Mahatma Gandhi-Luther King Scholarly Exchange initiative launched in US

Washington, June 15

The US Department of State has launched the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange initiative which explores the histories and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The first-of-its-kind initiative, which was launched on Tuesday, brings together 20 emerging young civic leaders from India and the United States to advance civil rights, social justice, and inclusion on the local, national and international levels.

This exchange was championed by late civil rights leader John Lewis.

According to the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the exchange will open on Wednesday, with a one-week virtual programme and orientation followed by a two-week academic residency hosted at Alabama A&M University, Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and the University of Alabama.

In addition to classroom learning and discussion, participants will visit civil rights sites in Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia.

In January 2023, the Indian and US participants will reconvene in India to visit important sites, communities and organisations that build upon their academic curriculum, which is centred around the academic themes of peace, non-violence, and conflict resolution, and build their leadership capacities, a media release said.