CAL POLY POMONA AHIMSA CENTER NONVIOLENCE IN THOUGHT AND ACTION 2010 www.csupomona.edu/ahimsacenter NEWSLETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR service, and contributors to the newsletter International Conference on for sharing their sentiments and insights. I Nonviolence and Sustainability invite all our readers to continue participat- Greetings to seekers and supporters of ing in the Center‘s programs. ahimsa! November 12-14, 2010 Nonviolence. We champion it. We Tara Sethia is Professor in the History Department Ahimsa or nonviolence is the experience of commend it. Often, we celebrate it. at Cal Poly Pomona oneness with others and nature. Center‘s Violence. We denounce it. We deplore it. fourth international conference will feature At times, we deny it. University Honors Ahimsa Patrons wide-ranging scholarships and experiences And yet, violence, it would seem, is to illuminate the relationship between becoming more ubiquitous, more unceasing, ahimsa and sustainability from multiple and more undeniable than ever before. For perspectives. reversing this trend, the key is education. The ecological challenges associated Ahimsa Center‘s initiatives and with sustainability are often seen as a programs are all aimed at education, formal warning for an imminent crisis. But these and informal, that inspires us to eschew challenges can also be taken as an violence, and embrace nonviolence. invitation to reflect on how and what we Contributions and stories in this newsletter think of ourselves in the context of our testify to the difference such programs are Ahimsa Center‘s leading sponsors, environment, rethink our current ways of making in the lives of students, teachers and living, and marshal the transformative citizens alike. They serve to remind us how Hamilton and Denise Brewart (center) were power of nonviolence in building a all of us can participate in acts of recognized by the University President, sustainable future. compassion, kindness, forgiveness and Dr. Ortiz (left) and the Center Director, For conference details, including tolerance, and cultivate a life grounded in Dr. Sethia (right) at the Center‘s biannual speaker bios and registration information, ahimsa. conference named after the Brewarts, visit center‘s web site. This newsletter brings you glimpses of Rediscovering Gandhian Wisdom: Building a This conference is named after Center‘s accomplishments over the past two Center‘s Peaceful Future. years and previews some of its upcoming Ahimsa programs. The conference brought top national Sponsors On behalf of the Center, I wish to thank and international Gandhi scholars and Pravin our sponsors for their kind support, our activists to campus. Selected research and speakers for their words of wisdom, the papers from this conference will be Sudha members of the editorial team for their published by Penguin Publishers. Mody. AHIMSA CENTER SPONSORS TABLE OF CONTENTS From the Director 1 Ahimsa Patrons University Honors Ahimsa Patrons 1 Hamilton and Denise Brewart International Conference on Nonviolence and Sustainability 1 Ahimsa Sponsors Jasvant and Meera Modi Ahimsa Center Sponsors 2 Pravin and Sudha Mody Jagdish and Madhu Sheth Center Hosts Rajashree Birla 3 Charter Sponsors Sponsorship Opportunities 3 Navindra and Madhu Jain Prem and Sandhya Jain Nonviolence and K-12 Education 4 JAINA Editorial by Christian Bracho 4 Bipin and Rekha Shah What Would Gandhi Say? by Leila C. Joseffer 4 Ahimsa on My Mind by Michele Milner 5 Founding Sponsors Ahimsa and Educational Reform by Vikas Srivastava 5 Harish and Sunil Daga Ahimsa in the Classroom by Shalom Montgomery 6 Manilal and Savita Mehta Ahimsa in American Literature by Quixada Moore-Vissing 6 Tulsi and Gita Savani Nitin and Hiten Shah Ahimsa Center hosts Teacher Institute, 2009 7 Jayesh and Ramila Shah Jeff Smith Featured Speakers 2008-2010 8-9 Ravi and Vandana Tilak Romesh and Kathleen Wadhwani Nonviolence and Higher Education 10 Major Sponsors Editorial by Anjana Narayan 10 Ratan and Madhu Baid What, then, is the Meaning of Education? by Jolene Kladouris 10 Sanjay and Harshada Kucheria One Ahimsa, Many Influences by Charles R. DiSalvo 10 Suresh and Vimala Lodha Nurturing the Culture of Nonviolence by Seema Bhakta 11 Vasan and Neerja Raman Nonviolence and the Community 12 Sponsors Editorial by Louise Ghandhi 12 Naren and Kusum Bakshi Get Real about Gandhi by Rajni Bakshi 12 The Dalai Lama Foundation Aung San Suu Kyi: Warrior of Peace by Jack Fong 13 Navin and Pratima Doshi Exploring the Facets of Gandhian Wisdom by Stephanie Wang 13 Pradeep and Meenakshi Iyer El Sistema‘: A Culture of Peace by Louise Ghandhi 14 Vikram and Anjana Kamdar Steve McCauley Upcoming Event: Frontier Gandhi: Documentary 14 Sankar and Malathi Narayan Pramod and Roshni Patel Named Annual Lectures 2008-2010 15 Supporters Subramaniam and Ulhas Bala About the Center 16 Vikram and Upma Budhraja Congratulations 16 Chetan and Nita Sanghvi Sharad and Shakuntala Saraf Editorial Board Friends Executive Editor: Tara Sethia List on the Center web site Higher Education: Anjana Narayan K-12 Education: Christian Bracho Community: Louise Ghandhi Ahimsa Awards Donors Newsletter Layout : Emily Nguyen Bipin and Rekha Shah Deadline for Submissions for Next Issue: December 1, 2010. 