essay about peace and freedom

Essay on Peace

500 words essay peace.

Peace is the path we take for bringing growth and prosperity to society. If we do not have peace and harmony, achieving political strength, economic stability and cultural growth will be impossible. Moreover, before we transmit the notion of peace to others, it is vital for us to possess peace within. It is not a certain individual’s responsibility to maintain peace but everyone’s duty. Thus, an essay on peace will throw some light on the same topic.

Importance of Peace

History has been proof of the thousands of war which have taken place in all periods at different levels between nations. Thus, we learned that peace played an important role in ending these wars or even preventing some of them.

In fact, if you take a look at all religious scriptures and ceremonies, you will realize that all of them teach peace. They mostly advocate eliminating war and maintaining harmony. In other words, all of them hold out a sacred commitment to peace.

It is after the thousands of destructive wars that humans realized the importance of peace. Earth needs peace in order to survive. This applies to every angle including wars, pollution , natural disasters and more.

When peace and harmony are maintained, things will continue to run smoothly without any delay. Moreover, it can be a saviour for many who do not wish to engage in any disrupting activities or more.

In other words, while war destroys and disrupts, peace builds and strengthens as well as restores. Moreover, peace is personal which helps us achieve security and tranquillity and avoid anxiety and chaos to make our lives better.

How to Maintain Peace

There are many ways in which we can maintain peace at different levels. To begin with humankind, it is essential to maintain equality, security and justice to maintain the political order of any nation.

Further, we must promote the advancement of technology and science which will ultimately benefit all of humankind and maintain the welfare of people. In addition, introducing a global economic system will help eliminate divergence, mistrust and regional imbalance.

It is also essential to encourage ethics that promote ecological prosperity and incorporate solutions to resolve the environmental crisis. This will in turn share success and fulfil the responsibility of individuals to end historical prejudices.

Similarly, we must also adopt a mental and spiritual ideology that embodies a helpful attitude to spread harmony. We must also recognize diversity and integration for expressing emotion to enhance our friendship with everyone from different cultures.

Finally, it must be everyone’s noble mission to promote peace by expressing its contribution to the long-lasting well-being factor of everyone’s lives. Thus, we must all try our level best to maintain peace and harmony.

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Conclusion of the Essay on Peace

To sum it up, peace is essential to control the evils which damage our society. It is obvious that we will keep facing crises on many levels but we can manage them better with the help of peace. Moreover, peace is vital for humankind to survive and strive for a better future.

FAQ of Essay on Peace

Question 1: What is the importance of peace?

Answer 1: Peace is the way that helps us prevent inequity and violence. It is no less than a golden ticket to enter a new and bright future for mankind. Moreover, everyone plays an essential role in this so that everybody can get a more equal and peaceful world.

Question 2: What exactly is peace?

Answer 2: Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in which there is no hostility and violence. In social terms, we use it commonly to refer to a lack of conflict, such as war. Thus, it is freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups.

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The Meaning of ‘War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength.’ These three short sentences are a central part of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949): a book which is probably the best-known dystopian novel ever written.

It’s also one of the books most people lie about having read, perhaps because they feel they already know the overarching plot points and key ideas within the novel, so well-known are they even to non-readers.

But what precisely does ‘War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength’ mean in the context of Nineteen Eighty-Four ?

George Orwell (1903-50), born Eric Arthur Blair, was one of the most remarkable writers of the first half of the twentieth century. His essays are among the best in the English language, not least because of their clear-headedness, married with a clarity of expression. Indeed, Orwell even wrote an essay about the need for political language to be clear and direct; we need his advice now more than ever.

As well as writing numerous essays and short journalistic pieces, he also wrote a number of novels. Two of these, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four , remain popular and widely studied in schools and universities.

Orwell’s last novel before his untimely death from tuberculosis was Nineteen Eighty-Four , completed in 1948 and published a year later. The novel is a classic example of dystopian fiction, and depicts a near future in which Britain has become a one-party state, in which thinking the wrong thoughts can be a crime (see ‘thoughtcrime’) and land you in trouble with the ‘thought police’. The dictator who rules over this totalitarian state is known as Big Brother.

The protagonist is Winston Smith, who works for the Ministry of Truth (a body partly inspired by Orwell’s time spent working at the BBC ) where old historical records are altered, to remove any embarrassing facts that don’t fit with the party line.

Early on, we are introduced to the ‘War is Peace’ slogan, along with the accompanying slogans ‘Freedom is Slavery’ and ‘Ignorance is Strength’:

The Ministry of Truth – Minitrue, in Newspeak – was startlingly different from any other object in sight. It was an enormous pyramidal structure of glittering white concrete, soaring up, terrace after terrace, 300 metres into the air. From where Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party:

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

And again, later, Winston recalls these slogans from the Ministry of Truth, before finding them inscribed in other places, too:

Like an answer, the three slogans on the white face of the Ministry of Truth came back to him:

He took a twenty-five cent piece out of his pocket. There, too, in tiny clear lettering, the same slogans were inscribed, and on the other face of the coin the head of Big Brother.

This quotation, presenting three sets of axiomatic statements which are fundamentally contradictory, exemplifies the ways in which the totalitarian society in Orwell’s novel alters the meanings of words in order to manipulate people’s understanding of the world around them.

How can war be its opposite, peace? How can freedom be enslaving, when the two things stand in stark opposition to each other? And how can ignorance be lauded as a strength? It is from such topsy-turvy statements that the dystopian world of Orwell’s novel was created.

But ‘War is Peace’ is explained in more detail in the ‘book within a book’ that features in Nineteen Eighty-Four . This (fictional) book is titled The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism and its author is Emmanuel Goldstein, a rival of Big Brother who supposedly runs the Brotherhood, a resistance movement. Chapter III of Goldstein’s book, which Winston reads, is titled ‘War is Peace’, and explains the origins of the Party’s slogan:

The war, therefore, if we judge it by the standards of previous wars, is merely an imposture. […] But though it is unreal it is not meaningless. It eats up the surplus of consumable goods, and it helps to preserve the special mental atmosphere that a hierarchical society needs. War, it will be seen, is now a purely internal affair. In the past, the ruling groups of all countries, although they might recognize their common interest and therefore limit the destructiveness of war, did fight against one another, and the victor always plundered the vanquished. In our own day they are not fighting against one another at all. The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact.

War, then, against some imagined enemy helps to mobilise society and keep its hierarchical structures in place. People become unified in a wartime situation and when on a wartime footing. Goldstein goes on:

The very word ‘war’, therefore, has become misleading. It would probably be accurate to say that by becoming continuous war has ceased to exist. The peculiar pressure that it exerted on human beings between the Neolithic Age and the early twentieth century has disappeared and been replaced by something quite different. The effect would be much the same if the three super-states, instead of fighting one another, should agree to live in perpetual peace, each inviolate within its own boundaries.

Goldstein then continues, explaining how the terms war and peace become interchangeable in the new political landscape:

For in that case each would still be a self-contained universe, freed for ever from the sobering influence of external danger. A peace that was truly permanent would be the same as a permanent war. This – although the vast majority of Party members understand it only in a shallower sense – is the inner meaning of the Party slogan: WAR IS PEACE.

Through being united by a common hatred of ‘the enemy’, then, the people of Oceania in Orwell’s novel remain focused on their shared purpose, which is to win the war. But war in the old sense has become meaningless, has ceased to exist: it is merely a device by which the fabric of society is kept going, the way ‘peace’ is maintained.

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Essays About Freedom: 5 Helpful Examples and 7 Prompts

Freedom seems simple at first; however, it is quite a nuanced topic at a closer glance. If you are writing essays about freedom, read our guide of essay examples and writing prompts.

In a world where we constantly hear about violence, oppression, and war, few things are more important than freedom. It is the ability to act, speak, or think what we want without being controlled or subjected. It can be considered the gateway to achieving our goals, as we can take the necessary steps.

However, freedom is not always “doing whatever we want.” True freedom means to do what is righteous and reasonable, even if there is the option to do otherwise. Moreover, freedom must come with responsibility; this is why laws are in place to keep society orderly but not too micro-managed, to an extent.

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5 Examples of Essays About Freedom

1. essay on “freedom” by pragati ghosh, 2. acceptance is freedom by edmund perry, 3. reflecting on the meaning of freedom by marquita herald.

4. Authentic Freedom by Wilfred Carlson

5. What are freedom and liberty? by Yasmin Youssef

1. what is freedom, 2. freedom in the contemporary world, 3. is freedom “not free”, 4. moral and ethical issues concerning freedom, 5. freedom vs. security, 6. free speech and hate speech, 7. an experience of freedom.

