An Approach to Peace: Gandhi on Conflict Resolution through Satyagraha

Abstract

Gandhi's struggle called Satyagraha was a complex process of changing those involved in conflict so that the conflict is resolved. It was a deeply spiritual action. Satyagraha was an important constituent of Gandhi's programme of national self-purification. Gandhi distinguished between passive resistance and Satyagraha. The basic postulate of Satyagraha rests on the belief in the inherent goodness of human nature, where moral power and capacity to suffer even for the opponent are evident. Satyagraha was and can be used as a method to resolve conflict and to manage oneself in the face of opposition. Gandhi developed an understanding of Satyagraha in terms of its metaphysics, its philosophy, its technique and its dynamic, as well as its positive function in individual and social life.