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<td width="343" valign="bottom"><p class="date"><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="date" --><a href="default.html">10/3/03 • Vol.
127, No. 17</a><!-- InstanceEndEditable --></p></td>
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<p><a href="gandhi.jsp">Gandhi statue honored during campus week
of nonviolence</a></p>
<p><a href="bill.jsp">Oversight bill dies, sparking conflict</a></p>
<p><a href="carpool.jsp">Lot E, north of Health Center, will be car
pool lot starting Monday</a></p>
<p><a href="vote.jsp">Students serve but don't vote, survey shows</a></p>
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got easier</a></p>
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<h1>Gandhi statue honored during campus week of nonviolence</h1>
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<p align="justify">Arun Gandhi, 70, the grandson of Mohandas Gandhi,
places a flower near the bust of his late grandfather in honor
of his life work bringing change through nonviolence.</p>
<p class="byline">—Photo by Jeff Criesi</p>
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<p class="byline">By Amy Roberts</p>
<p>Dozens of people gathered in the Peace Garden Thursday and watched as
Arun Gandhi, 70, the grandson of Mohandas Gandhi, placed a garland around
the statue of his late grandfather.</p>
<p> The ceremony took place on the 134th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth
and also served to bring attention to the Building a Culture of Peace
Week, held at Fresno State and Fresno Pacific University.</p>
<p> Mahatma Gandhi continues to be remembered as the legendary figure who
urged and acted on the value of peaceful nonviolence during a time
when India was in the throes of breaking away from British rule. His
peaceful
protest required patience; it began in 1915 and liberation occurred
during 1947. Gandhi lived to see that day, but was assassinated five
months
later.</p>
<p> “
At Indian festivities the garland has a very auspicious meaning,” says
Fresno State Professor Sudarshan Kapoor. “In this instance, the
garlanding ceremony is being done to celebrate Gandhi’s life and
his work.”</p>
<p> The rite, Kapoor adds, gives people an opportunity to reflect on the
meaning of Gandhi’s life and how they can infuse his nonviolent
ways into their lives.</p>
<p> During the ceremony, Gandhi asked people to reject violence and embrace
peace. He says it goes beyond the teaching of tolerance to people learning
to respect others with understanding.</p>
<p> In 1991, Arun Gandhi and his wife Sunanda opened the M.K. Gandhi Institute
of Nonviolence at Christian Brothers University in Memphis. His goal
is to continue his grandfather’s approach by teaching practical
ways of understanding nonviolence through workshops and community outreach
programs. </p>
<p> “
My grandfather’s teachings affected many millions of people during
his lifetime and his writings continue to influence people,” he
says. </p>
<p> This week’s series of events, held jointly with Fresno Pacific
University was formerly known as Stop the Hate Week. It’s being
observed under the new name to emphasize a positive idea instead of the
negative connotation hate conveys.</p>
<p> Kapoor hopes this week’s events encourage people to find peaceful
solutions to problems.</p>
<p> “
Think of peace and peace will be there. Dream in peace and peace will
be yours. Live in peace and peace will surround you,” Kapoor says.</p>
<p> In 1997, Kapoor helped organize Stop the Hate Week in response to an
incident involving members of a fraternity who assaulted an African-American
male student. Extensive injuries left him partially paralyzed on one
side of his body. Positive reaction to the event led Kapoor to start
organizing the following year’s activities to coincide around Gandhi’s
birthday on Oct 2.</p>
<p> Junior Morghan Young, 19, represents the Campus Peace and Civil Liberties
Coalition, one of 18 organizations promoting the various events.</p>
<p> She hopes attendees will embrace other cultures and build a foundation
of commonalities instead of differences with people.</p>
<p> Julia Dudley was a graduate student during 1997’s observance and
now teaches English at Fresno High. She brought a busload of students
to Thursday’s event to remind them to think about tolerance and
diversity.</p>
<p> “
I want my students to remember why they’re attending this program,” Dudley
says. “It’s important to think about what people have gone
through and reflect about people who are still trying to find peace.”</p>
<p> Dudley’s students, Heather Beck and Catina Price, both 16, say
listening to Gandhi has strengthened their resolve to practice peace
and understanding.</p>
<p> “
We all need to get along regardless of our differences,” Price
says.</p>
<p> “
It’s our differences that make us interesting,” Beck adds.</p>
<p> This week’s events included Monday’s opening ceremonies and
an international festival at Fresno Pacific; musical entertainment, Tuesday
at CSUF; a cultural vendor’s faire, poetry jam and candlelight
vigil Wednesday at CSUF; Thursday’s garlanding ceremony, a dialogue
with Arun Gandhi at CSUF and an evening speech by Gandhi at Veteran’s
Memorial Auditorium.</p>
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