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The influence of Mahatma Gandhi
The influence of Mahatma Gandhi
Peacemaking And Conflict Management
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“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” (Mahatma Gandhi), welcome to the world of non-violence, not similar to ‘disney land’ but merely a small philosophical village coated in white, decorated with crystals and abundant in doves; white resembling peace, crystals for clarity and pure spirit and doves for .. I don’t know, I guess I have been driven by my imagination. There is a considerable debate about the precise meaning of nonviolence. Some people believe that nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of violence. In other words, nonviolence is a method for resolving a conflict without the use of physical power nor enmity towards opponents. Instead, it emphasizes you to look beyond convictions and one’s urge for victory, it is the motto behind the saying “hate the sin and not the sinner”. For others it is a way of living and an essential part of their values and norms, for those people, nonviolence is the road which will lead them towards attaining inner piece and moral satisfaction. “Learn and teach nonviolence as a way of life; reflect it in attitude, speech and action” say’s Gerber in his article The Road to Nonviolence. Thus making nonviolence the ultimate behavior towards achieving truthful, spiritual, loving life. Mahatma Gandhi, the nonviolence guru, defines nonviolence as “a power which can be wielded equally by all-children, young men and women or grown-up people, provided they have a living faith in the God of Love and have therefore equal love for all mankind”. (mkgandhi.org) Therefore we understand that nonviolence has some terms and conditions to be met; living faith in God, truthfulness, humility, tolerance, loving kindness, honesty and the willingness to sacrifice. ... ... middle of paper ... ...achingamerican history.org) Thus we understand that the right way of defeating an opponent is by awakening a sense of shame within him. This will not only attain justice, but also helps him to recognize his faults and to rectify them. As a result we will be creating a beloved community. Works Cited Gerber Hansuli John, “The Road to Nonviolence”. www.amaricamagazine.org October 18, 2010. Web December 26, 2010. Gandhi M.K. “Peace, Nonviolence And Conflict Resolution”. www.mkgandhi.org N.p. Web. December 26, 2010. Gandhi M.K. “The Gospel of Non-Violence”. www.mkgandhi.org N.p. Web. December 26, 2010. Holy Qur’an. Trans. Sahih International, n.d. December 26, 2010. Sabir Ramzan, “Karbala”. www.Al-islam.org N.p. Web. December 26, 2010. King Martin Luther, “The Power of Non-violence”. www.teachingamericanhistory.org June 4, 1957. Web. December 26, 2010.
¬¬¬Though most American people claim to seek peace, the United States remains entwined with both love and hate for violence. Regardless of background or personal beliefs, the vast majority of Americans enjoy at least one activity that promotes violence whether it be professional fighting or simply playing gory video games. Everything is all well and good until this obsession with violence causes increased frequency of real world crimes. In the article, “Is American Nonviolence Possible” Todd May proposes a less standard, more ethical, fix to the problem at hand. The majority of the arguments brought up make an appeal to the pathos of the reader with a very philosophical overall tone.
...able to showcase the great power that nonviolence could have on the world and how by using methods such as that one would be more successful than if one used violence. As Mahatma Gandhi once said “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”
...y shocks most of people who hear and see it, encouraging and moving others who also suffer. In instance, Elena screamed at Longoria to show she would not give them any information about resistances and Antonio when Longoria was about to killing her (Tobar 148). Elena sacrificed her life to protect Antonio and her friends who fought against the Guatemalan government without using any violence when she faced Longoria who tried to kill her. She showed it was important not to be daunted by fear and to keep fighting for justice. Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi advocated nonviolent resistance as a means of seeking peace and gaining independence for the Republic of India from Britain. Justice should be served by means in the name of justice. Nonviolent resistance is a powerful way to fight against the cycle of violence and work towards the realization of a peaceful world.
Ladenburg, Thomas . "Chapter 6." Martin Luther King & Malcolm X on on Violence and integration. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. .
Having a non-violent way to approach civil engagement helps people rise from the dark. In the article, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” by King Jr., he writes, “So the purpose of the direct action is to create a situation so crises-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation”(236). King Jr. suggests that the only way for Americans to see the need to change is through direct actions and that could possibly get them to negotiate. It related to the article, “from Non-Violent Resistance,” by Gandhi because through a non-violent action, people see the value of actually wanting to create justice. He points out, “Non-violence is the supreme dharma is the proof of this power of love. Non-violence is a dormant state”(Gandhi 316). He refers to all people that if someone gives a person pain, the person receiving the pain should not act back in a harsh attitude, but he/she will win if they show love. However, King Jr. also explains one’s right to express verbally. He writes, “If his repressed emotions do not come out in these nonviolent ways, they will come out in ominous expressions of violence. This is not a threat; it is a fact of history”(MLK 242). It is within the first amendment that all people have the right to free speech in any way, and if people express their emotions in an intimidating way, it is not a threat. Approaching all injustices social issues in
The twentieth century saw the rise and fall of three pivotal figures in the ongoing movement for equality and justice for all peoples. Mahatma Gandhi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Martin Luther King, Jr. all addressed the immoral and unjust actions of drastically different societies, yet all were to enact some degree of social change that would eventually result in an increased quality of life for oppressed members of their nations. A key strategy in their movements was nonviolent resistance, actively resisting unjust laws and practices and largely using only peaceful and non-harmful means to achieve their ends. This begs the question: What makes a nonviolent movement so powerful? Gandhi used nonviolence to change the minds of the British Empire,
First Martin Luther King’s philosophy of non violence had two major influences guided him though his life a strong belief in religion and the Philosophy of Gandhi. Being a Christian instilled strong moral values in Martin Luther King and much of Martin Luther King’s philosophy of non violence residences form came from the bible, like the teachings of Jesus and the Christian principles of pacifism. Martin Luther King also had other influences that helped shape his philosophy of non violent. For instance, Martin Luther King was greatly influenced by another civil rights activist, Mahatma Gandhi. A lot of Martin Luther King’s philosophy of non violence resistance came from the Philosophies that Gandhi applied to his resistance movements in India and Africa. For example, the use of boycotts, rallies, Marches, and civil non compliance as forms of non violence resistance. It was both his religion and influences form activist like Gandhi; straighten his commitment to love his enemy and not to wish harm on them, and to fight for truth and justice.
