International Dialogue on GAZA NOW and NONVIOLENCE THINKING On December 22, 2023

 International Dialogue on GAZA NOW  and NONVIOLENCE   THINKING  
On December 22, 2023 at 4 pm IST

International Online Fellowship Program on Nonviolence & Peace -II (IFPNP-II)

International Dialogue

 

 Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan Wardha, MS, India 

in association with 

Gandhi International,  France

Academic University College for Non-violence and Human Rights- AUNOHR, Lebanon

MGM University, Chh. Sambhajinagar,Aurangabad, MS, India

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/zrq-hana-aad

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 628-888-1710 PIN: ‪370 978 277#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/zrq-hana-aad?pin=7938805361784

 Welcome : Dr. Siby K. Joseph ,Director, IFPNP, Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan

Moderator :Prof. Prem Anand Mishra , Dean, Faculty of Gandhian Studies, Gujarat Vidyapith

Keynote Address  :Dr. Ogarit   Younan, Founder, Academic University College for Non-violence and Human Rights- AUNOHR, Lebanon

 Presented by  Mr. Mazen Abou Hamdan , Chevening  Scholar  and key activist of  Lebanese Nonviolent  Movements 

on  behalf of Dr. Ogarit

 Dialogue with Participants and Fellows

Concluding Remark: Prof D. John Chelladurai ,  Dean, Interdisciplinary Studies and HOD, Gandhian Studies, MGM University

 About  Dr. Ogarit YOUNAN

 Email: o.younan@aunohr.edu.lb; younan.ogarit@gmail.com

She devoted her life to humane commitment and nonviolent struggle.

• A pioneer Arab woman for Non-Violence.

• The author of the Non-Violence Education in Lebanon.

• A sociologist, researcher, writer, activist, and a reference in modern training.

• Founder of AUNOHR University with the late Walid Slaiby the Arab nonviolent thinker; unique higher education institution worldwide: Academic University college for Non-Violence and Human Rights; www.aunohr.edu.lb

In 1983, in the wake of the Lebanese war (1975-1990), Ogarit Younan met Walid Slaiby, (the late

Walid Slaiby which passed away in May 2023), and together embarked on a joint journey of life and

struggle for 40 years, under exceptional circumstances. Their commitment and ideas influenced millions in Lebanon and the Arab world, of youth, activists, teachers, intellectuals, media, workers, marginalized communities, political actors, women, etc. and spread to various local and regional

committees, institutions, and programs. Thus, they came to be known as pioneers of the renewal of civil society in Lebanon: The ‘fathers’ of the new civil society.

She is known to be the first to have integrated the culture of nonviolence and the conflict resolution in the official curricula in Lebanon.

She has more than 20 titles of research and publication, in: Education, political socialization, the history schoolbooks, the religious schoolbooks, the personal status and civil marriage, the death penalty, the compulsory military service, the women’ empowerment, the culture and philosophy of nonviolence...

In addition to academic texts, pioneer bulletins for human rights, manuals and training guides, articles, lectures, short stories, and poems.

Ogarit Younan sees herself in a permanent ‘philosophical thinking’, in a beautiful friendship with education and nonviolent action, to love and work, day by day...

• In 2019, AUNOHR and its founders received the Chirac Foundation Prize for “Conflict Prevention”.

• In December 2022, Younan and Slaiby received together The Gandhi International Award (Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation).

• In June 2023, Younan was awarded the Honoring Doctorate of Humane Letters by LAU university in Beirut (The Lebanese American University).

• In 2005, Slaiby and Younan were awarded together by the Human Rights Prize of the French Republic for their pioneer struggle against the death penalty since 1997.

Dr, Ogarit Younan  wrote  reflective text written in the first week of the war of October 2023 Gaza, Now ! The  8 points stressed by her are following :

 

1. Our humanity, our humanism, above all

 2. An immediate ceasefire. Urgent common goals.

 3. Let’s not forget that the root cause is occupation

 4. The war on and by civilians

 5. The political result is the question

 6. Two violent camps, based on religious ideology, currently lead the ring of combat

 7. We cannot equate the violence of the oppressor to the violence of the oppressed. And we do not justify any violence whatsoever. 

