On the 138th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, world leaders reflected on the message of this wise man and his affect on history. "Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcomed Tuesday as the first International Day of Non-Violence coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi's 138th birthday.

"The 192 members of the U.N. General Assembly unanimously adopted the date as a commemoration of Gandhi's message of non-violent conflict resolution, equality and harmony. The United Nations adopted the resolution June 17, 2007.

"Prime Minister Singh acknowledged the occasion highlights the continued relevance of Gandhi's message."more

Here is the irony of a man who lived by peace, dying by violence. But his message of non-violence and peaceful resistance reverberated around the world, and was responsible for much of the social change in the second half of the 20th Century, not only in India but around the world.