Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Essay Example for Free

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Essay Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 at Mvezo, in tiny village near the Mbashe River in the district of Umtata. In Xhosa Rolihanda means ‘’pulling the branch of a tree’’ but also ‘’troublemaker’’ which describes Mandela quite accurately. Nelson Mandela was born into the Thembu tribe, he was a member of the royal household but was not trained to be a ruler one day, only groomed to be of help to the rulers. Nelson was a name given by Mandela’s English teacher, in that time the British had control and a more English form of education came forth. Mandela had a happy childhood but unfortunately his father died when Mandela was only nine years old.Nelson Mandela studied at Clarkebury. Later on Mandela was send to Wesleyan College in Fort Beaufort in somewhat poor sleeping and eating circumstances. Nelson got a sense of freedom from his tribe and began searching inside himself as a person not just a tribe member or a Xhosa but as an African, but as the famous Xhosa poet Mqhay spoke at the collage and inspired Nelson to put being a Xhosa first and a African second. He later attended University Collage of Fort Hare were he got knowledge of law, English and politics. This is where the seed was planted of Nelson’s tree of wisdom. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is one of the greatest souls to ever walk the earth, his fight for freedom and equality will be remembered for centuries more to come. He is an icon of greatness and everything we should inspire to be. Mandela is known worldwide for his extraordinary sacrifice he made in his struggle for justice and equality in South-Africa. If you think of South-Africa without Nelson Mandela darkness comes to mind, where would we be if it wasn’t for this man? I think it’s a question many South-Africans would rather not answer, were just grateful that he was here. Nelson Mandela’s fight against apartheid is probably the definitive moment of South-African history, the moment that were all finally after years and years equal. That is the reason why I believe Mandela is essential to  South-African history. In Nelson Mandela autobiography ‘’A long walk to freedom’’ he categorized his life into different chapters. In these chapters we see Mandela growing, learning and creating his point of view. Mandela saw the wrong in South- Africa and he knew it had to be justified. During Rivonia trail Nelson Mandela said â€Å"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.† (Mandela, 1995:215) Mandela’s different chapters give us an idea of the story of how this wonderful man came to be. Mandela gives you a visual picture of his life in ‘’A long walk to freedom’’. We see Mandela as a little boy running around playing with the other boys, participating in stick fights and being as free as one could be, this may be when Mandela fell in love with freedom. In many occasions Mandela says that he inherited various traits of character from his father ‘’ My father was a tall, dark-skinned man with a straight and stately posture, which I like to think I inherited’’ ‘’My father possessed a proud rebelliousness, a stubborn sense of fairness, that I recognize in myself’’ we see that Mandela and his Father had a fair amount of character traits in common, and his father played a big role in the fundament in Mandela’s character. Mandela also said ‘’although my mother was the centre of my existence, I defined myself through my father’’. (Mandela, 1995:26) Mandela didn’t know it at the time but his whole world was about change. His mother informed him that he wasnâ⠂¬â„¢t going to stay with them anymore Nelson didn’t ask where he was going or why. When he reached the place that was going to be his new home he was amazed but still felt bewildered. Nelson said ‘’It felt like a sapling pulled root and branch from the earth and flung into the centre of a stream whose strong current I could not resist’’(Mandela, 1995:26) He was also taken by the factor of wealth ‘’In that instant, I saw that life might hold more for me than being a champion stick-fighter’’(Mandela, 1995:26) Nelson Mandela’s new home in Mqhekezweni brought many opportunities, Nelson’s mother knew he would achieve much more, al Nelson Mandela’s father ever wanted for Nelson was a great education so in a way his wishes were granted. At the age of sixteen the regent decided  that it was time for Mandela to embrace manhood meaning circumcision. Circumcision was a ritual of transformation from boy into man. The regent said that Mandela was not destined to work in the mine , he said Nelson would be a counsellor to Sabata, for n Nelson to be a counsellor he needed higher education so he was send to Clarkebury after he finished in some struggling, he was send to Wesleyan College in Fort Beaufort. After that 21 year Nelson Mandela was send to The University College of Fort Hare. Nelson said for him and other young black children it was like ‘’Oxford and Cambridge, Harvard and Yale, all rolled into one’’. (Mandela, 1995:40) Nelson Mandela learned both inside and out classrooms. He competed in soccer and cross-country running. Nelson Mandela met Oliver Tambo on the soccer field. Mandela said ‘’it was easy to see that he was destined for great things’’. (Mandela, 1995:41) Mandela’s dream at this moment was to get a degree and to earn money so that he could restore the wealth his mother lost when his father died he wanted to give them all the things they couldn’t afford. Nelson Mandela was nominated to stand for Student Representative Council but not all the students were allowed to vote so Nelson and the five others decided to resign from the council. The next day they voted again with all the students present but still only twenty five could vote so the same people were appointed. They held a meeting and the five suggested that they accept office, tough nothing had changed for Mandela. Here you can see Mandela’s love for democracy shine trough. Mandela resigned for the second time and he the only one out of the six that did. He was called in by the head of university DR. Kerr, he gave Mandela a choice stay and be on the Student Representative Council or leave. Mandela chose to leave because he couldn’t let his fellow student down and he had to do the right thing. Nelson Mandela returned home were the regent was very angry with Mandela. The regent also announced that his two sons will be married. This took Mandela by surprise. He and his brother fled to Johannesburg. As they arrived at Johannesburg they went to the mines seeking work but were turned down because they knew that they ran away from home. Nelson got a job as articled law clerk at Witkin, Nelson went about life as normal went to parties met some brilliant people and learned every day. The regent came to Mandela, he wanted to know what his plans were he supported Mandela and had  no intension to take him back but for his brother there was other intentions he was to come home immediately return which he refused. Six months later the regent died and Mandela was overwhelmed by guilt. Mandela began working with Guar and Walter Sisulu. In the end of 1942 Nelson Mandela got his B.A degree and he was very proud. Gaur his employer also reminded him education wasn’t everything education alone wasn’t going to give them freedom. It was Guar that took Mandela to the ANC meetings. Nelson also participated in bus boycott with Guar. In 1943 the firm articled Nelson Mandela. Later on Mandela attended the University of Witwatersrand to get his LLB degree in law. The university had mostly white people and in the law faculty Nelson was the only black person, most of the people weren’t very to Nelson which made him feel uncomfortable. Nelson Mandela and the other members of the ANC had enough of the negative racist benefits of being black. They wanted to form a youth league and after visiting head of ANC Dr. Xuma provisional committee of the Youth League was formed, under the leadership of William Nkomo. Nelson says ’’the primary purpose of the Youth League was to give direction to the ANC in its quest for political freedom.’’(Mandela, 1995:65) During this Mandela was still studying part time. Nelson met his first wife Evelyn Mase at Walter’s house. They didn’t know each other very long before they got married. In 1946 70,000 African miners along the Reef went on strike for a higher salary, a union was created for the miners. The miners decided to march but this was very violently repulsed by police. After the strike, fifty-two men were arrested and prosecuted, first for incitement then for sedition. In 1947 Nelson was elected executive committee of the Transvaal ANC. In 1948 only white people were allowed to vote. Dr. Xuma was removed as head and replaced by James Moroka, he was more committed in winning freedom. Mandela said We had now guided the ANC to a more radical and revolutionary path. Mandela sadly failed his last year at Witwatersrand 3 times and was denied his degree. Mandela continued with protests and speeches and the government continued with arrests in masses. In 1952 Mandela was elected regional president of the ANC. On 30 July 1952, Mandela was arrested under the Suppression of Communism Act and went on trial with the 21 accused, among them Moroka, Sisulu and Dadoo, in Johannesburg. Found guilty of statutory  communism, their sentence of nine months hard labour was suspended for two years. The ANC was split into two, the militant faction split to form a new organisation the PAC in 1961. The following year police killed 61 peaceful black protesters. The ANC and PAC was then banned. Mandela was forced to disguise himself to avoid detection. Mandela knew it was time for more drastic action. In 1961 Nelson Mandela became co-founder and leader of ‘’ Umkhonto we Sizwe’’, ‘’Spear of the Nation† a military branch of the ANC. Nelson later said ‘’It would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and nonviolence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force. It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle.† Mandela launched a plan to sabotage the government. South-Africa at this stage was declared a republic and free from British control. Mandela illegally went oversees to gain support in Ethiopia and advice from Oliver Tambo in London. On 5 December after Mandela returned he was arrested and sentence to 5 years in prison for leaving the country and for being in control of the 1961 workers’ strike. This sentence would in time proven to be the least of Mandela’s problems. The government raided a military hide out in Rivonia where evidence was found against Nelson and other ANC members. They were charge with sabotage, treason and violent conspiracy alongside their associates. They had a trail that lasted 8 months, the trail attracted international attention. Nelson Mandela and 7 other members were sentenced to life in jail. Mandela spent his first 18 of 27 years in jail on an island prison just a few kilometres from Cape Town called Robben Island. He was treated badly because of the colour of his skin. Oliver Tambo began a free Nelson Mandela campaign which got the attention that they needed to free Mandela. The government made Mandela a deal release for political compromises, but he rejected them. In 1982 Nelson was moved to less secure prison, Pollsmoor Prison. The following year F. W. de Klerk was elected president and he lifted the ban against the ANC and in 1990 he ordered Nelson Mandela’s release. In 1993 Nelson and de Klerk were handed the Nobel prize. In 1994 Nelson Mandela was elected president of South-Africa. F.W de Klerk was his first deputy. Nelson went on to make South-Africa a great nation, everyone equal whether your black, white, Indian or coloured It’s hard to imagine a  South- Africa without Nelson Mandela. His importance was seen in the moment we lost him. In his book ‘’Conversations with myself’’ Barrack Obama wrote the foreword saying’’ Like many people around the world, I came to know of Nelson Mandela from a distance, when he was imprisoned on Robben Island. To so many of us, he was more than just a man he was a symbol of the struggle for justice, equality, and dignity in South Africa and around the globe. His sacrifice was so great that it called upon people everywhere to do what they could on behalf of human progress’’ The Guardian said ‘’Mandela was a transformational figure; to say he was a historical figure would not give him his full due. Some people move through history as being the first this or that – just another figure in a lineage of persons. To be a transformer is to plan, to have the vision to chart the course, the skills to execute. To be transformational is to have the courage of ones convictions, to sacrifice, to risk life and limb, to lay it all on the line. Historical figures will reference Nelson Mandela.’’ Nelson Mandela has such a great impact on South-Africa that I don’t know if I would be here if it wasn’t for him, none of us can say we would. If Mandel a didn’t do what he did we would have ended up in a war between white and black and many lives would be lost. Mandela saves millions and set millions free. Sadly Mandela died on 5 December 2013 of a recurring lung infection, although Mandela never was a smoker. South-Africa came to a standstill we had lost our hero in flesh but he will never be forgotten. Bronnelys: Jackson, J. 2013. Nelson Mandela changed the course of history for South-Africa and the US. The Guardian, 5 Dec. http://www.thegaurdian.com/commetisfree/2013/dec/05/nelson -mandela-changed-history-south-africa-us Date of access: 15 March. Lewis, S. 2013. Why was Mandela important. BBC newsround, 6 Dec http://www.bbc.com/newsround/25263229 Mandela N.R. 1995.A long walk to freedom. Little, Brown and Company. Boston New York London Mandela N.R foreword by Obama B. 2010. Conversations with myself. Little, Brown and Company.Boston New York London

Critical Thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking Essay 1. Is it wrong to kill someone in self-defense? I think that ultimately it’s wrong to kill anyone no matter the situation. Do I understand killing someone in self- defense? Yes I do, if you are at your home and someone breaks and enters into your home and your safety and family’s safety is jeopardized I feel that a person should protect themselves at all costs no matter what. It’s not against the law for an individual to bear arms, unless they are a felon. But I believe that no person should not react if there life is at risk. 2. Should people be given equal opportunities, regardless of race, religion, or gender? Yes I do believe that no matter race, gender, or religion, everyone deserves a fair chance at success. Whether it’s applying for school, jobs, etc. I don’t think that these things can affect the way and individual works! I do believe in equal opportunity! 3. Is it wrong to ridicule someone, even if you believe it’s in good fun? Yes I do believe it’s wrong to ridicule someone even if it’s fun to you, it may not be fun to the person you ridicule. What’s funny to you can be very hurtful to the next person; you don’t know what the person your ridiculing has been through or what they are going through. I have seen and heard of people being ridiculed by someone and they have actually taken drastic measures as far as committing suicide or have gone on a killing spree. Killing the ones that have ridiculed them or put them through a lot allowing people to ridicule them. It’s easy for one to look at someone’s misfortunes and tease them and make fun of them. Just because you want to make yourself feel better. I think that people that do this are unhappy with their life, that they have to make other’s feel bad about there’s. It’s not right and it’s not fair.

