Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi is Cornell Tradition speaker, March 7

Arun Gandhi, grandson of India's legendary activist Mohandas K. "Mahatma" Gandhi and founder of the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, will be the keynote speaker at the eighth annual Cornell Tradition Convocation, March 7, on the Cornell campus.

Gandhi's address, "Lessons from Grandfather," will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Statler Auditorium, with a reception to follow. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and can be obtained at the Cornell Public Service Center, 200 Barnes Hall, or by contacting the Cornell Tradition office, 107 Day Hall, at (607) 255-8595 or cornelltradition@cornell.edu.

Gandhi's talk is co-sponsored by Teach For America, the Cornell Public Service Center, the International Students' Programming Board, and the Cornell Peace Studies Program.

Growing up as a person of Indian heritage under the oppressive apartheid laws in South Africa, Arun Gandhi experienced racial tension with blacks and whites at an early age. Embittered and plotting revenge, he was sent to live with his grandfather in India, in hopes that he would learn to deal with anger in a more constructive manner. After 18 months under Mahatma Gandhi's guidance, he developed a lifelong commitment to the ideals of nonviolence and social harmony.

Since that remarkable visit, Gandhi has initiated a number of programs worldwide to further his grandfather's ideals. In India he founded the Center for Social Unity, an organization that seeks to alleviate poverty and caste discrimination by providing members with economic self-help models. Gandhi and wife, Sunanda, journeyed to the United States in 1987 to work on a comparative study of prejudices in South Africa, India and the United States. In 1991 they founded the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, headquartered at the Christian Brothers University in Memphis. The institute seeks to foster understanding of nonviolence and to put that philosophy to practical use through workshops, lectures and community outreach programs.

Through his continued commitment to education and service, Gandhi serves as a powerful exemplar of the ideals the Cornell Tradition seeks to promote. The Cornell Tradition is an alumni-endowed fellowship program that recognizes and rewards outstanding undergraduates. Established in 1982 through an anonymous $7 million dollar gift, the program awards fellows each year who demonstrate significant work experience, campus and/or community leadership and academic achievement. The annual Cornell Tradition convocation is held to celebrate the achievements of Cornell Tradition Fellows and community volunteerism in general.

All members of the Cornell and Ithaca communities are welcome to attend. Cornell Tradition Fellows, Cornell Presidential Research Scholars and Cornell National Scholars are especially encouraged to attend. Community agencies are invited to set up displays

 

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