The youth-led programme takes Mahatma Gandhi’s message of peace and non-violence to Brazil, South Korea, South Africa, Belgium and Mali through dialogues with young people.
Swati Bhat
Mumbai, October 2, 2026: Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence is travelling beyond India this Gandhi Jayanti through a distinctly young voice. India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.) is taking its Gandhi Jayanti Youth Dialogue on Peace and Non-Violence to five countries, with the international initiative conceptualised and spearheaded by Aamber Fatima, a 20-year-old from Kashmir.
The programme is being conducted across Brazil, South Korea, South Africa, Belgium and Mali, in collaboration with Indian Embassies and Consulates, bringing young people together for conversations around peace, tolerance, coexistence and mutual understanding.
What gives the initiative particular resonance is the journey of the young woman leading it. Born and raised in Srinagar, Fatima joined I.I.M.U.N. at the age of 14 before moving to Mumbai, where she is currently pursuing law. At 20, she is now leading a team of young people aged between 15 and 24 to take Gandhi’s ideas to an international audience.
From Srinagar to a Global Youth Dialogue
Speaking about the initiative, I.I.M.U.N. founder Rishabh Shah said Fatima had conceptualised and spearheaded the programme. “What warms my heart most is that this entire initiative was conceptualised and spearheaded by Aamber Fatima, a 20-year-old young woman from Kashmir who joined I.I.M.U.N. when she was just 14,” Rishabh Shah said. Highlighting the significance of her journey from Srinagar to leading an international peace initiative, he added: “There is something incredibly powerful about a young Kashmiri carrying a message of peace from India to the world. I suspect Gandhi Ji would be smiling at that.” The initiative is designed to be more than a commemorative programme. Young I.I.M.U.N. leaders are expected to travel to the participating countries and engage directly with local students, placing young people at the centre of both the organisation and execution of the dialogues.
Each session is expected to involve approximately 50 to 100 students, depending on the capacity of the respective Indian Embassy or Consulate.
Taking Gandhi’s Ideas Beyond the History Books
The discussions will centre on four interconnected themes: peace and non-violence, dialogue and mutual understanding, tolerance and coexistence, and the role of young people in peacebuilding. The larger objective is to encourage participants to examine Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy not merely as part of India’s historical legacy, but as a framework through which contemporary disagreements and divisions can be approached. That gives the Gandhi Jayanti initiative relevance beyond ceremonial remembrance. At a time when societies across the world are confronting conflict and polarisation, the programme seeks to place dialogue and non-violent engagement before a generation that will increasingly shape public institutions, communities and international conversations. The fact that the initiative itself is being driven by young people also reinforces its central message: Gandhi’s ideas remain meaningful only when succeeding generations find ways to interpret and practise them within their own circumstances.
I.I.M.U.N.’s Growing Youth Network
Founded by Rishabh Shah in 2011, India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.) describes itself as a youth-run non-profit focused on developing conscientious leaders through programmes spanning leadership, public affairs, literature and social impact. Over 15 years, the organisation has expanded its presence to 275 cities and 40 countries and says it has reached more than 75 million people. More than 30,000 young people have worked with the organisation since its inception.
Through conferences, leadership programmes, literature initiatives and social-impact projects, I.I.M.U.N. has sought to create spaces where students can engage with issues extending from their communities to international affairs.
This Gandhi Jayanti, that youth-led model is being taken into a particularly symbolic space: a 20-year-old from Srinagar leading young Indians in carrying a message associated globally with India; peace through dialogue and non-violence across national borders.
