Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi is recognized globally as both a symbol for and a practitioner of nonviolence as a way to bring about change. Since his death in 1948, Gandhi's techniques inspired a new generation, notably the leader of peace, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., during the 20th century American civil rights movement.

Join Asia Society and the Mahatma Gandhi Library-Houston for a film screening of selections from A Force More Powerful, a 1999 documentary that highlights nonviolent resistance around the world. Following the film, a panel discussion will review the impact of Gandhi's legacy, the effect of nonviolence, and connections between Asia and the U.S.

This event launches Houston's yearlong Gandhi Sesquicentennial Celebrations, culminating in October 2019 with the 150th year since Gandhi's birth.

This event has sold out. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Schedule

2:30 p.m. | Registration
3:00 p.m. | Film screening
4:00 p.m. | Panel discussion
5:00 p.m. | Reception

Press Coverage

Mahatma Gandhi's Sesquicentennial Celebrations Begin with Event at Asia Society

About the Panelists

Anthony W. Hall, Jr., is the principal in the Law Office of Anthony W. Hall, Jr.  Since the early 1970s, he has been actively involved in local and state government and civic affairs and has gained substantial experience in public law.  He served as a State Representative in the Texas Legislature from 1973 to 1979, on the Houston City Council from 1979 to 1989, Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County from 1990 to 1992, City Attorney from 1998-2004, and Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Houston from 2004-2010. Mr. Hall serves on the Board of Directors of Kinder Morgan, The Ensemble Theatre, and the Lone Star Flight Museum. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Boule Foundation. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of Coastal Corporation and El Paso Corporation. Mr. Hall received his B.A. in Economics from Howard University and his J.D., cum laude, from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. He served in the U.S. Army from 1967-1971, attaining the rank of Captain. His military service included tours in Berlin and Vietnam; decorations include the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars.

Atul Kothari is a Certified Public Accountant, CPA. He received his MBA from University of Houston in 1977 and graduated with an MS in Chemical Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York in 1975. He is also a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Kanpur, India with a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering. Mr. Kothari serves on the Board of Trustees of the Mahatma Gandhi Library and first became interested in Mahatma Gandhi about 15 years ago when he was searching for an answer that many Indians think of, as to why India got left behind on the world stage, whereas the western civilization had made so much progress. Initially, the only answer that seemed the most viable was that science and technology is a field primarily developed by western civilization, whereas India remained focused on spirituality. Then, one day he realized that science and technology is nothing else but relentless pursuit of physical truth which led him to learn more about Mahatma Gandhi. He learned the most basic lesson of life from the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, primarily, practice truth as conceived by one’s self, while adhering to non-violence in mind, word and deed. A firm believer of the philosophy of non-violence, Mr. Kothari has now dedicated himself to taking this message to the next generation.

Steve York is a veteran filmmaker who has produced documentaries on religious fundamentalism, history and politics, and nonviolent struggles in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. He is a frequent speaker on civil resistance movements, and has been invited to present his films in film festivals, the United Nations, universities and school classrooms, conferences, and workshops around the world. In 1997, Mr. York turned his attention to the dramatic success of nonviolent conflicts. A Force More Powerful debuted as a feature-length documentary in 1999 and was expanded into a three-hour series for PBS, broadcast in the fall of 2000. This ground-breaking series, narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley and nominated for an Emmy, has been translated into 19 languages and is a staple in high school and college curricula across the U.S. Mr. York followed up in 2002 with the one-hour PBS program Bringing Down a Dictator about the nonviolent defeat of Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic and completed this civil resistance trilogy in 2007 with the feature length film Orange Revolution, which focused on the 2004 presidential election in Ukraine.

About the Moderator

Dr. Carla Brailey, an outstanding visionary and innovator, has played a pivotal role in establishing the framework and foundation for long-term success in educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. While she serves as an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Texas Southern University, throughout her career, she has been repeatedly sought out as a consultant and subject matter expert in the areas of social justice, diversity and inclusion, Black women and empowerment, strategic management, organizational development, staff training, curriculum planning, and program creation. She has provided services for Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Transition Team, Project Rowhouses, the Imani School, Harmony Science Academy, Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel at Howard University, Fredericka Phillips for 61st Precinct Judge Campaign, Sankofa Research Institute, Texan Dental, and most recently, she became the Vice Chair of the Texas Democratic Party. Dr. Brailey holds a bachelor degree in criminal justice from Texas State University and several degrees from Howard University — a master degree in counseling psychology, a certificate in Women’s Studies, a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in sociology.

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Bank of America, Muffet Blake, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and United Airlines are presenting sponsors of Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas Center. East West Bank is the presenting sponsor of the China Series. Lead support for Business & Policy programs comes from Nancy C. Allen, BP America, Nancy T. Chang, Anne and Albert Chao, Eagle Global Advisors, and Wells Fargo. Generous funding also provided by the Friends of Asia Society Texas Center, a premier group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

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