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ARTICLES:Peace,Nonviolence,ConflictResolution
ReadarticleswrittenbyverywellknownpersonalitiesandeminentauthorsabouttheirviewsonGandhi,Gandhi'sworks,
GandhianphilosophyofPeace,NonviolenceandConflictResolution.
ARTICLESONGANDHI
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PEACE,NONVIOLENCE,CONFLICTRESOLUTION:CONFLICTRESOLUTION&PEACE:AGANDHIANPERSPECTIVE

ARTICLES

Peace,Nonviolence,ConflictResolution
1. GlobalNonviolenceNetwork(globalnonviolencenetwork.php)

2. ViolenceAndItsDimensions(violenceanditsdimensions.php)
3. Youth,NonviolenceAndGandhi(youthnonviolenceandgandhi.php)
4. NonviolentAction:SomeDilemmas(nonviolentactionsomedilemmas.php)
5. TheMeaningofNonviolence(meaningofnonviolence.php)
6. IndiaAndTheAngloBoerWar(indiaandtheangloboerwar.php)
7. Gandhi'sVisionofPeace(gandhivisionofpeace.php)
8. Gandhi'sGreatestWeapon(gandhisgreatestweapon.php)
9. ConflictResolution:TheGandhianApproach(conflictresolutionthegandhianapproach.php)
10. KingianNonviolence:APracticalApplicationinPolicing(kingiannonviolence.php)
11. PilgrimageToNonviolence(pilgrimagetononviolence.php)
12. PeaceParadigms:FiveApproachesToPeace(peaceparadigmsfiveapproachestopeace.php)
13. InterpersonalConflict(interpersonalconflict.php)
14. MoralEquivalentofWarAsAConflictResolution(moralequivalentofwarasaconflictresolution.php)
15. Conflict,ViolenceAndEducation(conflictviolenceandeducation.php)
16. TheEmergingRoleofNGOsinConflictResolution(roleofngosinconflictresolution.php)
17. RoleofAcademicsinConflictResolution(roleofacademicsinconflictresolution.php)
18. TheRoleofCivilSocietyinConflictResolution(roleofcivilsocietyinconflictresolution.php)
19. MartinLutherKing'sNonviolentStruggleAndItsRelevanceToAsia(martinlutherkingnonviolentstruggle.php)
BACKTOTOP
20. Terrorism:CounterViolenceisNottheAnswer(terrorismcounterviolenceisnottheanswer.php)

21. Gandhi'sVisionandTechniqueofConflictResolution(gandhivisionandtechniqueofconflictresolution.php)
22. ThreeCaseStudiesofNonviolence(threecasestudiesofnonviolence.php)
23. HowNonviolenceWorks(hownonviolenceworks.php)
24. TheCourageofNonviolence(courageofnonviolence.php)
25. ConflictResolutionandPeacePossibilitiesintheGandhianPerspective(conflictresolutionandpeacepossibilitiesin
gandhianperspective.php)
26. AnApproachToConflictResolution(approachtoconflictresolution.php)
27. Nonviolence:NeitherABeginningNorAnEnd(nonviolenceneitherabeginningnoranend.php)
28. PeacemakingAccordingToRev.Dr.MartinLutherKingJr.(peacemakingmartinlutherking.php)
29. TheTruthAboutTruthForce(truthabouttruthforce.php)

30. TheDevelopmentofACultureofPeaceThroughElementarySchoolsinCanada(peacethroughelementaryschoolsin
canada.php)
31. Gandhi,ChristianityAndAhimsa(gandhichristianityandahimsa.php)
32. IssuesInCultureofPeaceAndNonviolence(issuesincultureofpeaceandnonviolence.php)
33. SolutionofViolenceThroughLove(solutionofviolencethroughlove.php)
34. DevelopingACultureofPeaceAndNonViolenceThroughEducation(cultureofpeaceandnonviolencethrough
education.php)
35. NonviolenceAndWesternSociologicalAndPoliticalThought(nonviolenceandwesternsociologicalandpolitical
thought.php)
36. GandhiAfter9/11:Terrorism,ViolenceAndTheOther(gandhiafterseptember11terrorismandviolence.php)
37. ConflictResolution&Peace:AGandhianPerspective(conflictresolutionanspeaceagandhianperspective.php)
38. AGandhianApproachToInternationalSecurity(gandhianapproachtointernationalsecurity.php)
39. AddressTotheNation:MahatmaGandhiWriteson26January2009(addresstothenation.php)
40. Truth&Nonviolence:Gandhiji'sTenetsforPassiveResistance(truthandnonviolence.php)
41. TheExperimentsofGandhi:NonviolenceintheNuclearAge(nonviolenceinthenuclearage.php)
42. TerrorismAndGandhianNonviolence(terrorismandgandhiannonviolence.php)
43. ReborninRiyadh(reborninriyadh.php)
44. SatyagrahaAsAPeacefulMethodofConflictResolution(satyagrahaasapeacefulmethodofconflictresolution.php)
45. Nonviolence:AForceforRadicalChange(nonviolenceaforceforradicalchange.php)
46. PeaceApproach:FromGandhitoGaltungandBeyond(peaceapproachfromgandhitogaltungandbeyond.php)
47. GandhianApproachtoPeaceandNonviolence(gandhianapproachtopeaceandnonviolence.php)
48. LocatingEducationforPeaceinGandhianThought(locatingeducationforpeaceingandhianthought.php)

