Season for Nonviolence was established in 1998 by Arun Gandhi, Mohandas Gandhi's grandson, as a yearly event celebrating the philosophies and lives of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.[1][2] The idea was developed with the help of Dr. Michael Beckwith and Dr. Mary Morrissey, of the Association for Global New Thought and The Parliament of The World's Religions.[3][4] Before his 2023 death Arun Gandhi co-chaired the Season along with Rev. Beckwith of the Agape International Spiritual Center.[5]
The "season" begins with the anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on 30 January, ending on the 4 April anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. It is anchored by a mission, statement of principles, and commitments by participants towards living in a nonviolent way.[6][7]