CHICAGO, October 02, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Mayor
Lori Lightfoot, Senator Dick Durbin,
World Business Chicago CEO Andrea
Zopp and First Lady Amy
Eshelman joined Chicago Sister Cities International Delhi
Committee Chair Smita Shah at this
year's annual Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi luncheon, marking its fifth
year of honoring the man who inspired civil rights movements across
the globe. At the event, Mayor Lightfoot also issued a proclamation
naming October 2nd Mahatma Gandhi Day
in Chicago in recognition of the
150th anniversary of his birth and in acknowledgement of his long
lasting legacy and the deep roots of the Indian culture here in
Chicago.
"This is truly an honor for the Indian-American community here
in Chicago and for me personally,"
said Smita Shah, President and CEO
of SPANN Tech, a construction and engineering management firm and
founder of the Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi luncheon. "This idea grew
out of a recognition that Chicago
is composed of many communities, and that we have to honor all and
exclude none. This program allows us to recognize the Indian
Community of Chicago, and through
Mahatma Gandhi, consider how we can all have an impact on improving
lives by working together."
Delhi's position as a sister
city to Chicago demonstrates the
strong relationship between India
and the city as well as the cultural importance of the established
Indian-American community to the Chicagoland community. Under
Shah's leadership, the Delhi Committee of Chicago founded the Annual Legacy of Mahatma
Gandhi Luncheon in 2014, honoring the long-standing exchange of
ideas between Mahatma Gandhi and the U.S., and the ever important
principles of truth and non-violence.
Proclamation language attached below:
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
LORI E. LIGHTFOOT
MAYOR
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, October 2, 2019 marks the
occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi;
and
WHEREAS, Gandhi is revered the world over for his nonviolent
philosophy of passive resistance and as an advocate for all people,
including the poor and disenfranchised, championing the causes of
education, economic opportunity, and equality amongst all; and
WHEREAS, Gandhi is often named among the 20th century's most
important figures, and remains admired in India as a father of the nation proving that
one man has the power to take on an empire, using both intelligence
and ethics to make an impact on today's world and showing the
importance of resolving differences through peaceful means; and
WHEREAS, Gandhi had a close connection to many Americans and
drew inspiration from Henry David Thoreau's essay on the "Duty of
Civil Disobedience," which had a great deal to do in shaping
Gandhi's own thinking on the subject and to him influencing several
African American leaders such as Howard
Thurman, Benjamin Mays, and
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, Chicago takes pride in
its tradition of welcoming and celebrating international
communities and their customs and shares a long history of
friendship with the people of India, beginning in 1893 when Swami
Vivekananda, a young philosopher, author, and monk, attended the
World Parliament of Religions at the Columbian Exposition; and
WHEREAS, Chicago is home to a
vibrant and energetic Indian American community that has made vital
contributions to the development of Chicago throughout its history and continues
to play an important role in the life of our city and because of
these strong ties, the City of
Chicago has enjoyed a sister city relationship with
Delhi, India since 2001; and
WHEREAS, Chicago Sister Cities International, an initiative of
World Business Chicago, works to advance Chicago as a global city and promotes peace
through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation through
citizen diplomacy – one individual, one community at a time – for
the benefit of Chicago and its
sister cities; and
WHEREAS, founded in 2014 by the Delhi Committee of Chicago
Sister Cities International, under the leadership of Smita Shah, the Annual Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi
Luncheon honors Gandhi's lasting contributions and inspires us all
to follow the example left by him:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, LORI E.
LIGHTFOOT, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF
CHICAGO, do hereby proclaim October
2, 2019 to be MAHATMA GANDHI DAY IN CHICAGO in recognition of the important legacy
of Mahatma Gandhi.
Dated this 20th day of September, 2019.
About The Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities
International
Chicago Sister Cities International is a division of World Business
Chicago and is committed to building bridges and sharing ideas
between Chicago and its
international communities and partners. It celebrates cooperation
and understanding through citizen diplomacy while promoting cross
cultural arts and tourism, global education, international business
and government exchange. Smita Shah
joined Chicago Sister Cities International and became Chair of the
Delhi Committee as she believes it is a way to continue
Chicago's global leadership and
honor the diverse communities that make up the city.
SOURCE Sister Cities of Chicago Delhi Committee