 8. We are not doomed to unilateral violence. The responsibility of the non-violent.

  To see  the text of the article 

CPNN

Culture of Peace News Networkhttps://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=32829

 It was  published also  in the  November 15, 2023 issue of Newsletter of Gandhi International . She has been continuously  reflecting on it

 

 

  About  Mr. Mazen Abou Hamdan 

Mazen Abou Hamdan is an expert in good governance, peace-building, and civic engagement. He is a Chevening Scholar and he has recently completed a Master’s degree in “Conflict, Governance, and International Development” in the UK. He has also completed the courses of another Master’s degree in “Nonviolence and Human Rights” at the Academic University  College of Nonviolence and Human Rights (AUNOHR). Mazen is a key activist in Lebanese nonviolent movements, and he is a trainer and an author of several training manuals on Human Rights Education, mediation, Nonviolent Communication, Nonviolent Direct Action, good governance, and advocacy.

International Dialogue on Climate Disarmament On December 21, 2023

 International Dialogue on Climate Disarmament 
On December 21, 2023 at 4 pm IST

                     International Online Fellowship Program on Nonviolence & Peace -II 

(IFPNP-II)

Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan Wardha, MS, India 

in association with 

Gandhi International,  France

Academic University College for Non-violence and Human Rights- AUNOHR, Lebanon

MGM University, Chh. Sambhajinagar,Aurangabad, MS, India

                                   

                                                                    

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/zrq-hana-aad

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 628-888-1710 PIN: ‪370 978 277#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/zrq-hana-aad?pin=7938805361784

 Programme 

 

Welcome : Dr. Siby K. Joseph ,Director, IFPNP, Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan

Moderator :Prof. Prem Anand Mishra , Dean, Faculty of Gandhian Studies, Gujarat Vidyapith

Keynote Address : Mr. Daniele Taurino

Philosopher  and Activist  of Nonviolent  Movement in Italy

 Dialogue with Participants and Fellows

Concluding Remark: Prof D. John Chelladurai ,  Dean, Interdisciplinary Studies and HOD, Gandhian Studies, MGM University

  

To read  speaker's thought on  Climate Disarmament 

War Resisters' International

a global network of grassroots antimilitarist and pacifist groups, working together for a world without war

Climate disarmament: how nonviolence can resist the militarisation of the climate crisis -Daniele Taurino

Click  the link 

https://wri-irg.org/en/story/2021/climate-disarmament-how-nonviolence-can-resist-militarisation-climate-crisis

 About the Keynote Speaker 

Daniele Taurino

Daniele Taurino (Rome, 1992) is a philosopher and activist for nonviolence, combining research and practice in everyday life.  From  1st January 2023 onwards  he is Board Member of the European Youth Forum. He is also on the national committee of the Nonviolent Movement (Movimento Nonviolento) and responsible for the editorial staff of the magazine Azione nonviolenta, both founded by Aldo Capitini.  Scholar of nonviolence and recognized interpreter of Aldo Capitini's thought, he organizes and participates in many initiatives and conferences, also in collaboration with Italian and foreign universities and research institutions. Author of numerous articles and editorial contributions, he also co-edited the new reprint of Aldo Capitini's book, La compresenza dei morti e dei viventi. In last years, he managed many local, national and EU projects, among them: Mediterranean Youth versus Climate Crisis (E+ KA205) and Nonviolent European Resistance (Europe for Citizens). He was appointed as external expert to follow the process of Tirana European Youth Capital 2022.Persuaded of the importance of working both from a bottom-up side and in dialogue with institutions to promote nonviolence and disarmament, he is the animator of both many local initiatives and advocacy processes such as the Forum for Sustainable Development in Italy, of which he co-coordinates the Peace group. Expert in “European project” and training is administrator of the company "Knowledge of Society".