2 CENTER HOSTS RAJASHREE BIRLA A leading corporate philanthropist and a The family continues to actively support The Center thanks the leading sponsors of distinguished humanitarian from India, Gandhian institutions and initiatives. the event, Ravi and Vandana Tilak. Mr. Ravi Rajashree Birla, spoke at Ahimsa Center, Cal Tilak greets Mrs. Rajshree Birla with flowers Poly Pomona on the topic, ―Gandhi’s Ideal of (below). Trusteeship: The Role of Business in Society.‖ In her talk she examined Gandhi‘s ideas of trusteeship and its significance for inspiring modern day corporations in shaping their corporate social responsibility. Given the rash of corporate follies we have been witnessing, hers is a most timely message. Mrs. Birla chairs the Aditya Birla Center for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, the apex body responsible for development projects and social welfare work across 40 companies in the Aditya Mrs. Birla was welcomed and recognized for Birla Group (ABG). The Center‘s work covers her humanitarian and philanthropic activities more than 3700 villages with 7 million by the university President, Dr. Michael Ortiz people, and involves running 41 schools and (above). 16 hospitals. She serves on the Boards of several ABG companies in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Egypt. She also serves as the chair of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility. She is co-chair of the advisory board for the Habitat for Humanity- India. In the role of an advisor or a trustee she has led, guided and supported a number of major educational, cultural and community service organizations. She has received numerous awards and honors for her community and philanthropic activities. Birla family had significant involvement in India‘s independence movement and was a major supporter of Mahatma Gandhi‘s nonviolent campaigns against the British rule. Ahimsa Center sponsors with Mrs. Birla at the lunch hosted in her honor Sponsorship Opportunities Several sponsorship opportunities are available, including opportunities for naming a public lecture, a conference , and the Ahimsa Center. In addition to these, the center welcomes donations in any amount. If you are interested in exploring how you can get involved with the Center or wish to donate to the Center, please call: (909) 869-3868. 3 EDUCATION ABOUT What Would Gandhi Say? His to give up her seat on the bus were acts NONVIOLENCE IN K-12 Enduring Message for Students of defiance. But, they understand that resisting those rules of oppression led to By Christian Bracho By Leila C. Joseffer the change of those laws and the According to Gandhi, A Gandhi doll rests on the windowsill in my creation of new laws that were fair and ―Real education consists classroom. Recently, one of my second equal. They see that the law can be a in drawing the best out grade students asked, ―Does Gandhi say tool for oppression or freedom of yourself.‖ I believe anything if you push his stomach?‖ I depending on the intent of the law and Gandhi would agree with resisted the temptation to reply ―Gandhi is the willingness of citizens to comply the idea that it is not not a squeak toy!‖ and instead replied, ―No, with it. only the student who but what do you think he would say?‖ One Children will learn and act upon what needs to draw out the student said that ―he‘d say to not be we teach them. Therefore, we must best of him or herself to achieve ―real violent‖ and another said, ―he‘d say that he teach them about truth, non-violence, education‖; teachers must do so as well. didn‘t want to be thrown off the train and forgiveness, kindness, and equality in The articles by K-12 Educators in this that people should be treated fairly.‖ As we ways they can understand and act section demonstrate how their experiences continued to talk about Gandhi, the students upon. They will become the change we at the Ahimsa Center Summer Institutes mentioned his important ideas about Ahimsa, wish to see. impacted their personal and professional truth, forgiveness and kindness. It had been One of the enduring messages that my journeys to nonviolence. Shalom months since I taught students lessons on students have received from studying Montgomery and Michele Milner both Gandhi, but his thoughts and actions about Gandhi, King, and Chavez as well articulate how ahimsa informs their remained on the tip of their memory. This as other leaders like George Washington curriculum and instruction. Quixada Moore- unscripted and unplanned moment with my Carver and Marina de Silva is that Vissing‘s account illustrates the potential for students reinforced the relevance of education is a critical component to ahimsa to deepen students‘ understanding of Gandhi‘s enduring messages for my students becoming a successful agent for nonviolent struggles throughout history.