nationalism essay

Global Studies

Nationalism means to have pride for your country , Thinking your country is better than others. Nationalism can be used in both good and bad ways. For example in history Mohandas Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were both examples of good nationalist leaders. Nelson wanted both black and white south Africans to work together for peace, and to build a new nation on justice using a nonviolent approach to the problem. Gandhi wanted the people of his nation to be treated with dignity and equality he did this also without using violence against the British. Both men sacrificed their wellbeing to make change for their people. These men were beaten , then arrested because they dared to challenge the system. Here is their story. Nelson Mandela was born on July 18th 1918 as Rolihlahla Mandela. He was the son of the Tembu Tribal chief Henry Mandela. He attended the university colleges of fort Hare and Witwatersrand; he pursued a law degree in 1942. Before he joined the ANC he protested against the white colonial rule. His mission became to set out for personal and national liberation. By 1944 he joined the African national congress, he persuaded the people of the ANC to strike against the government because of their unfair treatment of his people, and he was arrested for civil disobedience. After sometime Nelson was tired of pushing for non-violence and threatened to bomb buildings, only the buildings he didn’t want people to get hurt. He was arrested for terrorist activities by the South African government and sent to prison. 27 years later he was finally released through international pressure in 1990. His life’s work finally brought change to South Africa in 1994 when all races were able to vote. Nelson Mandela was then elected the first black president in South Africa. Mohandas Gandhi was born October 2nd 1869 in Porbandar India. He was born into an upper class family where his father was the leader of their community. His parents had arranged a marriage for him at the age of 13 and also wanted him to be a lawyer. At 19 he was send to a college in London to study law. After his time in school he went back to India to practice law, after failing with his starting his own practice, he moved to south and took a job at a Indian law firm. In his time in South Africa he experienced racial discrimination. This is where he began to work for the civil rights of the Indian people. In India Gandhi led the fight for Indian independence from the British Empire by arranging non-violent protest and boycotts. He was imprisoned many times while organizing his campaigns and protest. The British had let Gandhi go because people had loved him and they were scared what would happen if they had let Gandhi die in prison. When the British had put tax of salt Gandhi walked 241 miles to the sea to collect his own salt. He started with such a small group of protestors and it had expanded and resulted to thousands of Indians marching with him. This was one of Gandhi’s most successful protests this was called the Salt March. He fought for the civil rights and liberties of all the Indian people. He was determined to make change and he was willing to sacrifice everything and pursue equality in a non-violent way.
Mandela and Gandhi’s movements involved men, woman, children , workers and farmers. Gandhi was more for the rights of the Indians being mistreated. Mandela was for the black and white south Africans being segregated when they were no different from each other. Gandhi and Nelson Mandela both took on Nationalism and human rights in a non-violent way. These men made a change for the people in south Africa because they wanted to. They both came from families of means , and decided to leave the life that was already planned for them to challenge and take on the government. These men wanted the people to know that they were no less than the people who were governing them. Gandhi thought it was absolutely ridiculous that the Indian men and women had to present papers to identify themselves to the ruling class. Mandela wanted the people of his nation to open their eyes and see they were being discriminated against and they can do something about it, they can together build a nation based on peace and justice.