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International Day of Non-Violence

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International Day of Non-Violence
International Non-Violence Day is observed on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi
Observed byAll UN Member States
Date2 October
Frequencyannual

International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. It was established on 15 June 2007 according to United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271. The day is an occasion to "disseminate the message of non-violence...through education and public awareness...and reaffirm the desire for a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence".[1] It is not a public holiday, but is observed around the world in various ways, often to draw attention to global issues.[2] Its date and purpose correspond with those of the Indian national public holiday of Gandhi Jayanti.

Background

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In January 2004, Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi had taken a proposal for an International Day of Non-Violence from a Hindi teacher in Paris teaching international students to the World Social Forum in Mumbai. The idea gradually attracted the interest of some leaders of India's Congress Party ("Ahimsa Finds Teen Voice", The Telegraph, Calcutta) until a Satyagraha Conference resolution in New Delhi in January 2007, initiated by Indian National Congress President and Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance Sonia Gandhi and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called upon the United Nations to adopt the idea.[3]

On 15 June 2007, the United Nations General Assembly[4] voted to establish 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence.[5][6] The resolution by the General Assembly asks all members of the UN system to commemorate 2 October in "an appropriate manner and disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness".[7][8]

External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar and UNSG António Guterres, unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the prestigious North Lawn Gardens of the United Nations headquarters at New York. The Gandhi bust is a gift from India to the UN and is the first Gandhi sculpture installed at its headquarters.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ United Nations. "International Day of Non-Violence". United Nations. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  2. ^ "International Day of Non-Violence". www.timeanddate.com. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Conference calls for declaring International day of non-violence". 30 January 2007.
  4. ^ "International Day of Non-Violence 2021: Here's why UN observes this day on Gandhi Jayanti; everything you need to know". India Today. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  5. ^ "International Day of Non-Violence: Know its history, significance". Hindustan Times. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  6. ^ "UN declares 2 October, Gandhi's birthday, as International Day of Non-Violence". United Nations. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  7. ^ "International Day Of Non-Violence: Know Why UN Marks Gandhi Jayanti". NDTV.com. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  8. ^ "General Assembly Adopts Texts On Day Of Non-Violence, Ethiopian Millennium; Pays Tribute To Former Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim". United Nations. 15 June 2007. Archived from the original on 19 June 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2014. Also here
  9. ^ "Mahatma Gandhi statue unveiled at UN HQ as 'reminder of values he upheld'". NDTV. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
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