| International Day of Non-Violence | |
|---|---|
 International Non-Violence Day is observed on the birthday ofMahatma Gandhi | |
| Observed by | AllUN Member States |
| Date | 2 October |
| Frequency | Annual |
International Day of Non-Violence isobserved on2 October, the birthday ofMahatma Gandhi. It was established on 15 June 2007 according toUnited Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271. The day is an occasion to "disseminate the message ofnon-violence ... througheducation and publicawareness ... and reaffirm the desire for aculture 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 toglobal issues.[2] Its date and purpose correspond with those of the Indiannational public holiday ofGandhi Jayanti.
In January 2004, Iranian Nobel laureateShirin Ebadi had taken a proposal for an International Day ofNon-Violence from a Hindi teacher in Paris teaching international students to theWorld Social Forum in Mumbai. The idea gradually attracted the interest of some leaders of India'sCongress Party ("Ahimsa Finds Teen Voice", The Telegraph, Calcutta) until a Satyagraha Conference resolution in New Delhi in January 2007, initiated byIndian National Congress President and Chairperson of theUnited Progressive AllianceSonia Gandhi and ArchbishopDesmond Tutu, called upon the United Nations to adopt the idea.[3]
On 15 June 2007, theUnited 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 theUN system to commemorate 2 October in "an appropriate manner and disseminate the message ofnon-violence, including through education and public awareness".[7][8]
External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar andUNSGAntónio Guterres, unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the prestigious North Lawn Gardens of the United Nations headquarters atNew York. The Gandhi bust is a gift from India to the UN and is the first Gandhi sculpture installed at its headquarters.[9]