 Social Sustainability

There are a number of definitions of social sustainability. In general, all these definitions discuss social dimensions of sustainability. Social goals are significant to evolve sustainability strategies for a better future. In the article “what is social sustainability? A clarification of concepts” written by  Suzanne Vallance , Harvey C. Perkins and Jennifer E. Dixon (2011 ) discuss about three components of social sustainability a. Development sustainability b. Bridge sustainability c. Maintenance sustainability. “ ‘Development’ social sustainability, is concerned with meeting basic needs, inter- and intra-generational equity, and so on. ‘Bridge sustainability’ focuses on changing behaviour so as to achieve bio-physical environmental goals. ‘Maintenance sustainability’ refers to social acceptance or what can be sustained in social terms. ”Maria Adebowale, in her article   “Towards a socially inclusive sustainable development research agenda “ 2002 said “Sustainability has always been linked to a core concept of human need so it is a fundamental contradiction to believe it can be achieved without improved social equity and social progress”

  The World Bank highlights four critical components of social sustainability: social cohesion, inclusion, resilience, and process legitimacy.” It explains these components in the following words “A cohesive society has high levels of trust, enabling it to work together to overcome challenges. An inclusive society is one where all people can thrive. A resilient society can withstand shocks without significant losses to the well-being of current and future generations. Process legitimacy—a relatively new concept—is about how policies and programs are designed and implemented, ensuring that they are accepted as fair and credible by all key stakeholders.”  According to the World Bank when focus is on social sustainability people feel that they are part of the development process and believe they and their descendants will benefit from it. Social sustainability –UN Global Compact defines the social sustainability of companies as follows: “Social sustainability is about identifying and managing business impacts, both positive and negative, on people. The quality of a company’s relationships and engagement with its stakeholders is critical. Directly or indirectly, companies affect what happens to employees, workers in the value chain, customers and local communities, and it is important to manage impacts proactively.”  According to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen   social sustainability has six dimensions. They are equity, diversity, social cohesion, quality of life, democracy and governance, and maturity. This pillar of sustainability has not been given adequate attention despite the fact it has been in the agenda of international organizations and institutions. 

It is based on the presentation made by Dr. Siby K. Joseph, Director, IFPNP, Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Wardha, MS, India. 

Three pillars of Sustainability: Social, Environmental and Economic

 

Three pillars of Sustainability: Social, Environmental and Economic

 In the literature relating to sustainability mainly three pillars of sustainability are identified. They are social, environmental and economic.  To put it differently, people represent the social pillar of sustainability, the planet represents the environmental pillar of sustainability and profit represents the economic pillar of sustainability. In order to understand the consequences of our actions in a better manner in terms of sustainability it is necessary to understand the interconnections and interactions which exist among environmental, social, and economic factors.

 

It is found that  these three pillars are graphically represented using Venn diagrams, concentric circles and literal pillars. In the Venn diagram the three circles intersect each other at some points. The intersecting portion is depicted as sustainability.  In the Venn diagram independent the circles are  there and the intersections indicate that somewhere they are overlapping each other.  It gives a message that even though three pillars are independent they are interconnected. In the concentric circle, economy is at the centre followed by social and environmental. Social, environmental and economic are depicted as three pillars of a house which is called sustainability.  The article “Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins” written by Ben Purvis ,Yong Mao and  Darren Robinson published in  Sustainability Science (2019) gives adequate insights on how these pillars  evolved in the discourse of sustainability from a historical perspective.

These three pillars have been widely popularized, businesses, governments, and organizations since the 1980s to show their commitment to sustainability in their practices.  It is true that we cannot think about sustainability without considering these three pillars. The UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals adequately represent these pillars  of sustainability .

It is based on the presentation made by Dr. Siby K. Joseph, Director , IFPNP, Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Wardha, MS, India. 