FurtherReading
(CompleteBookavailableonline)

ConflictResolutionAndGandhianEthics(../conflictresolution/index.php) ByThomasWeber
FromGANDHIHisRelevanceForOurTimes
1. AContemporaryInterpretationofAhimsa(../gandhirelevance/chapter30contemporaryinterpretationofahimsa.php)

2. TheTraditionofNonviolenceanditsUnderlyingForces(../gandhirelevance/chapter1traditionofnonviolence.php)
3. AStudyoftheMeaningsofNonviolence(../gandhirelevance/chapter2meaningofnonviolence.php)
4. NotesontheTheoryofNonviolence(../gandhirelevance/chapter3theoryofnonviolence.php)
5. NonviolenceasaPositiveConcept(../gandhirelevance/chapter4nonviolenceaspositiveconcept.php)
6. ExperimentationinNonviolence:TheNextPhase(../gandhirelevance/chapter5experimentationinnonviolence.php)
7. TheBestSolverofConflicts(../gandhirelevance/chapter7conflictssolver.php)
8. WarandWhatPriceFreedom(../gandhirelevance/chapter14warandfreedom.php)
9. ACoordinatedApproachtoDisarmament(../gandhirelevance/chapter15coordinatedapproachtodisarmament.php)
10. ADisarmamentAdequatetoOurTimes(../gandhirelevance/chapter16disarmamenttoday.php)
11. TheImpactofGandhiontheU.S.PeaceMovement(../gandhirelevance/chapter17impactofgandhionuspeace
movement.php)
12. TheGrassrootsofWorldPeace(../gandhirelevance/chapter21grassrootsofworldpeace.php)
13. IsThereaNonviolentRoadtoaPeacefulWorld?(../gandhirelevance/chapter22nonviolentroadtopeaceful
world.php)
14. NuclearExplosionsandWorldPeace(../gandhirelevance/chapter23nuclearexplosionsandworldpeace.php)
15. AspectsofNonviolenceinAmericanCulture(../gandhirelevance/chapter19nonviolenceinamericanculture.php)
16. TheGandhianWayandNuclearWar(../gandhirelevance/chapter24gandhianwayandnuclearwar.php)
17. ANonviolentInternationalAuthority(../gandhirelevance/chapter26nonviolentinternationalauthority.php)

ExtrernalLinks
Gandhi,TheJewsAndPalestine
(http://www.gandhiserve.org/information/writings_online/articles/gandhi_jews_palestine.html?%27,byGandhi
FromHarijan,January7,1939)
ACollectionofArticles,Speeches,LettersandInterviews
Compiledby:E.S.Reddy

ConflictResolution&Peace:AGandhianPerspective
ByManasRoy

Introduction:
Mutual trust and bilateral negotiations, preparedness to discuss the problem collectively with open mindedness, tendency to
examineandchangeourownbeliefi.e.flexibilityisrequiredtoescapeconflict.Totaldisarmamentistheneedofthehourbutit
cannottakeplaceunlessanduntiltheheartsandmindsofpersonswhomanufacture,sellandpurchaseweaponsarechanged.
Publicpressurecouldplayanimportantrole.Organizations,inadditiontoindividualpacifistsmustpressurizethegovernmentsor
thepolicymakerstoadoptpeacefulmeanstoresolveproblems.Gandhiacceptedthepotentialityofvariouskindsofconflictsas
occasionstocontemplateovertheconfirmedproblemsandalsoasanopportunitytosearchforpeacefulmeanstoresolvethem,
because of his positive attitude. He knew very well that the process of conflict resolution involved the painstaking task of
restructuring the present world by liberating the human mind from dogmatism of various kinds such as economic and political
barbarism, religious bigotry etc. To achieve simultaneously the negative aim of conflict resolution and the positive aim of
establishing peace, Gandhi propounded his philosophy of peace. Our need is to proclaim again and again the significance of
Gandhianpacifismtosolvecrucialproblemsofconflictandviolence.Topreventstructuralviolence,Gandhiproposedtheorieswith
theidealsofSatyagraha,Sarvodaya,Swaraj,Swadeshi,BuniyadiTalim,Decentralizationofpowerandwealth,Trusteeship,Social
harmony & Communal unity, Economic equality, Sarva Dharma Sambhava, Democracy of Enlightened Majority etc. Gandhi's
approachhadalwaysbeenholisticashumanlifeisasyntheticwhole,whichcannotbedividedintowatertightcompartmentsof
social,religious,politicallifeetc.Trusteeship,Swadeshi,BreadLabour,KhadiandVillageIndustries,DecentralisationofWealth,
ElevenVowsorEkadashaVrataalsorecommendsthesolutionsmentionedaboveandthuspresentsaconstructiveprogramme
proposedbyGandhi.Onceagainitunderlines
1. Removalofuntouchability
2. Prohibition,
3. Upliftmentofwomen
4. CommunalUnity
5. Serviceofbackwardclass
6. VillageSanitation
7. NationalLanguage

