Mahatma Gandhi Statue Unveiled at UNF Campus

Contact: Joanna Norris, Assistant Director
Department of Media Relations and Events
(904) 620-2102



The Gandhi Memorial Society in collaboration with the University of North Florida will unveil a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi during an Intercultural Program/Peace Walk at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1. This beautiful statue was donated to the University by the Gandhi Memorial Society. The statue dedication will take place in the courtyard between J.J. Daniel Hall (Building 1) and Founders Hall (Building 2) on the UNF campus.

“The statue will serve to create a greater local awareness of Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence, community service and social justice,” said UNF President John A. Delaney. “It will also provide a catalyst for building programs on issues of education, community service and intercultural peace.”

This is the first time in the United States that a Gandhi statue will be dedicated at an educational institution and the first statue in the state of Florida. Created by Indian bronze sculptor Jasu Shilpi, the statue is 8 feet tall and weighs approximately 1,500 pounds. Shilpi is widely known as “The Bronze Woman of India” for her sculptures and was bestowed the “Woman of the Year” award in 2000 at the 27th International Millennium Congress on Arts and Communications in Washington, D.C.

Program participants will take part in a Gandhi Peace Walk. At the monument site, 1 minute of silence will be observed, followed by a violin recital and the unveiling of the statue. Various intercultural performances will be a part of the celebration in the UNF Fine Arts Center. This event is free and open to the public.

Gandhi was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He stamped his idea on history, igniting three of the 20th century great revolutions against colonialism, racism and violence. Gandhi’s concept of nonviolent resistance liberated one nation and sped the end of colonial empires around the World. His marches and fasts fired the imagination of oppressed people everywhere, moving millions to seek freedom and justice.

The “Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace” exhibit will also be on display in the first-floor lobby of the Science and Engineering Building (Building 50). The lives of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Daisaku Ikeda, three men from different cultures and countries, follow that common path of profound dedication and achievement in addressing the plight of the common people. The display features photographs, quotations and historical information about the human rights leaders. The exhibit is currently on display and will be on campus through Sunday, Oct. 1.

If you need media assistance the day of the event, contact Joanna Norris, assistant director of Media Relations and Events, at (904) 534-6926.


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