Understanding the Concept of Sustainability

 

Understanding the Concept of Sustainability

 Nowadays the term sustainability is very popular in various disciplines and it has been used in various contexts with different connotations. Due to overuse of the term  it has become a cliché.  It leads to confusion about what sustainability is? Or what it stands for? Michael D. Lemonick,  a former chief opinion editor at  Scientific American and a former senior science writer at Time in a write-up  published in Scientific American talks about  top 10 myths about sustainability.  According to him the following are myths about sustainability 1: Nobody knows what sustainability really means. 2: Sustainability is all about the environment. 3: “Sustainable” is a synonym for “green.”4: It’s all about recycling. 5: Sustainability is too expensive. 6: Sustainability means lowering our standard of living. 7: Consumer choices and grassroots activism, not government intervention, offer the fastest, most efficient routes to sustainability. 8: New technology is always the answer. 9: Sustainability is ultimately a population problem.10.Once you understand the concept, living sustainably is a breeze to figure out. He concludes his article by stating that “You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete life-cycle analysis of its environmental costs. Even then, technology and public policy keep evolving, and that evolution can lead to unforeseen and unintended consequences. The admirable goal of living sustainably requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.” Even though he calls all these are myths they highlight some of the key concerns relating to sustainability.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary sustainability means ‘the quality of being able to continue over a period of time’. In relation to the environment it says, ‘the quality of causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time.’ Linking further with natural resources it says ‘the idea that goods and services should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment: the ability to continue at a particular level for a period of time’ Thus in short it talks about the quality of being able to continue over longer period of time and not a quality which can be continued for ever. Here one should understand the difference between Gandhi or Kumarappa’s vision of sustainability and present one. J. C. Kumarappa was talking about an ‘Economy of Permanence’.  It is altogether a different discourse.

 In the modern development discourses, you cannot come across any article or material without reference to the term sustainability. The term development is closely linked to the question of sustainability. The interrelation between the two terms development and sustainability became more and more evident in the context of global challenges we have been facing in the environmental front. Following  the General Assembly resolution in  December 1983, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, the  then Secretary-General of the United Nations, asked the former Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland, to create an organization independent of the UN to focus on environmental and developmental problems and solutions. The 1983  General Assembly of the United Nations established the Commission with Resolution 38/161, "Process of preparation of the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond". In A/RES/38/161, the General Assembly: Suggests that the Special Commission, when established, should focus mainly on the following terms of reference for its work:

(a) To propose long-term environmental strategies for achieving sustainable development to the year 2000 and beyond;

(b) To recommend ways in which concern for the environment may be translated into greater co-operation among developing countries and between countries at different stages of economic and social development and lead to the achievement of common and mutually supportive objectives which take account of the interrelationships between people, resources, environment, and development;

(c) To consider ways and means by which the international community can deal more effectively with environmental concerns, in the light of the other recommendations in its report;

(d) To help to define shared perceptions of long-term environmental issues and of the appropriate efforts needed to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and enhancing the environment, a long-term agenda for action during the coming decades, and aspirational goals for the world community, taking into account the relevant resolutions of the session of a special character of the Governing Council in 1982.

 As per the UN resolution of 1983 the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) was established and it published a report entitled  United Nations Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future in  1987.The document also came to be known as the Brundtland Report after the Commission's chairwoman, Gro Harlem Brundtland. This report provided the guiding principles for sustainability and sustainable development as we generally understand the term or the concept in modern parlance. The Report pinpointed   that global environmental challenges were primarily the result of the enormous poverty of the South and the non-sustainable patterns of consumption and production in the North. It called for a policy prescription that clubbed development and the environment and coined a new term  called sustainable development. The term Sustainability and Sustainable development became popular in the discourses of development with the publication of this report. It underlined the need for sustainable and enduring development. The Report inter alia said:

 “No single blueprint of sustainability will be found, as economic and social systems and

ecological conditions differ widely among countries. Each nation will have to work out its own concrete policy implications. Yet irrespective of these differences, sustainable development should be seen as a global objective.”

