-FF)[8]
• 2011: Binayak Sen and Bulu Imam for their humanitarian work with India's Adivasis. The award was presented by Lord Bhikhu Parekh.[9]
• 2012: St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group, for their humanitarian work.[10]
• 2013: Jeremy Corbyn, for his "consistent efforts over a 30 year Parliamentary career to uphold the Gandhian values of social justice and non‐violence."[11]
• 2014: Godric Bader and the Scott Bader Commonwealth, for "the alternative business model created by him and his family."[12]
• 2015: Bike for Peace founders Tore Nærland and Frank Tomlinson.[13]
• 2016: Peter Tatchell for his "consistent dedication over many decades in promoting human and gay rights".[14]
• 2017: Ramzi Aburedwan and his organisation, Al Kamandjâti, which teaches music skills to children in the Occupied Palestinian territories and south Lebanon.[15]

References

1. "The Gandhi Way". Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
2. "The Big Hope Exhibition Programme". Liverpool Hope University. Archived from the original on 24 March 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
3. "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. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
4. Denis Halliday. "2003 Gandhi International Peace Award acceptance speech" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
5. David Cromwell. "2007 Gandhi International Peace Award acceptance speech" (PDF).
6. John Pilger (29 November 2007). "The Cyber Guardians of Honest Journalism". New Statesman.
7. "The Gandhi Foundation Peace Award and Annual Lecture 2009". gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 28 October 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
8. "The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2010". gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 8 April 2010. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
9. "The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2011". gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
10. "The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2012". gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
11. "The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2013". gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
12. "The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2014". gandhifoundation.org. The Gandhi Foundation. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
13. "Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2015 handed over to Bike For Peace". Bike For Peace. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
14. "Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2016". 24 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
15. "Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2017". 24 August 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.

External links

• Gandhi Foundation Peace Award
• Charity Commission. Gandhi Foundation, registered charity no. 292629.