1981day.year
Lanza del Vasto
(1901 - 1981)
Italian poet and philosopher
Italian poet and philosopher
Italian poet and philosopher who founded the Community of the Ark and promoted Gandhian nonviolent ideals.
Born Giuseppe Lanza di Trabia, he was an Italian poet, philosopher, and committed disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1948, he founded the Community of the Ark in southern France, a commune dedicated to nonviolent living and communal agriculture. Del Vasto published poems, essays, and treatises on spirituality and social justice, advocating for simple living and pacifism. His writings and lectures helped introduce Gandhian principles to Western audiences. He organized peace marches and hunger strikes in support of civil rights and anti-nuclear causes. Del Vasto's legacy endures in the international communities of the Ark that uphold his ideals of love, nonviolence, and communal harmony.
Lanza del Vasto