Gladiatorial Games in Ancient Rome

Gladiatorial Games in Ancient Rome Little doubt the gladiatorial games at Rome’s Colosseum would have been blood-fuelled, brutal spectacles. The knowledge of the games has been left through stories, letters and poems of great Roman politicians and writers. This essay will briefly examine how various Roman writers responded to the games, and how those reactions were similar or different. The conclusion will identify reasons why these writers may have held their opinions about the games. Seneca, a politician who died around 65 CE, has the same attitude as Cicero, displaying no satisfaction in the Roman gladiatorial shows. However, Seneca condemns the shows in a direct fashion. First, he declares no trust in one’s ability to retain their moral character when one is engulfed in a crowd. One’s moral character becomes damaged, becoming â€Å"more greedy, more ambitious, more self-indulgent†¦more cruel and inhuman.†[6] Second, Seneca proclaims that one does not find entertainment in the shows, only â€Å"sheer butchery.†[7] As any victor in one challenge is simply offered in the next fight, the shows teach lessons in cruelty to those who cannot benefit from it.[8] Martial, on the other hand, glorifies the gladiatorial games. Martial lived from 40 -103 CE and might have been connected to Seneca’s family. Martial’s â€Å"On the Spectacles† exalts Rome’s Colosseum to the highest level, comparing its greatness to the wonders of the world, such as Babylon’s gardens.[9] Martial believes that the fallen in the arena have a just end as only guilty criminals or animals fall in the arena. â€Å"On the Spectacles† vividly describes the gore and encourages those from far away to witness the spectacle for themselves, almost like a tourist advertisement.[10] Statius, who wrote around the same time as Martial, has a different view on the games in â€Å"The Tame Lion.† This poem mourns the death of one lion in the arena. So tragic is it that the king of hunters has been tamed that even Caesar sheds a tear for the fallen lion.[11] This directly contrasts Martial’s image of a â€Å"treacherous lion† that had dared to violate and harm his master.[12] Statius views the loss of the beast as tragic, Martial as deserved. â€Å"The Tame Lion† shows that Statius believes that the gladiatorial games diminish the glory of hunters. In a letter to Valerius Maximus, Pliny the Younger praises the politician for putting on a great spectacle for the people of Verona. Pliny was a politician who lived from 61-112 CE. Pliny declared it a suitable event for a funeral tribute to Valerius Maximus’s wife.[13] Pliny’s attitude about the games is neutral, expressing neither dislike nor affection for the spectacles, which is unsurprising in a document addressed to one who holds the games. What the letter does reveal is that Pliny believes the games are necessary gestures of generosity when the public demands such events. Thus, unlike many of the other Roman writers, Pliny finds value in the games in that they satisfy the desires of the public. St. Augustine lives much later than the other writers featured in this essay, between 354-430 CE. By this time Christianity had been accepted as a religion in the Roman Empire. St. Augustine was one of the great Christian philosophers. In â€Å"The Story of Alypius†, St. Augustine reveals a similar reaction to the games as Seneca’s reaction, that is, once surrounded in a crowd, one’s character will be irreparably damaged. In the story, Alypius attends the games believing he is strong enough to resist temptation of the cruel games. The problem, according to St. Augustine, is that Alypius trusted in himself instead of God, and he too falls prey to the savage games.[14] As St. Augustine was a Christian philosopher, there is little wonder that he declared those who viewed â€Å"the wickedness of fighting† as ones filled with â€Å"savage passion.†[15] St. Augustine would have linked the games with Rome’s Pagan past. Thus, most of the Roman writers believe that the games are bloodthirsty events, offering entertainment of little value. Pliny the Younger’s belief that the games are necessary for public goodwill stands out from the others. Many of them critique the games in a negative way, focusing on how being part of a crowd may harm one’s moral character. Martial is one of the few writers who directly praises the spectacles. Perhaps he was trying to gain favour from the Emperor, as â€Å"On the Spectacles† reads like a tourist advertisement for the games at the Colosseum. St. Augustine’s view on the games is not surprising. As a Christian philosopher, he would have wanted the Roman Empire to distance itself from events that were notable in its former Pagan past. Clearly, the writings show that the spectacles at the Colosseum were controversial affairs. References Augustine, St., â€Å"The Story of Alypius† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Cicero, â€Å"Pompey’s Shows† in Resource Book 1, Open University. _____. â€Å"Philosophical Discussion† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Martial, â€Å"On the Spectacles† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Pliny the Younger, â€Å"Letter to Valerius Maximus† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Seneca, â€Å"Letter 7† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Statius, â€Å"The Tame Lion† in Resource Book 1, Open University. 1 Footnotes [1] Cicero, Philosophical Discussion, 98. [2] Ibid. [3] Cicero, Pompey’s Shows, 97. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] Seneca, Letter 7, 99. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Martial, On The Spectacles, 91-92. [10] Ibid., 93. [11] Statius, The Tame Lion, 98. [12] Martial, On The Spectacles, 92. [13] Pliny, Letter to Valerius Maximus, 96. [14] St. Augustine, The Story of Alypius, 100. [15] Ibid.

