Originally posted on October 2, 2013. Updated on October 1, 2019.

Reverently referred to as Mahatma Gandhi, used non-violent protest as a means to gain Indian independence in the mid 1900’s.

International Day of Non-Violence, is commemorated on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, October 2, celebrating his contribution to uplifting human dignity and promoting non-violent social action. Individuals like Gandhi have led movements that have transformed the global consciousness to fundamental principles and shared values that have brought humanity closer to a world of peace and prosperity.

Gandhi believed and fought for the preservation of human rights and dignities. Throughout his life, Gandhi’s search for truth would lead him to discover that, “There are innumerable definitions of God, because His manifestations are innumerable. They overwhelm me with wonder and awe and for a moment stun me. But I worship God as Truth Only.”

Dr. Moon often points to Gandhi as a “spiritual leader” who stepped out of his “religious box” to lead a movement that had significant social impact.

And indeed, his spiritual convictions were the basis for his seminal philosophy of Satyagraha (non-violence). Gandhi explains in his paper “Satyagraha in South Africa” that:

“Truth (Satya) implies love, and firmness (Agraha) engenders and therefore serve as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement “Satyagraha”, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence.”

Gandhi placed a simple philosophy in the hands of every person, from every cast, race and religion; the power of love and truth and personal will choose to live by universal truths and principles and shared values. In doing so, he birthed a movement that broke traditional divisions, and created monumental societal transformation that also left an indelible imprint on the rest of human history from Dr. King in the United States to Rev. Führer in East Germany.

As a form of non-violent protest against the British textile industry, Gandhi spun his own cloth and encouraged other Indians to do the same.

His principle of non-violence opened up something that could not be defined by economic of political power, something that Dr. King would later call “soul force.” It was this power that rested in the nobility of the human spirit that believed if one did not retaliate to violence, but respond with truth, service and love, one could stir the perpetrator’s conscience and soul. It was a power of unity and a larger vision that drew the “others” into a family, rather than ostracize and isolate.

Gandhi’s journey began in India, and within each stage of his life he would deepen his understanding and strengthen his values and beliefs. Each experience helped form the underpinning of his conviction that every human being possess a divine dignity, and the right to self-govern.

As a child he watched his parents stand up against injustice, even when it proved to be inconvenient. He would then study law in England, where he discovered an intrinsic value granted by God, present in every person and every religion.

He lived in South Africa where fierce prejudice would deepen his love for justice and righteousness, sparking his initial work with non-violence as a form of protest, and his conviction in the fundamental rights of all people.

Eventually he would return to India where he would begin a groundbreaking non-violent revolution to secure independence for India from the British Empire.

As a form of non-violent protest against the British textile industry, Gandhi spun his own cloth and encouraged other Indians to do the same.

These principles and beliefs in human rights and dignity are derived from a common creator and opened the way for India to become an independent nation, setting the stage for global decolonization after WWII.

But, as Gandhi humbly said at the close of his autobiography, “So long as a man does not of his own free will put himself last among his fellow creatures, there is no salvation for him.” To him, justice and happiness did not come from one best religion, or one best person, or even one best philosophy; it was grounded on the universal truth of living for others, of love. It was his humble search to embody that truth that was the heart of the awakening that he instigated.

As we celebrate his legacy, this would be the central point, to recognize the divinity and dignity of each person, and put love and truth into action for the benefit of each of them.

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Service is a universal value that resonates in all great religions.

The recent commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the United States brought focus to the “vibrant spirit of unconditional love” as the powerful force of Dr. King’s leadership. He quoted Mark and left one of his enduring understandings that “everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.”

Two recent posts on the Global Peace Foundation identified service as a common thread in the presentations and discussions among faith leaders at the Interfaith Forum prior to the Global Peace Convention 2013.

In the session “Faith Leaders for a Greater Good,” Archbishop Pakiam of Kuala Lumpur affirmed his belief that “all great religious leaders hold similar if not identical signature tune.” One melody that he highlighted was that of service. “When we live out a spirituality of drawing nearer to others, and seek their welfare, our hearts are opened wider to God,” he said.

As an example, he shared the testimony of a minister from a remote part of his diocese who visits an elderly Malay Muslim couple every week. Every week the minister comes to help the wife bath and cloth the husband who is bedridden from a stroke. Archbishop Pakiam told Forum participants, “This is an example of holiness, of a spirituality that reaches out to others that is in need.”

