Gandhi Quotation Poster Assignment Joy Y. and Michelle T.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

Explain the meaning of each quotation. The first quote demonstrates Gandhi’s faith in nonviolence as the means of achieving one’s goals. You must take the action to change the world as you want it to change. The second quote is optimistic and encouraging. It reminds us that we “must not lose faith in humanity,” because no matter how bad a situation may seem, it is never bad enough that it can’t be fixed.

Explain how the quotations connect to one another. Both quotes refer to the Indian nationalist movement as India sought independence from Britain. Gandhi understood the necessity for peace and perseverance in order to fully and effectively accomplish one’s goals.

Explain how the quotations fit into the context of the Indian nationalist movement or Indian history. As a leader of the Indian nationalist movement, Gandhi called for nonviolent means to oppose British rule. His peaceful actions reflected this quote, as he truly was the change that he wanted to see in the world. India had to go through a long, gradual process in order finally achieve independence. Not every step was smooth, and there was enough violence that occurred along the way that could have easily discouraged those seeking freedom and rights. Perseverance and faith were virtues that all involved in the Indian nationalist movement needed in continue striving towards their ultimate goal.

Explain how the quotations could be applied to the world today. Nowadays, there are new problems at all levels: at home, in our nation, and in our global economy. Everyone talks about finding solutions to these issues and changing the world, but not often do people actually go out and do something about these problems. Following Gandhi’s words, we should consider that in order to have change, someone needs to start change. And there’s no reason why it can’t us. Again, the numerous new problems in our world today are not easily fixed. Whether the difficulties in our lives be as insignificant as a fight with a friend or as catastrophic as genocide in Rwanda, it’s important to always keep faith in and focus on the good in life.