Freedom is a vague concept to define and describe qualitatively and even more so to measure the impacts of its absence or implementation quantitatively. On the other hand, the established framework of principals, precedents and laws, such as constitutions and cultural norms, are often used as systems of reference to present the concept of freedom and its derivatives.
The governing laws, established by the authorities or organically accepted as society’s norms, are defined, implemented, and measured in these reference systems. As one moves from one system to another, the constitutions and cultural norms may vary along with the metrics by which they are measured. Freedom is a concept that takes on a non-unique definition and perception in each of these reference systems. In one community, irrespective of its size and sphere of influence, freedom may be defined by its constitution and precedents in such a way that the same concepts might be outrageously unconstitutional or culturally taboo if transferred to a different system in another community.
To remove the ambiguity surrounding the concept of freedom, we must produce a set of codes that are universal and quantitatively measurable. A collection of constitutional rights on a global scale and not limited to geopolitical or socio-demographic confinements. In addition, we must establish mechanisms to oversee their implementations by the governing bodies and establish judicial processes to hold the violators of these rights accountable. These rights should evolve with time accordingly and continuously to benefit all members of the respective communities and the human race.
The following is a short list of rights that every member of any society should be entitled to and provided with by the governing bodies in their communities.
1- Adequate access to clean and drinkable water.
2- Adequate access to food.
3- Adequate provision of shelter and affordable living space.
4- Adequate provision of work opportunities with living wages.
5- Adequate and affordable access to health care.
6- Social security and safety, which includes but is not limited to:
Freedom of physical and psychological harm by other members of society.
Freedom from Incitement, by which one or a group of members provoke harm on others indirectly through the influence of written words or speech.
Freedom of movement and the right to migrate to other geographical locations.
The rights of the refugees and immigrants must be acknowledged by the governing bodies and communities in the destination and transient communities.
Freedom of peaceful assembly.
7- Adequate and affordable access to education, which includes adequate and affordable access to an uncensored internet.
8- Access to a judicial system accountable to a universal court of justice that allows all applicants to choose their defence representative. This judicial system must ensure the following:
Freedom to choose a representative independently without any influence of the state.
Freedom of detained prisoners according to the universal code of rights.
Freedom from all forms of physical and psychological torture.
Freedom to life and protection from capital punishment.
Freedom to all other rights as a member of the human race.
9- Freedom to choose one’s spiritual belief and freedom from being imposed by another person’s faith.
10- Freedom of speech that is free of incitement and hatred.
11- Freedom of expression and practice of one’s sexual orientation.
The above is a brief list of the fundamental code of rights that must be granted to all community members irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, spiritual belief, and sexual orientation. These rights must be acknowledged, implemented, and protected by local, regional, national, and global governing bodies to ensure the quality of life for all members of their communities. These rights do not inhibit economic and cultural growth. On the contrary, they provide a nurturing space for the young to build inclusive, diverse, and open communities that thrive with grace and are free of prejudice.
Those among us who are privileged by these rights through the constitution or the practices of our communities are responsible towards those who are deprived of these rights, entirely or partially. To be truly free as an individual in a collective state constitutes the responsibility to acknowledge that all members of that state are entitled to fundamental human rights, the commitment to strive to provide the rights for other members of the local and global community, the responsibility to be the voice of the groups and individuals whose rights are compromised, limited, or taken away by the governing authorities or other individuals. We are obligated to invest resources at our disposal to fight for the freedom of those under oppression; we are bound to hold all violators of these rights accountable and brought to justice.
Privilege doesn’t imply entitlement; it exhibits the opportunity to provide the same for others.
We all have lived for ‘self’ and others to different extents. What distinguishes us from our previous versions is the intention and actions to go beyond our experiences and limitations to support those fighting for their rights. We shape our future and the course of humanity through our actions. We shape inclusive or exclusive environments for ourselves and others through our actions, individually and collectively. From inception to death, we are bound and connected to others. We must transcend all apparent differences, such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, etc. We can transcend these primal socio-demographic distinctions and be instruments of grace, hope, kindness, and acceptance. We can exercise this transcendence individually and collectively.
We have the choice and the means to uplift each other as fellow humans or oppress and exploit one another to our detriment. The oppression will only lead us further into rigid frameworks of bigotry and prejudice that is only familiar to those alike. In the context of life, we are all immortal, destined to an end inescapable; however, through the journey that we are all privileged to take, we have the choice to expand ourselves to include those different than us and build a world that all resources are distributed justly without prejudice.
Freedom might be a vague concept to describe; however, the fundamental code of rights is universal across all cultural and constitutional frameworks, and their implementation must be a crucial task, individually and collectively.
Payman Janbakhsh, Ph.D.