Prominent leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King Jr. are known all around the world for teaching and practicing nonviolence while fighting for human justice and peace. They are graced throughout history books, not only for their commendable actions but for their effective manner of inducing change around the world. Although these prominent figures leave everlasting footprints on the soil of this earth, there are many more that have contributed and still contribute to the struggle of human survival.
The non-violent philosophy was not a movement of pacifism to Martin Luther King, it was one of action. Absolute strength was apparent in its practice, but how? The student movement caused many of its’ participants to be severely beaten, chastised, and arrested, only to continue while never fighting back. Why were they doing this? King felt the answer was that through their actions they would awaken not only the majority, but more importantly the minority to the need for equal rights. Apathy had set in among both groups causing them to accept the current state of affairs, and like the great “gadfly” Socrates, King and the students were forcing both groups to wake up and open their eyes.
Dasa, Gadadhara Pandit. “Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi: The Liberating Power of Non-violence.” The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post., 21 Jan. 2014. Web. 13 May 2014.
To illustrate how powerful non-violence is, he uses juxtaposition and places two contrasting words side by side. When he states, “But I believe that non-violence is infinitely superior to violence, forgiveness is more manly than punishment, forgiveness adorns a soldier.”, the contrasting ideas in this statement, resonate his powerful message that non-violence is not to be misunderstood as inferior and less manly. Gandhi provides a contrasting analogy on how strong non-violence is to clearly state his message, and compares India to a mouse that is hurt by the cat, Britain. He says “A mouse hardly forgives a cat when it allows itself to be torn to pieces by her.” The two animals, a mouse and a cat are juxtaposed to vividly portray that India does not forget the violent things Britain did and it will do anything in its power to defend itself. To remind his audience that non-violence is for India’s own benefit, Gandhi states a clear definition of non-violence using contrasting sentences. He says “It does not mean meek submission to the will of the evil-doer, but it means the pitting of one’s whole soul against the will of the tyrant.” By stating that he practices non-violence not because he is scared of Britain, but because it is the most effective and powerful way to fight against Britain, Gandhi makes his idea even
First, there is Martin Luther King Jr. who practices nonviolence. He does not believe violence to be an effective approach for long-lasting change. In fact, he states in his Nobel Prize Lecture that, “[he is] not unmindful of the fact that violence often brings about momentary results (King, 4).” The key phrase is “momentary results” which means that violence only solves a problem for a certain amount of time. His example includes how violence won independence for nations. However, no set peace is achieved by it. King regards it as temporary peace. In fact, he states that it creates more complex, unresolved issues, with a never-ending series of self-destruction. He claims that, “It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends up defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers (King, 4).” All of those claims just portray destruction in itself. There seemingly lacks a positive ring. Instead, he preaches nonviolence because it concerns the majority of the people and their goals concerns the peace and harmony of the community. His nonviolent approaches include persuasion with the use of words. However, if that fails...
According to Gandhi, Non-violence is the greatest force that is available to humankind, and it is stronger than any known weapon of mass destruction. Gandhi describes non-violence as a living force of power that is above brute force. He asserts that its limits are immeasurable and that it is the search for truth. Gandhi further says that nonviolence is not a weapon of the weak but rather one, which can be tried by everyone, and it works the same for all individuals. Nonviolence must begin with the mind and should dissociate from fear for it to be reliable and efficient. According to Gandhi, “ my creed of non-violence is an
Non-violence. Many people confuse this term with pacifism. Pacifism is defined as the belief that any violence, including war, is unjustifiable under any circumstances. Non-violence is defined as the use of peaceful means, not force, to bring about political or social change. The difference between the two are fairly simple to see when we define them side by side. Pacifism states that war is unjustifiable, however, it does not specify that Pacifism shows any inclination toward preventing war. Compare this to non-violence, which states that issues should only be solved in peaceful means. In this comparison, it would appear that Pacifism allows war, whereas non-violence tries to completely eradicate or avoid it. Now that we have clarified the
The people who succeed against injustice are the people whom no one or nothing can stop. Injustice has always been present in people’s lives. It can hurt anyone on any subject. It normally comes when someone has more power in society over the victim. But everyone has an ego so they will stand up for themselves and fight against the injustice, but the important part is how they fight against the injustice. During history many have failed even though they were fighting back because they took the wrong path. Thus, although it may not be the desired path for people to take while fighting against injustice, but history has proven that both violence and nonviolence can be a solution but it’s the matter of when for each one.