“Freedom is non denial of our basic rights as humans. Some freedom is specific to the age group that we fall into. A child is free to be loved and cared by parents and other members of family and play around. So this nurturing may be the idea of freedom to a child. Living in a crime free society in safe surroundings may mean freedom to a bit grown up child.”

In her essay, Ghosh briefly describes what freedom means to her. It is the ability to live your life doing what you want. However, she writes that we must keep in mind the dignity and freedom of others. One cannot simply kill and steal from people in the name of freedom; it is not absolute. She also notes that different cultures and age groups have different notions of freedom. Freedom is a beautiful thing, but it must be exercised in moderation.

“They demonstrate that true freedom is about being accepted, through the scenarios that Ambrose Flack has written for them to endure. In The Strangers That Came to Town, the Duvitches become truly free at the finale of the story. In our own lives, we must ask: what can we do to help others become truly free?”

Perry’s essay discusses freedom in the context of Ambrose Flack’s short story The Strangers That Came to Town : acceptance is the key to being free. When the immigrant Duvitch family moved into a new town, they were not accepted by the community and were deprived of the freedom to live without shame and ridicule. However, when some townspeople reach out, the Duvitches feel empowered and relieved and are no longer afraid to go out and be themselves.

“Freedom is many things, but those issues that are often in the forefront of conversations these days include the freedom to choose, to be who you truly are, to express yourself and to live your life as you desire so long as you do not hurt or restrict the personal freedom of others. I’ve compiled a collection of powerful quotations on the meaning of freedom to share with you, and if there is a single unifying theme it is that we must remember at all times that, regardless of where you live, freedom is not carved in stone, nor does it come without a price.”

In her short essay, Herald contemplates on freedom and what it truly means. She embraces her freedom and uses it to live her life to the fullest and to teach those around her. She values freedom and closes her essay with a list of quotations on the meaning of freedom, all with something in common: freedom has a price. With our freedom, we must be responsible. You might also be interested in these essays about consumerism .

4. Authentic Freedom by Wilfred Carlson

“Freedom demands of one, or rather obligates one to concern ourselves with the affairs of the world around us. If you look at the world around a human being, countries where freedom is lacking, the overall population is less concerned with their fellow man, then in a freer society. The same can be said of individuals, the more freedom a human being has, and the more responsible one acts to other, on the whole.”

Carlson writes about freedom from a more religious perspective, saying that it is a right given to us by God. However, authentic freedom is doing what is right and what will help others rather than simply doing what one wants. If freedom were exercised with “doing what we want” in mind, the world would be disorderly. True freedom requires us to care for others and work together to better society.

“In my opinion, the concepts of freedom and liberty are what makes us moral human beings. They include individual capacities to think, reason, choose and value different situations. It also means taking individual responsibility for ourselves, our decisions and actions. It includes self-governance and self-determination in combination with critical thinking, respect, transparency and tolerance. We should let no stone unturned in the attempt to reach a state of full freedom and liberty, even if it seems unrealistic and utopic.”

Youssef’s essay describes the concepts of freedom and liberty and how they allow us to do what we want without harming others. She notes that respect for others does not always mean agreeing with them. We can disagree, but we should not use our freedom to infringe on that of the people around us. To her, freedom allows us to choose what is good, think critically, and innovate.

7 Prompts for Essays About Freedom

Freedom is quite a broad topic and can mean different things to different people. For your essay, define freedom and explain what it means to you. For example, freedom could mean having the right to vote, the right to work, or the right to choose your path in life. Then, discuss how you exercise your freedom based on these definitions and views.

The world as we know it is constantly changing, and so is the entire concept of freedom. Research the state of freedom in the world today and center your essay on the topic of modern freedom. For example, discuss freedom while still needing to work to pay bills and ask, “Can we truly be free when we cannot choose with the constraints of social norms?” You may compare your situation to the state of freedom in other countries and in the past if you wish.

A common saying goes like this: “Freedom is not free.” Reflect on this quote and write your essay about what it means to you: how do you understand it? In addition, explain whether you believe it to be true or not, depending on your interpretation.

Many contemporary issues exemplify both the pros and cons of freedom; for example, slavery shows the worst when freedom is taken away, while gun violence exposes the disadvantages of too much freedom. First, discuss one issue regarding freedom and briefly touch on its causes and effects. Then, be sure to explain how it relates to freedom.

Some believe that more laws curtail the right to freedom and liberty. In contrast, others believe that freedom and regulation can coexist, saying that freedom must come with the responsibility to ensure a safe and orderly society. Take a stand on this issue and argue for your position, supporting your response with adequate details and credible sources.

Many people, especially online, have used their freedom of speech to attack others based on race and gender, among other things. Many argue that hate speech is still free and should be protected, while others want it regulated. Is it infringing on freedom? You decide and be sure to support your answer adequately. Include a rebuttal of the opposing viewpoint for a more credible argumentative essay.

For your essay, you can also reflect on a time you felt free. It could be your first time going out alone, moving into a new house, or even going to another country. How did it make you feel? Reflect on your feelings, particularly your sense of freedom, and explain them in detail.

Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

Essay on Importance of Freedom

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Freedom in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Freedom

Understanding freedom.

Freedom is a fundamental right that everyone deserves. It means the power to act, speak, or think without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is crucial for personal growth and happiness.

Freedom’s Role in Society

In a society, freedom is necessary for the development of individuals. It allows us to express our thoughts, make choices, and pursue our dreams.

Freedom and Responsibility

While freedom is essential, it must be balanced with responsibility. We should use our freedom wisely, respecting others’ rights and maintaining peace.

Preserving Freedom

We must always strive to preserve and protect our freedom, ensuring a just and equitable society for all.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Freedom

Introduction to freedom.

Freedom, a term often associated with liberty and autonomy, is a fundamental human right, pivotal to our existence. It is the power to act, speak, or think without externally imposed restraints.

The Essence of Freedom

Freedom is the cornerstone of democracy, where citizens are free to express their thoughts, make choices, and pursue their aspirations. It fosters creativity and innovation, encouraging individuals to explore beyond the confines of conventionality. Freedom is the catalyst for personal and societal evolution.

However, freedom should not be misconstrued as anarchy. It comes with inherent responsibility. The ability to differentiate between right and wrong, the courage to stand up for justice, and the sense of responsibility towards fellow beings, all stem from the seed of freedom.

Freedom: A Global Perspective

On a larger scale, freedom is the backbone of international peace and cooperation. Nations that respect and uphold freedom tend to have more harmonious relationships with others, fostering global unity.

In conclusion, freedom is not just a right, but a necessity for the holistic development of individuals and societies. It is the essence of human dignity and a fundamental element of democracy. However, it is crucial that we exercise our freedom responsibly, to ensure a harmonious co-existence.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Freedom

The concept of freedom, freedom and human dignity.

Freedom is intrinsically tied to human dignity. It allows individuals to express their unique identities, beliefs, and values without fear of persecution or discrimination. Freedom empowers individuals to pursue their aspirations, fostering creativity, innovation, and personal growth. It provides a platform for people to voice their opinions, engage in dialogue, and contribute to societal progress.

Political Freedom

Political freedom is a cornerstone of democratic societies. It involves the right to vote, freedom of speech, and the right to peaceful assembly. Political freedom enables citizens to participate in decision-making processes, promoting transparency and accountability in governance. It ensures that power is not concentrated in the hands of a few, preventing authoritarianism and fostering a balanced societal structure.

Freedom of Thought and Expression

While freedom is essential, it is not absolute. It comes with the responsibility to respect the rights and freedoms of others. This balance between freedom and responsibility is crucial to maintaining social harmony and preventing the misuse of freedom to harm others or infringe upon their rights. Thus, freedom should not be perceived as an unrestricted license, but rather as a principle that promotes mutual respect and coexistence.

Challenges to Freedom

Despite its importance, freedom remains under threat in many parts of the world due to authoritarian regimes, censorship, discrimination, and social inequality. Upholding freedom requires constant vigilance, advocacy, and education. It is the collective responsibility of individuals, communities, and nations to safeguard this fundamental human right.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies

Goal 16 is about promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. People everywhere should be free of fear from all forms of violence and feel safe as they go about their lives whatever their ethnicity, faith or sexual orientation.

However, ongoing and new violent conflicts around the world are derailing the global path to peace and achievement of Goal 16. Alarmingly, the year 2022 witnessed a more than 50 per cent increase in conflict-related civilian deaths – the first since the adoption of Agenda 2030 – largely due to the war in Ukraine.

High levels of armed violence and insecurity have a destructive impact on a country’s development, while sexual violence, crime, exploitation and torture are prevalent where there is conflict or no rule of law, and countries must take measures to protect those who are most at risk.

