Valedictory Address of IFPNP by Kathy Kelly, January 30, 2026
Kathy Kelly - President of WORLD BEYOND WAR Building Hope, Non-Violence, and Peace: What is Our Excuse Not to Do More? Kathy Kelly I am deeply privileged to be with all of you today. I want to say bon courage to us all and acknowledge that many of you are in contexts where great courage is required because of the violence affecting your communities and countries. Yet, you persist in your desire to learn more about nonviolence; I am truly impressed and grateful. On this day commemorating Mohandas Gandhi’s life and martyrdom, we have an opportunity to recognize the courage he found by constantly linking himself with those experiencing the brunt of violence. Toward the end of his life, he went from village to village, sitting with and listening to the people. In the midst of horrific violence, he tried to forge a way forward so that people could grapple with the question: 'How can we learn to live together without killing one another?' I believe that...
