International Day of Non-Violence
Mahatma Gandhi 151st birthdayLet us all celebrate the 151st birthday of Mahatma Gandhi ( October 2,International Non Violence Day by UN), sponsored by India Association of Minnesota (IAM).
Our world needs Gandhi philosophy of peace through Nonviolence more than ever in current times with the ingrained systemic systematic racial violence against Native Americans and Blacks from the last 500 years. Let us learn from the esteemed speakers about legacy of Mahatma Gandhi to eradicate the injustice and inequality instituted against minorities (women, non white people, immigrants,LGBTQ, marginalized people of any race).
Let us get inspired to be part of the active nonviolence movement for equal justice and equality.
Date: Friday, October 2nd, 2020
Time: 6pm - 7:30pm
Format: Virtual ; Details to be announced soon
Speakers
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Kit Miller, Director M.K Gandhi Institute of Nonviolence
Kit Miller has served as the director of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Rochester, New York since 2009. Kit has been learning about nonviolence and organizing on its behalf for the past 26 years. She draws on Gandhian and Kingian nonviolence, as well as Nonviolent Communication and permaculture, for direction and daily practice. Kit has taught hundreds of groups world-wide and has spoken at the United Nations several times in recent years about nonviolence with youth in the 21st century. Kit has an MA in Social Innovation and Sustainability from Goddard College and a BS from Cornell University. -
Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion, Saint Olaf College
Anantanand Rambachan is Professor of Religion at Saint Olaf College, Minnesota.
Prof. Rambachan has been involved in interreligious relations and dialogue for over 25 years, as a Hindu contributor and analyst. He is active in the dialogue programs of the World Council of Churches, and was a Hindu guest and presenter in four General Assemblies of the World Council of Churches. He was recently elected as Co-President of Religions for Peace, the largest global interfaith network.
Prof. Rambachan resides in Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA with his wife Geeta. They are the parents of Ishanaa, Aksharananda and Asheshananda.
Performances
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Gandhi's bhajan by Nirmala Rajashekar and Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan
Nirmala Rajasekar is one of the leading Saraswathi veena artists in the world today. She is an equally well-known vocalist, educator, and composer. Her 4-decade musical career has been a journey filled with many performances, premieres, awards, and accolades of her work. She is the first Indian-American musician to win the Bush and McKnight Fellowships for her work. She also serves in leadership capacities in many institutions around the globe She is currently serving as the Co-Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the national organization, the American Composers Forum.
She is also a vice president of the Global Carnatic Musicians Association, an collective that advocates for Indian classical musicians.
She is the artistic director of the Naadharasa Center for Music and the executive artistic director of the non-profit Naadharasathat she founded to build bridges through music.
Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan learnt the South Indian classical percussion art form (the drum - Mrudangam) - from Late Shree. Kumbakonam Rajappa Iyer for over 15 years. With extensive performing experiences in concerts both in India and USA, his forte as an accompanying artist is to enhance a concert by blending into the musical canvas painted by the lead artists with subtle yet striking embellishments. He teaches the art form to several interested students - a passion he has inherited from his guru. Srini is featured on Innova recordings label in the album ' Song of the Veena' with vainika Vidushi Smt. Nirmala Rajasekar.
Participate in virtual Non-violence day Parade
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Art Competition Information
Kids all ages, including adults are welcome to participate
Here are the details
Create a Poster (digital or poster board of any size)
The theme is “Gandhi & Non-Violence” relating to the current events about Racial Injustice
Take a Picture or yourself with your poster
Email a picture of your art to dl.iamnonviolence@iamn.org, include your name, age and city you live in
Your pictures must to be received by the end of day September 30th
All submitted pictures will be relayed on the event day
Example:
Prizes: First Prize $50, Second Prize $25. All participants will receive a digital participation certificate
Note:- Prizes will be announced on the day of the event.
IAM at Twin Cities Nonviolent (TCNV)
10 Days Free of Violence EventIndia Association of Minnesota, in collaboration with Twin Cities Nonviolent, hosted a session on September 20th, 2020, about the “Relevance of Non-Violence to Current Events” as part of the Virtual 10 Days Free of Violence initiative.
Keynote Speakers:
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Mel Duncan
Mel Duncan is a co-founder and current Director of Advocacy and Outreach for Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), a world leader in unarmed civilian protection (UCP). NP’s nonviolent civilian
protectors provide direct protection to civilians caught in violent conflict and work with local
groups to prevent further violence in a variety of conflict areas including South Sudan, Iraq, the
Philippines and Myanmar. Mel has represented NP at the United Nations where the group has been granted Consultative Status. He is currently focusing on identifying and validating UCP good practices. The American Friends Service Committee nominated Nonviolent Peaceforce for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2018,
Nonviolent Peaceforce received the Luxembourg Peace Prize.
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Katie Sample
Katie Sample is a community elder who has resided in the Twin Cities since 1968. In 1988 she founded an African centered Educational Enrichment program entitled: African-American Academy for Accelerated Learning (AAAL). This program conducted after school and summer programs as well as travel to Africa which enhanced the knowledge and appreciation of the participants’ history, culture and values. She is a mentor for many and encourages organization and endeavors that are designed to see the urgency to improve means to create a brighter educational future for African American children and youth.
Panelists:
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Sean G Phillips
Sean Garrison is a native Detroiter raised in Minneapolis, MN. A proclaimed "renaissance man", he is a writer and an abstract painter in which both disciples cross-influence each other. He is an entrepreneur and the owner/founder of the publishing company Chocolate River Press. He is a co-founder and member of the ROHO Arts collective. A self-taught artist himself, he feels that all artists should have a foundational understanding of art, but art is conceived in the soul of an artist which precludes academic knowledge.
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Melodee Strong
Melodee works as a freelance illustrator, muralist, and instructor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She has participated in many gallery exhibitions, book readings, as well as presented to an array of audiences throughout my career, including Target’s Children’s Book Festivals in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. Her illustrations have received awards from the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles and Society of Illustrators New York and she has received Teacher’s Choice, Mom’s Choice, and Moonbeam Awards for my illustrations in children’s books.
Performance:
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Smriti Datta
Smriti is a highly ambitious Sophomore, from Prior Lake MN, with creative interests in Theater, Musicals, Singing, Writing & Speech & a budding author. She has a highly successful track record in representing Prior Lake High School in multiple Speech Meets across Minneapolis, including First Place in Dramatics at Orono High School and the Rookie Of The Year at Prior Lake High School.On the musical front, she has represented Prior Lake at the Minnesota All State Choir, for three consecutive years. In addition to the above, she also writes, composes and performs to her own songs (with her guitar in tow) across events & shows in Minneapolis.