Posts by arungandhi
Grandfather Gandhi’s India
GRANDFATHER GANDHI’S INDIA I first came to the United States in 1984 and when people found out my antecedents invitations poured in to come and share whatever I could of Grandfather. At the time they did not know that I belonged to the last generation who saw him in flesh and blood. My personal stories with Grandfather and my parents, who practiced his philosophy of nonviolence assiduously, became famous. People wanted to hear them over and over again, not only because the stories were interesting but more because I brought the philosophy down to the personal level and made people realize that unless we become the change we wish to see in the world nonviolence...
Read MoreA Bewitching Performance!
Brotherly Love Originally posted: A Bewitching Performance! By Arun Gandhi Fifty-two 16 to 18 year olds, black and white, rich and poor brothers all from the City of Brotherly Love were the greatest Ambassadors of the US. They captured the hearts of all those who had the pleasure to hear them sing in New Delhi over the New Year. These young people form the core group of more than 180 young men bound together as the Keystone State Boy’s Choir. I first heard them early last November when they invited me to help prepare them for their first ever visit to India. We assembled in a church that straddles the rich and poor zones of the city. The congregation is...
Read MoreFarewell, Madiba!
Arun’s Farewell, Madiba blog was originally posted to his website: Farewell, Madiba Farewell, Madiba! By Arun Gandhi As the world mourns the death of President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, affectionately known as Madiba, it is important that we don’t get too embroiled in sentiments and, in our grief, make the mistake of consecrating his message with his physical body. Like the thousands whom we revere as great people, Madiba was not great by birth, but became great through commitment and dedication to moral values. All of us are endowed with the same measure of commitment and dedication but we tend to use it more for material aggrandizement rather than...
Read MoreArun Gandhi Leela: John Wayne, Durban
I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of the city of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations. We were well within the country and had no neighbors, so my two sisters and I always look forward being able to go to town to visit friends or go to the movies. One day my father asked me to take him to the city to attend a conference that lasted the whole day and I jumped at the chance. As he went to town, my mother gave me a grocery list of things I needed and my father asked me to take care of some outstanding things like taking the car serviced. When I left my father, he told me: See...
Read MoreNelson Mandela Children’s Hospital
… a legacy of hope for the children of Africa
Today marks the 95th birthday of South Africa president Nelson Mandela. Among his many achievements, Mandela showed the world the power of forgiveness and compassion, taking Mohandas K. Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence up another notch. His desire to make this world a better and more peaceful place for future generations must inspire all of us to do whatever we can to make this dream a reality. On his 95th birthday today let us pledge to ensure that 450 million children of Africa can be ensured healthcare when they need it. Africa needs a caring, compassionate world. Can we step up to the challenge? I have been honored by an invitation from former South...
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