March for Non-Violence from the Gandhi statue on Hobbemaplein to the Peace Palace
The birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, October 2, has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day of Non-Violence. The UNGA in 2007 called upon countries and people across the world to celebrate and observe this day by disseminating the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.
In view of the special connection between the Netherlands and Mahatma Gandhi and the deep commitment of the people of the Netherlands to non-violence and peace, the Embassy of India in association with various community organizations in the Netherlands marked the International Day of Non-Violence in previous years with a campaign called “Follow the Mahatma.” Based on the success of that campaign, and the fact that this year marks the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, it has been decided to mark the International Day of Non-Violence in an even bigger way this year.
On Wednesday, October 2, 2019, a “Gandhi March” through the city of The Hague will be organized to highlight the importance of the message of non-violence. This year the focus will be on youth with approximately 300 school children taking part in the march. The Gandhi march will begin from the Gandhi statue on Hobbemaplein at 0830 hrs and end inside the Peace Palace compound around 1100 hrs. The rally will be addressed by Ambassador Venu Rajamony in the courtyard of the Peace Palace.
In light of this year’s 150th anniversary, there will be several other programs, such as a Gandhi Bike Tour on Sunday, September 29. The Ambassador and guests will bike from Kijkduin to ‘s-Gravenzande and back from 1300 hrs to 1530 hrs.
An exhibition about Mahatma Gandhi will be on display in the Atrium of the City Hall from October 1 to October 4. The exhibition will be opened by Ambassador Venu Rajamony and The Hague Mayor Pauline Krikke on Tuesday, October 1 at 1600 hrs.
In addition, volunteers will fan out to schools and universities of the Netherlands during the first week of October to talk about Mahatma Gandhi’s message of non-violence and its relevance in today’s world. The plan is to bring together volunteers who in turn can reach out to several thousand students aimed at disseminating the message of non-violence.
A social media campaign highlighting the message of non-violence with the hashtag “Follow the Mahatma” will also be conducted during the above period.
If you would like to volunteer for the Visit to Schools to talk about Non-Violence, please contact Dr. Kanta Rani at kantarani@gmail.com
