Gandhi is a real hero of mine : Barack Obama
Said President Barack Obama during his interaction with 9th Graders of Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia on September 8, 2009.
Today is 'Gandhi Jayanti' - the 144th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) popularly known as ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ or better still as ‘Father of the Nation’. In 2007, the United Nations declared 2nd October as the International Day of Non-Violence, as a mark of respectful tribute to a person who dedicated his life practicing the principles of non-violence, equality or oneness, and truthfulness.
President Barack Obama (White House)
President Barack Obama - also winner of the Nobel Peace prize (2009) - when asked, during his Interaction Meet, by a student of Wakefield High School "If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? The President replied : "Dinner with anyone dead or alive? Well, you know, dead or alive, that's a pretty big list. You know, I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine. Now, it would probably be a really small meal because -- (laughter) -- he didn't eat a lot. But he's somebody who I find a lot of inspiration in. He inspired Dr. King, so if it hadn't been for the non-violent movement in India, you might not have seen the same non-violent movement for civil rights here in the United States. He inspired César Chávez, and he -- and what was interesting was that he ended up doing so much and changing the world just by the power of his ethics, by his ability to change how people saw each other and saw themselves -- and help people who thought they had no power realize that they had power, and then help people who had a lot of power realize that if all they're doing is oppressing people, then that's not a really good exercise of power. So I'm always interested in people who are able to bring about change, not through violence, not through money, but through the force of their personality and their ethical and moral stances.
Today is 'Gandhi Jayanti' - the 144th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) popularly known as ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ or better still as ‘Father of the Nation’. In 2007, the United Nations declared 2nd October as the International Day of Non-Violence, as a mark of respectful tribute to a person who dedicated his life practicing the principles of non-violence, equality or oneness, and truthfulness.
President Barack Obama (White House)
President Barack Obama - also winner of the Nobel Peace prize (2009) - when asked, during his Interaction Meet, by a student of Wakefield High School "If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? The President replied : "Dinner with anyone dead or alive? Well, you know, dead or alive, that's a pretty big list. You know, I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine. Now, it would probably be a really small meal because -- (laughter) -- he didn't eat a lot. But he's somebody who I find a lot of inspiration in. He inspired Dr. King, so if it hadn't been for the non-violent movement in India, you might not have seen the same non-violent movement for civil rights here in the United States. He inspired César Chávez, and he -- and what was interesting was that he ended up doing so much and changing the world just by the power of his ethics, by his ability to change how people saw each other and saw themselves -- and help people who thought they had no power realize that they had power, and then help people who had a lot of power realize that if all they're doing is oppressing people, then that's not a really good exercise of power. So I'm always interested in people who are able to bring about change, not through violence, not through money, but through the force of their personality and their ethical and moral stances.