8. Basiceducation
9. Adulteducation
10. VillageIndustries.
Gandhi asserts that besides individual endeavour corporate actions are also needed. The most fundamental principle of his
philosophyofpeaceis"Ahimsa"ornonviolencewhichisthelawoflove,lifeandcreationasopposedtoviolenceorHimsa,the
cause of hatred, death and destruction. According to Gandhi the universal human value of Ahimsa ought to be cultivated not
merely at a personal level, but at social, national and international levels too if we wish to avoid personal, social, national and
internationalconflicts.Itisaverypowerfulmeanstoavoidconflict,sinceitspringsfromaninnerrealizationoftheequalityofall
humanbeings.Itisabsenceofintentionofinjuring,harming,disturbingandagonisingopponents.Itisgoodwilltowardsallhuman
beings. Nonviolence at interpersonal and international levels can be defined as altruistic approach.As a peaceful technique to
resistinjustice,itincludesaconcreteprogrammeandleadstoselfsufferingandsacrifice.ForGandhi"Fastinguntodeath"isthe
last step to oppose injustice. Gandhi's approach is ethical, as he believes, that moral degeneration is the root cause of all evils
including conflicts. So he recommends acquisition of moral values such as truthfulness, nonviolence or love, selfcontrol,
forgiveness, nonenmity or friendliness, compassion, mercy etc. In fact values are the best equipments discovered by human
beingstoescapevarioustypesofconflicts.Researchesalsoshowthattherootofallproblemsinvariablyliesintheinfringementof
values moral, religious, spiritual, economic and political and moral principles. Undoubtedly conflicts are nothing but the
illustrationoftheviolationofmorallaws,nonperformanceofduties,negligenceofhumanvalues,enjoymentoffreedomwithout
caringforresponsibilityetc.HenceGandhiappreciatesmoralsolution,whichisinexpensive,andasinglepersoncaninitiateand
undertakethetaskofconflictresolutionbyattractingworldwideattention.Gandhi,agreatpoliticalthinker,therefore,recommends
thatpoliticsshouldbeabranchofethics.Moralprinciplesmustbeadheredtobypoliticians,ideologues,socialactivistsaswellas
ordinarycitizensoftheworldasthereisnodividinglinebetweenprivateandpubliclife.Assimilationofvaluesinone'scharacter
and their expression in conduct is required to avoid conflicts and this in turn is possible through awakening of Conscience at
personal, social, national and global levels. Public awareness of those values which are conducive to peace building must be
evokedthroughexhibition,education,publiclectures,dialoguesandmasscommunicationT.V.,Radio,Newspapersetc.Gandhi
proposed and adopted "Satyagraha" as a moral equivalent to war and conflict. As we all know the successful conduct of war
involvestwothings.Ontheonehand,suppressionofthevirtuesofkindness,friendliness,forgivenessandconsiderationforthe
sufferings of fellow human beings, and on the other, encouragement of the feelings of unqualified hatred, anger and hostility
towardssocalledenemies.Thuswarleadstototalviolationoftheliberaldemocraticprinciplesofrespectforpersonsanddignity