Accounting Essay -- essays paper

Accounting There are many different types of accounting. I haven’t made the choice of which particular part of the profession I am going to go into. I am going to focus on financial accountant. The decision to become an accountant is usually not made until college. However general accounting and bookkeeping classes can be taken in high school. In college, the student needs to decide on a more specific field of accounting. An accountant has many choices regarding what particular field of accounting to specialize in, depending on the financial information he or she wants to analyze and how it is done. Financial accountants, tax accountants and internal auditors are all accountants in general but require different training and work methods. A financial accountant records economic data and periodically prepares reports that show profit and other financial information of a company using the generally accepted accounting principles. The reports prepared by the accountant are useful for managers, and also for owners, creditors and the public. Based on information in the reports, the public can use the reports to choose a company to invest in. Because a financial accountant is employed by an individual company, he or she is considered a private accountant. Accountants have career choices to make based on more specialized interests in a field, and, as with other careers, a different specialization will have different educational requirements. Different classes will... Accounting Essay -- essays paper Accounting There are many different types of accounting. I haven’t made the choice of which particular part of the profession I am going to go into. I am going to focus on financial accountant. The decision to become an accountant is usually not made until college. However general accounting and bookkeeping classes can be taken in high school. In college, the student needs to decide on a more specific field of accounting. An accountant has many choices regarding what particular field of accounting to specialize in, depending on the financial information he or she wants to analyze and how it is done. Financial accountants, tax accountants and internal auditors are all accountants in general but require different training and work methods. A financial accountant records economic data and periodically prepares reports that show profit and other financial information of a company using the generally accepted accounting principles. The reports prepared by the accountant are useful for managers, and also for owners, creditors and the public. Based on information in the reports, the public can use the reports to choose a company to invest in. Because a financial accountant is employed by an individual company, he or she is considered a private accountant. Accountants have career choices to make based on more specialized interests in a field, and, as with other careers, a different specialization will have different educational requirements. Different classes will...

