A Celebration on the International Day of Non-Violence ( the Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi) at the Indian Embassy in Damascus

The Indian Embassy in Damascus on Monday held a celebration of International Day of Non-Violence  and the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi (Gandhi Jayanti).

The celebration included several presentations and speeches. The event also included a Yoga dance performance and songs and an offering of floral tributes to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi.

His Excellency  Indian Ambassador Dr. Irshad Ahmad said on this occasion: “The International Day of Non-Violence was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 to promote the values of non-violence, tolerance, understanding, and peace. It is a day to remember Gandhi Ji’s teachings and to recommit ourselves to working for a more peaceful world”.

“Gandhi Ji’s message is more relevant today than ever before. We live in a world that is increasingly divided by conflict and violence. We see this in the wars and civil wars that are raging around the world, in the terrorist attacks that are taking place in our cities, and in the rising tide of intolerance and hate speech” H. Ex. added .

“In the face of all this violence, Gandhi’s message of non-violence is a beacon of hope. It shows us that there is another way, a better way. It shows us that we can create a more peaceful and just world through non-violent means. importance of the International Day of Non-Violence, which marks the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. He urged everyone to recommit to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals” Ambassador Dr. Irshad Ahmad said.

On his role Mr. Feras Al-Abbas, Consultant in community work with UN agencies and International Organizations talked about Mahatma Gandhi’s principles and its influence and impact on youth in Syria as peace, belief, belonging, humanity , love, giving, respect, tolerance, harmony,and acceptance.

Al Abbas believes that in our present era, the topic peace is considered one of the most important topics in the world because of the several reasons that make peace of great significance such as preventing conflict and wars, promoting development, human rights, and international cooperation.

In his turn, Eng. Mhd Bassel Al- Madani, one of the attendees  spoke about the importance of youth in achieving peace and addressing climate change.

He sees that quality education is a powerful tool for empowering youth to become informed advocates for peace and climate action. Educational institutions play a pivotal role in equipping young people with knowledge and skills needed to address pressing global changes.

Reported by: Nada Haj Khidr