oftheindividual.Onthecontrary,asatyagrahiwhileresistinginjusticeshowsrespectforhisopponentbymakingmoralappealsto
himandexpectinghimtoberesponsive.Asatyagrahiaimsatconversionoftheopponent'sheartbymakinghimawareofhisillwill
orinhumanbehaviourthroughselfsuffering.Satyagrahaaimsatwinningovertheopponentbyloveandgentlepersuasionandby
arousinginhimasenseofjusticeratherthanforcinghimtosurrenderoutoffear.ThemethodofSatyagrahaispurelymoraland
humanisticasitinvolvesfaithintheinherentgoodnessandgoodsenseoftheopponentcoupledwithgoodwilltowardshimand
readiness to come to an understanding and compromise. In fact Satyagraha aims at settlement of issue or issues with the
opponent without causing him even psychological injury as it implies soulforce, courage and determination. A wellconducted
campaign of Satyagraha, absolutely untouched by violence in word and deed, makes the opponent suffer as his own moral
consciousnessexposestheimmoralityofhisaction.GandhibelievedinthetechniqueofSatyagraha,becausehehadfaithinthe
goodness of human nature. The moral and humanistic grandeur of Satyagraha as a method of resolving conflict and securing
justicehasbeenappreciatedbyseveralthinkers,politiciansandsocialworkers.Ifwewishtokeeppeace,weoughttofollowthe
UNcharterofhumanrights,accordingtowhichdignityofhumanlifemustbehonouredandmaintainedwithoutreferencetocaste,
colour,creed,etc.WehavetoredefinetheconceptofdevelopmentandprogressasHumanWelfareandwellbeingbyreplacing
theprevalentmisleadingconceptofdevelopmentandprogressintermsofEconomicDevelopmentandmaterialprogress.Ifwe
wantpeace,wehavetoreplacethehumanitynegatingindustrialconsumeristculturebyidealistichumanism.Beliefinthespiritual
constitutionofmanledGandhitoaffirmequalityofallhumanbeingsandtodeclareinnategoodnessofmen.Humanismasthe
philosophy of Globalism or Global philosophy implies nondiscrimination with regard to race, sex, language, region, religion,
politicalideology,socialandeconomicstatus,internationalstatusofthecountryetc.,sincethebasicstructureandnatureofhuman
beingsallovertheworldissame.Wemustrationaliseourwaysofthinkingandinsteadofthinkingoftheworldintermsofmaps
andmarkets,weshouldthinkofitintermsofmen,womenandchildreni.e.intermsofmankind.Topreventconflictscausedby
religiousbigotry,Gandhisuggested"SarvaDharmaSambhav".Accordingtohimallreligionsaretrueandmancannotlivewithout
religionsoherecommendsanattitudeofrespectandtolerancetowardsallreligions.
RoleofAcademics:
It is very shocking to note that no serious and sustained consideration is given to human search for peace or peace studies in
academic institutions and syllabi, while ours is a world of nuclear giants and moral infants. Each and every citizen of the world
must be educated to escape conflict, as ultimately the person himself is the insurmountable barrier in conflict resolution. Every
educatedpersonshouldbemadeawareofthefactthatissuesrelatingtopeacefulcoexistencebasicallybelongtoeachcitizen.
So every person must be trained to rise above communal pressures, religious loyalties, regional and other interests etc.
Harmonious interpersonal relationships must be developed through formal and informal education. Hence reconstitution of the

presenteducationsystembyreconsideringitsgoalisaveryurgenttask.Awarenessandawakeningofcreativequalitiesmustbe
a part of the education policy and curriculum. Instead of overemphasizing destructive instincts, we must try to emphasize
constructiveaspectsofpeoplespersonalities,becauseconstructiveaspectisrelatedtohumanvaluesandvirtuesaswellastheir
incorporation in cognitive, conative and affective dimension of our personality.The foregoing outlines of Gandhi's philosophy of
peace endorses the truism that Gandhi is one of the very relevant precursors of conflictresolution movement with his
comprehensiblephilosophyofpeacebasedonthepsychologyofhumannature,awarenessofsocialrealitiesandknowledgeof
economic and political systems and situations. If conflict is not properly handled, it may lead to largescale war, threatening the
veryexistenceofhumansurvival.Attimes,thecooperativebehaviourofaparticularsocietyorcommunitymayaffectthepeaceful
life of others in the society. For example, the extreme form of nationalism of a particular country affects its relations with its
neighbouringcountries.Inthesameway,theconflictingbehaviourofagivensocietymaydevelopgroupcohesivenessandstrong
identity. (e.g. at the time of war and emergency, people show national solidarity). Thus dealing with conflict requires enormous
potentiality, skills, strategies etc. Normative forms and natural way (leaving it to its natural course of its end) of dealing with
conflictsveryoftenprovesstereotypic,uncreativeandlesseffective.Sincethecausesforconflictsaremultipleduetochanging
situations,themethodstodealwithandrespondtoconflictcannotremainsingleandonedimensional.AlbertEinsteinsaid,"The
significantproblemswefacetodaycannotbesolvedatthesamelevelofthinkingwewereatwhenwecreatedthem."Thuswe
require multiple and more creative approaches to respond to conflict. This will not happen through repetitive way of using the
normativetechniquesofconflictresolution.Whatisrequiredisanindepthstudyonvariousdimensionsanddynamicsofconflicts
and more effective and creative ways of coping with them. This necessitates the need for education on conflict resolution. To
bridge the gap between knowledge and action in conflict resolution, intensive training and wider exposure in this field becomes
necessary.Inordertoimprovehumanconditionsatthemicroandmacrolevels,education,researchandtraininginconflictstudies
thatisnowphrased,as'Conflictology'isneeded.Thiscomesverymuchunderthepurviewoftheacademicfield.Wearepassing
throughtheeraofinformation.Informationisconsideredasoneofthemainsourcesofpower.Academics,astheupholdersofthis
power,haveasignificantroletoplayinthefieldofconflictresolutionthroughtheireducationalactivitiessuchasteaching,research
andtraining.Intellectuals,theresponsiblecitizensofcivicsociety,areboundtodothisworknotonlytomaketheworldfreefrom
destructiveconflictsbutalsotocreateanatmospherewhereconflictscanberesolvedcreativelyandeffectively.
GandhisTechnique:
Thoughallmindsdonotthinkandfeelalike,thebestwaytounderstandanotherman'smindisthroughobservingone'sownmind.
Whenonewatchesone'smind,oneseesthattheemotionsthatariseinone'smindarenotpermanent.Theydonotalwayshave
thesameintensity.Sometimes,wecanbeinthegripofanemotion,andatthesametimeseehowtheemotionhasgrippedour

