By Will Tredo

Mohandas Gandhi once said: “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” It is a philosophy that his grandson, Arun Gandhi, the founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, lives by and passes along to ears that care to listen. Gandhi discussed “Nonviolence as a positive way of life,” at Buffalo State College.

Gandhi began the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence with his wife, Sunanda, in 1991 by selling old and brittle hand-written letters from his grandfather. He collected $56,000 and used all the proceeds toward the foundation. The institute’s educational programs include relationship- and community-building, conflict prevention, anger management and diversity training.

During his lecture Gandhi suggested that most people think justice means revenge, but that making someone pay for what they have done doesn’t really satisfy at all.

“Justice must mean transformation of the person! And transformation takes place through interpersonal relationships,” he said.

Gandhi quoted researchers saying, “80 percent of violence we experience is generated by anger. We must channel energy of anger for positive action,” he suggested.

One recommendation Gandhi made to channel this energy is to keep an anger journal. Through journaling it is easier to identify and find positive solutions to one’s problem.

Other positive solutions that Gandhi discussed included finding a resolution to the poverty facing Third World countries.

“We need to do more and be more concerned with people elsewhere. Not just during disasters, but all the time,” he said.

Gandhi used statistics to represent the difference between developed and Third World nations.
• in the U.S, six minutes of work buys a loaf of bread
• in Third World countries it takes 20 hours of work to buy a loaf of bread
• in the U.S, it takes a woman working four hours to buy a cotton dress
• in Third World countries it takes 4,500 hours to buy a cotton dress

BSC student Chentil Smith was shocked by these statistics.

“Even though equality is still absent in the American workplace, women have more of an advantage than I was ever aware of. I don’t know if I feel thankful or guilty,” she said.

The event was made possible by the Buffalo State Coalition for International Relief of Higher Education and United Students’ Government. It was free of cost and open to the entire community. Mr. Gandhi waived his usual speaking fee since the event was part of an effort to raise funds for the victims of the December 26, 2004 tsunami in Asia.

Students from BSC, Niagara County Community College, Erie County Community College, Canisius College and Niagara University represent the coalition. The group set a goal to raise at least $10,000 through the sales of wrist bracelets, baked goods, a movie series and other funding. As of April 20 the books were incomplete whether the goal had been met.
Once the money is collected, it will be sent to the International School of Bangkok Tsunami Relief Network to help rebuild the Bang Sak school in Khao Lak that was completely destroyed by the tsunami.

Related Links:
www.mahatma.org.in/index.jsp
www.gandhiinstitute.org
www.ctv.ca/generic/WebSpecials/tsunami_map/flash/tsunami_map.html
www.buffalostate.edu

Will Tredo can be contacted at: tredwm35@mail.buffalostate.edu