H.E. Ms. Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (left); H.E. Dr. Ali A. Treki, President of the sixty-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly (center); H.E. Mr. H.S. Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the UN; (right).

For the U N SECRETARY GENERAL's MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE>

Commemoration of International Day of Non-Violence and release of a commemorative stamp by the United Nations Postal Administration (organized by the Permanent Mission of India) took place on Friday, October 2, 2009 from 5 to 6p.m. in the Penthouse of the Dag Hammarskjold Library.

"Love is the strongest force the world possesses, and yet it is the humblest imaginable."
"Where there is love, there is life; hatred leads to destruction."
- Mahatma Gandhi, taken from the film, "Gandhi" - Features.

Portrait of Gandhi released of a commemorative stamp by the United Nations Postal Administration on October 2, 2009

Remarks made by: H.E. Mr. H.S. Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the UN;
H.E. Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, President of the General Assembly 64th session;
H.E. Mrs. Asha-Rose Migiro, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General;
H.E. Mr. Baso Sangqu, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN;
H.E. Ms. Susan E. Rice, Permanent Representative of USA to the UN;
M.E. Mr. Palitha Kohona, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN;
Mr. Robert Gray, Chief of the United Nations Postal Administration; and
Ms. Tina Pacheco, daughter of Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, designer of the stamp.

"The Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and his doctrine of non-violence resonate deeply at the United Nations. Non-violence is central to protecting human rights, achieving disarmement and non-proliferation, and helping secure peace in conflict-torn countries.

The United Nations will continue to advocate non-violence and to promote a culture of peace. Ultimately, non-violence must prevail at every level, from individuals to goverments, for peace to be lasting and true."

BAN Ki-moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations

Non-violence is the path to enduring peace.
S.M. Krishna
External Affairs Minister of India"

* * * * *
-Remarks by H.E. Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY - October 2, 2009
"Gandhi once summed up his work by saying, simply: “My life is my message.” And so it is and was. Nonviolent resistance was not just his philosophy; it was also, in his hands, a brilliant strategy for the pursuit of social justice. By dedicating his life to the peaceful empowerment of the people of India, to a brand of activism that was as humane as it was brave, he inspired people around the world to hope. He inspired people around the world to strive for peace. And he inspired people around the world to work for fundamental change.
...
I must also pay particular tribute to the impact of the philosophy of nonviolence on my own country and our history. Fifty years ago, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made an historic visit to India—a visit that, in many ways, strengthened and solidified the civil rights movement here in the United States. Dr. King had long been inspired by Gandhi’s nonviolent efforts to bring an end to British rule and discrimination based on caste. Upon his return, Dr. King wrote, “It was wonderful to be in Gandhi’s land.” In February of this year, the State Department sponsored a return visit to mark this important step in Dr. King’s development, sending a delegation back to India that included Martin Luther King III and Congressman John Lewis, the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington. Dr. King’s 1959 pilgrimage still stands as a landmark in the civil rights movement of this country—a moment when one great historical movement made its mark on another, a moment when the great tide that had propelled the people of one land toward liberty and dignity gave new force and strength to another powerful current toward freedom far away."
http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/2009/130235.htm