by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man” – Mahatma Gandhi.
The world observes International Day of Non-Violence today (October 2). The 2007 UN resolution which established this commemoration, on Gandhi’s birthday, reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.
UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, appeals to “all warring parties to lay down their weapons and observe a global ceasefire and stop the killings and the destruction, and create space for lasting peace”.
Pope Francis’ message for the 50th World Day of Peace on January 1, 2017 is: “Non-violence: A style of politics for peace.” In his message, he calls for “recognition of the primacy of diplomacy over the noise of arms”. The statement from the Vatican Press Office on August 26 when the 2017 theme was announced states, inter alia, that “Violence and Peace are at the origin of two opposite ways to building society. The proliferation of hotbeds of violence produces most serious negative social consequences.”
The Pope “sums up this situation in the expression: ‘A Third World War in Pieces’… the arms trade is so widespread that it is generally underestimated. Illegal arms trafficking supports not a few of the world’s conflicts. Non-violence as a political style can and must do much to stem this scourge… If the rights and the equal dignity of every person are safeguarded without any discrimination and distinction, then non-violence, understood as a political method, can constitute a realistic way to overcome arm conflicts. In this perspective, it becomes important to increasingly recognize not the right of force but the force of right.”
Non-Violence is a bronze sculpture by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd of an oversized revolver with a knotted barrel and the muzzle pointing upwards. Reuterswärd made this sculpture after singer-songwriter and peace activist John Lennon was murdered. There are currently 16 copies of the sculpture around the world, 10 of them in Sweden. Photo Source: peaceread.org
In his contribution to the 2013 book, The Gandhian Moment by Ramin Jahanbegloo, Jawaharlal Nehru rightly stated: “Achieving a global politics of nonviolence is the task not only of governments, but also of civil society and intergovernmental, nongovernmental and transnational organizations. Only a nonviolent society can work its way up to creating fully mature political institutions and realize lasting intercultural and interreligious harmony. At a time when terror conditions the life and mentality of at least two-thirds of humanity and violence influences our everyday culture, we cannot continue with the policy of the ostrich, having given up inquiring ‘Whose responsibility is it?’ It would be a folly to expect nonviolence to become effective and durable, while the majority still thinks of politics in terms of the use of violence…But it is also true that there is no long-term success in political freedom in the absence of morality.”
He is right. We must consider the task of promoting non-violence in the context of rampant individualism, moral relativism, selfishness, and secularism. We cannot build the common good on individualistic morality.
As Catholics, we must keep abreast of the thinking in our Church of these issues. I urge you to read the background papers and statements from the April 11-13 conference in Rome entitled: Nonviolence and Just Peace: Contributing to the Catholic Understanding of and Commitment to Nonviolence, aimed at “furthering Catholic understanding and practice of active nonviolence on the road to just peace”.
Take note of the powerful statement delivered to Pope Francis at the end of the Conference. Inter alia, it states: “As would-be disciples of Jesus, challenged and inspired by stories of hope and courage in these days, we call on the Church we love to:
– continue developing Catholic social teaching on nonviolence. In particular, we call on Pope Francis to share with the world an encyclical on nonviolence and Just Peace;
– integrate Gospel nonviolence explicitly into the life, including the sacramental life, and work of the Church…;
– promote nonviolent practices and strategies…;
– initiate a global conversation on nonviolence within the Church, with people of other faiths, and with the larger world to respond to the monumental crises of our time with the vision and strategies of nonviolence and Just Peace;
– no longer use or teach “just war theory”; continue advocating for the abolition of war and nuclear weapons;
– lift up the prophetic voice of the church to challenge unjust world powers and to support and defend those nonviolent activists whose work for peace and justice put their lives at risk.
“In every age, the Holy Spirit graces the Church with the wisdom to respond to the challenges of its time. In response to what is a global epidemic of violence, which Pope Francis has labelled a ‘world war in installments’, we are being called to invoke, pray over, teach and take decisive action.”
Let us all recommit ourselves to the Gospel of non-violence and peace.
Conference on nonviolence and just peace: Welcome address by Cardinal Turkson (11 April, 2016)
