10/02/2026
DID YOU KNOW?
Today, October 2, marks the International Day of Non-Violence.
Popularized by Mohandas Gandhi , who was notably inspired by figures such as Leo Tolstoy in his struggle against British colonial rule in India at the beginning of the 20th century, non-violence would go on to inspire movements around the world.
Others, such as Martin Luther King Jr. , drew on its principles during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States; Nelson Mandela in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa; and Leymah Gbowee, through her peaceful women’s movement during the civil war in Liberia in 2001.
Beyond rejecting the use of weapons and physical violence, non-violence also encompasses civil disobedience, non-cooperation, strikes, and even the voluntary acceptance of suffering as a way of challenging oppression, abuses of power, and social injustice.
Today, it continues to encourage us to use our creativity to transform power relations, uphold human dignity, and respect the living world questions that we explore at our
School of Leadership, Ecology and Equity
