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Celebrating non-violence and kindness

The International Day of Non-violence is celebrated every year on 2 October. This United Nations observance was inspired by the work of Indian political activist Mahatma Gandhi who championed non-violence as the best way to fight against oppression and injustice.

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 The International Day of Non-Violence is a United Nations observance established in 2007. It is celebrated on 2 October, the day Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) was born. Gandhi was an Indian political activist. He was born in British-ruled India and later lived in South Africa, which was also under British rule. Faced with the evils of imperialism, his political ideas began to mature. He decided to fight against the oppression and racism that he saw all around him. Instead of adopting the typical, violent revolutionary methods, he pioneered a new kind of political activism: non-violence.

The mightiest of all weapons

Gandhi believed that it made no sense to fight for justice and peace using hatred and violence. “I object to violence,” he said, “because, when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary, the evil it does is permanent.” Non-violence, for Gandhi, was not meek submission but powerful action, “mightier than the mightiest weapon.” His political battles in India included passive resistance, civil disobedience and boycotts. His most famous was a 24-day march to protest against the British salt monopoly. Gandhi’s Salt March sparked mass civil disobedience against the salt laws, and the British arrested over 60,000 Indians. Gandhi treated his opponents with respect but strongly resisted their wrongdoings. His example inspired millions, and non-violence played a significant role in achieving Indian independence.

A much-copied tactic

Gandhi’s non-violence influenced several 20th-century civil and political activists. In the United States, the Civil Rights Movement used non-violent strategies to combat racial discrimination. Its most famous leader, Martin Luther King (1929–1968), greatly admired Gandhi. King, who was a Christian minister, said: “Christ gave us the goals and Mahatma Gandhi the tactics.” Another political figure inspired by Gandhi was Nelson Mandela (1918–2013). Mandela played an important role in ending apartheid, a form of institutionalised racial segregation in South Africa.

A successful method

These are not isolated cases. In his study, The Politics of Nonviolent Action, American political scientist Gene Sharp uses examples from various historical periods and cultures to illustrate 198 successful non-violent tactics. These range from petitions and marches to mutinies and hunger strikes. More recently, in their book Why Civil Resistance Works, researchers Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan found that non-violent campaigns were more than twice as effective as violent ones in achieving their goals. They also lead to more durable and peaceful democracies.

Kindness Matters

Gandhi believed that small acts of kindness can make the world a better place. In line with this belief, UNESCO launched the #KindnessMatters Campaign on the International Day of Non-Violence 2018. This campaign wants to encourage young people around the world to support the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and secure prosperity for all by 2030. One can participate by performing and reporting a simple act of kindness, compassion, and care towards others or the environment. These acts of kindness can take many forms, such as helping the elderly, serving meals at homeless shelters, campaigning against racism, fighting bullying in schools, planting trees or protecting endangered animals. The campaign has already recorded more than 5 million such acts. Why not contribute with one of your own?

USEFUL LINKS

1) Here’s the UN’s official page on the International Day of Non-Violence.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/non-violence-day

2) Read about Gandhi on History.com:
https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/mahatma-gandhi

3) Read about Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela:
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr
https://www.history.com/topics/africa/nelson-mandela

4) Are you interested in the 198 methods of non-violent action identified by Gene Sharp? Here’s the list:
https://www.mkgandhi.org/nonviolence/practice_nonviolence.html

5) Listen to Erica Chenoweth talk about why non-violent civil resistance works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJSehRlU34w

6) Here you can find UNESCO’s #KindnessMatters campaign.
https://mgiep.unesco.org/kindness

7) Read some of the kindness stories of the #KindnessMatters campaign.
https://mgiep.unesco.org/kindness-stories
COMPREHENSION

1) Read the article and complete the sentences with the correct alternative.
1.
 Gandhi saw the injustices of imperialism in
a. India and South Africa.
b. India and Britain.
c. South Africa and Britain.

2. Gandhi was not interested in
a. non-violence.
b. typical revolutionary methods.
c. political activism.

3. Gandhi believed that violent methods produced
a. permanent good outcomes.
b. temporary evil outcomes.
c. permanent evil outcomes.

4. Gandhi believed that non-violence was
a. meek submission.
b. stronger than conventional weapons.
c. better than passive resistance.

5. Martin Luther King believed that Christ and Gandhi
a. were important 20th-century political activists.
b. were fundamental to the Civil Rights Movement.
c. were important leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

6. Apartheid was
a. a racist political system.
b. supported by Nelson Mandela.
c. a Civil Rights movement.

7. The Politics of Nonviolent Action wants to prove that
a. non-violent tactics have failed 198 times.
b. non-violent tactics work only during certain historical periods.
c. non-violent tactics are successful.

8. Why Civil Resistance Works shows that
a. violent campaigns are twice as effective as non-violent ones.
b. non-violent campaigns do not produce durable democracies.
c. violent campaigns are less successful than non-violent ones.

9. The #KindnessMatters Campaign is primarily aimed at
a. young people.
b. the elderly.
c. political activists.

10. You can participate in the #KindnessMatters Campaign by
a. performing simple acts of kindness.
b. ignoring the Sustainable Development Goals.
c. celebrating the International Day of Non-Violence.  


