Mahila Shanti SenaCompiled by: Dr. Rama Singh, Professor, Department of Biology and Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ph: (905) 525-9140 ext. 24378, Fax: (905) 522-6066; singh@mcmaster.ca; www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi

W O M E N ’ S P E A C E B R I G A D E I N T E R N A T I O N A L • F O U N D E D : F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 2

N E W S L E T T E R V O L U M E 6 , # 1 J A N U A R Y , 2 0 1 5

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Dear Friends, I send you my belated best wishes for the New Year and hope that the New Year will bring peace and happiness in your life.

We all have our own perspectives. ISIS’ slaughters and beheadings, Jihadi bombing of Peshawar children school, police shootings of blacks in the United States, and Canadian government’s persistent ignoring of the plight of murdered and missing aboriginal women continue to linger on my mind; so are the issues of climate change, growing inequality, growing incarceration of young and minorities, and violence against women.

Peace is not an interlude between acts of war or violence; peace is part of everyday life and peace building

is a full time job, not a hobby or a charity. Community engagement and what Gandhi called constructive peace building has no substitute. It’s the only thing that we can be sure of will make a difference.

This brings me to our commitment to the cause of women, I mean the Mahila Shanti Sena. The most uplifting event in this respect is the awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Malala and Kailash for their wonderful contribution to the cause of girls and children of the world. As Jahan points out in his letter is this issue, Mahila Shanti Sena would like to work with these young Nobel Laureates and their organizations.

As I write this Dr. Sri Gopal Mohanty is in India helping with MSS training program organized by our partner NGO, Unnayan,

in Bhubaneswar (Odisha). Over the years we have developed remarkable capacity to work but we lack resources. In keeping with Gandhian tradition, resources must come from the local community to make it sustainable.

I would like to leave you with what Acharya Ramamurti said on the eve of MSS’ founding: MSS is not a charity organization; it’s an organization of, by, and for women, run with the help of both men and women, to help women realize their spiritual power and potential and to harness it in constructing an engaged and peaceful society. MSS is an educational program to reshape the gender relationships so as to make men and women full partners in all arena of human endeavor.

Malala YousafzaiWinner of Nobel Peace Prize 2014

Rama Singh - McMaster University

This issue was organized by Dr. Sri Gopal Mohanty and Jahan Zeb

MSS – Partner OrganizationsCANADA

Canadian Gandhi Foundation for World Peace, Edmonton, Canada

INDIA

ADITHI (NGO) Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India

Asha Darshan Kumarikata, Assam

Gandhi Peace Foundation Rajghat, New Delhi, India

Gandhian Studies Foundation Rajghat, Varanasi, U.P., India

Jaya Prakash Bharati (NGO) Rasulpur, Saran, Bihar, India

Kasturba Gandhi Foundation Agartala, Tripura, India

Mahila Shanti Sena Manipur, India

Shrambharati (NGO) Khadigram, Bihar, India

Serv Seva Sangh Doimukh, Arunachal Pradesh

Tamulpur Anchalik Gramdan Sangh (TAGS) Kumarikata, Assam, India

Vision Society for Interactive Operational Needs (VISION) Varanasi, India

Unnayan (NGO) Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

USA

Sustainable Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS)

MSS (International) Board MembersSubhash Dighe, Physiotherapist, Hamilton

Reva Joshee, Professor, OISE, University of Toronto

Graeme MacQueen, Professor (Emeritus), McMaster University

Sri Gopal Mohanty, Professor (Emeritus), McMaster University

Anne Pearson, Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, McMaster University

Karen Sihra, Graduate Student, OISE, University of Toronto

Rama Singh, Professor, Department of Biology, and Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University

Mark Vorobej, Professor, Department of Philosophy, McMaster University

Ashley White, Ottawa

MSS is a registered not-for-profit organization in Canada.

Declaration: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and not neccessarily of MSS or the partner orginizations.

Mahila Shanti Sena (MSS)(Women’s Peace Brigade International)

...Give women a chance... …Make them agents of change…

...Help break the circle of poverty, violence and neglect...

...It (each village community) should be able to plan its total life in terms of economy, education, health and other things pertaining

to local life. The village community needs an army of peace-workers, who will not fight among themselves but are willing

to solve problems and resolve conflicts and disputes peacefully. In this task of neighbourhood-building, women are likely to be better than men. That is the rationale of Mahila Shanti Sena...

..Can we not use her (woman’s) creative talents to make society more human and enlightened?

