Park University to Welcome Mahatma Gandhi's Grandson for Anniversary Commemoration of His 150th Birthday
Rajmohan Gandhi Visits Kansas City for Peace and Journalism Discussions
Renowned Indian historian and biographer Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, visited Kansas City in August 2019 for a series of public events focusing on peace, nonviolence, Indian history, and global issues.
On Aug. 26, Rajmohan Gandhi will join a panel discussion titled "Gandhi: The First Peace Journalist" at 7 p.m. in Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel on Park University's Parkville Campus. The event, co-sponsored by the International Relations Council, will be moderated by Steven Youngblood, director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism and associate professor of communications at Park University.
The discussion will examine Mahatma Gandhi as a journalist and his promotion of journalism as a tool for societal development and peace. Participants include Rajmohan Gandhi, Abhijit Mazumdar (assistant professor of journalism at Park), Cynthia Lukas (co-producer of the documentary "Gandhi's Gift"), and Steven Youngblood. A reception will precede the event starting at 6:30 p.m.
On Aug. 27, Rajmohan Gandhi will present a symposium on "The Status of Peacebuilding Between India and Pakistan" at 7 p.m. in Hudson Auditorium on the campus of Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. The event is also co-sponsored by the International Relations Council.
Rajmohan Gandhi has been engaged in reconciliation and democratic rights efforts for over 60 years. He played a leading role in establishing Asia Plateau, a 68-acre center of Initiatives of Change in western India, in the 1960s and early 1970s. Asia Plateau fosters dialogue, reconciliation, and ethical governance and is recognized on the Indian subcontinent for its ecological contribution.
Rajmohan Gandhi has published several books, including Why Gandhi Matters: An Appraisal of the Mahatma's Legacy (2017) and Gandhi: The Man, his People and the Empire (2008). He was a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, from 1990 to 1992 and led the Indian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1990.
Rajmohan Gandhi is a research professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to this, he was a faculty member in UIUC's Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from 1997 to 2012. He has also been associated with Initiatives of Change since 1956 and served as president of Initiatives of Change International in 2009 and 2010.
These events are free and open to the public. If you want more detailed information or guidance on locating archives or records of Rajmohan Gandhi's specific Kansas City events in August 2019, I can help suggest contact points or resources.
- Rajmohan Gandhi's visit to Kansas City in August 2019 not only included discussions on peace and nonviolence but also extended to the realm of education and self-development, as he delivered a symposium on "The Status of Peacebuilding Between India and Pakistan" and is a research professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Beyond the discussions on peace and journalism, Rajmohan Gandhi's visit to Kansas City also touched upon politics, with him serving as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, from 1990 to 1992 and leading the Indian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1990.
