Resources for Teachers and Students

Prepare: Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas K. Gandhi, founded the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Arun's biography can be found on the institute's website.

Read: Arun Gandhi wrote an original essay for the Architects of Peace project. In it, he explores concepts of non-violence taught to him by his grandfather.

Explore: The Gandhian Institute in Bombay is a charitable trust dedicated to propagating the writings of M. K. Gandhi. Many of his entire works have been put online, including The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, first published in 1945, the book through which much of the world became aware of his philosophy of nonviolence. Those interested can view selections on that philosophy, which Gandhi called "Ahimsa."

Write: In his Architects of Peace essay, Arun Gandhi claims that the more possessions we have, "the more we have to secure them from those who covet them." Is this idea consonant with his grandfather's teachings? What, according to Mahatma Gandhi, is the relationship between material wealth and peace? Write a three-to-five page research paper investigating these questions, in which you reference at least two distinct works of M. K. Gandhi, and a secondary source written by a Gandhian scholar.

Extend: One of the best, most concise internet resources dedicated to the furtherance of Gandhi's philosophy is called The Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace. A concise biography of Mahatma Gandhi can be found on their website. After reading the bio, take the "Gandhi Quiz" which can be found on their home page.

Additional Resource: In 1983, the motion picture Gandhi won eight academy awards, including Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Picture. The film is now available on DVD, and can be found in the video catalogues of many libraries.

Biography of Arun Gandhi