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I am an organizer, not a union leader. A good organizer has to work hard and long. There are no shortcuts. You just keep talking to people, working with them, sharing, exchanging and they come along.

Cesar Chavez

The first principle of non-violent action is that of non-cooperation with everything humiliating.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Principle Violence
Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other.
CESAR CHAVEZ

History Respect
From the depth of need and despair, people can work together, can organize themselves to solve their own problems and fill their own needs with dignity and strength.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Need People Problem Strength Togetherness
History will judge societies and governments – and their institutions – not by how big they are or how well they serve the rich and the powerful, but by how effectively they respond to the needs of the poor and the helpless.
CESAR CHAVEZ

History Judgement Need Powerful Rich
The end of all knowledge must be the building up of character.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Character End Knowledge
Nonviolence is really tough. You don’t practice nonviolence at conferences; you practice it on picket-lines.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Battle Practice Violence
I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men!
CESAR CHAVEZ

Act Courage God Man Myself Ourselves Sacrifice Suffering True
You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Education Learning Reading Yourself
It takes a lot of punishment to be able to do anything to change the social order.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Change Punishment
Our struggle is not easy. Those who oppose our cause are rich and powerful and they have many allies in high places. We are poor. Our allies are few. But we have something the rich do not own. We have our bodies and spirits and the justice of our cause as our weapons.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Body Justice Ourselves Poor Powerful Rich Spirit Struggle Weapon
What is at stake is human dignity. If a man is not accorded respect he cannot respect himself and if he does not respect himself, he cannot demand it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Dignity Himself Human Respect
There is enough love and good will in our movement to give energy to our struggle and still have plenty left over to break down and change the climate of hate and fear around us.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Break Change Enough Fear Hate Love Ourselves
Self dedication is a spiritual experience.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Dedication Experience Spiritual
In this world it is possible to achieve great material wealth, to live an opulent life. But a life built upon those things alone leaves a shallow legacy. In the end, we will be judged by other standards.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Achievement Alone Judgement Live Material Possible Wealth World
Concentration is inspiration. You must be completely overtaken by your work and your subject. Only then do all your influences and experience come up to the surface.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Experience Inspirational Yourself
You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Oppression Scare Yourself

I am an organizer, not a union leader. A good organizer has to work hard and long. There are no shortcuts. You just keep talking to people, working with them, sharing, exchanging and they come along.

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I am an organizer, not a union leader. A good organizer has to work hard and long. There are no shortcuts. You just keep talking to people, working with them, sharing, exchanging and they come along.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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