History of the Gandhi Foundation The wide appeal of Gandhi’s personality and ideas as well as the historical connection between Britain and India would, one might think, have resulted in the formation shortly after Indian independence of a society to promote Gandhi’s philosophy in Britain. However, it was not until the early 1980s that the catalyst appeared. Beginnings Richard Attenborough’s film on Gandhi attracted enormous audiences around the world and some of the fascination of the real man was vividly portrayed by Ben Kingsley’s sensitive portrayal. The time was ripe for a Gandhi society and so Surur Hoda, an Indian working for the International Transport Worker’s Federation in Britain, made the vital contacts. One of the key figures was David Ennals, a former cabinet minister in a Labour Government, who had recently been given a life peerage. Another was a prominent member of the Society of Friends, Cecil Evans, Assistant General Secretary of Quaker peace and Service. The Friends have a long-standing interest in Gandhi whose ideas and life are so congruent with the ideas they profess. These three then approached Richard Attenborough in the hope he would agree to be the President of such a society, which he did. Many other people thought likely to be sympathetic to this venture were contacted and on 10 October 1983 The Gandhi Foundation was launched at a meeting attended by about 200 people in Friends House in London. David Ennals became Chair, Surur Hoda the General Secretary, and Cecil Evans was called Adviser. David Ennals died in 1995 and was succeeded as Chair by Cecil Evans. Surur Hoda, the most significant figure in the Gandhi Foundation during 20 years, died in 2003, while Cecil Evans is no longer so active. Today the work of the Foundation is carried out voluntarily mainly by Executive Trustees and their Secretary. Aims and activities of the Gandhi Foundation The aim of the Foundation was seen as essentially an educational one: to disseminate knowledge of Gandhi and his ideas and relate them to contemporary society. To promote these aims, within a couple of years there had evolved three annual events and a quarterly newsletter. On the anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination, 30 January, there is held, normally in central London, a Multifaith Service bringing together people of different faiths such as Buddhist, Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh in remembrance of Gandhi and to share in words, music and dance something of their different traditions. In July there is held a Summer School where around 40 people of all ages live together for a week in the countryside, sharing the necessary tasks of cleaning, cooking, and washing-up as well as attending daily workshops which take up different aspects of the chosen theme for the year. A variety of crafts are taught, and in general our lifestyles and attitudes are challenged. Many find this an enlightening experience and some return year after year. Some of the participants come from India and other countries. The third event of the year is a Lecture which is usually held on or near Gandhi’s birthday 2 October. Recent Lecturers have been Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland Peace People and Nobel Peace Prize winner talking on “Building a Culture of Nonviolence”; Bruce Kent, former Chair of CND, on “Time to Abolish War”; Prof Adam Curle, founder of Bradford University’s Department of Peace Studies, on “Gandhi: Master of Truth”; Dr Scilla Elworthy, founder of the Oxford Research Group, on “Gandhi’s Legacy: nonviolent conflict resolution in the 21st century”; John Hume, Northern Ireland politician on “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”; Simon Hughes MP on “India and Gandhi: their legacy for London”. In 1989 a Channel 4 TV discussion programme was broadcast instead of a lecture and of course reached a vastly greater audience than the normal lecture. In addition to the regular events we have held a number of seminars, produced a small number of publications, held a vigil against nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, produced a video on cooperative games, given talks and workshops, done stalls at other organisation’s events, taken the Gandhi banner on peace marches; helped others in preparing two exhibitions on “Gandhi’s visit to east London” and “Gandhi and Ruskin”. Recently we have given financial and other support to five villages in Orissa, and are at present planning a project on conflict resolution for schools in the area of London close to Kingsley Hall community centre where the foundation has an office. Following the 50th Anniversary Service in St Martin’s-in-the-Field in 1988 a Gandhi Peace Award (non-monetary) was initiated. The first recipient was a posthumous one to Michael Harbottle, founder of Generals for Peace, and was presented to Eirwen his widow, herself a peace activist. Other recipients have been Nicholas Gillett, a life-long peace educator; founders of Jubilee 2000, Martin Dent and Bill Peters; and Denis Halliday who resigned as head of the UN mission in Iraq over sanctions.
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