Hello,
I’m curious to know where this Gandhi slide comes from (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/10le5ba-a2R1JIJMcqGT5h_aElauaF1P81ByRRr-C2uk/edit?usp=sharing).
I am not very familiar with Gandhi’s writings so haven’t been able to find it.
Thanks,
Erkki
Hello Erkki!
I saw the graphic about Ghandis social change that you are talking about,
Challenge program~ Constructive program~Spiritual purification.
But I can’t see in which context you are asking or from where in Sociocracy areas you found it.
I’m neither an expert in Ghandis ideas nor an Eastern politics expert.
I guess to understand Ghandis approach to social change we have to take away our western glasses and see how a spiritual development of the people help to do constructive efforts to solve challenges.
All these ideas were actual before the consumption society we now live in the collective western.
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Some explanation of Ghandis ideas are resumed by two experts of the university of Mumbai:
Gandhiji’s Views On Youth As An Agent For Social Transformation
Ms. Preeti Gharse / Mr. Santosh Sharma, University of Mumbai
…
Let us now consider the battle taking place on THE SOCIAL FRONT:
History has numerous instances of old and well-established civilizations fading away or being ended suddenly, and vigorous new cultures taking their place. It is some vital energy, some inner source of strength that gives life to civilization or people without which all efforts are ineffective, like the vain attempt of an aged person to play the part of a youth? Such was the vitality attached to young students by our beloved Father of the Nation!
So what is this social transformation that he was referring to using youth as a catalyst?
Society, as defined, is a group of individuals dwelling together who symbiotically carries out various activities to bring happiness and stabilization. As it is a unique blend of diverse religions, cultures, and races its structure keeps changing with respect to time. After all, nothing is constant but “change”! Gandhiji had stressed upon youth participation in bringing out various social reforms during his struggle for independence in the Sati Pratha, Polygamy, Child marriage, Education of women, Widow remarriage, Untouchability, Caste system, Exploitation and Religious misguidance. And the attributes that make youth swim through were Non-violence, Co-operation, Justice, Equality and Love. Non-violence, Gandhiji advocated, has a religious, social, spiritual and personal significance. Force or aggression leads to a total destruction of society. Violent feelings provoke conflicts which grow in strength and threaten the very society it was initially supposed to protect. As violence or force grows in size it takes a negative and destructive path and affects society. The only force, Mahatma Gandhi proposed was fasting which could be coercive but upright. The path proposed was of Non-co-operation, boycott or Satyagraha. Let us not forget that satyagraha was the subtle force which he used to shake the very foundation of the British Empire! He believed in the destruction of the false and the wicked by non-violence which would eventually result in the ultimate triumph of good over all evil.
Gandhiji described the term co-operation as all individuals coming together to achieve the designed goals and all of them sharing the fruits of the achievements. Nobody is overburdened nor over regarded. Youth should co-operate with elders and children. It should be looked upon as a way of life. “Vina Sahakar Nahi Uddhar” (No prosperity without co-operation). He underlined that co-operation is the basis for peace, love, equality and justice. Mahatma Gandhi advocated joint families and village communities as the co-operation among different individuals, classes, castes and groups in the society ensures growth in all walks of human life from basic needs of food, clothing and shelter to more complex requirement of the people like industries, transportation, recreation, finance, etc. Gandhiji also proposed the young entrepreneurs concept to achieve primary objectives of growth and equality. Gandhiji wanted youth against the misuse of Co-operation like undue publicisation, excessive government intervention, exploitation, promotion of self-interest etc.
Love, as per the Mahatma, is a feeling or sentiment which originates in the soul. Love for young people is a form of energy which would charge them every now and then. The entire structure of society is built upon a sound foundation of love. He advocated love strongly as it develops co-operation and a sense of understanding that makes the entire society happy. Equality, in youth, is a noble, desirable and valuable principle. A comparison between two individuals, groups, societies, natures etc. is against the natural Law, said Mahatma. After all everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Is it logical, leave alone ethical to say that one person is superior to another? Accordingly Gandhiji appealed youngsters to strive towards nullifying the wide gap between various sections of the society. He proposed elimination of all sorts of artificial discrimination, exploitation and oppression to establish equality. Men and Women are equal. They complement each other through the different functions they perform in a society. He once stated that “If we do not efface untouchability we shall all be effaced from the face of the Earth”. Caste, he felt does not connote superiority or inferiority. It simply recognizes differences in outlooks and corresponding modes of life.
He proposed youth to provide equal protection and security to all. Economic inequality implying concentration of wealth and income in few hands is the root cause of political instability and social inequality. He further suggested abolition of exploitation, forced labor, sexual discrimination so as to restore social harmony. Untouchability, according to him, was an offence. It was one of those evils which plagued society, a crime against not only humanity but against God. Unity and Equality are core values on which a nation rests.
About justice, he said, that there exists a close relationship between equality and justice. Youth must know that justice is done when equality is established and when equality exists justice is done. Justice is natural or Godly ensuring the balance in the universe through young exercisers. Justice is normative connotation depending upon the accepted morals of the society, the predictions and customs instituted by the society for betterment of all. What is more important for youth is spreading the light of justice and creating awareness.
Hello Mario!
Thank you for your help. I really like the “Gandhi slide” and it is also proposed in the SoFA Training manual to be used on Sociocracy courses. My main concern is that someone who does know Gandhi’s thoughts asks where it came from. Gandhi has written a book “Constructive Program” (https://www.jmu.edu/gandhicenter/_files/gandhiana-constprog.pdf) but the other two I can not find as such even though I am also sure you could find them in Gandhi’s thinking. Just looking for a direct reference - or if it is an interpretation of Gandhi’s thought.
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Thanks Erkki for the link,
Regarding the slide of Ghandi, I’m more decline to be an interpretation if Ghandis thoughts that correlate the challenges that a society face with the spiritual development to create social change. And as I said in a consumption society that is really challenging! I hope the climate activist of today can influence in an introspective way and not only as a rebellious movement, to influence a Ghandi approach.
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Hi Mario, That is the beauty of the Gandhi slide: we need to challenge like f.ex. Extinction Rebellion, we need to construct like in Sociocracy or Permaculture and we need our inner development to get free of the consumerism.