GANDHISM. Doctrine and social movement whose founder and leader was the Indian thinker and political figure Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948). In 1893 he organized the Indians of South Africa in a campaign of passive resistance against discriminatory legislation. In 1919 he undertook to organize in India, then a British colony, a mass movement against colonialism, using non-cooperation and a boycott of English merchandise. He used fasting and civil disobedience as political instruments, rejecting violence on principle.

In the philosophical and social doctrine of Mahatma Gandhi, which is quite heterogeneous, we observe both progressive elements and patriarchal social forms, since outmoded by the historical process.

GENERATIONS. (L. generatio (-onis), from generatus, pp. of generare, to beget). As social production develops, the human horizon expands, but the mere existence of social objects does not guarantee the continuity of this process. For N.H., continuity is a function of the interaction among human g. which transforms them in the process of production. These g., which promote continuity and development, are dynamic structures – they are social time in motion – without which a society would fall back into a state of nature and lose its condition of historical society, as occurred in the destructuring (*) of the ancient empires.

Wars have been decisive factors in the "naturalization" of societies by destroying continuity through the violent decimation of the younger generation. Within a single temporal horizon, in a single historical moment (*), those who are contemporaries coincide, coexist, but do so from landscapes of formation (*) that are specific to each generation by virtue of its difference in age from other g. This fact marks the enormous distance in perspective separating the g., which, although they occupy the same historical stage, do so from different situational and experiential "levels." It also happens that in every historical time there coexist g. of different temporal levels, with different retentions (memories) and protensions or future plans and which, therefore, form different situations. The bodies and behavior of children and the elderly reveal, for the active g., the presence of something from which they come and toward which they are going and, in turn, for the young and old extremes of that triple relation, temporal circumstances that are also extreme. But this never remains fixed, because as the active g. grow old and the oldest g. die, children are gradually transformed and begin to occupy active, central positions. And new births continually reconstitute society. When, as an abstraction, one "detains" this incessant flow, it is possible to speak of a "historical moment" in which all the members occupying the same social stage can be considered contemporaries, living in a single time (in the sense of datability). But these members observe a non-homogeneous coetaneousness (with respect to their internal temporality and experience). The g. most contiguous to the active g. strive to occupy the central activity (the social present), in accordance with their particular interests, establishing a dialectic relationship with the g. in power in which we can observe the new surpassing the old (*).

The topic of the g. has been treated by a number of authors, among whom Dromel, Lorenz, Petersen, Wechssler, Pinder, Drerup, Mannheim, and, of course, Ortega y Gasset stand out.

GLOBAL PROBLEMS. (*planetarization) Refers to the complex of problems currently affecting all inhabitants of the Earth. Of interest to all peoples, and their solution demands coordinated action by all the world’s states and international organizations.

Among the problems priority needs to be given to the protection of the environment on a global level; effective guarantees of human rights in all spheres; guarantees for the free development of all cultures with equality of rights for all states and nations; guarantees of peace and disarmament; the prevention of nuclear war and local conflicts; balancing the growth of population and the resources of food, energy, and raw materials necessary to sustain that growth; appropriate use of the resources of the world’s oceans and outer space; and the elimination of poverty and overcoming of underdevelopment.

These diverse global problems share a common nature in that they are the result of social progress, of the secular struggles in the course of the development of humankind, and their solution cannot be other than joint and systemic, a product of effective international cooperation by all states, institutions, organizations, and movements.

Solving these problems calls for the formation of a mentality that is systemic and global, capable of counteracting and moving beyond national and group egoism, while manifesting respect for cultural diversity, national sovereignty, and human rights – above all the right to a decent life.

GOLDEN RULE. (from gold: ME. golden, gulden, gylden; AS. gylden, from gold, gold. Rule: ME. reule, rewle, from OFr. reule; from L. regula, a straight piece of wood, a ruler, a rule). A moral principle found among a wide diversity of peoples, which expresses the humanist attitude (*). Following are examples of the various ways it has been expressed. Rabbi Hillel: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to your neighbor." Plato: "May I always do to others that which I would want them to do to me." Confucius: "Do not do to another what you would not want others to do to you." Jainist maxim: "Man must try to treat all creatures as he would want them to treat him." In Christianity: "All those things that you would want men to do unto you, do also unto them." Among the Sikhs: "Treat others as you would have them treat you." Herodotus recorded the existence of the G.R. among various peoples of the ancient world.

For N.H., the G.R. constitutes the ethical basis of every personal and social action.

GRASSROOTS SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. Organizations that arise through the initiative of residents and neighbors of communities, ghettos, and poor neighborhoods of larger cities, towns, other residential areas, and universities. Their creation is due to common interests, to a coinciding of people’s intentions, sympathies, and preferences. They are informal organizations, and do not have a closed character, permanent activities, or fixed bylaws. They are open to all residents.

Unlike the organizations of political parties, they do not function in the electoral process, but do at times issue moral assessments on political issues that affect the life of the neighborhoods, and they can work in defense of human rights, always emphasizing the right to life and the free expression of ideas and opinions.

When circumstances permit, these grassroots organizations sometimes publish neighborhood or campus newspapers that reflect local life. They focus on neighborhood issues and problems, protection of the environment, humanitarian questions, and artistic life. In this project people learn numerous skills and forms of expression.

Such organizations form the foundation of civil society, and they cooperate in the establishment and development of the democratic system in their respective countries and in international cooperation based on equality and mutual respect.

N.H. respects the sovereignty of these organizations, takes part in their activities, and supports them in all senses. Often it helps establish coordination between different community organizations of the base.

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We invite everyone to participate with us in putting into practice the moral principle that says: "Treat others as you would like to be treated."
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