Dr. Terry Oroszi holding the Flame of Hope at Raj Ghat in January 2023, the moment Mahatma Gandhi’s eternal flame was added to the unified vessel, beside the Buddhist clergy traveling with the flame. The Gandhi-King Center’s founding U.S. representative was present for the lighting.
“One Earth · One Prayer · One Flame.”
The flame, literally
Flame of Hope is the physical unification of fifteen sacred flames gathered from meaningful sites around the world, brought together into one vessel. It is described by its organizers as “the first physical manifestation of humankind’s common hope for Peace.”
The unified flame carries within it, among others:
Mahatma Gandhi’s Eternal Flame
From Rajghat, New Delhi, the memorial at the site of Gandhi’s cremation, where an eternal flame has burned since 1948. The Gandhi-King Center’s founding U.S. representative was present for the moment this flame was added to the unified lantern.
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Eternal Flame
From Atlanta, Georgia, the eternal flame at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, lit by Coretta Scott King.
The Fire of Eternal Peace
From Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha.
Twelve more sacred flames
Gathered from peace memorials, sanctuaries, and holy sites across continents and faith traditions.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis are among the religious leaders who have publicly received the flame. Tushar Gandhi, the Center’s board member and Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson, is among the world leaders the organization names as supporters.
How we met
The Gandhi-King Center met Flame of Hope at Raj Ghat in January 2023, during the Gandhi Legacy Tour. Dr. Oroszi was traveling with Tushar Gandhi and Dr. Ellis as the Center’s founding U.S. representative. The meeting was not a coincidence of itinerary: it was the lighting ceremony itself. Mahatma Gandhi’s eternal flame was being added to the Flame of Hope’s unified lantern that morning, and the Center’s representative was there for it, standing where the brass vessel received fire that had been burning since 1948.
That moment was part of a larger international peace pilgrimage that Flame of Hope undertook across 2023 and 2024 with three civilizational stops: Fukushima, Japan, contemporary witness to nuclear catastrophe; the Vatican, where the delegation was received by Pope Francis; and India, where Gandhi’s nonviolence was born and where we met them.
Coming to Dayton
Flame of Hope ceremony hosted at the International Peace Museum, Dayton, Ohio, with founding clergy and U.S. organizers presenting the flame to a local audience.
Flame of Hope traveled to Dayton, Ohio, where the Gandhi-King Center is headquartered, for a public ceremony hosted at the International Peace Museum, the only peace museum in the United States and one of the Center’s local partners. International partnerships often die in the gap between the trip out and the trip back. This one did not.
The partnership has continued since. Tushar Gandhi has participated with Flame of Hope in subsequent ceremonies; further programming with the flame is in planning.
Watch
Where to learn more
Flame of Hope’s own website is flameofhope.net. They accept wishes for the world from the public; over 675,000 have been collected. They base their international peace work at The Pagoda Peace Park in the Japanese Alps.
To inquire about Flame of Hope through the Gandhi-King Center, or to be introduced to their leadership for joint programming, write to Admin@gandhi-king-center-for-nonviolence.org or use the contact form and mention Flame of Hope in your message.