NONVIOLENT STRUGGLE - The Foundation for Building Global Peace

REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC OF NONVIOLENCE (AHIMSA): THE WORLD IN CRISIS OF WAR AND VIOLENCE (HIMSA)

The current global context in mid-2024 (twenty-first century) is unfolding in an extremely complex manner, with many instability, contradictions, grievances, hatred, and increasing disagreements. This has escalated armed wars, and violent massacres (himsa), with serious escalations like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel-Hamas, and the civil war in Yemen involving the Houthis, Myanmar, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and many other places.

Lack of love, compassion, respect, and generosity leads to "the stacked fire of conflict and hatred" potentially spreading across entire regions. The world order is in jeopardy, with many painful consequences including a high number of innocent civilian casualties. According to Al Jazeera, in the Hamas-Israel conflict alone, there were at least 36,224 fatalities, including over 15,000 children, and more than 81,777 injuries.

The United Nations and many countries worldwide are calling for an end to conflicts, promoting humanitarian efforts, peace solutions, and ceasefires, yet effectiveness has been limited.

NONVIOLENCE IS THE KEY TO RESOLVING THE CRISIS OF VIOLENCE

The term "nonviolence" (ahimsa) signifies the virtue of "non-harming," advocating for the non-use of physical force and instead employing methods of peaceful negotiation (ahimsa) or gentle acts of compassion when interacting with all individuals, living beings, groups, communities, or nations worldwide. This is one of the prominent virtues in Indian religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, and in the modern era of the twentieth century, many political figures have also embraced this spirit of nonviolence in their struggles for independence or against social injustices, such as Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956), Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc (1897-1963), Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

In this article, I propose to discuss the teachings of the Buddha on nurturing the spirit of nonviolence and non-harming (ahimsa) based on compassion and wisdom. Additionally, I will explore the application of this nonviolent struggle spirit by King Aśoka (ancient times) and modern saints like Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, Martin Luther King Jr. in their effective efforts through dialogue and action to end conflicts, social injustices, religious oppression, and to restore peace to the community at large.

(Introduction)