Governments, civil society and communities need to work together to find lasting solutions to conflict and insecurity. Strengthening the rule of law and promoting human rights is key to this process, as is reducing the flow of illicit arms, combating corruption, and ensuring inclusive participation at all times.

Why should I care?

High levels of armed violence and insecurity have a destructive impact on a country’s development. Sexual violence, crime, exploitation and torture are prevalent where there is conflict or no rule of law.

How does this apply to where I live?

Goal 16 aligns with the broader human rights framework by promoting societies that respect and uphold individual rights, as well as the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information.

Peace is a fundamental precondition for social and economic development. Without peace, societies are often plagued by conflict, violence, and instability, which can hinder progress and result in the loss of lives and resources.

Equal access to justice is essential for protecting the rights of individuals, resolving disputes, and ensuring that vulnerable populations are not marginalized or mistreated.

Crimes threatening peaceful societies, including homicides, trafficking and other organized crimes, as well as discriminatory laws or practices, affect all countries.

What if we don’t take action?

Armed violence and insecurity have a destructive impact on a country’s development, affecting economic growth and often resulting in long-standing grievances among communities.

Violence also affects children’s health, development and well-being, and their ability to thrive. It causes trauma and weakens social inclusion.

Lack of access to justice means that conflicts remain unresolved and people cannot obtain protection and redress. Institutions that do not function according to legitimate laws are prone to arbitrariness and abuse of power, and less capable of delivering public service to everyone.

To exclude and to discriminate not only violates human rights, but also causes resentment and animosity, and could give rise to violence.

What can we do?

Exercise your rights to hold your elected officials to account, to freedom of information and share your opinion with your elected representatives. Promote inclusion and respect towards people of different ethnic origins, religions, gender, sexual orientations or different opinions.

Facts and figures

Goal 16 targets.

Ongoing and new violent conflicts around the world are derailing the global path to peace and achievement of Goal 16. Alarmingly, the year 2022 witnessed a more than 50 per cent increase in conflict-related civilian deaths, largely due to the war in Ukraine.
As of the end of 2022, 108.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide – an increase of 19 million compared with the end of 2021 and two and a half times the number of a decade ago.
In 2021, the world experienced the highest number of intentional homicides in the past two decades.
Structural injustices, inequalities and emerging human rights challenges are putting peaceful and inclusive societies further out of reach. To meet Goal 16 by 2030, action is needed to restore trust and to strengthen the capacity of institutions to secure justice for all and facilitate peaceful transitions to sustainable development.

Source: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere

16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children

16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all

16.4 By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime

16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms

16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels

16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels

16.8 Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance

16.9 By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration

16.10 Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements

16.A Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime

16.B Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

UN Department of Political Affairs

UN Development Programme

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNICEF #EndViolence

#SafetoLearn

United Nations Peacekeeping

UN Counter Terrorism Committee

High Time to End Violence against Children

UN action for cooperation against trafficking in persons (UN-ACT)

UN office of the special representative of the secretary-general on violence against children

UN Mine Action service

The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children

Fast Facts: Peace, Justice and Strong Institution

Infographic: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

By Olivia Errico

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), an international anti-war group organized in the aftermath of World War I, had a strong presence in the Philadelphia region due to the area’s Quaker and pacifist heritage. The Pennsylvania state branch of the league formed in January 1920 with 250 members. Throughout the 1920s, the branch grew to about five thousand members—nearly half the total number of league members in the United States. New Jersey women also organized a state branch in the 1920s. While membership peaked in 1938 with 14,084 members nationally, the organization continued to be an advocate for peace issues into the twenty-first century.

WILPF formed at the 1919 International Congress of Women held in Zurich, Switzerland. Women organized the congress so that women from both Allied and Central Power nations could call for diplomacy based on interdependence rather than global competition. After the women were barred from formal peace negotiations, they voted to transform the congress into a permanent organization dedicated to expanding the role of women in the peace movement.

State branches, made up of representatives from local branches, operated autonomously from the national WILPF. As long as their actions aligned with the organization’s object to promote international peace through cooperation, as well as interracial and interclass peace, branches could plan activities independently. In the early years the Pennsylvania branch saw itself as an important influence on the national organization. This influence was reflected in the decision to move the national headquarters to Philadelphia in 1946 when Mildred Scott Olmsted (1890-1990), former executive secretary of the Pennsylvania branch, became national administrative secretary. The national headquarters remained in Philadelphia until 2008. Several Greater Philadelphia area women also served as national president, including Lucy Biddle Lewis (1861-1941), Naomi Marcus (1927-2012), and Marii Hasegawa (1918-2012).

Disarmament and Civil Rights

Two important parts of the WILPF’s national platform, which both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey branches worked on, involved disarmament and civil rights. The league advocated for disarmament from its inception through its support for measures calling for significant cuts in naval warship construction at the 1921 Washington Naval Conference. After World War II , the league’s disarmament work focused on nuclear arms. The New Jersey branch sponsored conferences about nuclear disarmament and petitioned against nuclear tests throughout the 1950s. Both branches collaboratively distributed 15,000 anti-nuclear leaflets in 1959 and 1960. Nuclear disarmament remained a priority in both states through the 1980s.

While much of WILPF’s work was internationally focused, the organization also paid attention to issues of domestic civil rights . Throughout the twentieth century, the organization struggled to attract Black women members. However, WILPF organized around issues affecting Black Americans and attempted to attract more Black women into the league in the 1920s. In 1928, the Pennsylvania branch reported sharing its peace program with Black churches and newspapers. Around this time, WILPF campaigned for Congress to pass an anti-lynching bill. During World War II, WILPF continued to organize around anti-Black racism. When Philadelphia Transit Company workers went on strike to protest the promotion of eight Black workers, the Pennsylvania WILPF called on the White House to end the strike. The branch also protested against the government’s treatment of Japanese Americans during the war and cosponsored the Friendship House, a hostel in Philadelphia that housed Japanese Americans released from internment camps.

As the civil rights movement grew in the post-war era, WILPF branches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania organized actions in solidarity with civil rights workers in the South. Both branches held demonstrations for slain organizers, hosted speakers from the South, and distributed books on Black history.

Membership Declines

Pro-war sentiment during World War II and the anti-communist hysteria during the Cold War contributed to WILPF’s decline in membership in the second half of the twentieth century. By 1947, the U.S. WILPF had only five thousand members and was suffering financially. Similar issues plagued the state branches. The Pennsylvania state branch disbanded in 1966. In 1973, the New Jersey state branch disbanded, citing increasing expenses. Local branches continued to operate in both states into the twenty-first century and organized around events like the Iraq War and the 2009 G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh.

Despite its diminished size in the second half of the twentieth century, WILPF was one of the largest and most influential women’s peace groups. The large number of members in the Greater Philadelphia region made the area important to the direction of the national WILPF and the women’s peace movement generally.

Olivia Errico received her M.A. in Public History from Rutgers University-Camden, where she researched left-liberation coalitions in the Pennsylvania branch of WILPF. (Information current at date of publication.)

Mildred Scott Olmsted

Swarthmore College Peace Collection

Mildred Scott Olmsted, an activist and high-ranking member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, rose to a leadership role in 1922 in the Pennsylvania chapter of the League. Born in Glenolden, Pennsylvania, in 1890 and shown here in an undated photograph, Olmsted became the national organization secretary of the WILPF in 1934, then national administrative secretary in 1946 and executive director before retiring in 1966. She organized conferences in 1928 and again in 1961. Her accomplishments included honorary degrees from Swarthmore and Smith Colleges.

Naomi Marcus

Naomi Marcus was a longtime member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, serving on several boards and chairing committees, leading to a term as president of the League from 1975 to 1977. This photograph was taken at the beginning of her presidency. Marcus, who was recruited to the League by executive director Mildred Scott Olmsted and worked with the Philadelphia branch, authored two WILPF statements regarding racism and participated in a committee to stop nuclear testing.

Lucy Biddle Lewis

Lucy Biddle Lewis was a peace activist and a delegate to the International Congress of Women, which convened in The Hague in 1915 and in Zürich in 1919. A resident of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, Lewis also served as American National Chair of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She helped to create the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, which holds this undated photograph among other papers and letters of members of the League, including founder Jane Addams.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries

Edith Ballantyne, photographed speaking in Philadelphia in 1978 (at the head of the table), became a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom in 1969. A Czech-born Canadian citizen, she served for twenty-three years as the executive secretary of the WILPF, based in Geneva, Switzerland. She was also the president of the league between 1992 and 1998. In 1995, she received of the Gandhi Peace Award from the organization Promoting Enduring Peace.

