Wave of change in Middle East shows ‘immense power’ of non-violence – Ban

(October 03, 2011) According to the United Nations chief, the political transitions over the past year in various Middle Eastern and North African countries are examples of the power of non-violent methods to achieve peaceful change. “The dramatic events of the past year showed the immense power of non-violence,” UN secretary-general Ban ki Moon said ahead of the UN sponsored International Day of Non-Violence marked on Sunday, in memory of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of the Indian nation. Speaking at a special event on Friday at the UN headquarters in New York to mark the annual October 2 observance, he noted that people in Tunisia, Egypt and beyond proved that it is more effective to fire off a tweet than to fire a gun. “They did more than topple long-entrenched governments; they emboldened other oppressed peoples to think that the path of non-violence might work for them.” However, he noted, this is not an easy path with a heavy risk of staring down the barrel of a gun. “But courageous individuals who embrace non-violence effectively corner their oppressors,” Ban said, adding, “Non-violence confounds those who face it – and that is why it works.” In a separate message for the Day, the UN chief called on member states to re-commit to non-violent approaches as they play a vital role in all countries, including established democracies, saying “durable ends such as peace can only come through durable means – non-violence.”