Report: Mohammad Nazrul Islam
Photos Credits: Md. Reaz Uddin
On the occasion of 2nd October- International Day of Nonviolence, a Rally and a Seminar for Peace & Nonviolence was held at Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University (SAU), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The seminar was held in the Seminar Room of the Faculty of Agriculture.
The Rally starts at the Academic Building of the Faculty of Agriculture where it ends at the Sheikh Kamal Building. Students from SAU and Humanists from different Neighborhoods also took part.
An organization of SAU Alokito Manus along with their president Kazi Nafees Soad, active workers of Alokit0 Manus Nahida Akhter, Bratati Das, Md. Zulfikar Ali, Md. Syed, Saiful Fahim, Afzal Hossain, Tasmia Mamun Maria, Md. Helal and more actively participated in this program and overall, supported the whole process. Prof. Dr. Kazi Ahsan Habib, Chairman, Department of Fisheries, Biology & Genetics, SAU coordinated the event in the SAU campus.
It was a wonderful and unprecedented experience as the students shared their views with the participants about the importance of establishing peace and non-violence for people in today’s world. Everyone’s thoughts and ideas are based on the same story. There are only practical differences. Today’s seminar and rally ended that distinction.
In 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) established October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, as the International Day of Non-Violence. This year, we celebrated its seventeenth anniversary.
The Humanist Society, a social and cultural group of the Humanist Movement, has been working for more than 23 years, thanks to its thousands of volunteers, with the aim of establishing a Culture of Peace
and Non-violence in the world. A culture and a new consciousness that rejects violence, places the human being as the central value and uses active Non-violence as a method of action.
A quick look at the global context is enough to see that the current situation is critical. Armed conflicts are occurring in large regions of the planet, coupled with a deep global financial crisis and a nuclear threat that is the most urgent issue of the current moment. On the other hand, recent “natural” disasters have ended thousands of human lives dramatically, just as many other people die from forced migrations in search of a better future and many others are trapped in their addiction to legal or illegal
drugs… In addition, the growing inequality and the deterioration of rights and quality of life imposed by the centers of power is naturalized, manipulating the political conscience of the populations through the mass media.
However, it is not true that violence is something natural for our species. And we claim our right to live in Peace. That ancient, prehistoric perspective that says “man is a wolf to man” only seeks to relieve the
powerful who exercise violence against the populations of their responsibilities. Rulers who send their young people to kill and die in wars waged by interests indifferent to the populations.
From the Humanist Society, we encourage you to move forward every day, with valid and heartfelt actions, in the neighborhoods, in the workplaces, in the schools… We will discover that the pain and joy of others are mine, that there will be no progress if it is not from everyone and for everyone. It was certainly worth celebrating the Day of Non-violence this October 2nd. To grow and strengthen this culture of non-violence as a new sensitivity that begins to express itself in the growing opposition to
different forms of violence and as a force capable of modifying the violent and inhuman direction of current events.
In this country where the 3rd World March for Peace and Non-violence is taking place, we condemn this situation and join in raising awareness about negotiations to achieve peace.
On 17-21 October 2024, a delegation led by Rafael de la Rubio, head of the World Travel Team, will visit Bangladesh:
October 17 Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University
October 18 The University of Dhaka
October 19 in Ishwardi district
October 20 in Uttara,Dhaka
October 21 in Dhanmondi Lake Sarovar meetings
Seminars, colorful rallies, mass signature collection campaigns for peace and non-violence, making peace signs etc. will be organized.
May all of you express your determination to build a non-violent and war-free world within the context of our hope that this planet will be recognized as an alliance-free planet with the willing participation of all.
