Satyagraha

In his book Basic Education, Mahatma Gandhi wrote “I must continue to bear testimony to truth even if I am forsaken by all” to instill the virtue of truth for the creation of ideal citizens. Gandhi was the torch-bearer of civil rights movements during the age of British imperialism, and through his words and actions, the ideals of nonviolence and peaceful protest continue to this day. Gandhi showed that the actions of one individual can represent the sentiments of inequality and discrimination…

Oscar Wilde’s quote of “It is through disobedience that progress has been made” profoundly relates to the quote “When life puts you in tough situations, don't say “why me” say “try me””. Wilde states that disobedience creates opportunity for social progress; through the multitude of impactful nonviolence protest leaders like David Henry Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, it is crystalline that these memorable figures inspired change through civil disobedience. I firmly agree in…

George Orwell, pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, a son of a British civil servant, was born on June 25, 1903 in Motihari, Bengal, India and died on January 1, 1950 at the age of 47. He spent his first day in India where his father was stationed. A year after his birth, his mother brought him and his older sister, Marjorie, to England and settled in Henley-on-Thames. George Orwell was known as an English novelist, essayist, and critic in Great Britain. His work is marked by ordinary language,…

“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere.”Elie Wiesel said this in his speech after winning the Nobel Peace Prize. We must know how to take sides to help us be the voice for all of these people that have been silenced due to dehumanization. The Holocaust was a genocide during World War II in which Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany systematically murdered some seven million European Jews.…

Henry David Thoreau, Mohandas Gandhi and Nelson Mandela all fought for peoples rights against their government. They all stood up for what they thought was right and unfair against the people. Mohandas Gandhi protested against the British government and when the British started taxing salt on the people of India, he didn’t think it was right. He peacefully protested by marching to the ocean and claiming that the salt belonged to the people. Gandhi stated “ you may choose any device to break the…

Cesar Chavez, in his essay pertaining to the Floridian farm worker’s movement for more just treatment, argues for the importance of nonviolent resistance as a civil, moral, and powerful method of promoting social change. Chavez supports his argument by illustrating the inevitable consequences of violence opposed to nonviolence and rationally explaining the effectiveness of nonviolence as a catalyst for change. The author’s purpose is to illustrate the overwhelming advantages of nonviolent…

There have been many historical figures that are admirable or detestable representations of the expression to lead by example; such as, Julius Caesar, Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther King, and others. All of theses leaders were instruments of change and renewal. They unify voices from people to achieve a solution to the situations that segregates the people thus creating conflicts. These leaders have been promoters of change and have been soldiers of improving humanity. They shaped nations,…

I personally agree with Gandhi, as I believe that we should not resort to violence, not even as a last resort. A more peaceful and nonviolent solution is always possible, and should be strived to. This especially comes to mind in the topic of violent versus nonviolent protests. History tells us that nonviolent protest have been the more successful of the two, and there are many notable examples. Gandhi himself aimed to achieve his goal of bringing freedom to India through nonviolence, and he…

The conflict which would become known as the Water Wars, began as a series of public meetings held by local professionals and peasant irrigation farmers in Cochabamba. Initially, these meetings garnered little media attention and were ultimately ignored by the Bolivian government and Aguas del Tunari. However, as the public became more aware of the impending price hikes, the resistance picked up support from water cooperatives, neighborhood associations and most significantly labor unions. In…

The Optimism of the Individual to bring about Social Reform The idea of “civil" action, disobedience to connect individual action to the social good is a major part of Thoreau's belief system. Gandhi's march was "historical" because he recognized its ingrained life-changing nature. The "Long Walk to Freedom" is representative of how Mandela sees the end of apartheid in his vision. The call for sacrifice and pain that each thinker suggests clearly makes the case for an optimistic end. Thoreau's…