The International Day of Non-Violence was declared by the UN General Assembly on 15 June 2007. The day is dedicated to the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the ideologist of the Indian independence movement against the British Empire.
Throughout his life, Gandhi remained committed to his belief in non-violence even under oppressive conditions and in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Theoretical grounding of his actions, which included encouraging massive civil disobedience to British law, was the phrase “just means lead to just ends”; that is irrational to try to use violence to achieve a peaceful society. He believed that Indians should not use violence or hatred in their fight for freedom from colonialism.
The way of life and principles of Mahatma Gandhi is the inspirational source for non-violence movements for civil rights and social changes all over the world.
The principle of non-violence, known as non-violence resistance, denies using physical violence for achievement social or political changes. The form of social combating, sometimes characterized as “policy of common people”, was accepted by broad masses to fight for social justice.
The core of one of the basic theoretical provisions of non-violence is in that the power of governors depends on the support by citizens and that non-violence actions, thus, are able to undermine the current authority by depriving it of their support, and also through agreed joint actions by population.
According to the UN resolution, the International Day of Non-Violence is one more cause for “promotion of non-violence, including through the educational work and public awareness”.
As a result of armed conflicts, every hour about 35 persons die in the world. Meanwhile, for one killed in armed conflicts, there are another 40 people that sustained traumas of varying severity and who need serious treatment.
A lot of wars have been going on for a very long time: Israel-Palestinian conflict, conflicts in Kashmir, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Donbass.