In another session, Dr. M.M. Verma, founder of Interfaith Foundation in India, said in response to the question of resolving inter-religious tensions strongly stated, “If you worship the Lord, it means one thing and one thing only, that you serve His people, you serve mankind.” He asserted that praising the name of God is not enough. “If we praise his name, but harm His creation, we have committed the greatest disservice to the One that we love. As God is our parent, we are closer than just cousins. We are brothers and sisters.”

There are examples in other religious texts that also affirm service as a fundamental value. In the Hadith of Bukhari there is a passage that recounts a man asking the Prophet, “What is the best thing about Islam?” to which the Prophet responds, “It is to feed the hungry and give the greeting of peace both to those one knows and to those one does not know.” In the Jewish Mishna, Avot 4.1, it is written, “Who is honored? He who honors mankind.”

The human family has been dissected into many small segments that are kept apart by pretensions of religion, race, nationality, culture, even gender. Yet, service, the value of going beyond one’s personal needs to consider the needs of others, is still present in the spiritual heritage of humanity. It transcends divisions. So, in large and small ways, inspired individuals can begin to break down the pretensions that separate humanity, simply by living for each other.

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In 1994 Martin Luther King Day became a day of service.

Twenty years ago the United States Congress declared Martin Luther King Day to be an official day of service. Up until that point, the third Monday of January was a national holiday commemorating the birthday of the spiritual leader and civil rights activist, but mainly through sermons, talks, meetings and lunches.

The bill in 1994 transformed the day into a “day on, not a day off.” Mrs. Coretta Scott King asked Americans to “commemorate this Holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity with the vibrant spirit of unconditional love that was his greatest strength, and which empowered all of the great victories of his leadership.”

At the heart of Dr. King’s example is his life of service to his nation and humanity. In his final sermon delivered in Ebenezer Baptist Church entitled, “Drum Major Instinct” he told congregants, “I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.”

Excerpt from “Drum Major Instinct” sermon delivered on February 4, 1968.

It is fitting that his memory be honored by embodying the value by which he lived his life. Martin Luther King Day of Service is a crucial reminder to all people of faith, of the fundamental and universal value of service.

In the same sermon, Dr. King warned Americans against pursuing their “Drum Major Instinct”, the desire to be recognized, for themselves: a better car, a better house or a satiated ego. He paraphrases Jesus’ response to his disciples John and James to present the noblest pursuit of life, “I want you to be first in love. I want you to be first in moral excellence. I want you to be first in generosity. That is what I want you to do.”

In essence, he redefines the definition of greatness not based on titles, positions, power or wealth, but “that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” The nobility of life is determined by how much one lives according the universal principles that govern this world, the most basic of these principles being living for the sake of others with “a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”

“We must rapidly become a person centered society, rather than a thing oriented society.” Rev. Bernice King, GPC 2012.

For America it is a timely reminder of its founding principles and promise. U.S. Senator John Lewis said, “Our country, this little piece of real estate that we call America, was built, founded upon service. We didn’t wait for local, state of national government; we just came together and did it.” This is the power of the American spirit, but a power that has been waning over the years.

In her address to the Global Peace Convention in 2012, Rev. Bernice King said of her father, “He reminded us that we are at a very critical place in the world that we must have a radical, underlined by me, revolution of values. But we must rapidly become a person centered society, rather than a thing oriented society.” The time is ripe for such an awakening.

Martin Luther King Day of Service is an important reminder of service as the great equalizer and the means by which the “beloved community”, the dream of peace shared by all humanity can be realized.

This year Martin Luther King day will be observed on Monday, January 20. To find a way to serve visit: mlkday.gov.

This video was produced for the 25th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Day. It tells how Dr. King’s birthday evolved into a national day of service.

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Religious leaders participate in the water ceremony during the Global Peace Festival in Nepal.

Interreligious cooperation is one of the three pillars of the Global Peace Foundation’s work. Dr. Moon has emphasized that real inter-religious cooperation is based on common principles and values.

Religious leaders hold the key to resolving the root problems of humanity.  However, as 9/11 and other religious based conflict around the world show, without interreligious cooperation, this key cannot be manifested.

The following is an excerpt from an interview with DongA Daily Newspaper in Korea on Dr. Moon’s perspective on interreligious cooperation.

