>> Friday, September 15, 2006, 18:00 hrs.: 100 Years Satyagraha - History, Presence and Future of Active Nonviolent Resistance

It is on September 11, 2006 (9/11) that South Africa in particular and the world in general will be observing the centenary of the birth of Satyagraha. It all started at the Empire Theatre in Johannesburg when at a meeting convened by Mahatma Gandhi who lived in South Africa for 21 years and during this period transformed from a young lawyer to a Great Soul - the Mahatma - that Satyagraha or non-violent action was born. In opposition to a proposed new legislation in 1906 imposing pass laws on the Indian community in South Africa, (some of who had already been in the country since 1860) Mahatma Gandhi and his colleagues in the Congress movement mobilised the community to oppose this Bill. Accordingly a mass meeting was convened at the Empire Theatre in Johannesburg on September 11, 1906. This was the beginning of a movement that inspired human rights actvists all over the world until today.

• Welcome by Mr. Sudhanshu Pandey, Cultural Department of the Indian Embassy

• Welcome by Mr. Peter Rühe, founder-chairperson GandhiServe Foundation Read the German text

• Lecture by Prof. Dr. Gita Dharampal-Frick: History of Active Nonviolent Resistance
• Dr. Gita Dharampal-Frick is professor for history at the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University. She studied Romanism, Cultural Ethnology, Indology and South Asia's history at Manchester, Leipzig, SOAS London and Cambridge; promotion 1980 at Paris (Sorbonne), habilitation in newer and latest history 1992 at Freiburg/Br.; visiting professor at Stanford University, USA (1993-94); 1994-2000 Heisenberg stipend of DFG. Publications on European Asian cultural transfer and modern history of South Asia with special focus on Mahatma Gandhi and India's independence movement. Read the German text

• Lecture by Dr. Wolfgang Sternstein: Presence and future of Active Nonviolent Resistance
• Dr. Wolfgang Sternstein (67) is a peace and conflict researcher with a focus on theory and practice of nonviolent action (satyagraha). Since 30 years he works in the ecology and peace movement. He participated in numerous nonviolent campaigns, stood repeatedly for trial for civil disobedience and was imprisoned nine times. Sternstein lives in Stuttgart, Germany, and is married. He has one daughter and two sons. Read the German text

• Discussion

• Bhajans sung by Mr. Dhiraj Roy

Venue: Indian Embassy, Tiergartenstrasse 16-17, 10785 Berlin

Entrance is free. The event is held in German language.

The poster exhibition Satyagraha - In Pursuit Of Truth as displayed in the hall:

More about the Centenary of Satyagraha:

>> Monday, October 2, 2006, 10:30 hrs: Gandhi Jayanti - Celebration of Mahatma Gandhi's 137th Birth Anniversary

• Welcome by Peter Rühe, GandhiServe Foundation

• Documentary film: Mahatma Gandhi - Pilgrim of Peace (16 min, German)

• Introduction by Peter Rühe (German), English translation

• Welcome address by Karlheinz Bührmann, President of City Parliament

• Keynote speech by Arjun Singh, Minister for Human Resource Development

• Speech Mahatma Gandhi's Life Journey by Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi, Centre for Global Studies, University of Illinois

• Speech Gandhi's Relevance for our Lives by Prof. Dr. Dietmar Rothermund, University of Heidelberg

• Speech Gandhiji and Struggle against Social Injustice by Prof. Bipan Chandra, Chairman, National Book Trust, India

• Singing of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymns by Aruna Sairam

• Statement by Prof. Dr. Harald Müller, Chairperson Hessische Stiftung für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung

• Word of thanks by Prof. Dr. Felix Semmelroth, Deputy mayor of the city of Frankfurt am Main

• Some atmospheric images of the event

>> Wednesday, October 4, 2006, 14:00 hrs: Unveiling of a Gandhi bust by Indian Minister for Human Resource Development, Arjun Singh

• Speech by Prof. Dr. Harald Müller, Chairperson Hessische Stiftung für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung

• Speech by Arjun Singh, Minister for Human Resource Development - Read the English and German text

• Speech by Petra Roth, Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main

• Word of thanks by Prof. Dr. Harald Müller, Chairperson Hessische Stiftung für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung

Venue: Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, Leimenrode 29,60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Tel: +49 (0)69 95 91 04 0, Fax: +49 (0)69 55 84 81, E-Mail: info@hsfk.de, Internet: www.hsfk.de