Acharya Ramamurti

What is Mahila Shanti Sena?It is a peace movement• to empower women in order to build a peaceful and just society

• to raise mass awareness among women to realize their strength and power

• to focus on problems facing women such as violence, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and neglect.

• to provide training in the rudiments of peace, democracy and development

• to promote Gandhian tradition of engaging in constructive village service.

Participation in MSS peace movement is open to both men and women.

When did it start and what has followed?• Conceptualized by Late Acharya Ramamurti, a revered

social activist and leader in Ganhian tradition.

• Created by rural women at the Buddhist City, Vaishali, in Vashali Sabha held in Frebruary 2002.

• Attracted about 10,000 women in Bihar to Vaishali Sabha.

• Founded by Shrambharati (NGO, India) and McMaster University.

• Spread to North Eastern States of India, UP and Odisha.

• Held three conferences, one in Vashali (2002) and supported by UNICEF and McMaster, the second in New Delhi (2005) supported by CIDA, Govt of India and McMaster, and the third in Sarnath, Varanasi (2007)

• MSS members getting elected to Panchayats and elected women joining MSS

How does it operate?It fosters awareness among women on all the above issues through training camps, workshops and conferences and spreading in regions by formation of MSS groups of five or ten. It promotes neighbourhood building, peaceful settlement of mutual conflicts, peace rallies. It encourages to join other women groups, say self-help groups (SHG) for income generation.

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Report of MSS Training workshop at Bhubaneswar by Unnayan

A two day Chuni Apa Mahila Santi Sena training program was held at the Unnayan office on 5th and 6th October 2014. 22 participants from Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsingpur, Anugul, Kalahandi, Sambalpur and Cuttack participated in the program. This is the second training workshop in 2014.

In the beginning Smt Kalpana Mohanty, Sarojini Das and Nivedita Scudder lighted the lamp and inaugurated the training session. As per the custom of Unnayan all the participants welcomed each other by passing on a bouquet from one member to the next to complete the circle.

A brief introduction session was organized through a game by which each one shared details about his/her selected friend with the other participants. In this process all the participants got to know each other.

Then all the participants stood up with a candle and one lighted his/her candle carefully from his/her neighbour. Smt Mohanty conducted this session referred to as the circle of Excellence by exhorting all to look at the candle light and remember who each one is, the I. how I have grown up, what I have done for myself, for my family and for my community, what is the goal of my life, why I am poor and fearful. I am also the son/daughter of God, so why am I thinking so. I can do anything, everything. Nothing is impossible. I am a peace loving soul. I shall bring peace everywhere, in my family, community and state. We will forget the ill doers and appreciate our friends and relatives who have helped us. We will keep our mind , body and environment clean

in order to lead a meaningful life. This session was much appreciated by the participants.

Rules and regulations of the training was discussed by Ms Rita Parida i.e to keep the mobiles in silent mode, maintain punctuality and discipline, speak one by one, participate in the discussion actively, reporting and group wise presentation.

The new participants talked about their expectation of the training programme which was;

• To know more about MSS• How it is helpful for the rural women• Role of Shanti Sena in rural area• Kalpana Mohanty said that this training would

help her to start MSS in Tamilnadu

In the next session Smt Kalpana Mohanty shared her personal experience about the great women who have sacrificed their life for the nation in service for the poor. They are Malati Chaudhuri , Rama Devi, Chuni Apa and her own mother Krishna Apa. She also talked about how she has been managing her own’s in laws family at Tamilnadu. With her amicable behavior and respectful reference to her father and mother in law she proved that culture does not depend on education or lack of it. Love and respect to others makes one cultured. She told all the members that a woman can do anything with dignity and by adopting the way of peace.

In the group discussion session all the participants were divided into four groups and each group discussed women’s problems.

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Then Smt Kalpana Mohanty took a session on hygiene, sanitation and civic senses;

Hygiene, Sanitation and Civic Sense: 1. People spitting on the road2. People throwing garbage in public areas3. No provision of public toilets in rural India4. Lack of clean public toilets5. Lack of cleaning and manning of public toilets6. Large portion of the population

defecating in the open7. People urinating in public places8. Household garbage thrown on the roads9. Garbage dumps not cleared regularly10. Contamination of water due to

unregulated industrial waste11. Rivers / ponds / beaches used for cleaning,

bathing, washing utensils, bathing animals etc. with nobody to question

12. No segregation of dry and wet waste13. large network of open sewerage14. Regular water wastage from over head

tanks/ sumps in most residential areas15. People smoking openly in public areas16. Public transport system very dirty

both - inside and outside

Feed back of First Day:• Discussion on freedom fighters inspired all.• Six new members joined the MSS program• Good news that MSS will function in Tamilnadu

under the leadership of Smt Kalpana Mohanty• Telephone message of Srigopal Babu from America

was very encouraging• Sharing of feelings and experience by Kalpana

Mohanty was very moving.