 The report defined the concept of Sustainable development in the following words:

“Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The concept of sustainable development does imply limits — not absolute limits but limitations imposed by the present state of technology and social organization on environmental resources and by the ability of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities. But technology and social organization can be both managed and improved to make way for a new era of economic growth. ..., but sustainable development requires meeting the basic needs of all and extending to all the opportunity to fulfil their aspirations for a better life ... Sustainable global development requires that those who are more affluent adopt lifestyles within the planet’s ecological means - in their use of energy, for example. Further, rapidly growing populations can increase the pressure on resources and slow any rise in living standards; thus sustainable development can only be pursued if population size and growth are in harmony with the changing productive potential of the ecosystem. .. sustainable development is not a fixed state of harmony, but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs.”

 The Report widened the very notion of sustainability: ^“Sustainability requires views of human needs and well-being that incorporate such non-economic variables as education and health enjoyed for their own sake, clean air and water, and the protection of natural beauty. It must also work to remove disabilities from disadvantaged groups, many of whom live in ecologically vulnerable areas, such as many tribal groups in forests, desert nomads, groups in remote hill areas, and indigenous peoples of the Americas and Australasia.”

These ideas were adequately represented in defining what is sustainability .In the  Charter  for the UCLA Sustainability Committee, sustainability is defined as: “the integration of environmental health, social equity and economic vitality in order to create thriving, healthy, diverse and resilient communities for this generation and generations to come. The practice of sustainability recognizes how these issues are interconnected and requires a systems approach and an acknowledgement of complexity.”

Though the report seeks to reform the pattern of development, the changes it suggests were not fundamental or drastic in its very nature.  That is why Amartya Sen wrote “ I argue that this way of understanding sustainability, while a great improvement, is still incomplete. There are important grounds for favouring a freedom-oriented view, focusing on crucial freedoms that people have reason to value. Human freedoms include the fulfilment of needs, but also the liberty to define and pursue our own goals, objectives and commitments, no matter how they link with our own particular needs. Human beings are reflective creatures and are able to reason about and decide what they would like to happen, rather than being compellingly led by their own needs—biological or social. A fuller concept of sustainability has to aim at sustaining human freedoms, rather than only at our ability to fulfil our felt needs.” Ben Purvis ,Yong Mao , Darren Robinson while  analysing three pillars of sustainability raises a pertinent question “‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’, … are often so intertwined in the literature that they remain difficult to tease apart. It is through this conflation though that economic growth-centred ‘development’ becomes an implicit part of ‘sustainability’, skipping over the questions: Development of what? Development for whom? Such strategic ambiguity allows this fuzzy concept to be utilised by any actor for their own means.” That is why the whole discourse on sustainable development  is  looked upon as an ingenious attempt to control the damages created by unbridled economic growth and to justify the continuance of the existing pattern of development with cosmetic changes. However, this report was a milestone in the development discourse because it raised doubts about the continuance of the existing pattern of development and the need for economic and environmental reforms.

 

In 1989, the report was debated in the UN General Assembly, which decided to organize a UN Conference on Environment and Development. The United Nations followed up its concern for sustainable development with a number of conferences and summits which laid a solid foundation for it. Thus, it became the new agenda of the organization.  These included the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the World Summit for Social Development, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. 

