Linking peace with environment

The Gandhi Development Trust will celebrate the 142nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with a focus on climate change.

About 250 teachers, pupils, governing body members, opinionmakers and community leaders, will meet this afternoon at the Durban University of Technology to discuss "what the community can do to promote good environmental habits to help preserve the planet", said Gandhi's granddaughter, Ela Gandhi.

She is also the vice-chairman of the International Centre of Nonviolence.

Gandhi said they chose the discussion topic to coincide with the upcoming COP 17 United Nations Climate Change Conference, due to take place in Durban next month.

The guest speaker at today's event is Vishwas Satgar, head of the Co-operative and Policy Alternative Centre.

Gandhi said Satgar had researched issues of equity and nonviolence in society.

She added: "Gandhiji spoke a lot about the environment and climate change and how communities and people themselves could assist in ensuring our planet is saved. Peace issues and the environment are very closely linked.

"Our intention is to focus on how we, as a community, can do something to promote good environmental habits to preserve the planet. We believe if something concrete comes out of the discussions it will have a domino effect and impact on the community."

In 2007 the United Nations general assembly took a decision to observe the International Day of Nonviolence each year on October 2 - the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi, the pioneer of Satyagraha (passive resistance), helped lead India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

She said it was sad that many people would not mark the day. "It should be more widely publicised, and more people should have been looking at what they can do on this day."