After a group song and a brief recapitulation of the first day’s activities Ms. Rita Parida advised all the participants to form groups to

have detailed discussion on finding solutions to problems faced by women. Some of their suggestions are , outlined below.

• Education for all• Awareness program for women • Knowledge on women’s rights • Participation in different women empowerment

program • Taking benefit of government schemes • Working in villages with the objective of MSS • To undertake economic activities to become self

dependant • Counseling to women suffering from family

atrocities • Launching anti liquor campaign at different level

are needed to make an women empower.

The next session was devoted to the important role that MSS leaders need to play and the qualities that a good leader needs to develop. It was discussed that we all have to take a leadership role in order to face these above. A good leader must be

• Courageous • Benevolent• Patients• Strong • Responsible• Sociable• Educated• Well dressed• Friendly• Selfless • Transparent• Punctual• Cheerful• Good listener and able to lead a team.

Since Peace is the essence of the MSS movement it was very interesting to Kalpana Mohanty elaborated on different dimensions of peace.

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From 2013 on, MSS in Odisha is called ‘Chuni Apa Mahila Shanti Sena, Odisha’.

Annapurna Maharana who was universally addressed as Chuni Apa, because her nickname was Chuni and she was treated like ‘Apa’ - meaning big sister - with love and respect. As a daughter of Gopabandhu Choudhury and

Rama Devi who were eminent Gandhians in Odisha, she had her education at home and in Ashrams due to her parents’ adherence to Gandhi’s advice of not sending the children to Government educational institutions. Later she received teachers training in Basic Education in Wardha.

Chuni Apa joined the call for India’s independence at the age of fourteen and as a follower of Gandhi she took active part in many nonviolent resistance movements – satyagraha. She accompanied Gandhi in his historic foot march for lower castes - Harijan

Peace begins at Home, Peace is Interdisciplinary-

I. Economic Dimension of Peace Steps to achieve Economic Equality, to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

II. Socio psychological dimensions of peace1. Intra-Individual peace2. Inter-Individual peace3. Intra-Group peace4. Inter- Group Peace5. Community Peace

III. Cultural dimensions of peace To preserve the values of our ancestors

IV. Religious Dimensions of Peace Working for Religious Equality

V. Political Dimensions of Peace Free and fair Elections Working for corruption free India

The entire world is one family

In this session Ms Rita Parida discussed the history and development of MSS in

Odisha and how it has reached eight district, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara, Sambalpur, Anugul, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Puri, Cuttack.

Plan for the year 2014-15:

• Membership drive through formation of Panjha and Dasta

• Ensuring Quality education at primary level• Putting an end to domestic violence• Joining Nisha Nibaran Abhiyan• Strongly participating in Gaon Parimal Abhiyan

(Love India, Clean India, construction and use of toilet, Awareness on public health and hygiene.)

Six monthly plan for different districts

Name of districts

Activities to be undertaken

Person responsible

Balasore Formation/strengthening of 50 Panjha, 20 Dasta

Bharati Kabi

Kalahandi 20 Panjha Kalyani Das

Kandhamal 10 Dasta Kalyani Das

Puri 30 Panjha, 20 Dasta Swarnalata Jena

Anugul 20 Panjha, 10 Dasta Kalpana Debata

Mayurbhanj 200 members Bharati Kabi

Sambalpur 5 Panjha, 5 Dasta Damayanti Jena

Jagatsingpur 30 Panjha, 20 Dasta Rita Parida

The two day session came to an end with Smt Kalpana Mohanty, singing some Tagore songs and expressing her thanks to all the participants and the organizer of this training program.

Annapurna Maharana - Chuni Apa (1917 – 2012)

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Pada Jatra – from Puri to Bhadrak in 1934 along with her family. During the ‘Quit India’ movement in 1942, she organized ‘Shanti Sena’ – peace brigade – and ‘Marana Sena’ – death brigade – when all well known Congress leaders in Odisha were sent to prison. She herself was also arrested several times and stayed in prison. Later she participated in Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan movement (Land Gift movement) in Odisha and played a leading role in Sarvodaya movement. She further campaigned to integrate the dacoits active of the Chambal Valley.

