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