[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CELEBRATION OF THE UNVEILING OF THE MOHANDAS GANDHI STATUE IN THE 
                       CLEVELAND CULTURAL GARDENS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS. J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 27, 2006

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the installation 
of a statue of Mohandas Gandhi in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. The 
statue stands as a beacon for the ideals Gandhi promoted: peace, amity, 
and cooperation of all people of all nations.
  The unveiling event is being co-hosted by the Cleveland Cultural 
Gardens Association and the Federation of Communities of India 
Communities Association. The Cleveland Cultural Gardens started as a 
256-acre tract of land donated to the City of Cleveland by John D. 
Rockefeller in 1896. With the theme ``Peace Through Mutual 
Understanding,'' the Gardens are represented by 24 nations from all 
around the world. These Gardens, which have become both a staple of 
Cleveland and the entire country, have inspired people of all 
backgrounds throughout its entire rich history. President Herbert 
Hoover once said of the Gardens that, ``Cleveland, by its series of 
cultural gardens, is setting a notable example to the nation.''
  The addition of a statue of Gandhi continues this shining example of 
peace and cooperation. The statue stands in the India Cultural Garden 
on a mixture of Indian and American soil. In accordance with the values 
taught by Gandhi, the earth, which belongs to us all, can only be 
stewarded through cooperation, understanding, and embracing diversity.
  Mohandas Gandhi, who pioneered the global civil rights struggle, has 
become a symbol of the movement for peace in international politics, 
brotherhood amongst diverse communities, and social progress through 
understanding. Gandhi, though a Hindu by practice, embraced diversity 
of all religions and expressions of spirituality and urged all human 
beings to stay in touch with a transcendental bond that connects us 
all. His life is a testament to strengthening international peace 
efforts through acknowledgement of each individual's power to make a 
positive peaceful change in this world.
  Born in 1869 in Gujarat, India, Gandhi studied law at University 
College London where he found himself at a cultural crossroads trying 
to embrace English customs while still preserving the traditions of his 
Indian ancestry. Gandhi would go on to lead the civil rights struggle 
in South Africa and finally the independence movement in his native 
India. Though he studied, lived, and worked in many countries, Gandhi 
became more of a global citizen, adopting the idea that all humans on 
the earth share a common thread of wanting peace, security, self-
expression, and individuality in a diverse society. It is this sense of 
global citizenship and acceptance of all people that is echoed in the 
Cleveland Cultural Gardens with the installation of this new statue.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the 
contributions to peace and community of Mohandas Gandhi through this 
statue in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

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