Civil Disobedience And The Apartheid - 1428 Words

Throughout history, civil disobedience has been used to bring about change across a wide variety of civil rights issues. In India, Mahatma Gandhi used civil disobedience to nonviolently protest against the British Raj and, after a thirty-year struggle, earn independence both for himself and his people. In the United States, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. employed civil disobedience to overcome both the Jim Crow laws that had oppressed the African-American minority and the systemic racism that was once prevalent in the Southern United States. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela utilized civil disobedience to lead an anti-apartheid revolution to combat the apartheid system that systemically discriminated against the black inhabitants of South Africa. All three of these exemplary men have earned a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts (the prize was not awarded in 1948 because â€Å"there was no suitable living candidate†, a tribute to Gandhi who was recently assassinated). Although v iolence could have been used to combat these civil rights violations, all three of these individuals chose not to resort to violence, in favor of a more amicable alternative: civil disobedience. Furthermore, all three of these cases help to demonstrate that in democratic societies, civil disobedience is both a necessary and effective tool that brings about deliberated change in both governmental and/or social systems without inciting violence. Civil disobedience is effective as a tool to bring about socialShow MoreRelatedLessons in Civil Disobedience828 Words   |  4 Pagesto its effectiveness, individualism, and past history of the world that has made immense progress. It is important to notice that if civil disobedience was not effective, then it would not be continually used to disobey the law. In The Role of Civil Disobedience in Democracy† by Kayla Starr, she explains why we have the right to participate in civil disobedience. â€Å"The U.S. Bill of Rights asserts that the authority of a government is derived from the consent of the governed, and whenever any formRead MoreCivil Disobedience And Deliberative Democracy1550 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Civil disobedience encompasses the refusal to obey governmental laws or orders. This concept that is well known in the context of South African history. There are many examples present throughout history, especially in the new constitutional era, such as fees must fall. In this essay I will consider this concept of civil disobedience, especially in a South African context as well as considering a quote by Jurgen Habermas in an article by William Smith titled Civil Disobedience and DeliberativeRead MoreWhat Makes A Breach Of Law An Act Of Civil Disobedience?1383 Words   |  6 Pagesact of civil disobedience? When is civil disobedience morally justified?† These are the basic questions that are asked when dealing with civil disobedience. According to John Rawls, civil disobedience is a nonviolent breach of laws by the public in order to reform or change laws or government policies. But Rawls’ concept of civil disobedience is too narrow. This raises many questions. Why sho uld civil disobedience be non-violent? Why does the public play a large role in civil disobedience? This paperRead MoreMahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela1504 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween passive acceptances and armed struggle. Non-violence way to participate in the social and political change is including nonviolent civil disobedience against, acts of civil disobedience or other powerful influence uncooperative antagonistic form; it is similar with pacifism, but it is not pacifism. Since the mid-20th century, non-violence and civil disobedience become the main form of social change, and it also is respected political and social philosophy. As the practice of social and politicalRead MoreCivil Disobedience, By Henry David Thoreau1650 Words   |  7 Pagesweakness? In his 1849 essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† American writer Henry David Thoreau explained he had refused to pay his poll tax to the U.S. government for six years because he opposed the U.S. engaged in war with Mexico. This kind of â€Å"civil disobedience,† Thoreau (1849) said, is crucial because â€Å"a minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority; it is not even a minority then†. In fact, he said, â€Å"It costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience to the State than it wouldRead MoreLauren Creque. Mrs. Lucius. English 10 Honors. 24 April1473 Words   |  6 PagesLauren Creque Mrs. Lucius English 10 Honors 24 April 2017 Civil disobedience: Nelson Mandela There are a lot of people in this world that have made change. One of those people is Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela created change in this world through civil disobedience by bringing South Africa out of apartheid. Nelson Mandela (His birth name is Rolihlahla) on July 18, 1918 in a South African village called Mvezo. He went to a local missionary school where it is not rare for teachers to giveRead MoreA Peaceful Revolution : Mahatma Gandhi1088 Words   |  5 Pagesthrough nonviolent resistance. The mood of the Gandhian era was determined due to the fact that Gandhi had his heart set on giving his civilization a goal to find peace. All his satyagrahi followers were determined to achieve freedom through civil disobedience. Gandhi’s movements and campaigns were all executed through passive resistance. Philosophers thought Gandhi was naive for believing peace and nonviolence would conquer all, but Gandhi’s ideas and movements served as a catalyst for his satyagrahiRead More Nelson Mandela Essay examples1070 Words   |  5 Pagesus will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountain top of our desires†. These are the wor ds of a man, Nelson Mandela, who fought for something that many would shy away from. He led the anti-apartheid movement, became the president of the African National Congress Youth League, and later became the president of South Africa winning the Nobel Peace Prize. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;1942 started Nelson Mandela’s participation in the racial oppressionRead MoreMartin Luther King, And Nelson Mandela1678 Words   |  7 Pagesending segregations, and believes equal rights for blacks across the United States. Martin Luther King’s practice of nonviolence is directly borrowed from Thoreau s work of Civil Disobedience and Nonviolent Resistance, King even commented on the use of nonviolence by saying, â€Å"The teachings of Thoreau came alive in our civil rights movement.† In conclusion, Martin Luther King can be considered a transcendental thinker due to the philosophies he created, the Triple Evil philosophy and Six PrinciplesRead MoreMohandas Gandhi and Nelson Mandela746 Words   |  3 Pagesleader of Indias independence movement, organizing boycotts against British institutions in peaceful forms of civil disobedience, in 1948. As a nationalist leader he studied law in London and England, but in 1893 went to South Africa, where he spent 20 years opposing discriminatory legislation against Indians. As a pioneer of Satyagraha, or resistance through mass non-violent civil disobedience, he became one of the major political and spiritual leaders of his time. Satyagraha remains one of his most