mindandistwirlingourmindaroundasastormtwirlsatreearound.Wecanalsoseehowthestormpasses,andthemindorthe
treeslowlysometimesquicklysettlesdownandexperiencesthecalmthatfollowsthestorm.Wethusseethatemotionsarisein
ourmind,butarenotpartofourmind.Iftheywerepartofourmind,therewouldhavebeennovariationsintheintensityofour
emotions,nochanges,noarisingandnodisappearance.Weshouldlearnfromthisthattheintolerance,angerandaggressiveness
thatweencounterfromothermindsarealsocapableofwaxingandwaning,arisinganddisappearing.Collectivemindsalsoshare
thesamenaturetheycanberousedtoahighpitchoffury,butcanalsorespondwithequalintensitytopityorloveorcompassion
orloyaltyordevotiontoidealsortoGod.Itmaybearguedthatthepsycheoftheindividualandthepsycheofcollectivesdonot
alwaysreactinanidenticalfashion.Butitisalsotrue,wehavemanyinstancesthatshow,howtheybothreactsimilarly.TheIndian
struggleforindependenceunderMahatmaGandhiisrepletewithinstancesthatshowhowsimilaremotionsaroseandworkedin
themindsofindividualsandgroups,thereadinesstoovercomehatred,thereadinesstosacrificeone'spossessionsorhappiness,
thereadinesstosufferforacause,etc.Thereissufficientevidencetodemonstratethesimilarityofresponsestosimilarstimulior
tothesameappeal.Itisthereforepossibletobelievethatsimilarstimuliandappealsmayhelptodeceleratethemomentumof
negative and divisive emotions and bring it below the level of the threshold of active confrontation or conflict. One of the major
reasonswhyGandhiwasabletodothiswasGandhi'ssuccessinmakingpeopledistinguishbetweenevilandtheevildoer,orthe
mindthatholdswrongviewsandtheviewsthemselves,whichaswehaveseen,arenotaninherentandirremovablepartofthe
mind.Ifthisisavalidandverifiabledistinction,wecanalsoseetheconsequencesofholdingthetwoasone.Firstly,iftheyarethe
same,thereishardlyanywayofchangingortransformingviewsoremotions.Theproblemsthatarisefromdifferencescanonlybe
resolvedbythephysicalisolationorannihilationoftheotherperson.Giventhefactthathumanbeingsthinkandfeeldifferently,
thiswouldhaveledtoaperpetualdesiretoeliminateorcontaintheother.Suchanattitudeofmindwouldbeinconsistentwiththe
gregariousnessorinterdependencethatcharacterizesthehumanspecies.Itisthereforeclearthatthemindofthehumanbeing,
asithasevolvedinthespecies,hastobetreatedandapproachedasdistinctfromtheviewsandemotionsthatarise,transit,and
disappear,andthedistinctionhastobeusedtodealwithproblemsthatarisefromdifferencesinviewsandemotions.Ifthisisa
necessitytobringaboutchangesorcompromisesintheshortterm,itisalsoanecessitytopreservetheintegrityofhumansociety
andtoprotectitfromtheviolentanddestructiveeffectsoffrequentfission.Secondly,ifviewsareunalterableandthereisnoway
ofachieving(eliciting)consentoracquiescencethroughpersuasionandconsent,socialchangescanbebroughtabout,andsocial
systems can be sustained only through 'force', and not reason. Dictatorship then will be the natural way of governance, and
suppressionwillbethenaturalwayofdealingwithamindthatdarestothinkforitself.Democracybasesitselfonthebeliefthatthe
humanmindcanbetransformed,thatviewscanbetransformed,ifnottothepointofwholesaleacceptanceofotherviewsandthe
abandonmentofone'searlierviews,atleasttothepointofacquiescenceandtolerance.ToGandhitruthisthecoreofrealitythe

