Mohandas K. Gandhi
Indian anti-colonial activist, lawyer and India independence leader
Biopic and Documentary Movies: Gandhi (1982), Satyagraha (1983), The Gandhi Murder (2019)
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: World Peace Day, Give Peace a Chance
World Peace Day is observed annually on 21 September. The United Nations-sanctioned holiday, officially known as the International Day of Peace, is dedicated to promoting world peace. One proven and effective alternative to war or armed conflict is nonviolent action. According to Wikipedia, "nonviolent resistance is the practice of achieving goals such as social change through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, satyagraha, or other methods, while being nonviolent." (Poll idea inspired by a comment from rubyfruit76.)
Which of these modern peace activists do you admire the most for their extensive nonviolent efforts to achieve political and social change?
Make Your Choice
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Emmeline Pankhurst
British political activist and organizer of the British suffragette movementBiopic and Documentary Movies: Suffragette (2015), What 80 Million Women Want (1913)
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Martin Luther King in 30 for 30 (2009)
American civil rights activist, Baptist minister and the U.S. civil rights movement's most visible spokespersonBiopic and Documentary Movies: Selma (2014), King (1978), Boycott (2001)
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Mother Teresa
Albanian-Indian advocate for the poor, Roman Catholic nun and founder of the Missionaries of Charity (with over 4,500 nuns and active in 133 countries) whose mission is to aid the poorest of poor and the sickBiopic and Documentary Movies: The Letters (2014), Mother Teresa (2003), Mother Teresa: In the Name of God's Poor (1997)
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Nelson Mandela
South African anti-apartheid activist, African National Congress leader and a former President of South AfricaBiopic and Documentary Movies: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), Invictus (2009), Mandela and de Klerk (1997), Mandela (1996), Mandela (1987)
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Jane Addams
American settlement activist and pacifist, co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union and a prominent U.S. social reformer* Addams was a social worker, sociologist, public administrator, author and noted for her influence on policy and public opinion. She is recognized as the founder of the social work profession in the U.S.A.. Addams was both national chairman for the U.S. Woman's Peace Party and was president of the International Committee of Women for a Permanent Peace. She was one of the leading theoreticians in the domestic and international peace movements and one of the early 20th century's faces of pacifism.
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The Dalai Lama
Tibetan world peace activist, spiritual leader and former temporal ruler of TibetBiopic and Documentary Movies: Kundun (1997), Road to Peace; Ancient Wisdom of the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet (2012)
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Aung San Suu Kyi in They Call It Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain (2012)
Burmese pro-democracy activist, leader of the National League for Democracy and the de facto head of government of MyanmarBiopic and Documentary Movies: The Lady (2011), They Call It Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain (2012)
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Andrew Carnegie in Andrew Carnegie: Rags to Riches, Power to Peace (2015)
Scottish-American large-scale philanthropist with special emphasis on world peace among other endeavors, as well as, a noteworthy industrialist and business magnateBiopic and Documentary Movies: The Richest Man in the World: Andrew Carnegie (1997), Andrew Carnegie: Rags to Riches, Power to Peace (2015)
* Carnegie's 1889 article, "The Gospel of Wealth" called on the rich to use their wealth to improve society, and stimulated a wave of philanthropy. He personally gave away 90% of his wealth (donations totaling $65 billion in 2019 dollars). Carnegie built the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It is houses the principal judicial body of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, the world's Permanent Court of Arbitration, and The Hague Academy of International Law. He founded the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a foreign-policy think tank. It is dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and has Carnegie Global Centers in Washington D.C., Moscow, Beirut, Beijing, Brussels, and New Delhi.