Peace Marchers Picket at City Hall

The picketers shown in this 1961 photograph demonstrated on the sidewalk on the east side of Philadelphia City Hall during United Nations Week. Local branches of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom sponsored the demonstration to protest nuclear policy.

Time Periods

Twentieth Century to 1945
Twentieth Century after 1945
Twenty-First Century
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Center City Philadelphia
World War I
Woman Suffrage
Women’s Clubs
Women’s Education
Civil Rights (African American)
Nuclear Power
Socialist Party

Related Collections

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Records Swarthmore College Peace Collection 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pa.

Related Places

Mildred Scott Olmsted Historic Marker 41 Rose Valley Road, Rose Valley, Pa.
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
International Congress of Women Schedule, May 12-17, 1919 (Ramapo College)
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Photograph Exhibit (Swarthmore College Peace Collection)

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Essay on Freedom in 100, 200 and 300 Words

Updated on
Nov 15, 2023

Before starting to write an essay on freedom, you must understand what this multifaceted term means. Freedom is not just a term, but a concept holding several meanings. Freedom generally refers to being able to act, speak or think as one wants without any restrictions or hindrances. Freedom encompasses the ability to make independent decisions and express your thoughts without any fear so that one can achieve their goals and aspirations. Let’s check out some essays on freedom for more brief information.

Table of Contents

1 Essay on Freedom in 100 Words
2 Essay on Freedom in 200 Words
3 Essay on Freedom in 300 Words

Essay on Freedom in 100 Words

Freedom is considered the essence of human existence because it serves as the cornerstone on which societal developments and individual identities are shaped. Countries with democracy consider freedom as one of the fundamental rights for every individual to make choices and live life according to their free will, desires and aspirations. This free will to make decisions has been a driving force behind countless movements, revolutions and societal progress throughout history.

Political freedom entails the right to participate in governance, express dissent, and engage in public discourse without the threat of censorship or retribution. It is the bedrock of democratic societies, fostering an environment where diverse voices can be heard.

Also Read: In Pursuit of Freedom- India’s Journey to Independence From 1857 to 1947

Essay on Freedom in 200 Words

Freedom is considered the lifeblood of human progress and the foundation of a just and equitable society. It is a beacon of hope that inspires individuals to strive for a world where every person can live with dignity and pursue their dreams without fear or constraint. Some consider freedom as the catalyst for personal growth and the cultivation of one’s unique identity, enabling individuals to explore their full potential and contribute their talents to the world.

On a personal level, freedom is synonymous with autonomy and self-determination . It grants individuals the liberty to choose their paths, make decisions in accordance with their values, and pursue their passions without the shackles of external influence.
In the political sphere, it underpins the democratic process, allowing individuals to participate in governance and express their opinions without retribution.
Socially, it ensures equality and respect for all, regardless of differences in race, gender, or beliefs.

However, freedom comes with the responsibility to exercise it within the bounds of respect for others and collective well-being. Balancing individual liberties with the greater good is crucial for maintaining societal harmony. Upholding freedom requires a commitment to fostering a world where everyone can live with dignity and pursue their aspirations without undue restrictions.

Essay on Freedom in 300 Words

Freedom is considered the inherent right that lies at the core of human existence. It encompasses the ability to think, act and speak without any restrictions or coercion, allowing individuals to pursue their aspirations and live their lives according to their own values and beliefs. Ranging from personal to political domains, freedom shapes the essence of human dignity and progress.

In the political sphere, freedom is the bedrock of democratic societies, fostering an environment where citizens have the right to participate in the decision-making process, voice their concerns, and hold their leaders accountable.
It serves as a safeguard against tyranny and authoritarian government , ensuring that governance remains transparent, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of the people.
Social freedom is essential for fostering inclusivity and equality within communities. It demands the eradication of discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or any other characteristic, creating a space where every individual is treated with dignity and respect.
Social freedom facilitates the celebration of diversity and the recognition of the intrinsic worth of every human being, promoting a society that thrives on mutual understanding and cooperation.
On an individual or personal level, freedom signifies the autonomy to make choices, follow one’s passions, and cultivate a sense of self-worth. It encourages individuals to pursue their aspirations and fulfil their potential, fostering personal growth and fulfilment.
The ability to express oneself freely and to pursue one’s ambitions without fear of reprisal or oppression is integral to the development of a healthy and vibrant society.

However, exercising freedom necessitates a responsible approach that respects the rights and freedoms of others. The delicate balance between individual liberty and collective well-being demands a conscientious understanding of the impact of one’s actions on the broader community. Upholding and protecting the principles of freedom requires a collective commitment to fostering an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to the betterment of humanity.

Also Read: How to Prepare for UPSC in 6 Months?

Freedom generally refers to being able to act, speak or think as one wants without any restrictions or hindrances. Freedom encompasses the ability to make independent decisions and express your thoughts without any fear so that one can achieve their goals and aspirations.

Someone with free will to think, act and speak without any external restrictions is considered a free person. However, this is the bookish definition of this broader concept, where the ground reality can be far different than this.

Writing an essay on freedom in 100 words requires you to describe the definition of this term, and what it means at different levels, such as individual or personal, social and political. freedom comes with the responsibility to exercise it within the bounds of respect for others and collective well-being.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing webpage and follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Human Freedom in Relation to Society Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
As a template for you assignment

Introduction

How society defines human freedom, the other social categories that may be affected by human freedom, how society has changed in regard to human freedom, conclusion; how society can improve human freedom.

The nature of human freedom entails the totality of man’s whole life. Human freedom has to do with the freedom of one’s will, which is the freedom of man to choose and act by following his path through life freely by exercising his ‘freedom’) (Morrison, 1997). But this perspective has not been without much debate and controversy by both philosophers and theologians.

The purpose of this paper intends to look at the concept of human freedom in relation to the society. In this regard, this paper seeks to investigate how society defines human freedom? What other social categories are affected (directly or indirectly) by human freedom? How society has evolved in regard to human freedom? And what can be done to improve human freedom?

Human freedom has largely been defined in terms of the absence of external factors that may limit a person’s free will such as deportations and dictatorships by rulers among other factors.

But it is also thought that human freedom does not necessarily rely on external constraints, for instance some philosophers have argued against the concept of ‘free will’, by saying that man is only a victim of ‘his own being’ (Morrison, 1997)). In other words, that the very nature of man, his instincts, for instance, limits his ‘freedom’; that every now and then he has to answer to his nature.

But Rousseau refutes the argument that man unreservedly answers to his instincts as he argues that unlike animals, man can override his instincts (Morrison, 1997). For example, one may forgo a meal while playing a video game in spite of being hungry. This is an appendage of a philosophical debate as to whether individual ‘freedom’ really exist pe se.

The argument is that one’s choices affect the people in the world in which he lives as much as the behaviors of those around him affect him/her. Thus, no person can claim ‘freedom’ that is free of the society in which they live given that the society defines and influences to an extent man’s freedom and the scope of that freedom.

The term ‘society’ already implies a group of people, in this case, it refers to people including organizations living under mutual agreement: explicit (such as legal law) or implicit (such as ethical & moral law) (Fermi, 2004). Each of these members of society is obliged to live by the components of that mutual agreement.

Society, therefore, is bigger than the individual as it overrides the instinctual response of the individual, who is then expected to practice a certain degree of reservation in meeting his/her needs in such a way that one is able to abide by the acceptable standards of the society.

So far the United Nations has attempted to create a set of laws that can be used to govern the whole human society although the micro-societies (states, for instance) play the main role in defining the scope of human freedom. The definition of human freedom varies depending on the defining culture and political ideology such as Nazism, Socialism, fascism, Communism and Conservatism (Fermi, 2004).

Unfortunately, it is not possible to say which one of these variants of human freedom is the right one (Fermi, 2004) as they all work in their own respective ways to define the concept of freedom.

But this is not to say that, in a society, the individual ceases to exist. The individual is still protected under the natural law, which champions the individual’s basic human rights and liberty; this in fact, forms the core of democracy in the world today.

Limitless freedom, it is argued, is untenable in a society that is peaceful and orderly, still when it comes to the law, some of the democratic rights are limited. Liberty, in its entirety (civil, natural, personal, and political liberties) when defined under the law carries with it certain limits.

That as much as an individual has these rights and liberties, one can only go as far as the law permits, and since the law is defined by the political nature of a specific society, it can be argued that the law while it champions human freedom, equally restricts it as well.

Human freedom seems to be the central social issue and the other social aspects are either a reflection or an extension of human freedom. As we have seen so far, human freedom is defined by the prevailing political circumstances which further define the legal framework that is adopted.