Chuni Apa was active in providing her service at any time of human distress due to natural disaster like flood, famine and cyclone which often hit Odisha. She knew many languages – Odia, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, English and Sanskrit. She was a prolific writer in Odia and translated many original writings of Gandhi, Vinoba and Naraharibhai Parikh from Hindi to Odiya.

Chuni Apa was a trustee of Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust for many years which is to serve women and children. She devoted her life for the welfare of women and children in tribal population in Odisha and established a school only for girls in Rayagada District heavily inhabited by tribal people.

She has received numerous recognitions and awards. Notable among them are D.Litt. (HC) from Utkal University, the coveted Sarala Puraskar (Prize) for her auto-biography, Diwali Ben Charitable Trust Award and the award of the International Rotarians.

Chuni Apa adopted the life of Gandhian simplicity and spent most part of her life in villages after India’s independence. She stayed with Gandhiji several times and followed his constructive programme in her life so devotedly that watching her Vinobaji had named her Gandhi-kanya.

Samantha Smith (1972 - 1985) – The school girl writing to Soviet Leader to stop waren.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Smith

Samantha Smith was an American schoolgirl, peace activist and child actress from Manchester, Maine, who became famous in the Cold War era United States and Soviet Union.

In November 1982, when Smith was 10 years old, she wrote to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov, seeking to understand why the relations between the Soviet Union and the United States were so tense:

On April 26, 1983, she received a response from Andropov:

Dear Mr. Andropov,

My name is Samantha Smith. I am ten years old. Congratulations on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are you going to vote to have a war or not? If you aren’t please tell me how you are going to help to not have a war. This question you do not have to answer, but I would like to know why you want to conquer the world or at least our country. God made the world for us to live together in peace and not to fight.

Sincerely,

Samantha Smith

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Dear Samantha,

I received your letter, which is like many others that have reached me recently from your country and from other countries around the world.

It seems to me – I can tell by your letter – that you are a courageous and honest girl, resembling Becky, the friend of Tom Sawyer in the famous book of your compatriot Mark Twain. This book is well known and loved in our country by all boys and girls.

You write that you are anxious about whether there will be a nuclear war between our two countries. And you ask are we doing anything so that war will not break out.

Your question is the most important of those that every thinking man can pose. I will reply to you seriously and honestly.

Yes, Samantha, we in the Soviet Union are trying to do everything so that there will not be war on Earth. This is what every Soviet man wants. This is what the great founder of our state, Vladimir Lenin, taught us.

Soviet people well know what a terrible thing war is. Forty-two years ago, Nazi Germany, which strove for supremacy over the whole world, attacked our country, burned and destroyed many thousands of our towns and villages, killed millions of Soviet men, women and children.

In that war, which ended with our victory, we were in alliance with the United States: together we fought for the liberation of many people from the Nazi invaders. I hope that you know about this from your history lessons in school. And today we want very much to live in peace, to trade and cooperate with all our neighbors on this earth—with those far away and those near by. And certainly with such a great country as the United States of America.

In America and in our country there are nuclear weapons—terrible weapons that can kill millions of people in an instant. But we do not want them to be ever used. That’s precisely why the Soviet Union solemnly declared throughout the entire world that never—never—will it use nuclear weapons first against any country. In general we propose to discontinue further production of them and to proceed to the abolition of all the stockpiles on Earth.

It seems to me that this is a sufficient answer to your second question: ‘Why do you want to wage war against the whole world or at least the United States?’ We want nothing of the kind. No one in our country–neither workers, peasants, writers nor doctors, neither grown-ups nor children, nor members of the government–want either a big or ‘little’ war.

We want peace—there is something that we are occupied with: growing wheat, building and inventing, writing books and flying into space. We want peace for ourselves and for all peoples of the planet. For our children and for you, Samantha, I invite you, if your parents will let you, to come to our country, the best time being this summer. You will find out about our country, meet with your contemporaries, visit an international children’s camp – Artek – on the sea. And see for yourself: in the Soviet Union, everyone is for peace and friendship among peoples.

Thank you for your letter. I wish you all the best in your young life.

Y. Andropov

Samantha accepted the invitation.

