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The Change we Wish to See:

The Change we Wish to See:. A Brief Summary of Gandhi’s Non-Violence and its Application to Contemporary Human Rights Issues in SF Bay Area Immigrant Populations. Alyson Rae Sprague 8 th Annual Human Rights Summit San Francisco State University Spring 2011. Published Abstract.

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The Change we Wish to See:

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  1. The Change we Wish to See: A Brief Summary of Gandhi’s Non-Violence and its Application to Contemporary Human Rights Issues in SF Bay Area Immigrant Populations Alyson Rae Sprague 8th Annual Human Rights Summit San Francisco State University Spring 2011

  2. Published Abstract I will present a brief summary of the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), a pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian Independence Movement. Rather than perform an extensive exegesis of the intricacies of Gandhi’s philosophy, I will focus on one principle of his non-violence theories: Satyagraha. The term “Satyagraha” can be loosely translated as “Soul force,” or, “holding on to truth”, and is a type non-violent civil resistance conceived and developed by Gandhi himself. This principle has been cross-culturally influential, successfully employed by both Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela in North America and Africa respectively. How can Gandhi’s principle of Satyagraha be applied to contemporary human rights issues in the SF Bay Area? I will briefly answer this query by offering one prominent example of human rights violations in regards specifically to immigrant populations (for example: violations in the right to good health). I will offer a brief proposal of resistance using Gandhi’s principle of Satyagraha and elicit responses from the audience on the proposal’s probability, possible objections to Gandhi’s theory generally or my application thereof specifically.

  3. Mohandas Gandhi 1869-1948

  4. What was gandhi up against? During Gandhi’s lifetime, The British empire controlled approximately 458 million people, and 1/4th of the world’s land area (Elkins, 2005).

  5. Britain’s India Prior to the Indian Independence movement, India was not a unified country, but a land mass divided into several colonies based on the prominent religion of the region

  6. Satyagraha • Term adapted by Gandhi in 1909, during South African resistance. • Satya = “Truth” • Graha = “Insistence”/ “firmness • Non-Violent Civil Resistance • “The Satyagrahi’s object is to convert, not to coerce, the wrong-doer.” • Gandhi, 1930

  7. Satyagraha Principles • Know and appreciate the laws of the state • Harbor no anger • Never retaliate but do not submit to assaults or punishment • Do not insult the opponent • Follow the guidance of the civil resistance movement without question. • Be willing to endure pain and suffering of yourself and your family for your cause, and do not react with violence. Gandhi, 1930

  8. Satyagraha ACTIVE Civil Resistance, returning violence with non-violence, via UNITY

  9. Satyagraha in action: the salt march 1930 • British law requires Indian people to purchase salt, a requisite dietary mineral, at exorbitant prices, even though it is extracted from local Indian Ocean. • Gandhi leads a non-violent resistance and march to the Indian Ocean, a distance of 200 miles over 28 days, allowing Indian citizens to freely collect their own salt. Hundreds of jobs are left unfulfilled for duration of the march. • Hundreds of Indian citizens stand in solidarity, united despite religious differences, against assaults of British government. Many killing or seriously injured, others are jailed. • Continued non-violent resistance and labor strikes eventually leads to repeal of anti-free trade law of salt

  10. Satyagraha throughout history • Martin Luther King, Jr. • “As I delved deeper into the philosophy of Gandhi, my skepticism concerning the power of love gradually diminished, and I came to see for the first time its potency in the area of social reform. ... It was in this Gandhian emphasis on love and nonviolence that I discovered the method for social reform that I had been seeking” • Nelson Mandela • Mandela and Afrikaaner National Party (ANC) followed Gandhi’s Satyagraha, for over ten years (1949-1962), aiding in the repeal of segregation and other racist laws in South Africa.

  11. Contemporary human rights violations in SF bay area • Child rights • Health Care • Domestic Violence • Low pay

  12. call for action:Satyagraha for immigrant populations in san francisco • Become aware of your rights http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights • All immigrant populations, regardless of race, must stand in solidarity • Unite in active--but non-violent--protests, marches, labor strikes.

  13. Could this be the change we wish to see?

  14. Sources King, Jr., Martin Luther (1998). Carson, Clayborne, ed. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. pp. 23-24. Gandhi, M.K. “Pre-requisites for Satyagraha” Young India 1 August 1925 Gandhi, M.K. “Some Rules of Satyagraha” Young India (Navajivan) 23 February 1930 (The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi vol. 48, p. 340 Elkins, Caroline (2005). Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya. Owl Books. American Civil Liberties Union http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights

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