lawthatgovernstheuniverseandgivesititsform:Dharmaortheforceofcohesionthatsustainsanentity.Loveisareflectionof
this force of cohesion among the sentient, as the law of gravitation is its reflection in the realm of the inanimate. He therefore
lookeduponTruthandLoveastwosidesofthesamecoin,anddeclaredthatasavotaryofTruthorSatyagraha,itwashisduty
andhisSadhanatoserveallcreation."Allcreation"includesnotonlythesentientbutalsothenonsentientandthesentientas
Gandhiexplainedincludesthe"creepycrawlies"orthe"meanest"ofcreations.ToGandhi,therefore,thepurposeofindividualand
social life was the pursuit of Dharma through means consistent with Dharma or the force of cohesion, viz. love. Gandhi too
believedthatTruthmanifestedinitself,andwasaccessibleonlythroughthe'inexorablelawofcauseandeffect'.Acausecould
createonlytheeffectthatwasinherentinit.Conversely,adesiredeffectcouldbebroughtaboutonlybycreatingthecausethat
could produce the effect (that contained the seeds of the effect). Means and ends therefore become almost indistinguishably
interwoven.Anevileffectornegativitycanberemovedonlybythepowerofitsantithesisorantidote.Sotohimtoo,lovewasthe
onlyforcethatcouldovercomehatredandconflict.Gandhipointedoutthatsinceconflicttookbirthinthemind,itcouldberesolved
only through a mental process or mental force, not through the deployment of physical force. He saw Satyagraha as a mental,
moralandspiritualforcethatthemindusedtoworkonothermindsandtocorrectattitudesandactsthatwereinconsistentwith
truth,justiceortheprincipleofcohesionthatistheessenceofDharma.BothTheBuddhaandGandhiweremenofaction.The
Buddha is a remote figure in history and the interventions he made to preempt or resolve social conflicts or ensure justice to
sentientbeingsarenotrememberedorrecounted.ButGandhilivedintherecentpast,andhisinterventionsandstrugglesarestill
rememberedandstudied.Gandhihasexplainedwhyhebecameamanof"directaction".Hehadfoundthathumanbeingswere
sometimes (often) impervious to the appeal of reason when their interests or views were involved, and only direct action could
shock them out of selfishness or intransigence, into introspection and selfcorrection. He answered the charge that such direct
action could become divisive and cause confrontation or conflict in society, and said that men of peace, persons of undoubted
spiritualeminenceliketheBuddhaandJesusweremenofdirectaction.AccordingtoGandhi,"Neverhasanythingbeendoneon
thisearthwithoutdirectaction.Irejecttheword'passiveresistance',becauseofitsinsufficiencyanditsbeinginterpretedasaway
oftheweak."ThusGandhi'srecipefortheresolutionofconflictswasSatyagraha,thedesiretodiscoverTruth,toinsistonTruth,
andabandonallthatdilutesTruthordeviatedeversoslightlyfromTruth.Thiscouldbeachievedthroughajointreviewoffactsand
issues mediation or arbitration introspection direct action that promoted introspection and reminded one of the need for
reconciliationinasocietythatcomesintobeing,survivesandprospersthroughinterdependenceandtolerancefortheresidual
differencesthatmightremainonperipheralmatters.
ThemannerinwhichGandhistechniqueshavesometimesbeeninvokedeveninthelandofhisbirthinrecentyearswouldappear
tobeatravestyofhisprinciples.AndtheworldhasbeeninthegripofaseriesofcrisesinKorea,theCongo,theVietnam,the