Depending on the relationship between state and religion (for instance, the unification of religion and the state as in Iran and separation of the two as was the case in Ibrahim’s Tunisia) individual’s freedom is affected in one way or another.

Hinduism, for instance through its belief in the caste system, would seek to justify poverty for certain people and thereby hinder social mobility. Additionally, societies in which women are seen as nothing more than caretakers of families would hinder their access to formal education which impacts on their freedom.

Like any other social aspect, how human freedom is regarded in any society has evolved. It can largely be argued that struggle for human freedom has changed from an individual’s materialistic wishes to a more global approach to freedom for minority groups.

For example, feminism is fighting for women’s rights of choice, formal education, job opportunities, from domestic violence and female genital mutilation among other rights. Currently, there is an increasing recognition and empowerment of disabled people; these, among other activities are a reflection of the global call for democracy which requires the acknowledgement and respect of all humans and their fundamental rights.

This is attributed to technological changes, group behavior, social conflict, social trade-offs and global interdependence among others. All these have contributed to the globalization of the world which has increased the call for a certain degree of homogeneity in social behavior as the culture of nations has come to mean transformation of other nations as well in regard to human freedom.

There is need for further research on how to improve human freedom; in this regard motivational psychologists can help by diagnosing problems, setting moderate goals and applying the relevant behavioral technology to promote and research the concept of human freedom further.

This has worked in certain places for instance, there’s evidence that motivational technology has helped control certain serious diseases, facilitate compensatory education, provide channels for assessing the benefits of higher education, facilitates effective management of complex initiatives and has contributed in raising the living standards of the poor (McClelland, 1978). Besides these, there are also other means of improving human freedom which can be implemented.

Fermi, F. (2004). Freedom and the Human Being . Web.

McClelland, D., (1978). Managing Motivation to Expand Human Freedom. American Psychologist , 33 (3), pp. 201-210.

Morrison, J., (1997). What is Human Freedom . Web.

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1. IvyPanda . "Human Freedom in Relation to Society." March 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/human-freedom-in-relation-to-society/.

Bibliography

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Perspective And Summary Alternative Concepts of Peace Metajustice The Social Contract Model The Global Convention of Minds The Just Peace Principles The Just Peace Implementation of a Just Peace:Incrementalism Principles of Conflict Resolution The Positive Peace Principle The Grand Master Principle Conclusion The Dynamic Psychological Field The Conflict Helix Conflict In Perspective War, Power, Peace page page