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Malala Yousafzai in He Named Me Malala (2015)
Pakistani female education activist and youngest Nobel Prize laureate everBiopic and Documentary Movie: He Named Me Malala (2015)
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Lech Walesa
Polish pro-democracy activist, union organizer of Solidarity (NSZZ "Solidarność") and former President of PolandBiopic and Documentary Movies: Walesa: Man of Hope (2013), Man of Iron (1981), Workers '80 (1981)
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Susan B. Anthony in Biography (1987)
American social reformer and women's rights activist and co-organizer of American suffragette movement along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy StoneBiopic and Documentary Movie: Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999)
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Lev Tolstoy
Russian pacifist writer and author of 'War and Peace' (often cited by pacifists as a major influence)Biopic and Documentary Movies: Lev Tolstoy (1984), Lev Tolstoy (1984), Leo Tolstoy: Genius Alive
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Sophie Scholl in Die Widerständigen. Zeugen der Weißen Rose (2008)
German anti-Nazi political activist, college student, Christian pacifist and a White Rose non-violent resistance group memberBiopic and Documentary Movies: Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005), Die Widerständigen. Zeugen der Weißen Rose (2008), The White Rose (1982)
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John Newton in Bill Moyers: Amazing Grace (1990)
English abolitionist, Anglican clergyman and composer of the "Amazing Grace" hymnBiopic and Documentary Movies: Amazing Grace (2006), Newton's Grace (2017), Bill Moyers: Amazing Grace (1990)
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Vera Brittain
British pacifist speaker/author, First World War field nurse and author of 'Testament of Youth'Biopic and Documentary Movies: Testament of Youth (2014), Testament of Youth (1979)
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Al Gore at an event for An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
American environmentalist, writer/star of the 'An Inconvenient Truth' movies and a former U.S. Vice-PresidentBiopic and Documentary Movies: An Inconvenient Truth (2006), An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017)
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Bertha von Suttner
Austrian-Bohemian pacifist, Czech aristocrat, author of 'Lay Down Your Arms!' and first female Nobel peace prize laureateBiopic, Documentary and Related Movies: Eine Liebe für den Frieden - Bertha von Suttner und Alfred Nobel (2014), Down with Weapons (1914), 'Die Waffen nieder!' (1952)
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Cesar Chavez
American worker rights and Latino American civil rights activist and co-founder of National Farm Workers Association, later renamed United Farm WorkersBiopic and Documentary Movies: Cesar Chavez (2014), The Fight in the Fields (1997), Cesar's Last Fast (2014)
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Jimmy Carter in The Daily Show (1996)
American world-renowned peace negotiator and a former U.S. PresidentBiopic and Documentary Movies: Jimmy Carter (Part I) (2002), Jimmy Carter: Part 2 (2002)
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Peace Pilgrim in Peace Pilgrim: An American Sage Who Walked Her Talk (2002)
American peace activist, non-denominational spiritual teacher and public speaker/writer on peaceBiopic and Documentary Movies: Peace Pilgrim: An American Sage Who Walked Her Talk (2002), Earth Pilgrims (2010)
* Mildred Norman, calling herself "Peace Pilgrim," walked more than 25,000+ miles on a personal pilgrimage for peace from 1953 to 1981. Note: total mileage is far greater, as she stop counting in 1964 when she reached 25,000 miles/40,000 kilometers for peace. Pilgrim had no organizational backing, carried no money, and would not even ask for food or shelter. She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace..." and died during her final pilgrimage.
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Leymah Gbowee in Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2008)
Liberian peace activist, social worker and "Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace" leaderBiopic and Documentary Movies: Three Short Films About Peace (2014) (Part 1), Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2008)
* Leymah Gbowee co-organized the Christian and Muslim women of Monrovia, Liberia to pray and sing for peace. She led nonviolent protests that included marches, a sex strike and the threat of a curse. The women's nonviolent peace movement, "Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace" helped bring an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003 and ushered in free elections in 2005.
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Henry David Thoreau in New Walden (1991)
American transcendentalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher and author of the essay colloquially know as 'Civil Disobedience' (often cited by pacifists as a major influence)added 21 September 2019
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Fridtjof Nansen
Norwegian humanitarian, scientist, explorer, diplomat and originator of the Nansen passport for refugees and other stateless persons* Fridtjof Nansen, as the League of Nation's High Commissioner for Refugees, tackled the post-Great War famine in Russia. He also negotiated the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of Greek refugees after the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. As well as, worked to ease the plight of Armenian refugees after the Armenian genocide.
added 21 September 2019
