Ghandi
Role Model: Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was an amazing and hugely influential figure in history. He is renowned for his beliefs and teachings in regards to civil rights, religion, education, non-violence, and the list goes on. In this analysis I will attempt to relate Gandhi’s principles to my own, grounded in the faith and teachings of Jesus Christ. In doing so I will discuss three over-arching topics specifically: social issues, money/career, and the nature of God. A huge topic that must be continually dealt with in our world is the topic of social issues, and within that category I believe education is one of, if not the single most important. Gandhi had some very specific views on education. It was his belief that all people, regardless of circumstances or social standing, had a right to basic education. The term for the education system Gandhi promoted is Nai Talim – which translates to “basic education for all”. Deeper than simply advocating education for all however, Gandhi proposed a total overhaul of the education system, in direct contrast to the British Imperialistic system that was in place at the time in that area of the world. Gandhi’s focus was on teaching practical and basic skills which could be useful at the community and village level. This is where I somewhat disagree with Gandhi’s view. I certainly see the historical reasoning for Gandhi to propose this kind of system in India; however I believe that in our world today his system is not superior to the development of highly specialized skills, beyond basic and practical skills. That small disagreement aside, Gandhi’s overall view on education does mirror my own. Education is a basic human right, and everyone should be granted this right. I believe that today more specialized education is needed than Gandhi advocated for, but our principles are completely aligned, and Gandhi’s over-arching ideas on education as a social issue can and should still be held today. As Damm (2005) states,
Mahatma Gandhi was an amazing and hugely influential figure in history. He is renowned for his beliefs and teachings in regards to civil rights, religion, education, non-violence, and the list goes on. In this analysis I will attempt to relate Gandhi’s principles to my own, grounded in the faith and teachings of Jesus Christ. In doing so I will discuss three over-arching topics specifically: social issues, money/career, and the nature of God. A huge topic that must be continually dealt with in our world is the topic of social issues, and within that category I believe education is one of, if not the single most important. Gandhi had some very specific views on education. It was his belief that all people, regardless of circumstances or social standing, had a right to basic education. The term for the education system Gandhi promoted is Nai Talim – which translates to “basic education for all”. Deeper than simply advocating education for all however, Gandhi proposed a total overhaul of the education system, in direct contrast to the British Imperialistic system that was in place at the time in that area of the world. Gandhi’s focus was on teaching practical and basic skills which could be useful at the community and village level. This is where I somewhat disagree with Gandhi’s view. I certainly see the historical reasoning for Gandhi to propose this kind of system in India; however I believe that in our world today his system is not superior to the development of highly specialized skills, beyond basic and practical skills. That small disagreement aside, Gandhi’s overall view on education does mirror my own. Education is a basic human right, and everyone should be granted this right. I believe that today more specialized education is needed than Gandhi advocated for, but our principles are completely aligned, and Gandhi’s over-arching ideas on education as a social issue can and should still be held today. As Damm (2005) states,