* Scanned from Chapter 1 in R.J. Rummel, The Just Peace , 1981. For full reference to the book and the list of its contents in hypertext, click book . Typographical errors have been corrected, clarifications added, and style updated. 1 . Alphonse de Lamartine, Meditations Poetiques (1820). 2 . Desiderius Erasmus, Adagio . 3 . Martin Luther, On Marriage (1530). 4 . Cicero, Letters to Atticus . 5 . Benjamin Franklin, Letter to Josiah Quincy (September 11, 1773). 6 . Irenology = the scientific study of peace. See Starke (1968). 7 . See Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field (Section 8.3 of Chapter 8 ). I classify and discuss relevant types of concepts in Section 2.4.3 . See also Note 48 . 7a . These volumes are: Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field ; Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ; Vol. 3: Conflict In Perspective ; and Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace . 8 . These principles are presented in Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 20 ), and are each the subject of chapters in In The Minds of Men (1979a; republished as The Conflict Helix ). 9 . On the nature and variety of powers, see Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix (Chapters 19 , 20 , and 21 ). On interests, capabilities, and wills, see Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix (Chapters 6 , 27 , 28 , and 29 ). For mathematical definitions, see Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 8 and Section 9A.1 of Appendix 9A ). On conflict as balancing of powers, see Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix (Section 29.3 of Chapter 29 ) and Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace (Part V). Note that I define an interest broadly as any situation--want (or goal)--means complex, which includes sentiments, roles, values, and ethics. Interests are activated attitudes, stimulated by particular needs, Thus, as treated here, interests are basic motivational variables. See Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field (Chapters 19 , 20 , 21 , particularly Section 20.3 of Chapter 20 ). 10 . For the development of different types of social behavior, see Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field (Part III). For the mathematical development, see Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 and Section 9A.1 of Appendix 9A ). Empirical applications are given in Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 4 ). 11 . Note that the balance of powers is not necessarily of coercion and force, but may combine exchange, intellectual, authoritative, altruistic, and manipulative powers. Moreover, regardless of power's form: Power = interests X capabilities X will. And the balancing of these powers takes place in a perceived situation. The balance of powers is thus a multidimensional balance in the minds of the parties involved and should not be confused with any mechanical and physical balance. 12 . In the words of Henry Kissinger (1974: 643), "two world wars and an era of involvement and conflict should now have taught us that peace is a process, not a condition." 13 . This is clearly a dialectical view of conflict and peace. See, for example, Mao (1954: Vol. 2, p. 45): As everybody knows, war and peace transform themselves into each other.... All contradictory things are interconnected, and they not only coexist in an entity under certain conditions-this is the whole meaning of the identity of contradictions. 14 . Elsewhere (see Note 8 ) I refer to "peace" rather than "cooperation" in the principle. Since I am leading to a definition of peace here, however, I have substituted "cooperation" for "peace." 15 . See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 29 ) and Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 18 , particularly Figures 18.1 , 18.2 , and 18.3 ). This conception overlaps Boulding's, although expressed within a different theory and by different theoretical terms. According to Boulding, peace is a property of conflict systems and a homeostatic or cybernetic property that enables the system, in the course of its dynamic path, to remain in some stated boundary. Where the boundary is drawn is not so important as the machinery by which the system stays within it wherever it is drawn. Most conflict systems exhibit what might be called a "Break boundary" at which the system suddenly changes into another or passes some point of no return in its dynamic processes. Thus, marital conflict may lead to separation or divorce, industrial conflict may lead to strikes, personal conflicts may lead to fisticuffs at the lower end of the social scale or to litigation at the upper end, and international relations may degenerate into war. ----1963:73 16 . Here it is unnecessary to distinguish interpersonal and international contracts. Therefore, I am combining what I have called elsewhere (see Note 8 ) the Third and Fourth Master Principles. 17 . See Note 15 . 18 . With the understanding that societies and organizations are structures of expectations (social contracts), see Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix (Chapters 30 , 31 , 33 and 34 ) for theoretical and empirical analysis of types of societies and political systems, and Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field ( Chapter 33 ) for structures of expectations within states. For structures of expectations within the international society, see Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Section 4.3 ). 19 . See Note 28 . 20 . Expectations weigh behavioral dispositions. See Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field (Sections 15.2 and 18.1 of Chapter 15 and Chapter 18 ), Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 and Section 8.2 of Chapter 8 ). 21 . Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 24 ; Section 29.4 of Chapter 29 ); Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Section 16.9 of Chapter 16 , Status Quo Disruption Proposition 16.10 , Violence Principle 20.16 , and War Principle 20.22 ). 22 . Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Proposition 16.10 ). 23 . See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix (Sections 23.1 and 23.3 of Chapter 23 ). 24 . These dimensions are meant to cover all forms of contracts and to discriminate among their qualitatively significant aspects. To my knowledge, little quantitative empirical work on the dimensions of contracts has been done. For an exception, see Russett's factor analysis of international alliances (1971). 25 . "Actuality ... .. latent," "manifest" are basic ontological categories of these volumes. For their development and discussion, see Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field ( Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 ). 26 . See Note 28 . 27 . This is the myth of "rational constructivism" well elaborated by Hayek (1973 Vol. 1, Chapters 1 and 2). In general, this is the belief that societies are rationally constructed; that they are organizations. This is an intellectual error underlying the current emphasis on governmental (i.e., socialist) intervention in and planning of all or major aspects of society. While some societies are, of course, organized (such as a communist state, the military, or a university), not all are or need be. Societies can be spontaneous and self-regulating--that is, social fields, in which patterns and institutions of cooperation, communications, and the division of labor, evolve to satisfy individual needs and maintain peace. This characterizes the exchange society and its free market. See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 22 , Chapter 30 , Chapter 31 , and Chapter 32 ). International relations form such an exchange society. See Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 2 ). 28 . The price of goods is a narrow social contract. In a free market it is the resolution of diverse overlapping balances between buyers and sellers. In a command market the price of goods is set by government managers and planners, but is still a social contract (even more obviously so) resulting from multiple overlapping and ascending bureaucratic and political balances. Of course, the price of coffee on the market shelf seems qualitatively different from the signed peace treaty in hand, and it seems odd to call both social contracts. But this is because they are manifestly different kinds of social contracts. Besides being narrow, a price is an informal, implicit, subconscious, indirect, and collective social contract, whereas a peace treaty is formal, explicit, conscious, and possibly middle range. They therefore display the essence of social contracts quite differently, as whale and mouse manifest qualitatively distinct "mammalness" among animals. However, the price of goods and peace treaties are one in being a structure of expectations based on a balance of powers which is the outcome of a balancing process. For a free market price, the balance is among exchange powers; for a command price it is among coercive and authoritative powers. 29 . For the application of these distinctions to social behavior, see Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix (Section 10.4 of Chapter 10 ). 30 . The more appropriate term, as used by Pitirim Sorokin (1969), is "contractual" (see Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix , Section 10.5 of Chapter 10 ). However, I could only confuse the issue by referring to, for example, contractual social contracts. By contractual Sorokin meant behavior that was narrow, utilitarian, businesslike. 31 . I am expressing a summary view of the good here sufficient only to orient the subsequent discussion. 32 . See Section 3.9.3 , where I present Johan Galtung's idea of positive peace. 33 . Defined as the absence of violence, negative peace may involve "positive" or non-"positive" peace. This not only entails calling a state of negative peace "positive" if social equality obtains (thus we would have a "positive, negative" peace), but also uses "positive" in an affective, desirable sense, while treating its opposite as affectively neutral. Thus, to denote an undesirable absence of violence (e.g., slavery), one must say something like "a bad, negative peace." All this hardly leads to clarity. 34 . I am using "causal-functional" in the same sense here as in previous volumes, which is as defined by Sorokin (1969:145-146). The basic idea is that diverse objects or events are united or connected by their relationship to an external agency (as all the objects in my house are interrelated through their functional relationship to me), by their manifest causal dependence and functional interdependence (as with diverse aspects of a university or government), or by their meaningful causal and functional interrelationships (as in the interconnection between all the diverse events, objects, agents, and actions comprising a war). 35 . I have differentiated among types and dimensions of groups in Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 23 ), especially in relation to the concept of antifield. 36 . See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Table 23.1 ), which shows the profiles of the different types of groups across these characteristics. 37 . See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 22 and Section 23.3 of Chapter 23 ). 38 . Chapter 30 of Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix . 39 . Chapter 33 and Chapter 34 of Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix . 40 . "The fundamental social phenomena is the division of labor and its counterpart human cooperation" (Mises, 1966: 157). And: "Society is joint action and cooperation in which each participant sees the other partner's success as a means for the attainment of his own." (p. 169). 41 . See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 32 ). I have also elaborated, perhaps more clearly, this crucial relationship between type of society and conflict in my book, In the Minds of Men (Chapters 16-19; republished as The Conflict Helix ). 42 . See Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 2 ). 43 . See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix (Sections 32.5 and 35.5 of Chapter 32 and Chapter 35 ). 44 . See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 26 ). 45 . I separate concepts in meaning from percepts and perceptibles. The latter are stimuli that reach the brain, transformed and carried via our neurological receptors. Percepts are perceptibles endowed with perceptual meaning and value through our cultural matrix. It is the percept that we consciously perceive. For example, the perceptible may be a "piece of wood, sharpened at one end and with a rubbery substance at the other." The percept would be of a "pencil." Thus, "crossed sticks" become perceived as a "Christian cross"; a "hairy sphere" as a "tennis ball." Concepts are then the cognitive structures we impose on percepts. Thus, "pencil," "cross," or "tennis ball" are concepts correlated with, but not identical to, percepts. Concepts add meaning, schema, value to percepts, as is most clearly seen by the concept "cross" or "tennis ball," while also losing some of the phenomenological richness of the percept. On all this, see Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field (Part II, esp. Section 11.3 of Chapter 11 on concepts). 46 . I find no consensus on the best taxonomy for concepts. Generally, however, scientists discriminate, as I do here, between those concepts close to the observational level and those which are theoretical in some sense. See, for example, Hempel (1952) and Price (1953). 47 . This is also called an observational concept. 48 . In essence, all concepts are defined within some theory or cognitive framework, even such commonsense concepts as dog and house. To see this, in part, consider how languages differ significantly in the concepts developed to cover even everyday phenomena. As one who speaks more than one language knows, often a common idea or thing conceptualized in one language will have no counterpart in another. Languages are informal, implicit theories of reality that evolve as cultures attempt to meet the demands and surmount the challenges of a particular reality. On concepts and theory, see Heath (1967). See also Hempel's (1952) useful analysis of concepts. For the a priori nature of such commonly accepted concepts as cause and effect, see Kant's The Critique of Pure Reason (1952: Book I, Chapter II, Section III, 3B, Book II, Section II, Third Conflict; Section IX, III). In this Section I am not concerned with the philosophy of concepts, but with usefully distinguishing different conceptions of peace. I have treated concepts more generally in Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field (Part II). 49 . The use of "construct" varies among philosophers of science. Some prefer to call my "construct" a "theoretical concept" or "theoretical term," and my "abstract concept" a "construct." But this is a terminological disagreement, not one of underlying ideas. 50 . A much more sophisticated version of such an arms theory has been developed by Richardson (1960) and elaborated by others. For an example of the latest of such work, see Gillespie and Zinnes (1977: Part II, and the citations therein). 51 . The clear exception is Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace (Chapters 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 ). 52 . For the tight theory, see my Field Theory Evolving (1976), and Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace (Chapters 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 ). 53 . For example, the construct of a "dimension of international behavior space" requires substantive interpretation in order to test or apply social field theory. One way of providing this interpretation is through a factor analysis of the attributes of states, as done in my Field Theory Evolving (1977b: Chapter 5) and National Attributes and Behavior (1979c: Chapter 6). For their interpretation within these volumes, see Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 4 ). To avoid misunderstanding, since factor analysis is often considered an empirical measurement technique, the construct of a dimension in field theory is a mathematical vector given numerical content by factor analysis as an axis through a cluster of independently, empirically measured attributes. The dimension is not itself measured, therefore, but depends on other measured concepts for its content; nor is dimension in the tight theory simply an abstraction, for as a concept it is integral to the equations of field theory and plays a deductive role therein. 54 . See Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Appendix 9A , especially Figure 9A.1 ). The technical development is given in Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 5 ). 55 . Hayek (1979: Vol. 3, p. xii) has (quite rightly, in my view) pointed out the appropriateness of this term to the society of freely interacting individuals. 56 . "Component" is a central philosophical concept for me. See Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field (Section 10.3 of Chapter 10 ). A component defines a common latent function underlying phenomena. 57 . For greater clarification than warranted here, see Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 33 ), and Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 4 and Chapter 7 ). See also Note 53 . 58 . See Section 3.9.3 . 59 . "The Lord Be With You," Book of Common Prayer. 60 . The ethics implicit in this paragraph will be made clear in Part II by my definition of a just peace. 61 . For my relevant view of reality, see Vol. 1: The Dynamic Psychological Field (Parts II and VII). Reality comprises potentiality and actuality, with the latter divided into dispositions (or powers) and manifestations. Expectations are dispositional, as are interests and will. Capabilities may be only dispositional (as with intelligence) or may combine both dispositional and manifest levels (as with armaments). A social contract, and thus peace, is actual, always tied to the dispositional level through its expectations, but also partially manifest, reaching the surface of reality via, at least, observable behavior. 62 . See Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix ( Chapter 26 ). 63 . Regarding international conflict, see Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace (Sections 4.3 , 4.4 and 11.3 ); for patterns of international peace, see Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace (Sections 4.3 and 4.4 ). For patterns of peace (structures of expectations) internal to states, see Vol. 2: The Conflict Helix (Section 33.4 of Chapter 33 ). 64 . See Section 2.5.4 and Section 3.3.1E . 65 . This holds whether peace is an abstraction in the loose theory or a construct in the tighter version. As a construct, peace is empirically defined by components of social behavior. Each component may vary in the amount of variance in behavior correlated with it, but mathematically each is a dimension (a vector of a basis) of the space of behavior. And there is either a dimension of a space or there is not. 66 . See Sections 2.3.2 , 2.3.3 , and 2.3.4 . 67 . See Note 34 . 68 . See Note 61 . 69 . See Note 29 in Chapter 3 . 70 . For the precise relationship between these concepts, see Vol. 4: War, Power, Peace ( Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 ). 71 . Peace as a social contract = a structure of expectations. Such structures have been empirically defined. See Note 18 . 72 . Along these lines I have tried to specify principles and rules for waging peace, as here defined. See Chapter 10 . 73 . Each of these principles is the subject of separate chapters in my In The Minds of Men (1979a: Part I--book republished as The Conflict Helix ).