Homoeopathy - Survey of Alternative Medicine Essay -- Homeopathic Medi

Homeopathic Survey of Alternative Medicine Homeopathy is an alternative method of treatment, based on the nature's Law of Cure, or the saying 'Like Cures Like'. Discovered by a German scientist Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in 1796, and has been verified experimentally and clinically for 200 years. Homoeopathy is the revolutionary, natural medical science. Homeopathy is gentle and effective system of medicine. The remedies are prepared from natural substances to precise standards and work by stimulating the body's own healing power. Why should it be the first choice? Well first it is highly scientific, logical, safe, quick and extremely effective method of healing. It offers long lasting to permanent cure to most ailments, treating the disease from its roots deep inside the body. Homoeopathy does not treat superficially by just treating the symptoms but heals the patient from within. Disease affects the mind and body, your individual organs are not the cause of illness but disturbance at the inner level is the cause of illness. Different medicines for different ailments are not the way of homoeopathy but to find one single remedy for the whole body. Homoeopathy believes in holistic, totalistic and individualistic approach. It is with this single dose prepared from sources such as vegetables, animal, minerals, chemicals, all non toxic and absolutely harmless. They concentrate on influencing the body’s energy. These remedies are safe for adults, infants and children with no side affects. Homoeopathy is not against surgery. There are some diseases that are only cured with surgery. However, Homeopathic remedies may be considered so that some surgery can be avoided. It can also be helpful in psychosomatic illnesses and not harm the individual in the process. But the most important factor of Homeopathic therapy is that it is not a quick system, so that treatment must be researched and detected early as it is during this time that this kind of treatment does its best work. Coming late to Homeopathic therapy the disease may have reached an incurable stage. Although Homeopathy has been in existence for 200 years, it seems to be the exciting new therapy for the 21st century. It can help us when other cures are not available or are not affordable. It is something that should not be ignored and we all should become aware of the possible help it can be in saving an... ...r Therapy, NCCAM, Retrieved from the World Wide Web http://nccam.nih.gov/about/offices/od/directortestimony/060700.htm Questions and Answers about Homeopathy: National Center for Complementary Alternative   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Medicine, Publication No. D183, Retrieved October 4, 2003 from the World Wide Web   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/index.htm Ullman, D. (1997). The Education of Homeopaths, Retrieved October 3, 2003 from the World Wide Web http://www.homeopathic.com/articles/intro/education_of_h.php No Author Given (2003). Benefits of Homeopathy, Retrieved October 6, 2003 from the World Wide Web http http://www.online-ambulance.com/alternative/conditions_benefited_by_homeopat.html No Author Given (2003). How Certification Differs From Licensing Retrieved October 3, 2003 from the World Wide Web http://www.homeopathicdirectory.com/re_licensing.htm No Author Given (Copyright 2002). Introduction to Homeopathy: Natural Medicine for the 21st Century, Retrieved October 2, 2003 from the World Wide Web http://www.homeopathic.org/history.htm Shah R. (Copyright 2003) All About Homeopathy, You Always Wanted to Know. Retrieved from: http://www.indiaspace.com/homoeopathy/

Gandhi Movie Summary :: Film Movie

The movie Gandhi starts off with the assassination of Gandhi on January 30, 1948. He was killed because of the split of Hindus and Muslims into Pakistan and India, instead of trying to keep the country united (which was impossible at the time). The story then jumps back to Gandhi early in his life, when he is a practicing attorney. He is traveling in South Africa on a train and is thrown off because he refuses to give up his first class seat. The conductor wants him to move because he is Indian. This upsets him and he organizes a burning of the discriminatory codes. The protestors are arrested and released. Gandhi is motivated by religious means; he believes that everyone is equal in God’s eyes. He gets involved in several movements for equality, and he stresses non-violence very strongly. The Indians are very mad because British rule continues to limit their rights. They are supposed to all get fingerprinted, and their marriage laws are invalid. Gandhi’s followers vow to fight their oppressors to the death, but he discourages them from violence. He and his wife form a sort of commune of purity. They live off of the land entirely. During one scene, they ask all of Gandhi’s followers to burn all of their clothes that were made in Britain and wear only what they can make themselves. Gandhi practices this for the rest of his life, usually wearing just a loincloth. In another scene, Gandhi is in jail, and some of his followers are peacefully gathered in a square. The police lock up the square and kill almost everyone, over 1,500 people. Gandhi is disgusted and discouraged. He continues to preach non-violence, but the Indians do have occasional conflict with the police. Gandhi’s counter to the popular phrase â€Å"an eye for an eye† says that after that, â€Å"everyone will be blind.† Gandhi leads several organized protests against British rule. In one, all Indians stopped doing their work, and the major cities in the country were disabled. Another time, he led a 165-mile walk to the sea to protest the British monopoly on salt. The Indians made their own salt out of the sea. A turning point on the Indian fight for independence was the western press. Reporters witnessed a scene in which Indians tried to get into a factory row by row, and were brutally beaten by soldiers, row by row, as the women pulled the dead and injured away.

