Essay On Cesar Chavez

Many well-known and renowned historical figures have used non-violent strategies to achieve goals that would otherwise have been almost impossible if not at the least devastating. Nonviolence can be used in many different situations, mainly however it is a sort of way of life. A believer of non-violence or Ahimsa (Sanskrit word/belief for nonviolence) not only practices non-violence when it comes to achieving a goal but also in all aspects of life. True non-violence believers are often believers of Buddhism and Hinduism, whose principles aim towards the art of non-violence when it comes to animals, nature and really in all living things. Apart from the truly altruistic and peaceful purpose for non-violence that comes from Buddhism and Hinduism,

The first of which I would like to talk about is Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American civil rights activist responsible for the creation of the National Farm Workers Association later to be known as the United Farm Workers. Chavez realized that the Mexican-American labor force was being highly abused by large plantation owners. Chavez knew that the only way for large farm owners to pay their workers a higher wage would be to create a labor union. Chavez managed to create and sustain the National Farm Workers Association and raise to wages of his fellow friends and coworkers. Chavez was able to achieve this feat through several boycotts, strikes and fasting. Cesar even fasted for 36 days at the age of 61 for an event he called “Fast for Life” where he aimed to gain awareness of the harmful impacts of pesticides on farmers and their families. Cesar Chavez never hurt anyone in his protests and was able to at long last create a union for the Mexican-American workers who were being exploited by wealthy plantation owners. The second great leader and nonviolence promoter that changed society through non-violence is Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was born in a Hindu merchant caste family in coastal Gujarat. He first started applying the nonviolent tactics for social changes in South Africa, where he aided Indian’s in human rights affairs. He then returned to India in 1915 and was part of many social changes that occurred. Gandhi assumed leadership of the Indian National Congress and led nationwide campaigns against poverty, disease and crime. He continued to fight for India and Indian rights until he was shot three times by a Hindu nationalist in 1948. Despite the usually horrid outcomes of those who are most influential, Mahatma Gandhi helped India to climb out of many holes and devoted his life to