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| Resolving Conflict Through Non-Violence: The Gandhian Model — A representative image. |
File Information
| Document Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | RESOLVING CONFLICT THROUGH NON-VIOLENCE: THE GANDHIAN MODEL |
| Article Credit | Scholarly Research Journal for Humanity Science & English Language, ISSN: 2348-3083, Vol.: 13, Issue: 71, Year: 2025, (Pubd in: Academia.edu) |
| Author | Sanchita Chakraborty (Assistant Professor, Siliguri College) |
| Subject | An examination of Gandhi’s nonviolent approach to conflict resolution, with attention to ahimsa, satyagraha, constructive programmes, and peace building. |
| Category | Academic article |
| Institution | Scholarly Research Journal for Humanity Science & English Language |
| Main Topics | Gandhian nonviolence, Conflict resolution theory, Ahimsa and satyagraha, Structural violence, Constructive programmes, Peace building, International conflict and reconciliation |
| Number of Pages | 9 |
| Language | English |
| File Type | |
| File Size | 411.1 KB |
Summary Note of this Document
RESOLVING CONFLICT THROUGH NON-VIOLENCE: THE GANDHIAN MODEL
This article examines Mahatma Gandhi’s model of resolving conflict through non-violence. Written by Sanchita Chakraborty, it argues that durable peace is more likely to emerge through ahimsa, satyagraha, moral persuasion, empathy, dialogue, and self-discipline than through coercion or retaliation. The discussion situates Gandhi within wider theories of conflict and conflict resolution, including functionalist and dialectical approaches, and compares his perspective with thinkers such as Lewis Coser, Johan Galtung, John Burton, Edward A. Azar, and John Paul Lederach. A major concern is the relation between conflict and structural injustice: the article stresses that social inequality, deprivation, and frustration can generate recurring violence unless the deeper causes are addressed. It also presents Gandhi’s constructive programmes as a practical complement to direct action, linking social reform, personal purity, labor-capital relations, untouchability, trusteeship, and rural improvement to peace building. The essay extends Gandhi’s relevance beyond India by referring to inter-state negotiation, disarmament, and global peace, including the Ganges water dispute, the Berlin Wall, and the United Nations’ International Day of Nonviolence. Overall, the piece presents nonviolence as a multidimensional strategy for transforming conflict into reconciliation and social change.
Core Themes
- Nonviolent conflict transformation
- Moral and spiritual dimensions of peace
- Structural causes of violence
- Constructive social reform
- Dialogue and negotiation
- Peace studies and international relations
Keywords
About Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi lived from 1869 to 1948. Born in India, he trained as a lawyer and became a political thinker. Colonial rule repelled him. He opposed it fiercely and eventually led India’s independence movement.
Gandhi pioneered Satyagraha, the power of truth and nonviolent resistance. He put these ideals into practice during political and social upheavals. Over twenty years in South Africa shaped his thinking. That’s where he developed his tactics of nonviolent defiance. He returned to India in 1915 and launched major movements against British rule. Non-Cooperation Movement. Salt March. Quit India Movement. Each one challenged colonial domination.
In 1883 he married Kasturba Gandhi. Marriage and family life remained central to who he was. He spoke powerfully about his beliefs. His writing included Hind Swaraj, Satyagraha in South Africa, and The Story of My Experiments with Truth, his autobiography.
His vision stretched beyond political independence. Religious harmony mattered to him. Social equality. Self-reliance. Women’s rights. Ending untouchability. All of these were part of what he fought for.
Nonviolence and Satyagraha shaped movements worldwide. Civil rights activists drew from his example. Freedom struggles across the globe felt his influence. His approach changed how people thought about resistance and change.
Complete Gandhi Research Collection
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