June 10 was the day of the Opening of “Gandhi, King and Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace” exhibition, held at the Art Gallery of Singapore Management University (SMU). The exhibition was jointly organised by SSA, the United Nations Association of Singapore (UNAS) and the Indian Council of Gandhian Studies, New Delhi, and was sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr International Chapel, Morehouse College, USA and supported by the Bhavan’s Global Indian International School, Singapore. The distinguished guests included Professor Tham Seong Chee, President of UNAS; Dr N Radhakrishnan, Chairman of the Indian Council of Gandhian Studies; and Mr Rajesh Kumar Sachdeva, Deputy High Commisioner of the High Commission of India in Singapore. Guest of Honour Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “Gandhi, King and Ikeda offer all societies a very empowering message. They have shown to us that even as individuals, we possess immense power to reject violence and extremism.”
The exhibition was conceptualised by Dr Lawrence Edward Carter, Dean and Professor of Religion and College Curator at the Martin Luther King Jr International Chapel.
Professor Tham, President of UNAS shared his impression of the exhibit, “Many threats to peace and harmony result misunderstanding and lack of understanding, including disrespect for the beliefs and traditions of others. Ignorance breeds suspicion and anxiety, even fear. In this, more dialogues are needed to raise greater awareness and understanding of shared values and commonalities. This exhibition on the thoughts of these three great humanists make a vital contribution in that respect.”
From the impressions received, it was clear that many were moved by th epower of the message the exhibition was seeking to convey.
(SSA Times issue 240)
