Gandhi Alliance for Peace

02/07/2026

"I swear I will not dishonor
my soul with hatred,
but offer myself humbly
as a guardian of nature,
as a healer of misery,
as a messenger of wonder,
as an architect of peace."
--School Prayer, Diane Ackerman

01/28/2026

01/26/2026

As peacemakers in a time of violence, we can do something! Board member Chilali Hugo has a message of hope. Please take a listen:

www.facebook.com/stories/1711733698907024/UzpfSVNDOjQzMjIxMzU2ODEzNjUyNTU=/?bucket_count=9&source=story_tray

11/16/2025

We hope you'll join us in writing for peace!

10/23/2025

Trick or treating as a strengthener of democracy and communities? An article in the Wall Street Journal gives us something to think about.

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/halloween-treats-for-democracy-c8e861ba

This Halloween, do something small but radical: turn on your porch light and open your door.

Let children—many of whom you’ve never met—meet you in costume. Smile, give them candy and make small talk. If you haven’t participated in years, this is the year to return. Buy the candy. Put out a pumpkin. Be part of something beautifully American.

The humble act of going door to door on Halloween is more than a quaint tradition—it’s one of our last democratic rituals, and we need it now more than ever.

On Halloween, children leave their homes and knock on doors of strangers. And strangers—neighbors—open those doors with kindness. That small exchange, repeated across America, becomes a rehearsal for citizenship: an exercise in courage, respect and confidence in the goodwill of others.

Democracy depends on these encounters: on the moments when we meet strangers and learn to trust them. We can’t be a pluralistic society if we teach our children that even walking down their own street is too risky.

After decades of urban legends about poisoned candy, it may be hard to trust in the ritual’s safety. But sociologist Joel Best, who studies Halloween safety, confirms there are no verified cases of serious harm to children from a stranger’s Halloween candy. And the more people who participate, the safer Halloween becomes. Urbanist Jane Jacobs wrote that “eyes on the street” make communities safer. Halloween is full of those eyes—parents, neighbors, glowing porch lights. So long as young pedestrians are vigilant and careful of cars, Halloween, especially in well-lit neighborhoods, is as safe as, perhaps safer than, any other night.

Halloween also provides a rare practice for essential civic virtues, teaching children social bravery, reciprocity and respect for communal norms. They knock on doors saying “trick or treat” and “thank you”—learning how to ask and receive, establish trust and courtesy on both sides, and contribute to civic life. In a culture increasingly fractured by distrust and division, Halloween is one of the few holidays that invite everyone—regardless of income, background or belief—into public, shared spaces.

If your neighborhood doesn’t have this tradition or it has waned in recent years, talk to your neighbors about bringing it back. Alexis de Tocqueville observed that democracies die when people become isolated, and that Americans overcome this danger by coming together. Supporting Halloween is an exercise in civic association that thickens democratic bonds. For one night, we practice openness, and it does wonders to bind our social fabric.

For our children, this practice of community on Halloween matters deeply. They’re watching us engage with the world. Halloween teaches that people who don’t know each other can be kind. That the world, while imperfect, can surprise us with joy.

This Halloween, for the love of America—please turn on the porch light, go door-to-door, open your own.

Ms. Humphries is senior director of civic learning initiatives at the Bill of Rights Institute.

Trick-or-treating is a civic ritual that builds trust and forms bonds between strangers.

10/10/2025

There are many ways we can each help create or support peacemaking. One of our Board members is playing in the orchestra for this concert of peace on the 18th. Dr. Christopher M. Scheer, musicologist, concludes his program notes for the concert with the thoughts below.

"In these contexts, then, striking parallels emerge between the works by Vaughan Williams and Bernstein we hear tonight. Both present a kind of meditative journey on the potential of humanity for both violence and peace, and both end in profound affirmations of hope and unity. While such a message may be considered naive, the fact that both composers came to this conclusion after intense periods of personal strife in worlds (not unlike our own) riven with violence, division, acrimony, and conflict, should cause us to pause and consider if their visions which prioritize hope and peace are worthy futures we wish to live. If we find that they are, what are each of us doing to turn hope into action?"

08/07/2025

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING about the famine/genocide in Gaza.

Contact your members of Congress and urge them to make three calls:
to the State Department,
White House, and
Israeli Embassy.

Ask them to demand:
Immediate access for neutral humanitarian agencies and healthcare providers,
Emergency delivery of malnutrition treatment and baby formula, and
An end to the blockade on aid supplies.

