“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man”.
– Mahatma Gandhi. [2]
A man by his very nature resorts to violence only when he feels fear, and he believes that life is sacred, and there is not enough reason to take it away. The proof of this is that you will never witness a happy, balanced human being beating another person. But life on this planet has undergone a lot of changes and developments, both positive and negative.
Because a person dreams of healthy living, but whenever he is reassured, leaving his weapon, he finds that war has broken out again. He saw himself living in a state of fear again, afraid for himself and his loved ones from the flames of war, and could not find the solution and the way to survive except by fighting and resorting to violence.
History is full of violence and stories whose victims were more than the beneficiaries, and we realize that the stories of history repeat themselves and the wheel of time turns, why then do we humans not strive to hold on to our humanity and look for another way, perhaps nonviolence?
And as Mahatma Gandhi once said, ” There are many causes I would die for. There is not a single cause I would kill for”. [1]
October 2 of each year is considered the International Day of non-violence, in accordance with the resolution of the UN General Assembly in 2007. [2]
This day was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, (the leader of the Indian independence movement and the pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of nonviolence.
The principle of nonviolence – as its name indicates – rejects the use of physical violence to achieve social or political change. [2]
Therefore, the UN General Assembly considered that the International Day of non-violence is the best way to spread the message of non-violence, and to educate the public and the people of the world about its principles and the method of its implementation. That’s because reality tells us that we have reached the limit of excessive use of violence in conflict resolution.
And to emphasize the common desire to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding, and non-violence, through the use of peace as a tool.
When we all hear the term nonviolence, it comes to our minds that it is synonymous with peace, but it carries the meaning of nonviolent resistance, allowing a person to obtain his rights and fight for his future to resist an authoritarian decision or a dictatorial regime.
In other words, nonviolence does not mean avoiding conflict and confrontation, but rather responding to the issue effectively, and avoiding physical violence, as Molham says on the International Day of nonviolence: ” I can’t teach you Violence because I don’t believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your head in front of anyone even at the cost of your life”. [1]
Forms of nonviolent resistance: protest and persuasion, including marches and sit-ins. There is also a lack of cooperation and non-violent intervention such as blockades. [2]
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “Hatred, division, and conflict have had their day. It is time to usher in a new era of peace, trust, and tolerance. On this International Day of Non-Violence – Gandhi’s birthday – let’s heed his message of peace, and commit to building a better future for all”. [3]
The dream of a man in any part of the Earth is to live a decent life, this is something that we agree on, no matter how many and varied our beliefs, the ideas we believe in and the doctrines we follow.
We all dream of a secure future, in fact, all our dreams depend on stability and peace because war is not a place for creativity but a hotbed of survival, your most important achievement of the day becomes that you are alive.
Mahatma Gandhi raised the slogan “Just Means lead to just ends” [2], so by celebrating nonviolence and his birthday, we should spread awareness about his principle.
Through campaigns, rallies, and seminars we hold to illuminate the big and small events. From the use of weapons to achieve ends in wars and on the streets, to the dangers of the illicit trade in small arms. Spreading the beliefs and methods of peace leader Mahatma Gandhi.
In every war, we find a lot of collateral losses, both human and material. And also in every war, we see that the stories of these people do not see the light, we can shed light on the stories of these people, we talk about their lives and families who lost them due to violence. We strive by all means so that their lives are not lost and their stories are not repeated.
A woman in every war loses, whether she loses her son or husband, or takes on additional responsibilities that should not fall on her shoulders. As well as in peacetime, women fall victim to other forms of violence, domestic, in the workplace, and even on the street.
During the March of women’s resistance to all other forms of violence, we find that she set her sights on peace. She also used it as a tool, she did not raise a weapon in the man’s face, but went out on marches and fought in court, and used the judiciary to get her rights.
The woman is not trying to take over the world, just trying to get her right, and not to lose too much for no logical reason. The task of trying to reach a world that follows the principle of nonviolence is a difficult but not impossible task. Its application requires all members of society, regardless of gender, religion, and belief, to keep it as their goal.
In fact, the International Day of nonviolence carries with it a lot of dreams. Because those who follow the doctrine of nonviolence can confidently see the rights of others and respect their freedoms.
This is all we need to live harmoniously and cooperatively in one society that respects women and men, and honors children and the elderly. Everyone has his right and freedom, and peace is what drives our societies.
At the uplifting Syrian Woman initiative, we see that nonviolence and the doctrine of leader Mahatma Gandhi coincide with our goals, and unite with the voices we seek to raise. Through nonviolence, we preserve the dignity of women in particular and of human beings in general. We remind you that during the covid-19 pandemic, all communities faced the same difficulties, and we managed to overcome most of them with cooperation.
Also read:
♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.
References:
[2] UN
[3] Masr