Activities

Gandhi International Peace Award

The Gandhi International Peace Award was inaugurated in 1998. Recipients have included:

• 2022 Esther Trienekins – Action Village India and the valuable support to rural communities across India.
• 2018  Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples presented in 2019.
• 2017  Ramzi Abu Redwan, founder of Kamandjati which fosters the teaching and playing of music in Palestinian refugee camps and villages.
• 2016  Peter Tatchell – campaigner for human rights around the world particularly LGBT.
• 2015 Tore Naerland – Bike for Peace.  Norwegian campaigner for a nuclear free world.
• 2014 Godric Bader and the Scott Bader Commonwealth for the alternative business model created by him and his family.
• 2013 Jeremy Corbyn in recognition of his consistent efforts over a 30 year Parliamentary career to uphold the Gandhian values of social justice and non‐violence.
• 2012 The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group for their humanitarian work in very difficult circumstances and for bringing people together through that work for the betterment of all.
• 2011 Dr Binayak Sen and Bulu Imam ‘for their humanitarian work’ amongst the tribal peoples of India, the Adivasis.
• 2010 The Parents Circle Family Forum. The PCFF is a grassroots organization of bereaved Palestinians and Israelis, families who have lost loved ones to violence in the conflict. It promotes reconciliation as an alternative to hatred and revenge. Each year they arrange hundreds of dialogue encounters between Israelis and Palestinians, to promote mutual understanding.
• 2009 The Children’s Legal Centre, for its work in representing young and vulnerable children, especially girls, and in helping to change the legal structures relating to children.
• 2008 Rev. Harold Good OBE & Father Alex Reid CSSR, for their work in Northern Ireland as independent witnesses to the disarmament conducted under General John de Chastelain.
• 2007 Media Lens founders David Edwards and David Cromwell. Media Lens is an online, UK-based media watch project, set up in 2001, providing detailed and documented criticism of bias and omissions in the British media.
• 2006 Shabana Azmi, Indian film actress, social activist and United Nations Population Fund Goodwill Ambassador. The award was for Ms. Azmi’s tireless work over many decades helping the slum dwellers of Mumbai through the organisation Nivara Haak, her activism in championing women’s rights and her passionate opposition to religious fundamentalism.
• 2005 Clive Stafford Smith, human rights lawyer, for his work representing Guantanamo detainees and campaigning against extraordinary rendition.
• 2004 Helen Steven and Ellen Moxley, for their work in campaigning against weapons of mass destruction and the arms industry over the past 30 years.
• 2003 Denis Halliday, former UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Iraq.
• 2000 “Jubilee 2000” founders Martin Dent and Bill Peters.
• 1999 Nicholas Gillett, a life-long peace educator.
• 1998 Michael Harbottle, founder of Generals for Peace.

Multi Faith Celebration

Every year, around the anniversary of his assassination (30th January 1948), there is a Multi Faith Celebration of Gandhi’s life. It is normally held in London, and brings together people of different faiths such as Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh. Our aim is to remember Gandhi, and to share words, music and dance from our religious traditions.

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS – Remembering those we have lost
2021  Many Hearts – One World –Dedicated to John Rowley – Gandhi Foundation Trustee
2020 – Held at Golders Green Unitarian Church

Annual Gathering & Workshop

The Annual Gathering is usually held in Spring, around late May, at Kingsley Hall. Its purpose is (a) a gathering of GF Friends (although visitors are also welcome); (b) to present our Annual Report & Accounts; (c) to offer a workshop on Gandhian principles. Workshop topics have included the following:

• 2015  A screening and discussion of Cotton for My Shroud – A film about the plight of cotton farmers in India and the culpability of the multinational Monsanto and the Indian Government.
• 2014  Mirabai Swingler who is a mental health chaplain and trained teacher, psychotherapist and spiritual director gave a talk entitled From Breakdown to Breakthrough; Gandhi and Mental Health. This was followed by a reception and an opportunity to visit where Gandhi stayed at Kingsley Hall in 1931.
• 2013 Ruhul Abdin and colleagues from Paraa gave a lecture, slideshow and video presentation about their work to establish a community learning and resource centre in the Mohammadpur Geneva Camp in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This project has been helped by the Gandhi Foundation.
• 2012 Photographer Brijesh Patel delivered a post AGM presentation on his “Salt: Land & People” project inspired by Gandhi’s Satyagraha campaign.
• 2011 Gandhi in Noakhali – Film screening. Testimonials from Gandhi’s visit – Shaheen Westcombe MBE talks about her father’s archive. And a mid-season exhibition by resident artist Saif Osmani who examines the spaces inhabited by Gandhi.
• 2010 First lecture in a series exploring “Violence and Social Justice – Tribes and Tribulations” – How do we bring peace and justice to the dispossessed, and who is responsible? with Felix Patel and exhibition by Robert Wallis.
• 2009 Workshop on “Peace Through Encounter and Dialogue”, led by Susan Denton-Brown.
• 2007 Workshop on “Martin Luther King”, led by Yeoshahfaht Israel.
• 2006 Workshop “The Ethos of Gandhi in Educating for Peace”, by Susan Denton-Brown.
• 2005 Presentations  by Susan Denton-Brown “A Future Legacy & Global Citizenship”, Cecil Evans on “The Surur Hoda Memorial Fund”.
• 2004 Workshop on “The 5 Listening Skills”, led by Paul Vincent.
• 2003 Debate on asylum seekers, led by Simon Hughes MP & Gill Casebourne, Kent Refugee Action Network. Workshop on “Listening Skills & Communication” led by Binnie Degli Innocenti.