Civil Disobedience - Summary

Civil Disobedience is a powerful, but often misunderstood means of public action. Some people hear the words and think of street riots or worse! As will be presented here it is a much different concept, Mahatma Gandhi coined the word: Satyagraha

Satyagraha, is a combination of satya (truth-love) and agraha(firmness/force). It is the "the vindication of truth not by infliction of suffering on the opponent but on one's self ." In the slang you might call it "tough-love"; however, unlike that concept, Satyagraha calls you to be tough on yourself!

While the other more commonly accepted techniques of marches and rallies are certainly valuable and effective, Civil Disobedience has shown itself to be probably one of the most effective techniques in making a majority aware of the problems of a minority.

What follows will explain the philosophical background of the approach. It will examine in details some recent movements lead by Martin Luther King and Mahatma Ghandi. It will provide a starting point for ideas on how the technique can be applied to our present struggle to support a Kid's Right.

Not everyone can directly participate in such a movement, but almost everyone can provide support for those who do and your support is invaluable!