Land Rights Essay

The land rights debate in the 1970’s was a tough and hard-fought journey for the Aboriginal people. In the 1967 Referendum, Australians showed their support for the Aboriginals, by voting to change the Constitution to include the indigenous in the Census and giving overriding authority to the Commonwealth government regarding Aboriginal affairs. Ralph Hunt, of the National Coalition Party and Federal Minister in 1971 stated ‘To just set aside land because Aboriginal groups and tribes believe they have a special right to it tends to only perpetuate the tribal system’, explaining that Indigenous people did not have the power nor authority to regain land that they believed belonged to them. However, by this stage, Aboriginal people were ‘less inclined to have white politicians deciding upon their best interests’. The quotation particularly reflected the ‘Assimilation’ policy in reference to the Indigenous people. In 1970, the Aborigines Adva ncement League had sent a petition to the United Nations, requesting that the union use its powers to uphold Aboriginal rights to the land. This strategy also failed. On Australia Day 1972, Prime Minister McMahon also supported Hunt’s views in publicly stating that Aboriginals did not have a right to any land or compensation, while also declaring that mining was permitted on Aboriginal reserves. On that same day, an Aboriginal ‘Tent Embassy’ was established on the front lawn of the Parliament house, protesting to secure land rights. The embassy became the focal point for protests against denial of rights for Aboriginal people. Regaining control of the traditional land was crucial to the Aboriginal people, as all means of their identity, spirituality, and the Dreaming shared an inextricable link with the land. The government was surprised by the amount of public support for the Aboriginal cause. A significant point in the lands right debate eventuated following the Labour Party’s Gough Whitlam’s reign as Prime Minister. Whitlam supported the land rights of Aboriginals and believed people should ‘contemplate what a British government would do’. Within Whitlam’s years as Prime Minister, he produced ‘one successful land claim’: by legally ‘handing back’ the deeds to Vincent Lingiari of the traditional Gurindji lands at Wattie Creek, NT in 1975. This however only provided the people with ‘leasehold of their tribal land’. Most of the actions regarding Aboriginal Land Rights in the 1970’s were symbolic, however no real ownership was  achieved. Question 2: The introduction of the ‘Mabo Judgement’ and the ‘Wik Decision’ were pivotal in the development of the Land Rights movement. The Mabo Judgement, named after Eddie Mabo, recognised the native title of the Merriam people to their original land, the Murray Islands. Up until the Mabo Judgement in particular, the government had decided Australia was not occupied prior to European settlement for legal reasons, or what has become known as Terra Nullius, meaning land belonging to no one. The High Court’s Mabo decision of 1992 acknowledging Native Title was based on the recognition of the spiritual links between the people and the land, and may continue to exist provided Indigenous groups continue to observe their traditional laws and customs. The Mabo decision also made clear that native title had been extinguished over freehold land. This meant that there was no risk of suburban homes affected from land claims, as most private land in urban Australia is freehold. The Mabo judgement was the initial step in recognising the Aboriginal’s link to their traditional lands, and became the first positive push for the Land Rights movement. The ‘Wik Decision’ of 1996, developed after the Wik people had sought Native Title over traditional lands which were under pastoral lands leases in north Queensland. The Wik decision meant that Aboriginals and native title may coexist with pastoral leases. However, if conflict arose, pastoral leases would prevail over native title. As approximately 42% of Australia was covered by pastoral leases, the decision gave many Aboriginal citizens the right of access to traditional lands, provided they did not interfere with the landowners. The Wik decision was a significant phase in the Land Rights movement, which, for the first time, provided Aboriginals with a legal positio n to claim their traditional land. In 1997, the Liberal Howard government reacted to white Australian protest, referred to as ‘white paranoia’, by introducing the 10 Point Plan, which would greatly restrict the rights of Aboriginals. This Plan made it much harder for Aboriginals to register a claim for native title, due to the tougher registration test. The 10 Point Plan developed into the inauguration of The Native Title Amendment Act of 1998. In reference to Frank Brennan, the act ‘allowed at least the rights to hunt, fish, camp and have ceremony’, which reflects the view that  Aboriginal rights had been minimalised. The amendment act, initiated by the Howard Government expelled the right of Indigenous people to negotiate on pastoral leases, giving leaseholders the ability to carry out a range of activities, under the category of ‘primary production’, on the land without consultation with the Aboriginals. After all the progress of both the Mabo and Wik judgements, this was a significant setback in the development and growth of the Aboriginal Land Rights movement.