Investing In Education Is Only Hope For The Future: Adi Godrej

The Gandhi Mandela Peace Initiative celebrated the 150th birth-anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the 100th birth-anniversary of Nelson Mandela. BW Businessworld Chairman and Editor-in-chief, Dr. Annurag Batra in association with Tarina Patel, Founder of RBP Foundation and Kartikeya Sharma, Founder of The Sunday Guardian Foundation organized the event in Delhi on July 11.    

While making a keynote address, Adi Godrej, Chairman, Godrej Group stated, “I of course never had the opportunity to meet Gandhiji. He passed away when I was a very little kid.  But I had the pleasure in meeting Nelson Mandela in Davos where he had come to speak there and where in fact some of the discussions for the changes in South Africa were held with the President, de Klerk.  Both Gandhi and Mandela believed that education is a must, for a society to realize all the core values that they fought so hard all their lives. Education is indispensable for a society to be tolerant, equal and a peace-loving.  Mandela said education is the most powerful weapon to change the world. Mandela’s words couldn’t be true in today’s scenario. As we look at the world around us today with rising poverty, inequality, violence, and crime, investing in education is our only hope for the future”.  

He also maintained, “Literacy in itself is not education”. As Gandhi said, this is an important distinction to recognize as we often confuse education with literacy. If literacy alone were enough, increasing literacy levels must on its own have taken care of several issues. But sadly, that is not been the case. Of course, one must acknowledge the massive efforts of the government and organizations across the world over several decades towards providing better education to the children and youngsters. But, certainly more needs to be done”.  

“Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela are global leaders who have inspired millions of lives. They both were similar in their views. Mahatma Gandhi’s strong views on equality, non-violence, and respect became the bedrock of India’s Independence movement.  We had deep roots in the experiences of a much younger time. Nelson Mandela spearheaded the movement against apartheid, racist oppression of the non-white majority of South Africa. Such deep-rooted was his angst against such oppression and the urge to unshackle his fellow countrymen from it that spent 27 years in prison. He championed the non-violent transition of South Africa from a white minority regime to a non-racial majority rule in 1994. He fought for equality and respect, all his life. In his words, peace can only exist in every individual in a society. Wealthy is wealthy regardless of where he leaves and regardless of his status. It is indeed true that Mandela and Gandhi had very similar ideologies and Mandela had himself mentioned on many occasions that he is inspired by Gandhi,” Godrej further added.