Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
From his birth in India to his graduation from law school in England in 1891, Mahatma Gandhi tried to live his life in a way that would allow him to be better accepted into British society. He soon realized the superficiality of culture as an expression of self. After experiencing discrimination as a colored person, he began to more deeply understand how repressive and harmful racial discrimination can be. In South Africa during his early twenties, his growing sense of social justice drove him to educate people about their rights and needs as human beings.
Gandhi´s methods of nonviolent disobedience against British racial discrimination in South Africa proved successful in the struggle leading to India´s independence from Great Britain. He knew that the actions of nonviolent disobedience he instilled in his followers were on such a large scale that the rule of law could not continually isolate and punish all of those who disobeyed. A loss of political and social control on the part of the tyrant however, was only the first step of Ghandi´s vision. Ultimately, he said, “My creed is non-violence under all circumstances. My method is conversion, not coercion; it is self-suffering, not the suffering of the tyrant.” Basically, he believed his methods could eventually overpower the enemy with love and pity because everyone, no matter how deeply hidden, holds an awareness of our common humanity, and that awareness in its raw form requires common sympathy.
