WORLD (Enmaeya News) - October 2, 2025
An event will be held in the UN’s New York Headquarters today, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations for the International Day of Non-Violence, which coincides with the birthday of Mahatma Ghandi.
In his message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, “Gandhi understood that non-violence is not a weapon of the weak, it is the strength of the courageous.”
Guterres also urged the international community to “advance diplomacy, heal divisions, and create a just, sustainable and peaceful world for all.”
The UN’s renewed call for global non-violence reflects an urgent need to address rising conflicts and inequality challenges both worldwide and within Lebanon, where various forms of violence continue to threaten communities and individuals.
In Lebanon, the message of non-violence finds expression through a growing number of grassroots initiatives led by youth groups, women’s organizations, and community activists dedicated to violence prevention.
According to the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), August 2025 saw the reporting of 90 cases of physical abuse, 2 cases of sexual abuse, and 10 cases of psychological abuse through the Internal Security Forces’ (ISF) national hotline.
One notable response comes from the YWCA, the first Lebanese NGO to launch a nonviolence campaign.
The organization hosts youth-friendly workshops focused on early intervention and detection of abuse, particularly in schools and workplaces.
These programs aim to empower young people to recognize signs of violence and foster environments where abuse is actively challenged.
Civil society organizations across Lebanon have increasingly stepped in to fill the gaps left by the absence or weak enforcement of laws and regulations that protect victims of violence, leaving many without adequate legal support.
The critical question is whether Lebanon can effectively recognize and combat different forms of violence, when both physical and digital spaces have become grounds for violence.