Middle East, and South Africa with a neverending trail of blood and bitterness. The shadow of a thermonuclear war with its
incalculablehazardscontinuestohangovermankind.Fromthispredicament,Gandhisideasandtechniquesmaysuggestaway
out.Headvocatednonviolencenotbecauseitofferedaneasywayout,butbecauseheconsideredviolenceinthelongrun,an
ineffectiveweapon.Hisrejectionofviolencestemmedfromchoice,notfromnecessity.HoraceAlexander,whoknewGandhiand
saw him in action, graphically describes the attitude of the nonviolent resister to his opponent: "On your side you have all the
mightyforcesofthemodernState,arms,money,acontrolledpress,andalltherest.Onmyside,Ihavenothingbutmyconviction
ofrightandtruth,theunquenchablespiritofman,whoispreparedtodieforhisconvictionsratherthansubmittoyourbruteforce.I
havemycomradesinarmlessness.Herewestandandhereifneedbe,wefall."Farfrombeingacravenretreatfromdifficultyand
danger,nonviolentresistancedemandscourageofahighorder,thecouragetoresistinjusticewithoutrancour,tounitetheutmost
firmness with the utmost gentleness, to invite suffering but not to inflict it, to die but not to kill. Gandhi did not make the facile
divisionofmankindinto"good"and"bad"Hewasconvincedthateveryhumanbeingeventhe"enemyhadakernelofdecency:
therewereonlyevilacts,nowhollyevilmen".HistechniqueofSatyagrahawasdesignednottocoercetheopponent,buttoset
intomotionforceswhichcouldleadtohisconversion.Relyingasitdidonpersuasionandcompromise,Gandhismethodwasnot
alwaysquickinproducingresults,buttheresultswerelikelytobemoredurableforhavingbeenbroughtaboutpeacefully."Itismy
firm conviction," Gandhi affirmed, "that nothing enduring can be built upon violence." The rate of social change through the
nonviolenttechniquewasnotinfactlikelytobemuchslowerthanthatachievedbyviolentmethodsitwasdefinitelyfasterthan
thatexpectedfromthenormalfunctioningofinstitutionswhichtendedtofossilizeandpreservethestatusquo.Gandhididnotthink
itpossibletobringaboutradicalchangesinthestructureofsocietyovernight.Nordidhesuccumbtotheillusionthattheroadtoa
newordercouldbepavedmerelywithpiouswishesandfinewords.Itwasnotenoughtoblametheopponentorbewailthetimes
inwhichoneslotwascast.Howeverheavytheodds,itwasthesatyagrahisdutynevertofeelhelpless.Theleasthecoulddowas
tomakeabeginningwithhimself.Ifhewascrusadingforanewdealforpeasantry,hecouldgotoavillageandlivethere,ifhe
wantedtobringpeacetoadisturbeddistrict,hecouldwalkthroughit,enteringintothemindsandheartsofthosewhoweregoing
throughtheordeal,ifanageoldevillikeuntouchabilitywastobefought,whatcouldbeamoreeffectivesymbolofdefiancefora
reformerthantoadoptanuntouchablechild?Iftheobjectwastochallengeforeignrule,whynotactontheassumptionthatthe
countrywasalreadyfree,ignorethealiengovernmentandbuildalternativeinstitutionstoharnessthespontaneous,constructive
and cooperative effort of the people? If the goal was world peace, why not begin today by acting peacefully towards your
immediateneighbour,goingmorethanhalfwaytounderstandandwinhimover?Thoughhemayhaveappearedastarryeyed
idealist, Gandhis attitude to social and political problems was severely practical. There was a deep mystical streak in him, but
evenhismysticismseemedtohavelittleoftheetherealaboutit.Hedidnotdreamheavenlydreamsnorseethingsunutterablein