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Rosa Parks (1913-2005) : She created the iconic moment in the Civil Rights Movement

Most historians date the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement in the United States to December 1, 1955. That was the day when Rosa Parks an unknown seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama refused politely but adamantly to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. This brave woman was arrested and fined for violating a city ordinance but her lonely act of defiance became an iconic moment in the Civil Rights Movement that spurred the Montgomery boycott and other efforts leading to end legal segregation in America. She became an inspiration to freedom-loving people everywhere.

Malala Yousafzai, Youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Malala Yousafzai vowed to struggle for every child’s right to go to school as she became the youngest ever Nobel laureate, sharing the peace prize with Indian campaigner Kailash Satyarthi.

“I will continue this fight until I see every child in school,” the 17-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl told an audience in Oslo City Hall after receiving the award.

Malala became a global icon after she was shot and nearly killed by the Taliban in October 2012 for insisting that girls had a right to an education.

In a speech peppered with self-deprecating humour, she used the award ceremony to call not just for education but also for fairness and peace.

“The so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call ‘strong’ are so powerful in creating wars but so weak in bringing peace?” she said.

“Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so difficult?”

Malala, who described herself as the “first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who still fights with her younger brothers”, triggered applause and also frequent outbursts of laughter during her speech.

But the underlying message was that a world that may soon be able to send a person to Mars still allows millions to suffer from “the very old problems of hunger, poverty, injustice and conflicts”.

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Anna Kujur – Protecting tribal rights in Odishahttp://www.thebetterindia.com/17258/brave-lady-who-fought-against-all-odds-to-get-forest-rights-for-her-tribal-community-odisha/

http://www.propoor.org/news/?n=78795

Forty-seven-year-old Anna Kujur is a simple tribal woman in Sundergarh district of Odisha, India. She has spent nearly a decade spreading awareness among the forest-dwelling communities in the region about their legitimate claims on forest resources. So far, Anna has helped about 2,000 tribal people to obtain their rightful ‘patta’ in Sundergarh, Odisha.

Priyanka Chopra: an Indian film actress and singer who is UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rightshttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/opinion/priyanka-chopra-on-educating-girls.html?action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

Priyanka writes:

…the time I spent working with my parents after that trip, are what drove me to use my name and my voice to support the education and empowerment of girls. I was a girl, from a modest background. I have two loving parents who educated me and gave me the opportunity to chase my dreams. I worked very hard, and today I am financially independent and successful in my chosen career. If I can do this, so can countless other girls!

They can do it, but not alone…

…Young girls in India, Pakistan and elsewhere are not afraid to fight for what they believe is their right. There are countless Malalas out there — girls who know their lives will change if only they can go to school. “I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school,” Malala has said. “All I want is an education. And I’m afraid of no one.”

The best part about all this is that no matter where I go, I always find that efforts to improve a girl’s life are rarely about just the individual — the goal is always to help her family and her community as a whole. Girls want to help themselves so they can help everyone they hold near and dear, and that’s where the positive ripple effect of change comes into play….

Girls in India and across the world need you to help them find the hope for a brighter day, to make 2015 and beyond a true turning point for them and for their communities.

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8 Women, Who Have Defined Year 2014 With Their Determination, Are The Real ‘Mard’ Of IndiaRead http://oddpad.com/these-8-women-who-have-defined-year-2014-with-their-determination-are-the-real-mard-of-india/

(‘Mard’ is a Hindi word literally meaning ‘male’ but implying ‘a brave person’)

Male chauvinists would disagree but women are the most powerful of God’s creations. Indeed, no mountain is insurmountable and no sea impassable for a woman determined. There have been countless examples of women who have fought to not

only preserve their dignity but also the honour of the human race. There will be women who will take on the most pressing of challenges by their horns and will emerge victorious. Like every year, 2014 produced countless brave women in India. Although this post hails the determination of a select few, we salute all who quietly continue leaving a positive impression on us.

Malala, the Young Carrier of Gandhi-Khan Peace TorchJahan Zeb, Coordinator- Gandhi Peace Festival, Hamilton, Canada

Violent conflicts and wars have had negative impact on the people of Pakistan and India that needs to be systemically analyzed and addressed by academia, our governments and civil society for sustained peace and prosperity of the people of Pakistan and India.

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2014 provided a rare opportunity to the two Nobel Laureates, Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai and their families to understand each other. Kailash is maintaining Gandhian tradition of non-violence, truth, and service and Malala is bridging Gandhian principles with those of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Abdul Ghaffar Khan, aka Bacha Khan.

