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CONFERENCE ON PEACE AND JUSTICE PRESENTED BY THE GANDHIAN FORUM FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE AT WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY ON OCTOBER 2
The pacifist and activist ideals of Mahatma Gandhi are the guiding force behind a forum on peace and justice that will be held at William Paterson University on Thursday, October 2.
“Why and How to Wage Peace and Justice” is the inaugural event of the University’s newly established Gandhian Forum for Peace and Justice. The conference, which coincides with Gandhi’s 139th birthday, seeks to explore and apply Gandhi’s beliefs of respect and tolerance to world issues of violence and rising inequities among people of the world.
The event will be held in the Nicholas Martini Teleconference Center on the campus in Wayne from 12:30 to 2 p.m. It is open to the public. Admission is free.
The conference will feature two speakers: Aftab Seth, Keio University, Japan, and India’s former ambassador to Japan, Vietnam, and Greece; and Madelyn Hoffman, director, New Jersey Peace Action, and longtime community organizer, author, and educator. The program ends with a public discussion.
The Gandhian Forum for Peace and Justice is a new initiative for William Paterson University, made possible by a grant from Eswar Phadia, a longtime faculty member and the former dean of the College of Science and Health. It is a University-wide forum headed by Balmuri Natrajan, assistant professor of anthropology.
“The Gandhian Forum aims to become a central ‘Peace and Justice’ site in New Jersey,” Natrajan says. “It seeks to engage high school, college, and university students and teachers in innovative and practical ideas, actions, and programs that promote peace and justice through cooperative engagement, dialogue, and respect for opposing views and opinions.”
“The Forum draws broad inspiration from the life and works of Gandhi and many others who have contributed to sharpen and strengthen his methods and ideas on non-violence and peaceful approaches to conflict resolution,” Natrajan continues.
Future events include student essay competitions, peace and justice simulation activities for K-12 students; workshops on conflict resolution; film screenings and discussions; and roundtable discussions that bring together community activists with University faculty as part of the University’s outreach programming.
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September 30 , 2008
www.wpunj.edu
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