So I’ve been doing some thinking lately… even though I’ve been an ex-pat for nearly 4 years (yikes!), my knee-jerk reaction to “give us some thoughts on human rights” has generally rhymed with ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’.
But as noble and fundamental as these are, they remain just that… fundamental. Recently my thoughts have wandered in the direction of information. Namely access to information.
And yes, access to education and the right to independent investigation are tied into this… but what about the other side of it? What about the essential right of a people to have their history, plight, or situation considered news worthy…? To not be glossed over in favor of a wedding, or a car chase, or of ridiculing the lyrical content of modern pop songs.
You know what’s cool, though? How the world wide interwebs has provided a space for the sharing of information – grassroots style. There’s a connectivity never before imagined. Real human stories are being seen as valuable – and once a person’s story is considered important, it is no longer possible be detached from the sufferings of an entire population.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, indeed….