In my interfaith work, I have found that there is a lot in common with what what people of faith affirm, whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Shinto, Hindu, etc.,  because it is inspired by God. What deals with theology, doctrine and dogma, may be different. However, values and principles: what we aspire for, how we strive to live our lives, how we define spiritual maturity, much of this is shared.

The major transformations and changes in society started with a vision, a principle or value that resonated universally with people. That vision, principle or value tapped into the spiritual dimension, because that is our common thread.

The best way to explain it is through delineating the difference between spiritual leaders and religious leaders. For spiritual leaders, universal aspirations, principles and values are important.

Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were people of deep faith. But they came out of their religious boxes to do the type of work that they did.

Mahatma Gandhi led a national movement to liberate India from the British Commonwealth because he did not just represent the Hindus. The movement was made of many religious traditions: Hindus, Sheiks, Jains, Buddhists and Muslims. Gandhi aspired for something that transcended his religion.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Civil Rights Movement, because he did not just speak on behalf of the Southern Baptists.  His faith and his convictions  drove him to do go beyond his denomination.

What allowed those movements to form were basically universal values and principles.

The problem is that there have always been religious leaders who stay in their box and promote their own particular faith. They can’t make any civic impact. I’m challenging them to come out of their box to live for some greater purpose.

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The forum on Global Leadership held on Capitol Hill in lieu of the 5oth Anniversary of Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech concluded that to be realizing the dream, true leadership that builds inter-cultural, inter-religious relationships based on common principles and values is needed.

This original blog post appeared on www.globalpeace.org

From top: Amy Lazarus, executive director of International Institute for Sustained Dialogue; John W. Franklin, Senior Manager, Office of External Affairs, National Museum of African American History and Culture; and Jason Washington, a former White House Fellow for the Leadership Development, at the Capitol Hill forum.

50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. posed the question, “Where do we go from here? Chaos or Community?”

Today we still face this great question. Will we stand together to build the beloved community or will we continue to harbor hate and misunderstanding?

Tuesday, the eve of the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech, the International Young Leaders Assembly convened a Global Forum on Visionary Leadership at the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill asking, “How can we be realizing the dream?”

It is understood that while progress has been made, the dream of Dr. King is yet to be fulfilled. White House fellow Jason Washington said, “The reason the dream has not yet been fulfilled. There are still barriers implicit and explicit [therefore], there is still work to do.”

Hon. Peter Emmanuel Eriaku, a Parliamentarian from Uganda cautioned that each person should read and internalize King’s speech to understand what the dream really was. Dr. King was a spiritual man and a firm believer that we are all universal beings tied together by God, the creator. He believed that relationships are essential to the progress of humanity and that love must be the fuel for human interaction.

Mark Farr, President & CEO of The Faith & Politics Institute set the tone when he said, “The relationship paradigm is important to solve today’s problems.” John W. Franklin, Director of Partnerships and International Programs, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture also encouraged exchange across cultural, national and generational divides. He said, “We need to take dialogue into the future to understand each other better.”

The chasms and walls that exist in our world today sometimes seem insurmountable, but we do not stand alone, and together these barriers can be overcome.

Amy Lazarus, Executive Director, International Institute for Sustained Dialogue, told the participants, “Dr.King saw us moving toward a better future, but the change has to be championed. It won’t occur by itself. Good things demand risks.” She encouraged participants to practice courage, for “courage is like a muscle, it takes time to develop.” Alan Inman, president of Global Peace Foundation USA, called on participants to “Join in with the legacy of Dr. King, Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teresa & be counted in history as someone that made a difference.”

To the question of “What do we need to do?” the answer seems to be that to realize that all of us are a part of the beloved community. And only through strengthening the bonds that bind us as brothers and sisters can the dream be realized. Or as the Parliamentarian from Uganda reminded us, use our “Soul force.”

For more reports on the IYLA visit: www.globalpeace.org

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On August 28, 2013, the nation and world will gather around the Washington Monument’s reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate a momentous day in history.

50 years ago, a young, relatively unknown, southern Baptist preacher from Atlanta, Georgia put a flame into the hearts of people. His words, “I have a dream” rang across American, and over oceans, resonating through other nations, to spark an awakening that changed the 20th century.