COMPASS Manual for Human Rights Education with Young people

Peace and violence.

Violence: concepts and examples

What is violence.

Violence is a complex concept. Violence is often understood as the use or threat of force that can result in injury, harm, deprivation or even death. It may be physical, verbal or psychological. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines violence as "intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation". 1 This definition emphasises intentionality, and broadens the concept to include acts resulting from power relationships.

8 million light weapons are produced each year. 2 bullets are produced each year for every person on the planet. 2 out of 3 people killed by armed violence die in countries "at peace". 10 people are injured for every person killed by armed violence. Estimates from www.controlarms.org

An expanded understanding of violence includes not only direct "behavioural" violence, but also structural violence, which is often unconscious. Structural violence results from unjust and inequitable social and economic structures and manifesting itself in for example, poverty and deprivation of all kinds.

Forms of violence can be categorised in many ways. One such classification includes:

direct violence, e.g. physical or behavioural violence such as war, bullying, domestic violence, exclusion or torture
structural violence, e.g. poverty and deprivation of basic resources and access to rights; oppressive systems that enslave, intimidate, and abuse dissenters as well as the poor, powerless and marginalised
cultural violence, e.g. the devaluing and destruction of particular human identities and ways of life, the violence of sexism, ethnocentrism, racism and colonial ideologies, and other forms of moral exclusion that rationalise aggression, domination, inequity, and oppression.

Question: Are direct, structural and/or cultural violence present in your community? How?

Today's human rights violations are the causes of tomorrow's conflicts. Mary Robinson

Violence in the world

Each year, more than 1.6 million people worldwide lose their lives to violence. For every person who dies as a result of violence, many more are injured and suffer from a range of physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health problems. Violence places a massive burden on national economies in health care, law enforcement and lost productivity. World Health Organisation 2

Structural and cultural forms of violence are often deeply impregnated in societies to the point of being perceived as inherent. This type of violence lasts longer, thus eventually having similar consequences as direct violence, or, in some cases, even leading to the oppressed using direct violence as a response. Lower education opportunities in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, limited access to leisure for foreigners, harmful working conditions in certain fields of work, and so on, are acts of structural and cultural violence which have a direct influence on people's access to their rights. Yet these forms of violence are rarely recognised as violations of human rights. What follows are some examples about different forms of violence worldwide. These are not the only ones. More information about the effects of armed conflicts can be found in War and Terrorism and in various other sections of this manual.

Military spending, arms trade and violence

The production and trade in arms and weapons is undoubtedly one of the greatest threats to peace, not least because of the economic, financial and social dimensions of arms production. The production and export of arms is often encouraged on economic grounds with little con- sideration to the impact on peace and security. World military spending is steadily increasing; in 2014 the world spent an estimated €1776 billion on the military. The database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute3 shows in 2014 the USA (€610 billion) as the biggest military spender, followed by China (€216 billion) and then three European countries, Russia ($84 billion) the United Kingdom ($60 billion) and France (€62 billion). Europe as a whole spent $386 billion.

Data from the Overseas Development Institute (www.odi.org ) shows that we could deliver free primary and secondary education in all the poor countries around the world for $32 billion per year, this is less than a single week's global military spending.

Question: How much does your country of residence spend on arms production and purchases annually?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that at least 740,000 women, men, young people and children are killed each year by armed violence; most of those affected live in poverty. The majority of armed killings occur outside of wars, although armed conflicts continue to generate a high number of deaths. Moreover, a huge number of people are injured by armed violence and face long-term suffering because of it. According to Amnesty International, about 60% of human rights violations documented by the organisation have involved the use of small arms and light weapons. 4

Controlling Arms Trade Control Arms is a global civil society alliance campaigning for an international legally-binding treaty that will stop the transfer of arms and ammunition. The campaign emphasises that domestic regulations have failed to adapt to increasing globalisation of the arms trade since different parts of weapons are produced in different places and transferred to other countries to be assembled. Control Arms is calling for a "bulletproof" Arms Trade Treaty that would hold governments accountable for illegal arms transfers. www.controlarms.org

A form of inter-personal violence, bullying is one of the forms of violence that affects young people and is often not considered as a form of violence. Bullying refers to aggressive behaviour which is repeated and intends to hurt someone. It can take the form of physical, psychological or verbal aggression. It can take place in any situation where human beings interact, be it at school, at the workplace or any other social place. Bullying can be direct, confronting a person face-to-face, or indirect by spreading rumours or harming someone over the Internet, for example. Although it is difficult to have clear statistics, research shows that bullying is an increasing problem. Victims often do not dare to speak out, and it is therefore extremely difficult to identify and support victims of bullying.

Is corporal punishment legitimate?

Corporal punishment is the most widespread form of violence against children and is a violation of their human rights. In the past, some argued that smacking was a harmless form of punishment which enabled parents to educate their children, whereas others considered it a violent form of physical punishment. The Council of Europe campaign Raise Your Hand Against Smacking provoked strong debates in Member States, and took a human rights stand against this practice.

Gender-based violence

More information about gender and gender-based violence, can be found in the section on Gender, in chapter 5, and in the manual Gender Matters, www.coe.int/compass

While male-dominated societies often justify small arms possession through the alleged need to protect vulnerable women, women actually face greater danger of violence when their families and communities are armed. Barbara Frey 6

Gender-based violence is one of the most frequent forms of structural and cultural violence. It is present in every society and its consequences affect virtually all human beings. According to the UNFPA, gender-based violence "both reflects and reinforces inequities between men and women and compromises the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims. It encompasses a wide range of human rights violations, including sexual abuse of children, rape, domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment, trafficking of women and girls and several harmful traditional practices. Any one of these abuses can leave deep psychological scars, damage the health of women and girls in general, including their reproductive and sexual health, and in some instances, results in death" 5 . Gender-based violence does not have to be physical. In fact, young people suffer much verbal violence, especially targeted at LGBT (young) people and girls.

Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels. Article 1 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders

In situations of conflict, women become particularly vulnerable and new forms of violence against women emerge. These can range from mass rape to forced sexual assaults, forced pregnancy, or sexual slavery. The polarisation of gender roles during armed conflicts is increased, women thus being seen as objects of war and territories to be conquered.

Violence Against Human Rights Defenders

Useful information for human rights defenders: www.frontlinedefenders.org/ www.amnesty.org/en/human-rights-defenders www.ohchr.org http://www.civilrightsdefenders.org

Investigating, reporting human rights violations and educating people about human rights and campaigning for justice can be dangerous work. Human rights defenders are people who individually, or with others, promote and protect human rights through peaceful and non-violent means. Because of their work, human rights defenders can be subjected to different types of violence, including beatings, arbitrary arrest or execution, torture, death threats, harassment and defamation, or restrictions on their freedom of expression, and association. In 2000, the United Nations established a Special Rapporteur whose main mission is to support implementation of the 1998 Declaration on human rights defenders. The "protection" of human rights defenders includes protecting the defenders themselves and the right to defend human rights. The Special Rapporteur seeks, receives, examines and responds to information on the situation of human rights defenders, promotes the effective implementation of the Declaration and recommends strategies to protect human rights defenders. 7

Question: How free and safe is it to report or denounce human rights abuse and violations in your country?

If you look at them [conflicts] and remove the superficial levels of religion and politics, quite often it is a question of trying to access resources, trying to control those resources, and trying to decide how those resources will be shared. Wangari Maathai

The fight for resources

The possession of or control over natural resources such as water, arable land, mineral oil, metals, natural gas, and so on, have often fuelled violent conflicts throughout history. The depletion of certain resources and the shortage of others, such as water or arable land, is expected to become more widespread due to growth of consumption and climate change. This may create more regional or international tensions, potentially leading to violent conflicts.

Question: How is your country part of the competition for scarce resources?

Peace, human security and human rights

War and violence inevitably result in the denial of human rights. Building a culture of human rights is a pre-condition to achieving a state of peace. Sustainable, lasting peace and security can only be attained when all human rights are fulfilled. Building and maintaining a culture of peace is a shared challenge for humankind.

What is peace?

A culture of peace will be achieved when citizens of the world understand global problems, have the skills to resolve conflicts and struggle for justice non-violently, live by international standards of human rights and equity, appreciate cultural diversity, and respect the Earth and each other. Such learning can only be achieved with systematic education for peace. Global Campaign for Peace Education of the Hague Appeal for Peace

FIAN is an international human rights organisation that has advocated for the realisation of the right to food. www.fian.org

The above campaign statement offers a broader understanding of peace: peace means not only the lack of violent conflicts, but also the presence of justice and equity, as well as respect for human rights and for the Earth. Johan Galtung, a recognised Norwegian scholar and researcher, defined two aspects of peace. Negative peace means that there is no war, no violent conflict between states or within states. Positive peace means no war or violent conflict combined with a situation where there is equity, justice and development. The absence of war by itself does not guarantee that people do not suffer psychological violence, repression, injustice and a lack of access to their rights. Therefore, peace cannot be defined only by negative peace.