 

To chalk out Sustainable Development Goals, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, a summit of world leaders was held at New York in September 2015. It adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed by 193 Member States of the UN. The UN Secretary General’s remarks at the Summit for the adoption of the development agenda clearly indicated the new global goals of the UN and the paradigm shift in the approach to peace and development. Ban Ki- moon said: “We have reached a defining moment in human history. The people of the world have asked us to shine a light on a future of promise and opportunity. Member States have responded with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. ... It is a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world. It is an agenda for people, to end poverty in all its forms. An agenda for the planet, our common home. An agenda for shared prosperity, peace and partnership. It conveys the urgency of climate action. It is rooted in gender equality and respect for the rights of all. Above all, it pledges to leave no one behind.”⁷ The resolution named “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda” adopted on September 25, 2015 placed before all countries of the world to achieve these goals over a period of 15 years. It aims to end poverty and hunger, protect the ecosystem and peace and prosperity for the future generations. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations were the following:

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

The basic flow in the perspective of sustainable development goals of the United Nations is that it fails to sketch out a real road map for achieving such laudable goals.  It is true that some progress has been made on many fronts in all these years.  But the overall comprehensive action to meet the 2030 agenda is not yet advancing at the speed or scale required.  That means all these goals will remain only in policy documents and far away from reality.  The fact is that these goals are not   going beyond tinkering with the existing economic system. It believes that the existing system is quite amenable to be reoriented towards its desired ends. It seeks to reduce the existing inequalities within and among the countries and not to eliminate it totally or create a system in which chances of future inequality could be ruled out. That means the gross inequality   between the North and South also within the countries would remain .The moot question is how sustainability and inequality go hand in hand. Here comes the relevance of Gandhi’s idea of revolutionary trusteeship for bridging the gap between rich and poor and the socio-political and economic order he visualized or what he called as real swaraj .

It is based on the presentation made by Dr. Siby K. Joseph, Director , IFPNP, Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Wardha, MS, India. 

Gandhi , Development and International Political Economy

 International Dialogue on

Gandhi Development and International Political Economy 

 on  December 9, 2023 at 4.00 pm IST 

Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan Wardha, MS, India 

in association with 

Gandhi International,  France

Academic University College  for Non-violence and Human Rights- AUNOHR, Lebanon

MGM University, Chh. Sambhajinagar,Aurangabad, MS, India

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/zrq-hana-aad

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 628-888-1710‬ PIN: ‪370 978 277‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/zrq-hana-aad?pin=7938805361784

                              International Dialogue on
Gandhi Development and International Political Economy 
                        on  December 9, 2023 at 4.00 pm IST 
                                    Programme 

Welcome : Dr. Siby K. Joseph ,Director, IFPNP, Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan

Moderator :Prof. Prem Anand Mishra , Dean, Faculty of Gandhian Studies, Gujarat Vidyapith

Keynote Address : Dr.Michael Warren  Sonnleitner

 Formerly  Professor in the Political Science department Portland Community College ,Oregon, USA

 Dialogue with Participants and Fellows

Concluding Remark: Prof D. John Chelladurai ,  Dean, Interdisciplinary Studies and HOD, Gandhian Studies, MGM University 

Outline  of Presentation 

“Gandhi, Development, &International Political Economy”

by Michael Sonnleitner

I. CONTEXT: Gandhi, COP 28, &Environmental Crises.

“Development”: Political &Personal AND Economic (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs).

II. APPROACHES to IPE (International Political Economy):

1) Economic Nationalism: Ideological Foundations &Consequences

2) Economic Internationalism: Ideological Foundations & Consequences

3) Economic Structuralism: Ideological Foundations &Consequences

4) Economic Empowerment: Gandhian Foundations &Consequences

III. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (Sustainable GREEN Development)

A. Ideological Components:

1) The Golden Rule (Assumption) related to Rta & the Law of Karma

2) Ahimsa/Nonviolence (Belief) related to Sat (Truth) &Tapas (Sacrifice)

3) Swadeshi/Self-Reliance (Goal) related to Moksha & Swaraj (Self-Rule)

4) Sarvodaya (Strategies) related also to Brahmacharya & Satyagraha

B. Consequences: Personal, National, & Global Self-Actualization

Living with one another in greater harmony with Gaia.

IV. QUESTIIONS & DISCUSSION

Resume/Vitae:

Michael Warren Sonnleitner 

Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas, USA (July 11, 1949).

