Ela Gandhi Makes Connections
with Kansas City Groups

President W. Grant McMurray presented  Ms. Gandhi with the Community of Christ  International Peace Award sculpture.

Ela Gandhi was presented with the Community of Christ International Peace Award during the church’s 2002 World Conference on Friday, April 12 at 7:15 p.m. at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence, Missouri. She received the award for her nonviolent commitment to overthrow apartheid in South Africa, her passion for working to overcome poverty and assist the vulnerable, and her work to build understanding among world religions. Ela Gandhi is the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi.

Community of Christ presented Ms. Gandhi with a bronze peace sculpture (created by Wyoming artist Gail Sundell) and $26,500 from the Guy Bromley Trust, Bank of America, to be given to the charities of her choice. The Community of Christ International Peace Award is among the top seven peace awards in the United States and the top 25 in the world. Ms. Gandhi has indicated that she will disburse the funds among five organizations: The Domestic Violence Help-Line in Durban, South Africa; Satyagraha, a non-profit newspaper that promotes nation building along Gandhian lines; the Phoenix Community Center; “World Conference on Religion and Peace in Durban; and the Diakonia Council of Churches in Durban.

During her stay in Independence, Ms. Gandhi spoke to an assembly of more than 1,000 students at the James Bridger Eighth Grade Center on April 11. That afternoon she also speak to a group of about 70 women at The Central Exchange regarding her life and her work on behalf of women. Central Exchange is an organization that "brings people of diverse backgrounds together to encourage the personal and professional growth of women."

That evening Ms. Gandhi was hosted by National Conference for Community and Justice, CRES (a Kansas City multi-faith network), and Kansas City Harmony at Grace and Holy Trinity Founders Hall to speak about her work for peace and justice in South Africa and the United Nations World Conference on Religion and Peace.

On April 12, Ms. Gandhi spent the morning with Conference Kids.  Conference Kids is a multicultural program offered during the Community of Christ World Conference for children grades one through six that explores the themes of the church gathering through active learning, music, games, and service.  Ms. Gandhi shared stories and answered questions from the children, each of whom had a copy of the book she authored, They Fought for Freedom: Mohandas Gandhi - The South Africa Years.

Along with Community of Christ President W. Grant McMurray, Ms. Gandhi unveiled the peace statue, Swords into Plowshares, at 1:30 p.m. on the World Plaza at the Community of Christ Temple where it is permanently mounted. The sculpture was created by Dave Martin, an evangelist with the church and Korean War veteran. 

After accepting the Community of Christ International Peace Award during a ceremony in the Auditorium at 7:15 p.m. on April 12, Ms. Gandhi gave a keynote address.  "Indeed this is an exciting moment for me, for my people out in South Africa, and for Africa as a whole. On behalf of all of us I would like to thank you for bestowing this honor on me and on my country," said Ms. Gandhi.

On Friday, Ms. Gandhi met with directors of Hope House, an organization that is devoted to breaking the cycle of domestic violence "by providing safe refuge and supportive services that educate and empower women and their children."  Ms. Gandhi took the opportunity to tour a Hope House shelter. Because of her involvement with the Domestic Violence Help Line in South Africa, which incorporates student programs and skills training and empowerment programs for women, Ms. Gandhi was particularly interested in learning about women’s refuges in Kansas City.

Prior to coming to Independence, Ms. Gandhi, her brother Dr. Arun Gandhi, and the children of Martin Luther King Jr. presented the Gandhi-King Award for Nonviolence to a distinguished peacemaker during a ceremony at United Nations headquarters in New York City.

--Kendra Friend reporting