Globalisation of the Gandhian Way
Some Observations for Dialogue
Prof. Anand KumarJawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi
From Gandhi(1869/1948), to King(1929/1968), Mandela (1918)Dalai Lama (1935 ) Petra Kelly (1947/1992) and Aung San Suu Kyi (1945)
CONTENTS
• Who was Gandhi?• What is the Gandhian way?• Is there globalization of the Gandhian way?• The poverty challenge- Grameen Bank to UN's Millenium Development
Goals • Ending violence in private and public spheres - Women NGOs to Anti-War
Groups• The religious and race based discriminations - from British India to USA and
South Africa• Seeking political justice – Tibet,Poland, Czech Republic, Myanmar & Egypt• Resisting corporate capitalism - Transnational Radical Party to World
Social Forum• Protecting mother earth - the environmental movements
Who was Gandhi?
• The person & his early times – 19th Century India, UK, and South Africa.
• The principle inspirations – Spiritual literature including Gita,Jainism, The
Bible, Quran and The Bhakti poets. Bhai Rajchandra, Tolstoy, and John
Ruskin.
• The movements and imprisonments in South Africa & British India
• The supreme sacrifice against communal violence
• The messages: From Hind Swaraj (1909) and Autobiography
(1930s) to The Last Testament ( 1948) – Sarvodaya and Satyagraha.
What is the Gandhian way?
• Truth
• Non-violence
• Satyagraha(Civil-disobedience)
• 11 Steps towards character building
• 7 Sins
• Constructive way to a just social order
Gandhi's 11 Vows for Self-evolution• Ahimsa Nonviolence
• Satya Truth
• Asteya Non Stealing
• Brahmacharya Self Discipline
• Aparigraha Non-Possession
• Sharir-shrama Bread Labor
• Aswada Control of the Palate
• Sarvatra Bhayavarjana Fearlessness
• Sarva Dharma Samantva Equality of All Religions
• Swadeshi Use Locally Made Goods
• Sparshbhavana Remove Untouchability
• Seven Social Sins • Politics without Principle
• Wealth Without Work
• Pleasure Without Conscience
• Knowledge without Character
• Commerce without Morality
• Science without Humanity
• Worship without Sacrifice
- Young India, 22-10-1925
Constructive way to a just social order
• Communal Unity • Removal of Untouchabilty • Prohibition • Khadi • Other Village Industries • Village Sanitation • New or Basic Education • Adult Education • Women Education in Health and Hygiene• Provincial Languages • National Language • Economic Equality • Kisans (Farmers) • Labour • Adivasis (Tribals) • Lepers • Students • Place of Civil Disobedience
The poverty challenge- Grameen Bank to UN`s Millenium Development Goals
• Need-based planning- MDGs of UNO
• Decentralized development through empowering the poor-
Grameen Bank
• From production for masses to production by masses- Khadi &
Village Industries
• Appropriate technology & not machine-mania
• Trusteeship- Social Responsibility of the affluent classes
Ending violence in private and public spheres- Women NGOs,Civil Society to Anti-War Groups
• Global Campaigns about violence against women
• Constitutional guarantes for prevention of violence against children
• Laws against domestic violence
• Awareness building & action against torture of political prisoners –
Amnesty International, etc.
• Promotion of human rights of minorities
• Anti-war networks & movements- War Resisters International etc.
• Truth & Reconciliation Initiatives within and between countries about
ethnic, religious & racial violence.
The religious and race based discriminations- from British India to USA and South Africa
• Civil disobedience by Gandhi in South Africa to Civil Rights activism
in USA & the great transition in South Africa.
• Sarva Dharma Sambhav – Respect for all religions and Inter-faith
dialogues.
• Awareness through Prayers and Public Fasts
• Ultimate sacrifice against communal violence as a permanent
lesson.
Resisting corporate capitalism - Transnational Radical Party to World Social Forum
• Resistance movements against Special Economic Zones
• Protest by farmers around the world
• New politics beyond national frontiers- Transnational Radical Party
• Quest for particiaptory democracy: World Social Forum and related
initiatives at the national and continental levels
Nonviolent Radical Party transnational and transparty NGO in General consultative status with ECOSOC of the UN
GANDHIAN-NONVIOLENT • TRANSNATIONAL • CROSS-PARTY • DEMOCRATIC • ENVIRONMENTALIST • ECOLOGIST • DEMOCRATIC FEDERALIST • SECULAR • EUROPEAN FEDERALIST • LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC • LIBERAL SOCIALIST • LIBERTARIAN • ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN • ANTIPROHIBITIONIST • ANTI-PARTYCRATIC • ANTI-MILITARIST • ANTI-CLERICAL • INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE
Seeking political justice – Tibet, Poland, Czech Republic, Myanmar & Egypt
• The Tibet question & the middle path approach of the Dalai Lama
• Solidarity of Poland
• The separation of Czech & Slovakia
• Fight for democracy under Ang Saan Su Kyie
• The Jasmine Revolution of Egypt
Protecting mother earth – the environmental movements
• The ideological impact of Gandhi – From greed to need : Earth has enough to meet the needs of all human beings but not for greed.
• The methodological links with the Sarvodaya movements about environment:
• The energy question: Resistance against large dams to nuclear plants - Be the change you want to see in the world.
• The alternatives about industrialism & machine-based civilization : energy, consumerism,
• Way for sustainable development beyond want and violence: Sarvodaya ( Well being of all) – Sarva Dharma Samabhav(Respect for all faiths) – Swadeshi
( Priority to the local) – Self reliance – Satyagraha.
Thank you