(“maiden” name before 1983 marriage: “Johnson”); Wife: Kristine; Children: Margarita, Sonrisa, Shaman, Mira.

Home Address: 1037 S.E. 80 th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97216-3010. Home Phone: 503-285-5827.

Personal email: soulom2u@hotmail.com PCC email: michael.sonnleitner@pcc.edu Cell Phone: 971-988-2427.

EDUCATION: PH.D. University of Minnesota (Minneapolis): March, 1979. M.A. March, 1976.

Major: Political Science; Supporting Program: India/China Area Studies.

Examination Areas: U.S. Constitutional Law, History of Political Thought, Comparative Political Systems.

Dissertation: Soul Force & Social Change according to Mohandas K. Gandhi & Martin Luther King Jr.

(Lambert Academic Publishing: Latvia, EU, 2019.) ISBN#: 9786200314185.

B.A. Whitman College (Walla Walla, Washington): June, 1971 (Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude,

with Honors in Political Science & transfer credits from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee).

High School Diploma Highline High School (Burien/South Seattle/SeaTac, Washington): June, 1967.

Elected Trustee (Zone 3), Portland Community College Board of Directors (2015-2023).

Co-Chair, PCC Board Committee on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (2018-20); Vice-Chair,

PCC Board of Directors Audit Committee (2018-21); Oregon Community College Board representative (2020-2023).

Portland Community College: RETIRED Full-Time Political Science Instructor: 27 years (1988-2015).

NOTE: Originally hired as full-time to a split-appointment, I have taught courses at PCC Sylvania (1988-2003),

PCC Rock Creek (1988-2011), PCC Cascade (2000-2015), and PCC S.E. (2004-2007 & 2013-15).

2007-2023: Portland State University: Graduate-level courses taught part-time for the M.A. Program in Conflict

Resolution; Undergraduate courses also for Political Science Department

1985-1987: University of Northern Iowa: full-time assistant Professor of Political Science.

1984-1985: Loyola University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago; Northwestern Illinois University: part-time Instructor of Political Science teaching Judicial process, U.S. Security Policy, Politics of China &; Japan.

1979-1983: Illinois Wesleyan University: full-time Assistant Professor of Political Science.

1973-1979: University of Minnesota (Minneapolis): Teaching Assistant & part-time Instructor of Political Science.

FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR in India: six months (November 29, 2009 to May 29, 2010).

PROJECT TITLE: “Teaching Peacebuilding for Social & Structural Change in Multicultural Societies & a Multipolar World”.

COURSES TAUGHT: (at St. Thomas College, Palai, Kerala): Gandhian Thought; American Government; International Issues.

(at Mahatma Gandhi University): International Relations: Theory & Practice; Nonviolent Action.

Other Training/Travel Experiences:

Ten weeks in India: participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, teaching “Gandhian Nonviolence & lecturing: Jan-March, 2023.

Five weeks in India: lecturing on Gandhi & participating in a re-enactment of the Salt March of 1930: Feb-March, 2020.

Two weeks at a China Seminar at the East-West Center (University of Hawaii-Manoa) Title VII Grant: Summer, 2013.

Fulbright Scholar returning to the U.S. via Italy (one month), Israel & Palestine (one month), & Egypt (one month): 2010.

Invited Scholar to the International Association of Gandhian Studies Conference in New Delhi: 1987.

Delegate to the UNICEF International Seminar on Training for Nonviolent Action (3 weeks in Mexico): 1977.

Summer Peace Internship working with kids during the “troubles”: Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland (2 months): 1974.

Thomas J. Watson Fellowship: to study "Experiments in Nonviolent Action" in India (6 months), & 1-4 weeks in Japan,

Hong Kong, Thailand, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Republic of S. Africa, Italy/Sicily, & Great Britain: 1971-72.

Exchange student attending Fisk University in Nashville, TN: autumn of 1969.

