Courtesy of Sudha CowsikAn exhibition featuring issues of nonviolence and peace will be opening at the Olin Library today. The “Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace” exhibit honors Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Daisaku Ikeda’s contributions to humanity.
“All of these people represent something very important-the whole mission of peace and reconciliation and the power of nonviolence and social engagement,” said Beata Grant, director of the religious studies program. “It’s just a reminder that these people’s lives and what they did still have relevance today. They’re not just the names of streets.”
Grant hopes that the exhibit will resonate with students passing through the Olin Library, especially given the current state of global affairs.
“With students and visitors coming in and out, they will be able to see pictures and read about them and just be reminded of how important these values still are,” said Grant. “These people and their ideals-what they fought for, what they preached, what they gave their lives for in the case of Gandhi and King-they came from three different traditions, three different people, three different cultures, but they all share the values of nonviolence.”
The exhibit will be accompanied by a lecture from Lawrence Carter, who has traveled the globe with this exhibition. He will also present an award to Judy Bentley, who is well-known throughout St. Louis for her work with Community Health in Partnership Services (CHIPS), an organization that seeks to provide clinical care for the uninsured and underinsured.
“This exhibit is going to offer us an opportunity to review the lives and commitment of three hugely great men,” said Bentley. “Having this exhibit with us is an opportunity to reflect on our own commitment to improving mankind.”
The award Bentley will receive is entitled the “Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders Prize.” Established by Carter, it seeks to recognize the efforts of individuals who exemplify nonviolence and peace. Previous recipients include Prince Hassan of Jordan, Northern Ireland’s Betty Williams and former Presidents of the Republic of South Africa F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.
“I’m humbled beyond words, to be considered one who exemplifies the lives of these three great men,” said Bentley. “It causes me to pause and say that what I take for granted in doing every day, primarily because I truly enjoy it, is certainly not a recognition that I would expect to be put in the category of these renowned people.”
Bentley also noted how the presentation of this award reflects on the community of St. Louis as a whole.
“‘I’m a product of St. Louis and my community,” she said. “To improve the quality of those who are underserved is something. It certainly has been gratifying to be able to do this.to serve those who are overlooked. This award is encouraging and it gives us the message that we have got to continue to move on improving the disparities that exist and the injuries that exist because people do not have the ability to pay for healthcare.”
Carter’s lecture will be held in Wilson Hall, room 214, beginning at 4 p.m. The exhibition will be on display in the Olin Library from April 16 to April 27.