VOCABULARY

2) Complete the sentences with the following words. Put the nouns, verbs and adjectives in the right form, if necessary.

to pioneer  *  mighty  *  meek  *  to boycott  *  wrongdoing  *  mutiny  *  durable  *  sustainable  *  to secure  *  shelter

1. Gandhi believed that non-violence was ………………………………………. than the sword.
2. After a long and difficult struggle, we finally ……………………………………….  peace.
3. These are ……………………………………….  clothes: you can wear them for years without losing quality.
4. He’s a ……………………………………….  person; he’s submissive and likely to do what other people tell him to do.
5. We built ……………………………………….  to provide temporary homes for the refugees.
6. The soldiers stopped obeying the general’s orders. It’s a ………………………………………. !
7. The opposition party is ……………………………………….  the elections by instructing its supporters not to vote.
8. The investigation uncovered political ……………………………………….  within the government.
9. Her company ……………………………………….  new technologies in renewable energy.
10. Investing in renewable energy is a key step towards a ……………………………………….  future.


GRAMMAR – Past simple and past continuous

3) Complete the sentences using the verbs provided. Use the past simple or the past continuous.

1. 
Gandhi ……………………………………….  (to write) many publications while he ……………………………………….  (to live) in South Africa.
2. While he ……………………………………….  (to live) in London, Gandhi ……………………………………….  (to join) the London Vegetarian Society.
3. Gandhi ……………………………………….  (to fight) for Indian independence when World War II ……………………………………….  (to begin).
4. British authorities ……………………………………….  (to feel) that Gandhi ……………………………………….  (to threaten) British colonial power.
5. The police ……………………………………….  (to arrest) Martin Luther King while he ……………………………………….  (to protest) against racial discrimination.
6. Gandhi ……………………………………….  (to go) to a prayer meeting in New Delhi when a terrorist ……………………………………….  (to shoot) him.
7. When he ……………………………………….  (to promote) civil rights, Martin Luther King ……………………………………….  (to face) significant political resistance.
8. I ……………………………………….  (to surf) the Internet when I ……………………………………….  (to read) about the #KindnessMatters Campaign.
9. I ……………………………………….  (to read) one of Martin Luther King’s speeches when I ……………………………………….  (to realize) that his message resembled Gandhi’s.
10. That old lady ……………………………………….  (to try) to cross the street, so I ……………………………………….  (to stop) to help her.


SHORT ESSAY

4) Comment on one of the following statements by Gandhi (60-80 words):

●      “Poverty is the worst form of violence.”
●      “Non-violence is a weapon of the strong.”
●      “Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.”
●      “If one man gains spiritually, the whole world gains with him and if one man falls, the whole world falls to that extent.”

5) Have you ever done or received a significant act of kindness? Describe. (60-80 words)


DEBATE

6) Pair up with one of your classmates and look at the proposition below; one of you will argue in favour of it and one of you against it.

Proposition: All conflicts can be resolved using non-violent methods.

(Carlo Dellonte)
(Image: Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd (Malmö); CC-BY-2.5 Wikimedia Commons)

6 Commenti
T

Tiziana Tragni

17 ottobre 2023 alle 17:08

Ottimo materiale, Zanichelli una garanzia!

R

Redazione

19 ottobre 2023 alle 11:08 - in risposta a Tiziana Tragni

Grazie per il suo commento e per la fiducia nella qualità dei nostri contenuti! Continui a seguirci! La redazione

M

Mirella alberelli

17 ottobre 2023 alle 17:29

Materiale utilissimo per Educazione Civica!!!

R

Redazione

20 ottobre 2023 alle 16:17 - in risposta a Mirella alberelli

Grazie per il suo commento. Siamo lieti che questo articolo le sia stato utile. Sempre nell'ambito di Educazione Civica le consigliamo i nostri articoli "Celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage in the US" (B1) e "The allure or perils and perils of social media" (B2). Continui a seguirci! La redazione

m

marianna incarnato

18 ottobre 2023 alle 13:39

Ottimo materiale

R

Redazione

19 ottobre 2023 alle 11:09 - in risposta a marianna incarnato

Grazie mille per il suo commento. Siamo lieti che questo articolo le sia stato utile. Continui a seguirci! La redazione

m

maria stasio

21 ottobre 2023 alle 19:59

ottimo materiale per le lezioni di educazione civica.

R

Redazione

23 ottobre 2023 alle 11:47 - in risposta a maria stasio

Grazie mille! Consigliamo anche a lei, sempre nell'ambito di Educazione Civica, i nostri articoli "Celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage in the US" (B1) e "The allure or perils and perils of social media" (B2).

T

Tiziana Cucco

22 ottobre 2023 alle 21:43

Ottimo materiale per Educazione civica.Grazie

R

Redazione

23 ottobre 2023 alle 11:48 - in risposta a Tiziana Cucco

Grazie mille! Consigliamo anche a lei, sempre nell'ambito di Educazione Civica, i nostri articoli "Celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage in the US" (B1) e "The allure or perils and perils of social media" (B2).

R

RITA LO PRETE

15 dicembre 2023 alle 11:36

Alta qualità del materiale fornito. Molto utile e interessante. Grazie!

R

Redazione

15 dicembre 2023 alle 15:01 - in risposta a RITA LO PRETE

Grazie a lei per il suo commento. Continui a seguirci! La redazione

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