trance when "the still small voice" spoke to him, it was often to tell how he could fight a social evil or heal a rift between two
warringcommunities.Farfromdistractinghimfromhisroleinpublicaffairs,Gandhisreligiousquestgavehimthestaminatoplay
itmoreeffectively.Tohimtruereligionwasnotmerelythereadingofscriptures,thedissectionofancienttexts,oreventhepractice
ofcloisteredvirtue:ithadtobelivedinthechallengingcontextofpoliticalandsociallife.Gandhiusedhisnonviolenttechniqueon
behalf of his fellowcountrymen in SouthAfrica and India, but he did not conceive it only as a weapon in the armory of Indian
nationalism.Nonviolence,asGandhiexpoundedit,ceasedtobeapiousexhortation,andbecameanecessity.Theadvicehegave
totheunfortunateAbyssiniansandCzechsduringthetwilightyearsbeforetheSecondWordWar,mayhaveseemedutopianthirty
years ago but not today. Gandhi would have been the first to deny that his method offered an instant or universal panacea for
world peace. His method is capable of almost infinite evolution to suit new situations in a changing world. It is possible that
"appliednonviolence"isatpresenthavingthesamevaluetomaintain"globalpeace"forever.
Conclusion:
Inahumansocietyconflictswillalwaysbetherebetweenindividuals,groups,nationsbecauseofdifferencesofopinion,clashof
interest,establishmentofsuperiorityandvariousotherfactors.Conflictshelpinmaterialandintellectualadvancement.Economic
deprivationandsocialsubjugationarethebasiccausesofconflictsinhumansociety.Inthestudyofhistoryofhumancivilizationit
isfoundthattherewasacontinuoustrendoftorturingtheweakbymorepowerfulindividualsorgroups,exploitationofthepoorby
the rich and landed people, hatred of the upper caste people on the lower caste people, neglect of the illiterate people by the
educatedpeople,sociallyoverpoweringwomenbymenandsuchotherinjustices.Suchsocialinjusticesareaconstantsourceof
discontentgivingrisetoconflicts.Insteadofsolvingthoseconflictstheywerealwayssuppressed.Intheprogressofcivilizationand
developmentofhumanisticattitude,peoplearenowgraduallygettingmoreandmoreconcernedwithHumanRightsthatdemand
socialjusticetoallsectionsofthesociety.Everyhumanbeingmustbeprovidedwiththeirbasicneedsoffood,shelter,clothing,
accesstoeducationandhealthcareandfreedom.Extremepovertyandilliteracyamongamajorsectionofthepopulationisthe
greatesttragedyforIndia.Itisshamethatasmallsectionofourpopulationincludingpublicservantsandpoliticalleadersareliving
such a luxurious and expensive life which is in sharp contrast with the common people. Naturally this wide discrimination is a
constantsourceofdiscontentandconflict.Also,intheglobalcontextthereissharpcontrastbetweentherichandpoorcountries.A
reasonable economic order through equitable distribution of wealth among different nations and more particularly among the
people of the same country is very much needed to avoid conflicts and clashes.This is the biggest challenge faced by society.
Keepingasidethesebasicfacts,onlyasloganfor'peace'cannotchangethesociety.Ineducationalongwithspreadingideasof
universal love and tolerance and importance of maintenance of peace for sustaining human development, there should be
sufficient provision to make students conscious about denouncing extreme inequality in distribution of wealth.A mindset will be

preparedthatwillhelpindevelopingasocietywhereequitabledistributionofwealthwillbegivendueemphasis.Properconceptof
humanwelfareshouldbecultivatedthrougheducation.Ahumanisticeducationcoveringvariousaspectsresponsibleforcreating
social discontents giving rise to conflicts and emphasizing on maintaining peace in resolution of conflicts, will create a society
worthlivingasGandhivisionedandworkedfor.

References
1. Galtung,Johan,1992,TheWayistheGoal:GandhiToday,GujarathVidyapith,Ahmedabad.
2. Boulding,Elise,1990,BuildingaGlobalCivicCultureEducationforanInterdependentWorld,SyracuseUniversityPress,New
York.
3. Coover,Virginia,Deacon,Ellen,Esser,Charles,Moore,Christopher,1985,ResourceManualforaLivingRevolution,New
SocietyPublishers,Philadelphia.
4. Avruch,Kevin,1998,Culture&ConflictResolution,UnitedStatesInstituteofPeace,Washington.
5. Dedring,Juergen,1976,RecentAdvancesinPeaceandConflictResearch:ACriticalSurvey,Sagepublications,London.
6. Deutsch,M.,1973,TheResolutionofConflict,YaleUniversityPress,NewHaven.
7. BouldingE.Kenneth,1962,ConflictandDefenceAGeneralTheory,Harper&Row,Publishers,NewYork.
8. Gangrade,K.D.,andMisra,R.P.,1989,ConflictResolutionThroughNonViolence:RoleofUniversities,ConceptPublishing
Company,NewDelhi.
9. PeltonH.Leroy,1974,ThePsychologyofNonviolence,PergamonPressInc.,NewYork.
10. Kriesberg,Louis,OnAdvancingTruthandMoralityinConflictResolution.
11. Weber,Thomas,1991,ConflictResolutionandGandhianEthics,TheGandhiPeaceFoundation,NewDelhi.
12. Sharoni,Simona,2000,ConflictResolutionandPeacemakingfromtheBottomUp:TheRolesofSocialMovementsand
Peoples'Diplomacy,Dossier,IUPIPInternationalCourse,Italy.
13. Schellenberg,A.James,1996,ConflictResolution:Theory,ResearchandPractice,StateUniversityofNewYorkPress,
Albany.
14. Coser,Lewis.,1956,TheFunctionsofSocialConflict,ThefreePress,Philadelphia.
15. Spring,UrsulaOswald,ed.,2000,PeaceStudiesfromaGlobalPerspective,MadhyamBookServices,NewDelhi.

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