Stellenbosch University (SU) had the rare honour of hosting Hon Dr Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Kasturba and Mahatma Gandhi, for the fourth session (17 March) of the UNESCO Research Engagement Dialogue Series (REDS), held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).

The dialogue, titled “Gandhian values today: right versus might in a time of power politics”, was facilitated by Prof Alain Tschudin, who holds the UNESCO Gandhi-Montessori-Luthuli Chair on Education for Peace and Transformative Solidarity, in collaboration with St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge.

Gandhi is a qualified social worker, anti-apartheid stalwart and lifelong peace activist, who went on to serve as a Member of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. She was previously Chancellor of the Durban University of Technology and continues to serve as Co-Executive President of Religions for Peace, the world’s biggest interfaith body. Gandhi was accompanied by her daughter, Asha Ramgobin, director of the Human Rights Development Initiative.

Moral leadership

Welcoming guests on behalf of SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Prof Richard Stevens, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching at SU, situated the event in a world marked by “conflict, polarisation and the assertion of power”. Drawing on Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., he reminded participants that “while the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends towards justice”, but only when individuals and communities choose to act with courage and conviction. Stevens emphasised the responsibility of universities not just to generate knowledge, but to shape values and form leaders committed to justice, peace and human dignity.

Tschudin then framed the session within UNESCO’s mandate to build the defences of peace in the minds of people, highlighting the urgency of re-examining “right versus might” in an era of wars, authoritarianism, and the erosion of international norms. He highlighted the often-overlooked role of women such as Kasturba Gandhi, Maria Montessori and Nokukhanya Luthuli, whose moral leadership continues to inspire the Chair’s work on peace and transformative solidarity.

The ‘superpower of goodness’

Gandhi’s address explored what Gandhian values can offer to “today’s battle to save the soul of humanity”. She contrasted the destructive logic of military power with what she called spiritual, moral, humane and environmental power – the “superpower of goodness”. Drawing on the work of Indian historian Ramachandra Guha, she outlined ten ways in which Gandhi’s life and ideas remain relevant: from nonviolent resistance (Satyagraha) and interfaith harmony to environmental consciousness, lifelong learning, empathy for opponents and nurturing future leaders.

She illustrated these principles with concrete examples: Gandhi’s creation of independent media to offer nonviolent alternatives to dominant narratives; his advocacy of local production and self-reliance through spinning and small-scale agriculture; and his insistence that profound change often begins with seemingly small, principled actions at household and community level.

The dialogue that followed brought these themes into contemporary focus. Participants raised questions about the role of media in amplifying polarisation and conflict, the importance of youth engagement, the potential of Ayurveda and nature-based living for peace, and what it would take for human beings to truly live together across deep differences. Dr Gandhi repeatedly returned to a few simple but demanding disciplines: respect for every person, genuine listening, continuous learning, collaboration and never giving up on nonviolent solutions, even when they require personal sacrifice.

For SU and its partners, the session was more than a commemoration of a historic legacy. It was a living conversation about how Gandhian values can inform scholarship, leadership and civic action in a time when, once again, right is pitted against might on a global scale.