Gandhi at 150: Symposium and Celebration in South florida

Florida Atlantic University‘s Peace, Justice and Human Rights (PJHR) initiative and International Hindu University will host a Gandhi Symposium, tentatively on October 19-20, 2019, at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Davie, Florida.

There have been a flood of important biographies about Gandhi and studies on his role in South Asian history, yet many questions remain about his life and legacy. Organizers are seeking scholarly examinations about the following possible topics:

• Gandhi’s role in the application of Satyagraha and techniques of nonviolent resistance in South Asia, South Africa, and elsewhere

• Gandhi’s leadership in the environment, sustainability, and economic and social justice; Gandhi’s interests and transformations throughout his life

• Gandhi’s interaction with Dalits and views of caste; Gandhi’s views and actions on family, women, gender, and sexuality

• Critiques of Gandhi and his interactions with independence fighters advocating violence; Influences upon Gandhian thought and his influence on others

• Gandhi’s impact on the growth of human rights and pacifism

• Gandhian communities and international connections

• Gandhi’s religious views and their interaction with communalism (the mixing of religion and politics)

• Gandhi’s legacy in South Asia and abroad

• Gandhi’s idea of democracy and Nationalism

• An analysis of Gandhi’s skill of writing using simple language;

• Gandhi as a Lawyer and reflection on his South African Experiences

This symposium and proposed volume are intended to examine Gandhi a century and a half after he appeared on this Earth and explore lingering issues of his life, providing a scholarly framework for further exploration of a world leader, who though he never won the Nobel Peace Prize, has inspired many who did, and also sought to make a better world.

About the Author

Doug Mc Getchin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History specializes in the history of connections between modern Europe and South Asia. He is the author of Indology, Indomania, Orientalism: Ancient India’s Rebirth in Modern Germany (2009) and several edited volumes. His history courses include world, Germany, India, Gandhi, WW2, and Peace Studies. He is the Associate Director of the FAU Peace, Justice, and Human Rights (PJHR) Initiative for the Jupiter campus and holds the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Professorship in Arts and Humanities, 2018-19.