04/30/2025

Gandhi's Sarvodaya -may help the world of April 2025-explained in article--
The Economics of Motherhood: A Unique Perspective of Gandhi
Vaira Balasubramaniam – Trichy
[permission granted qwen-ai translated from Tamil from PANIMALAR 2025- Utah Tamil Sangam]
The economic structure is considered the foundation of social construction. As Thiruvalluvar said, "Without wealth, this world would not exist." History also confirms that the form of competition for economic dominance among powerful nations has been world wars. In this context, there are differing opinions among scholars about the economic principles suitable for India’s current social structure, sustainable development, peace, and progress. However, Dr. J.C. Kumarappa, a great Gandhian economist, defined Gandhian economics as a theory appropriate for independent India.
Joseph Cornelius Belladurai Kumarappa, from Thanjavur, was a scholar who earned his doctorate from Columbia University and held high positions in many countries. Later in life, he renounced everything to become a disciple of Gandhi and lived at the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram in Madurai until his death. He was the one who formulated Gandhi's economic theories into a clear doctrine.
Gandhi was not an economist, but he analyzed society based on truth and morality, wrote about it, spoke about it, and implemented these ideas in his ashram. It was Dr. Kumarappa who systematized these thoughts into what we now call "Gandhian Economics." Before him, in 1944, Sriman Narayan Agarwal had proposed something called the "Gandhian Plan." This article briefly summarizes the ideas of Dr. J.C. Kumarappa.
Gandhian Economics
Gandhian economics fundamentally centers around the village. It is rooted in the ethical principle of Sarvodaya ("welfare of all"). Morality serves as the lifeblood of Gandhian economics, with truth (Satya ) and non-violence (Ahimsa ) as its two wheels. All previous economic theories have revolved around either exploitation or resistance to exploitation.
The term Sarvodaya was first used by the Jain monk Samantabhadra. Gandhi, unaware of this, titled his Gujarati book Sarvodaya , meaning "the upliftment of all." It promotes self-reliance, mutual cooperation, public welfare, and equality. It advocates for an environmentally sustainable economy that utilizes local resources through handicrafts.
In Gandhian economics, production, consumption, distribution, and exchange are determined by the principles of truth and non-violence. Dr. J.C. Kumarappa beautifully classified economic systems and theories that existed up to that point. He argued that the economic lifestyle of a community determines its economic structure. In his book "The Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-Violence," he explained five types of economic lifestyles:
1. Parasitic Economy : Parasites drain nutrients from the plants they inhabit, eventually killing them. Similarly, predators like lions kill deer for food. This violent economic system thrives on destruction. For their own gain, resources are depleted, human rights and dignity are ignored, and only a few benefit while many suffer. Such a society is authoritarian, and peace cannot prevail.
2. Predatory Economy : Like a monkey stealing mangoes without helping the tree grow, this system operates on selfishness. Corruption and bribery are forms of theft. Exploiting patients for excessive profits exemplifies this system. Justice does not prevail in such a society; it becomes exploitative.
3. Enterprise Economy : Some organisms benefit themselves while helping others. Bees collect nectar from flowers while aiding pollination. Farmers cultivate crops and share the surplus. This system involves minimal violence.
4. Gregarian Economy : Bees work not just for themselves but for the entire hive. Collective family systems and cooperative organizations reflect this principle. However, external violence may occur against those outside the group.
5. Service Economy : The mother-child relationship exemplifies this system. A mother bird searches tirelessly for food and risks her life to protect her chicks. Her actions are selfless, aimed at nurturing the next generation. This is the foundation of a stable, non-violent economy, often called the "Economics of Motherhood." Examples include figures like Mother Teresa and Mother Leão Bravo.
Dr. M.P. Gurusham explains that parasitic life involves 100% violence, predatory life 50%, enterprise life balances love, duty, and sacrifice at 50%, gregarious life achieves 100%, and service life exceeds 150%. Dr. Kumarappa further classified these five systems into three stages:
• (a) Primitive or Animal Stage
• (b) Modern or Human Stage
• (c) Advanced or Creative State
A statement by Gandhi captures the essence of his economic philosophy:
"I do not believe in the concept of 'greatest good for the greatest number.' If interpreted literally, it implies that if 51% benefit, it is acceptable to neglect the welfare of the remaining 49%. This is a heartless doctrine that has harmed humanity. True human progress lies in ensuring the greatest good for all, which can only be achieved through heightened self-realization." (Page 304)
If Gandhi’s Sarvodaya -based economic principles had been implemented, many of the crises we face today might have been avoided. Wealth without labor is considered a societal sin in Gandhi’s thought.