Who are we?

Gandhi International is a French non-profit organisation that promotes non-violence, and particularly Gandhi's thought and strategy as one of the main responses to the challenges of the 3rd millennium.

History

The non-profit organisation under French law Gandhi 2008 International was founded on August 27, 2006 at the premises of Terre du Ciel in Bruailles (71) with the aim of organizing in January 2008, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Gandhi's death, an international meeting of non-violent activists in Wardha, near the Mahatma's last ashram, in central India. Previously, in October 2007, several of these activists had taken part in the Janadesh march of 25,000 excluded, landless, tribal and Untouchable people organized by the Indian movement Ekta Parishad over 340 km between Gwalior and New Delhi to obtain their rights to land, agrarian reform, and the rights of forest tribal populations. After the Wardha meeting which brought together 150 people from around the world in January 2008, the participants decided to stay in touch to support the action of Ekta Parishad and help give an international dimension to the struggle for indigenous populations' access to natural resources. The organisation then changed its name to become Gandhi International and broadened its activities. Gandhi International received the Maja Koene 2008 award from the CESCI Foundation (India and Switzerland) for the promotion of the values of peace and non-violence. On November 4, 2008, Louis Campana received the 2008 Bajaj Award for Promoting Gandhian Values outside India from the hands of the Vice-President of India, for his contribution to the promotion of Gandhian philosophy.

Board of Directors

Jacqueline Nallar, Nicole and Michel Lefeuvre, Louis Campana, Isabelle Le Corre, Joseph Campana, Didier Martinet, Claire Moussalli, Odile Puget, Gérard Barthélémy, Isabelle Mejia, Jean-Louis Bazin.