Stephen BIKO

Stephen Biko was an anti-Apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and the 1970s.

Everything starts in 1963 when his brother is arrested for militancy against the Apartheid.

In 1969, he joined the SASO (South African Student Organization) and became the president. SASO then evolved into the influential Black Consciousness movement (BCM). With this organisation, he blamed the African National Congress and the White liberalism.

He encouraged the emancipation of the Black people by themselves. He also said that the freedom is firstly psychological, and then physical. Black people don't have to feel inferior to White people. 

His slogan was "Black is beautiful". Influenced by Marcus Garvey, Aimé Césaire, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, he wanted the Black people to believe in themselves and to try to succeed in their lives.

He employed the non-violence against the government.

In 1973, he was arrested for terrorism and a second time in 1977. This time, he was tortured. The 1977 12th of september, he died in prison, officially following his hunger strike. But actually, in 1997 was revealed at the truth and reconciliation commision that 5 policemen killed him.

Mahatma GANDHI

He was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement.

he developed a model to fight for civil rights and freedom that he called satyagraha. He founded his doctrine of nonviolent protest to achieve political and social progress based upon ahimsa, or total nonviolence for which he is internationally renowned.

Gandhi led India to its independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

After earning a degree in law in 1891 from the University College London, Gandhi settled in South Africa to practice law, following some unsuccessful attempts to establish practice in India. Gandhi first employed non-violent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's struggle for civil rights.

After his return to India in 1915, he set about organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers to protest excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, but above all for achieving Swaraj—the independence of India from foreign domination.

He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India.

Gandhi strove to practice non-violence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others do the same.

Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948, by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist who felt Gandhi was sympathetic to Muslims. January 30 is hence observed as Martyrs' Day in India.