This Day in History: 1869-10-02

Mahatma Gandhi born this day in Gujarat, India in 1869. Gandhi was the leader of the Indian independence movement in the 1915-1947 period and is often considered the world’s leading proponent of non-violent social change. His philosophy was a major influence on the US Civil Rights movement, the South African anti-apartheid movement, the velvet revolution and many other reform movements worldwide. As an environmentalist, Gandhi advocated rural life, homespun cloth and sustainability. He is known for saying: “The earth has enough resources for our need, but not for our greed;” and “Live simply so that others may simply live.” The Gandhi Institute has a number of articles about him and his environmental perspectives.