“Hind Swaraj- Gandhi’s Manifesto of Nonviolence, Civilization and Forms of Violence: A 21st Century Agenda for Nonviolence”

* Review of nonviolent attempts against various forms of violence
* An action plan for individual, family, community and nation
* Presentation of action plan to H H The Dalai Lama with a request to lead a global campaign for nonviolence.

Swaraj Peeth Trust announces on the behalf of a group of eminent thinkers, intellectuals and activists a four-day international conference, 19th November to 22nd November 2009 in Delhi, to uniquely commemorate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s greatest work, his root text, Hind Swaraj.

The Conference will review nonviolent responses to various forms of violence; and on that basis, evolve an action plan which individual, family, community and nation can follow in order to seek nonviolent remedies and thus contribute to the development of nonviolence . There can not be a more appropriate occasion than the Centenary year of Hind Swaraj  to review nonviolent responses to four major categories of  violence; namely,  direct and explicit violence; structural violence; violence to nature and nature’s fury; civilizational conflict and confrontation

The conference aims to facilitate the like-minded individuals and institutions to interact among themselves, to review and take stocks of present crisis facing humanity; analyze the relevance of Hind Swaraj in today's world; and, to share our experience and understanding of Gandhi and Hind Swaraj in order to create an effective dialogue and campaign for nonviolence. Therefore,  the conference will evolve an action plan based on the wisdom of Hind Swaraj and each of our own experiment with truth - to chart a new paradigm for progress that every individual, family and society can follow in order to lessen the violence of different forms and the impending danger of ecological disaster. The conference will bring many such people from throughout the world who have devoted their lives to the ideals of justice, freedom and nonviolence. We are also thus inviting people from such movements, struggles and experiments for whom nonviolence is a comprehensive philosophy of life and whose faith in nonviolence is not as a strategic tool or for strategic reasons, but it is  a matter of inner conviction, vision of life and devoted to justice.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has very kindly consented to be with us for the whole day on 22nd November. What could be more appropriate than the guidance and leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in this effort as Tibetan struggle under his leadership highlights the ideals of culture of nonviolence or Self-rule, Swaraj (‘Rang-wang’ in Tibetan language) that Gandhi defined as the central purpose of his struggle. In the post-Gandhi era, HH the Dalai Lama symbolizes in him and in the struggle of his people the universal quest for nonviolence, justice and peace. The action plan will be presented to HH the Dalai Lama with request to take the leadership of a global movement of nonviolence, justice and peace.

The participants will form into a global collective who would keep in regular communication and at least some of them will meet periodically to take stock of nonviolence today. The collective would strive to assist nonviolent campaigns, movements and attempts as a matter of globally unified nonviolence and as a matter of unity and solidarity with the people struggling nonviolently to uphold human dignity, freedom and justice.  

In brief the conference aims at highlighting globally the efficacy and universality of Gandhian vision of swaraj and methods of nonviolence. Thus the conference will also try to bring in the center of debate how this vision could be translated into action under different conditions, situations and areas

Date: 19th – 22nd  November, 2009
Venue: Hotel Rajhans, Surajkund, Delhi
Members of Hind Swaraj Centenary Committee
All names with Photograph and brief Biodata

Collaborating Institution : The Central University of Higher Tibetan Studies, Saranath, Varanasi, India

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