ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the key concepts, values and strategies propagated and practiced by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who is known all over the world as the leader of the freedom movement in India. The values he emphasized were truth, justice and ahimsa (non-violence). some of the strategies he introduced for his social action and in his work were: sarvodaya (welfare of all); satyagraha (resistance and non-cooperation using non-violence, truth, self-sacrifice and patience); swarajya (self-rule); lokniti (people-centered policies/law), sarvadharma sambhav (equal respect for all faiths); and swadeshi (self-reliance).
The relevance of Gandhian thought and practice in social work education and practice is deliberated upon. Gandhi’s pedagogic and philosophical approach holds relevance for the ideology and the culture of institutions of social work, the content of curricula, the pedagogy for teaching and learning, the nature of fieldwork experiences, role modeling of faculty, and faculty–student relationships. The application of Gandhian thought and practice in the modern world, through innovative practice and perspectives is also included.