U.S. Senate Internship (in Washington, D.C. Office of U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson): Summer, 1969.

Orchard worker at Auvil Fruit Company, Orondo, Washington (with migrant workers): 15 summers during 1962-1981.

Other Awards/Honors:

Invited Keynote Speaker for Centennial Celebration at Gujarat Vidyspith (Ahmedabad, India): January 10, 2023.

Elected President, Peace & Conflict Studies Consortium (Pacific Northwest regional association): April, 2007-2010.

Outstanding Faculty Person of the Year Award (Portland Community College, Rock Creek ASPCC): 2006.

Male Faculty of the Year Award (Portland Community College, Rock Creek ASPCC): 2000.

Nominee for Portland Community College Faculty Excellence Award: 1992, 1998, 2003.

Excellence in Teaching Award: Illinois Wesleyan University: 1982

All-expenses fellowship grant for graduate study in Political Science at the University of Minnesota: 1972-75.

Ford Foundation Graduate School Fellowship recipient at the University of Minnesota: 1972-75.

Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to study ‘Experiments in Nonviolent Action” abroad: 1971-72.

Sloan Foundation Scholarship recipient at Whitman College: 1968-71.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN OREGON:

82nd Ave. Improvement Coalition (June of 2014-2023): Coordinating Committee member & member of the 82 nd Ave.

Business Association Board (2018-present); successfully lobbied for a $200,000 study

funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation and jurisdictional transfer to the Portland Bureau of Transportation in 2022.

Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (2007-2020): formerly the “New Sanctuary Movement”; helped to

develop support networks for undocumented persons; seeking meaningful

immigration reform via educational actions; achieved passage of the expanded Oregon Sanctuary Act in 2021.

Ascension Catholic Church (2004-2020): assisting my wife in providing occasional educational programs as well as participating in various fundraising efforts (like the annual Spaghetti Dinner), and service activities associated with the Daybreak Homeless Shelter Network. Now also attending St. Anthony Catholic Church.

Daybreak Homeless Shelter Network (2004-2017): assisting houseless families in S.E. Portland in a variety of ways; moving beds, serving meals, sleeping overnight, playing with kids, and helping to

provide bus/van transportation between the day shelter and Ascension Church as part of the rotating evening host institution.

Montavilla Neighborhood Association (January of 2014-2017): regularly attending meetings, Chair of the Board (2015-16), otherwise Vice Chair. Became more involved in the neighborhood where my family lives, on issues ranging from land use to transportation, affordable housing and crime issues.

S.E. UPLIFT (March of 2014-2016): attending meetings, serving as an active Board member (at large), having also gone to meetings of most of the 20 neighborhood associations with members elected to the S.E. Uplift Board as a means of facilitating communications and action among groups with common community concerns.

PCC PACS Program (1990-2015): facilitated establishment of Portland Community College (PCC) Peace & Conflict Studies (PACS) Program (1988-90), the first at any community college in the U.S.; PACS Program

Chairperson or Co-Chairperson (1990-present); NEWSPEAK coordinator, fostering weekly &free speech; events at Sylvania Campus (1998-2003), setting similar traditions Rock Creek (2004-2011), and at Cascade (2004-2005 & 2011-2015).

PCSC (1988-2017): Peace & Conflict Studies Consortium (previously the Oregon Peace Studies Consortium): Board member representing the PCC PACS Program (2004-2015), helping organize annual regional gatherings and two national conferences; serving as President (2007-2010).

DaVinci Middle School (1998-2002): was among the 20 founding families who created, organized, and functionally serving as the staff for this Arts Magnet Charter School within the Portland Public School (PPS)

District; also served on a PPS Committee to set up criteria to review applications to such all schools.

Foster Parent Program (1998-2000): my wife & I were trained as foster parents under emergency conditions, providing a home to an undocumented teenager, who we later supported to complete her high school and community college degrees, gain dual U.S./Mexican citizenship, and Margarita became a daughter to us.