Kailash founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan - or the Save the Childhood Movement in 1980 and has acted to protect the rights of over 80,000 children from various forms of exploitation especially financial one.

Malala and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai’s have dedicated their lives for peace through education. Through the Malala Fund, Malala and Ziauddin are promoting education and the empowerment for girls throughout the world by investing in grassroots education initiatives. Their approach of nonviolent resistance against their opponents has earned them international praise. It is just a beginning and already shaping a new global discourse in the United Nations, refugee camps in Jordan and in villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan by sharing the message of active pacifism, courage and hope.

The Malala Fund is starting to build model schools in her Swat Valley of Pakistan supported by the newly established Peace Centre of Canada with a peace education curriculum and resource guides, training of educators and exchange programs for students and teachers and elders. and leadership of Pakistan.

Ziauddin has special connection with Canada. He came three times to Canada in 2014. He spoke at the Gandhi Peace Festival affiliated with McMaster University and the Peace Centre of Canada- a new start-up operating out of the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel College affiliated with the University of Waterloo. The Peace Centre plans to train Pakistani and Canadian students, trainers and community leaders in enhancing their capacity to cope with societal and armed conflicts and trauma of war and to build a peaceful society through peace education, training, exchange programs, dialogue, and research and bi-directional learning.

Kailash, Malala and Ziauddin are responding to various forms of exploitations of children and their rights to education through great personal courage and leadership roles.

Feeling the pain of disenfranchisement and disempowerment of women in multicultural and social contexts in rural India, Dr. Rama Singh who is teaching at the McMaster University, Canada and a long-time disciple of Mahtma Gandhi joined hands with veteran Gandhian Acharya Rammurti

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Jahan Zeb specializes in providing conflict resolution, mediation training for families, civil society organizations and governments. Jahan completed his M.A. in peace and conflict studies at the University of Waterloo. His graduate work focused on conflict resolution, dialogue, peace and development issues in AfPak region. Jahan has been involved in and responsible for developing strategies for developing peace education resources, training and exchange programs. He has experience with a range of organizations: the Gandhi Peace Festival at McMaster University, Centre of Peace Canada, the University of Waterloo, the Community Child Abuse Council of Canada, and the city of Hamilton. Jahan is an adviser to the chair of the Malala Fund and a member of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Participation in Peacebuilding.

Jahan Zeb: Email: jahanzebca@gmail.com Twitter @jahanzebca

to form a foundation for women’s empowerment and educational organization in India and Canada; thus along with some friends they formed the Mahila Shanti Sena (Women Peace Brigade) in 2002. On different occasions, the Centre for Peace Studies at McMaster University, Universities in India and UNICEF India, CIDA (Canada) and Shatri Indo-Canadian Institute have co-sponsored different activities of MSS to empower women through education and workshops.

MSS is raising awareness among women of India to know their rights, realize their potential, address violence, overcome poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment, MSS is providing them training in peace, democracy and development and engaging them in constructive village service.

With an amazing start by attracting about 10,000 women in Bihar to Vaishali Sabha (local assembly) in 2002, MSS has made an impressive progress

during 2002-2014 and has expanded its work to Upper Pradesh, Odisha and to most North-Eastern States in India. Here in Canada, MSS has been working to create awareness how to stop violence against women through workshops, public events and advocacy. MSS work highly resonates with Malala’s goal of peacebuilding by empowering women through education.

Now is the right time in the history of Pakistan and India that Kailash, Malala and Ziauddin take the torch of the peaceful struggle of Mahatma Gandhi and Bacha Khan for the progress of children and women in Pakistan and India.

Platforms like the Mahila Shanti Sena (India and Canada), the Model Schools in Pakistan, Peace Centre of Canada, Gandhi Peace Festival in Hamilton (Canada) provide great opportunity to Kailash, Malala and Ziauddin to combine their efforts for peace and build a hopeful future for 1.5 billion people.

ViolenceAgainstWomen

STOP

"What is poverty but a passive form of violence? When

a women does back breaking work for ten hours a day

but cannot feed her family with her

earnings, society has scorned her labor."

ELA BHATT

"The abuse of women and girls is the most pervasive and unaddressed human

rights violation on earth."

JIMMY CARTER

Mahila Shanti SenaWomen’s Peace Brigade International

Hamilton, Canadawww.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi/mss

GandhiPeace FestivalHamilton, Canadawww.humanities.mcmaster.ca/gandhi