Indian politician and humanist philosopher, father of non-violent political action.
Biography:
It was Gandhi's mother, a Jain, who inspired ahimsa (absolute non-violence) in her young son. Thanks to Gandhi, absolute non-violence became a philosophy and a spiritual goal that delegitimized violence and promoted respect for others in conflict. From 1906 onwards, to combat racial injustice in South Africa and then contemptuous British occupation in India, he developed the concept of non-violent action as a strategy for proactive, peaceful political action. This action strategy included Satyagraha, or non-violent civil disobedience. This led to the historic and lasting successes we know today (abolition of racist laws in South Africa, liberation from British rule in India). This strategy of political action has been the primary inspiration of the greatest political actors for peace, including Martin Luther King in the USA, Lech Wałęsa in Poland, Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Ibrahim Rugova in Kosovo.
