It is a season celebrated every year—starting with the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi on January 30 and ending with the day on which Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4—that was created by Arun Manilal Gandhi in order to honor the nonviolent philosophies of those two specific men.
Within Long Beach, the Season for Nonviolence 2013 (SNV13) will kick-off with a celebration this Sunday at The Center Long Beach, with 2nd District Councilmember Dr. Suja Lowenthal, PeaceBuilders CEO and Long Beach powerhouse Michelle Molina, and Antonio Ruiz of the youth-led journalist organization VoiceWaves.
The array of leaders brought forth for the kick-off—which precedes the now sold-out Lunafest, a film festival of nine films made by, for and about women—exemplify the need to not only examine violence directly, but also its more indirect offshoots: emotional violence such as mental abuse, symbolic violence such as racism and hateful language, and systemic violence, such as the marginalization of certain neighborhoods or populations.
Lowenthal—no stranger to hosting and being a part of such initiatives—emphasizes the balance between individual roles as peacemakers and the power of unity.
“There are so many partners in this call for a more peaceful, safer community,” said Lowenthal to the Post. “Each is doing their part to bring change, but a unified voice is sometimes more [impacting]… The right to live without violence is a basic tenet of life in my mind. It sets the foundation for achieving a higher quality of living by allowing a resident to fully participate in his/her community.”
On top of various videos from SNV13 and Lunafest, Molina will provide a preview of PeaceBuilders’ anti-bullying music video “No Matter What (They Might Say)” while Ruiz will showcase shorts highlighting Long Beach residents who are “building peace.”
The kick-off to SNV13 will occur on Sunday, January 27, from 1PM to 2PM at The Center Long Beach, located at 2017 E. 4th Street. The event is open and free to the public.
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, Long Beach 90814