In 2012, Dr. King’s youngest daughter, Rev. Bernice King, CEO of the Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violent Change, spoke at the Global Peace Convention, in Atlanta, Georgia. She told the international audience that the 50th Anniversary of her father’s famous speech “will perhaps be the only time that we will have an opportunity as a world, to come together and really think about why God has placed us in this world.”

To the convention, Rev. Bernice King intimately described her father as first and foremost a spiritual leader who led a spiritual movement. All other things: jobs, equality, access to public services, education, were results of his deep-seated spiritual conviction.

“I characterize him [as] a man of God, as a moral leader who just happened to impact civil and human rights. Everything that he did came out of his spiritual foundation. It didn’t come from his political ideology. In a sense it really didn’t come from his religious beliefs, it came from his spiritual beliefs. That was a spiritual movement that he led, that impacted civil rights. If you read everything that he wrote, if you listen to all of his words and speeches, you would have to be an extremely naïve person to not know that that was a man sent by the most high God. He had an assignment to awaken us to a higher spiritual plain. He was calling us back to some principles and values that in a real sense are the same principles and values that no matter where you live, no matter where your nationality, your ethnicity, your culture. At the end of the day, those principles and values transcend any particular generation, which means that they are everlasting. And he called us back to that foundation.”

Four years after his speech in Washington, Dr. King addressed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference appropriately asking, “Where do we go from here?” At the end of his long list of demands for policy reform and radical systemic changes, he candidly tells his colleagues, the two fundamental principles that have guided him:

1. 1. “Love is ultimately the only answer to mankind’s problems”
   2. “Out of one blood God made all men to dwell upon the face of the earth.”

50 years later, the question is, “Are these principles and values present in our lives, our homes, our nations and the world?”

That day he called on the ministers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to say together, “America, you must be born again.” 50 years later, Dr. King’s legacy calls out to leaders around the world to say, “World, you must be born again.”

The call for moral leadership is as relevant and imperative now as it was during the days of Dr. King. We must, “be dissatisfied” until all positions of power “house a [leader] who will do justly, who will love mercy and who will walk humbly with his God.”

The call to recognize and protect the value and rights of every human from abuse and injustice is as pressing now as it was then. Although the world had progressed, people still live in destitution. Moreover, there is a growing regression towards what Dr. King called to “thingify” people, measuring a person with numerical and quantitative values, when a person’s value is immeasurable and divinely endowed.

It is good to be reminded once again of the fundamental, time-tested principles that will enable us to protect and uphold fundamental human rights, and to rise up as moral and innovative leaders. Dr. King said, “If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love.”

If we can return to these basics, perhaps, 50 years later, we can turn back and say, that we are realizing that timeless dream that Dr. King gave voice to:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'”

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The International Young Leaders Assembly (IYLA) begins today in New York City. The Assembly will travel to significant institutions of peace and development in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

In New York, the Permanent Mission to the Republic of Paraguay will host the International Young Leaders Assembly at the United Nations. During the assembly, young leaders will examine the roots of conflict. As the next generation, they will consider the necessity of forging new paths to peace and development that incorporate the spiritual dimensions of humanity.

On their journey down to the U.S. Capital, they will pass through Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States. It will be a unique opportunity to contemplate the significance of the U.S. Founding Fathers’ promise and its implications on the modern notion of human rights and governance.

In 1776, 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence affirmed “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” Today Independence Hall preserves this story as a national park.

The men and women, who were part of the independence effort, understood the historic significance of what they were undertaking. They were separating themselves from the greatest empire of the time to set out on an experiment to prove that humanity was capable of self-rule based, not on force, but on conscience and self-evident truths.

The final stop of the IYLA will be the capital of the United States of America, Washington D.C. At the World Bank, they will explore forms of moral and innovative leadership, particularly global youth service and entrepreneurship. At Capitol Hill, they will address the issue of U.S.-China relations, and discuss how they can carry on the visionary leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in lieu of the 50th anniversary of his “I have a dream speech.”

The program will end on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the commemoration the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s stirring oratory. The speech sparked a spiritual movement that reminded the world of the promise of the Declaration of Independence that all men are the created equal, and should be treated with dignity befitting the sons and daughters of God.

This program is an opportunity for these young leaders to consider the shared vision and aspiration that has driven the great men and women of history, and learn from the examples of moral and innovative leadership.

As these young leaders pursue their career and studies, may they remember that the greatest contribution is not of money, power or fame, but of bringing humanity one step closer to its age-old dream of peace.

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