World Peace - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Promoting Non-Violence in Practice in
Today’s Times*
Taking from Gandhi’s seed-tree analogy as you sow so
you reap we need to start with the root causes of violence.
Gandhi and subsequently Dr Martin Luther King
Jr considered poverty of ethics and spiritual values as
the primary root cause of violence.
Social injustice and denial of basic human rights lead
to violent behaviour in those adversely affected.
Of course abject (material) poverty is recognised a
major cause of frustration leading to violent behaviour.
Sharp gaps between the income levels tend to
generate jealousy and frustration leading to violence.
A multipronged concerted approach with commitment
to nonviolence is needed on the part of the administrators
at all levels.
● That requires education of the concept and methods
of nonviolent practice of the administrators.
A code of conduct in nonviolence to be followed
by the administrators responsible for decision
making and administration will be effective.
● The awareness of nonviolence needs to be inculcated
right from early times and at all levels of education.
This cannot be done by the
administrators / governments alone. The NGOs
and social organisations and resourceful individ-
2 | Bhavan Australia | August 2012
World Peace
ual philanthropists: businesspersons, sportspersons;
high profile artists; entertaining celebrities
and so on must step in to supplement the government
efforts and at times guide the governments
on the education and practice of nonviolence.
● Special engagement programs for the school
kids in the after school hours to keep them away
from the evil hands – ‘kids off the street’ – are
need of the hour. These could involve sports
and other creative activities in nonviolence.
● Specially designed programs for the jail inmates
involving entertainment and counselling with
focus on education in nonviolence will be useful.