The fifth grandson of Mohandas Gandhi will kick off festivities for UF's Kaleidoscope: Asian and Asian American Awareness Month on Monday night. Arun Gandhi will speak about life with his grandfather and his grandfather's legacy, said Magel Alcantar, director of Kaleidoscope Month.
Alcantar said she wants Gandhi's speech to show students that Asians are fighters who will persevere until their goals and dreams are realized. She said she hopes Gandhi's speech will inspire students to use nonviolence will in their ongoing campaign for a director of Asian Pacific American Affairs and an Institute of Asian and Asian American Cultures.
Gandhi founded the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, based in Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., and has spoken about international issues. He has urged Palestinians to conduct nonviolent protest of the Israeli occupation of land in the Middle East and spoken against America's involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The speech, which will be followed by a question and answer session and reception, cost ,15,000. It was co-sponsored by Accent Speaker's Bureau and Kaleidoscope Month, a part of the Asian American Student Union. It is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. Accent paid ,8,000 for the event, and Kaleidoscope paid ,7,000.
