The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. It is referred to in India as Gandhi Jayanti. Gandhi was the preeminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement. His life was dedicated to resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience and non-violence.

In 2004, Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi took a proposal for an International Day of Non-Violence to the World Social Forum in Mumbai. The idea gradually attracted the interest among India’s leaders. In 2007 President of the Indian National Congress, Sonia Gandhi, and South African human rights activist, Desmond Tutu, called upon the United Nations to adopt the idea.

On 15 June 2007 the UN voted to establish 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence. The resolution by the General Assembly asks all members of the UN system to commemorate 2 October in “an appropriate manner and disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.”

Disclaimer: The information on this website is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing. I make no guarantee as to its accuracy. Its purpose is to inform, educate, and raise awareness about causes and opportunities around the globe. I also encourage civil debate in the comments.