The Gandhi International Institute for Peace will host its 20th annual event outside of the Honolulu Zoo in Kapiolani regional Park to commemorate the 156th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi on Thursday, October 2, 2025, a day designated by the United Nations in his honor as the “International Day of Nonviolence” in June 2007. The program will run from 5 PM to 6:30 PM. The Consulate General of India, San Francisco and the City and County of Honolulu are the co-sponsor of this program. Hawaii State Senator, Honorable Mike Gabbard will serve as the Guest of Honor.

This event will feature a spiritual invocation and Hawaiian blessing by Dr. Kahu Kaleo Patterson and Veda Das. There will also be brief addresses by a variety of Hawaii-based advocates of nonviolence including Dr. Raj Kumar, Professor Ramdas Lamb, Professor Abdul Karim Khan from the University of Hawaii, Kusha Devi Dasi from ISKCON Hawaii and Dr. Jared Yurow, a former Chief Clinical Officer from the Department of Health, will deliver brief address.

Michele Santos from Sun Yoga Hawaii will demonstrate Yoga postures and Indian classical dance will be performed by Janani Lakshmanan and Elizabeth Mager from Aloha Natyam. A solo song of Gandhi will be sung by Adrija Halder. Spiritual chanting will be done by Nilanjan Sarkar. Peace music will be played by the Royal Hawaiian Band. Professor Hong Jiang and Robert Quatro from Falun Dafa Association of Hawaii, will teach meditation for peace and sound healing will be offered by Letisha Sharp. Madana Sundari will moderate the program.

Dr. Raj Kumar, Founder of Gandhi International Institute for Peace (GIIP) in Hawaii, laid the foundation of this Institute on the day when the Twin Towers were attacked by terrorists in New York on September 11, 2001. Since then, Dr. Kumar and members of this Peace Institute have been raising awareness about peace and nonviolence and educating youth about Gandhian values, planting a seed that will manifest itself as they develop into the leaders of tomorrow, resulting in a safer place to live for future generations. On behalf of GIIP, Dr. Kumar initiated Senate Bill SB 332 in the Hawaii Legislature in December 2014 which was unanimously passed on April 9, 2015, making Hawaii the first State in the nation to officially declare October 2 as “Mahatma Gandhi Day”.