The concept of peace also has an important cultural dimension. Traditionally, for many people in the "western world", peace is generally understood to be an outside condition., while in other cultures, peace also has to do with inner peace (peace in our minds or hearts). In the Maya tradition, for example, peace refers to the concept of welfare; it is linked to the idea of a perfect balance between the different areas of our lives. Peace, therefore, is to be seen as both internal and external processes which affect us.

Human security

A concept closely related to peace and violence is human security, which recognises the interrelation between violence and deprivation of all kinds. It concerns the protection of individuals and communities from both the direct threat of physical violence and the indirect threats that result from poverty and other forms of social, economic or political inequalities, as well as natural disasters and disease. A country may not be under threat of external attack or internal conflict but still be insecure if, for example, it lacks the capacity to maintain the rule of law, if large populations are displaced by famine or decimated by disease or if its people lack the basic necessities of survival and access to their human rights.

Human security furthers human rights because it addresses situations that gravely threaten human rights and supports the development of systems that give people the building blocks of survival, dignity and essential freedoms: freedom from want, freedom from fear and freedom to take action on one's own behalf. It uses two general strategies to accomplish this: protection and empowerment. Protection shields people from direct dangers, but also seeks to develop norms, processes and institutions that maintain security. Empowerment enables people to develop their potential and become full participants in decision making. Protection and empowerment are mutually reinforcing, and both are required.

Question: How does insecurity affect the young people with whom you work?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN in 2015 recognise the important role of security for development. SDG 16, sometimes shortened to “Peace and Justice” is to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”. There are 10 targets, for instance 16.1 to reduce all forms of violence, 16.2 end abuse and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The full list of targets is in the further information section of the activity, “How much do we need?”.

The linkages between SDG 16 and human rights are:

Right to life, liberty and security of the person [UDHR art. 3; ICCPR arts. 6(1), 9(1);
ICPED art. 1] including freedom from torture [UDHR art. 5; ICCPR art. 7; CAT art. 2; CRC art. 37(a)]
Protection of children from all forms of violence, abuse or exploitation [CRC arts. 19, 37(a)), including trafficking (CRC arts. 34-36; CRC–OP1)]
Right to access to justice and due process [UDHR arts. 8, 10; ICCPR arts. 2(3), 14-15; CEDAW art. 2(c)]
Right to legal personality [UDHR art. 6; ICCPR art. 16; CRPD art. 12]
Right to participate in public affairs [UDHR art. 21; ICCPR art. 25]
Right to access to information [UDHR art. 19; ICCPR art. 19(1)] (www.ohchr.org)

Peace as a human right

Peace is a way of living together so that all members of society can accomplish their human rights. It is as an essential element to the realisation of all human rights. Peace is a product of human rights: the more a society promotes, protects and fulfils the human rights of its people, the greater its chances for curbing violence and resolving conflicts peacefully. However, peace is also increasingly being recognised as a human right itself, as an emerging human right or part of the so-called solidarity rights.

Non-violence is the supreme law of life. Indian proverb

All peoples shall have the right to national and international peace and security. African Charter on Human and People's Rights, Article 23

The connection between international human rights and the right to peace is very strong, notably because the absence of peace leads to so many violations of human rights. The UDHR recognises, for example, the right to security and freedom (Article 3); prohibits torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 5), and calls for an international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in the declaration can be fully realised (Article 28). The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibits propaganda for war as well as "advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence" (Article 20). The right to peace is also codified in some regional documents such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the Asian Human Rights Charter. The creation of the Council of Europe was itself based on the conviction that "the pursuit of peace based upon justice and international co-operation is vital for the preservation of human society and civilisation".

The right to peace in UN Human Rights Council "The Human Rights Council … 1. Reaffirms that the peoples of our planet have a sacred right to peace; 2. Also reaffirms that the preservation of the right of peoples to peace and the promotion of its implementation constitute a fundamental obliga- tion of all States; 3. Stresses the importance of peace for the promotion and protection of all human rights for all; 4. Also stresses that the deep fault line that divides human society between the rich and the poor and the ever-increasing gap between the de- veloped world and the developing world pose a major threat to global prosperity, peace, human rights, security and stability; 5. Further stresses that peace and security, development and human rights are the pillars of the United Nations system and the foundations for collective security and well-being; …" 11

The opposite of violence isn't non-violence, it's power. When one has moral power, power of conviction, the power to do good, one doesn't need violence. 9 Nelsa Libertad Curbelo 10

Human security is a child who did not die, a disease that did not spread, a job that was not cut, an ethnic tension that did not explode in violence, a dissident who was not silenced. Human security is not a concern with weapons – it is a concern with human life and dignity. Human Development Report, 1994

The Santiago Declaration on the Human Right to Peace, adopted in 2010 by The International Congress on the Human Right to Peace, is one of the most elaborate documents on peace as a human right. The declaration recognises individuals, groups, peoples and all humankind as holders of the "inalienable right to a just, sustainable and lasting peace" (Art. 1) and "States, individually, jointly or as part of multilateral organisations", as the principal duty holders of the human right to peace". The declaration also calls for the right to education "on and for peace and all other human rights" as a component of the right to peace because "education and socialization for peace is a condition sine qua non for unlearning war and building identities disentangled from violence". The right to human security and the right to live in a safe and healthy environment, "including freedom from fear and from want" are also put forward as elements of "positive peace". Other dimensions of the right to peace are the right to disobedience and conscientious objection, the right to resist and oppose oppression and the right to disarmament. The declaration also devotes a specific article to the rights of victims, including their right to seek justice and a breakdown of the obligations entailed in the human right to peace.

Question: In practice, what does the human right to peace mean for you?

Legitimate (state) violence

Not all violence is illegal or illegitimate. Violent acts are sometimes necessary in order to protect the human rights of other people. I may have to use violence for self-defence; I expect a policeman to use, in extreme cases, some kind of violence to protect me or my family from violence from other people. My human right to security implies that the state and its agents protect me from violence. A human rights framework implies that violent actions by state or public agents is justified (and sometimes required), provided that it is organised and enacted within a human rights framework, including respect for the rights of the victim.

All persons have a right to peace so that they can fully develop all their capacities, physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual, without being the target of any kind of violence. Asian Human Rights Charter, 1998, paragraph 4.1

This raises questions about the primacy of some human rights over others: the right to life is a clear human right, and still in many cases, human beings are being punished violently or killed, as a consequence of their acts. Examples from throughout history illustrate how civil movements have brought about change and better access to people's human rights. However, peaceful movements are often suppressed by violent police or army action. Repressing people's right to freedom of expression and association. The "Arab Spring" movements initiated in 2011 showed how youth in Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab countries gathered and peacefully reclaimed their human rights, but were violently attacked and put into detention by state armed forces, many losing their lives.

Question: When is armed intervention by policy justified?

Starvation is the characteristic of some people not having enough to eat. It is not the characteristic of there not being enough to eat. Amartya Sen

From a human rights perspective, the deprivation of the liberty of a person as a consequence of a criminal offence does not take away their inherent humanity. This is why the measures taken by the state against people who have acted violently against others must not be arbitrary, must respect their inherent dignity, and must protect these persons against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. One of the aims of detention is the social rehabilitation of prisoners.

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent. Ghandi

The rule of law and protection of human rights and freedoms are crucial safeguards for an effective and just criminal justice system. Yet, while protecting the innocent 12 , custody and imprisonment are often also, unfortunately, the places where human rights violations appear. According to human rights standards, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child, specific rehabilitation mechanisms must be put in place for young offenders, such as "laws, procedures, authorities and institutions specifically applicable to children alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law" (Art. 40). This, however, is not always the case. According to Penal Reform International, the way authorities deal with young offenders can often lead to long-term physical and psychological ill-health. For example, exposure to violent behaviour in detention and separation from families and community may undermine the idea of rehabilitation and push them further into criminal activities. Based on the UNICEF estimates, today there are more than one million children in detention worldwide.

Question: Can imprisonment be an effective way to rehabilitate and educate children and young people who have committed a criminal offence?

Death penalty

The death penalty is forbidden by the European Convention on Human Rights as well as in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Protocol 1). Outlawing the death penalty does not justify human rights violations. It is also based on the belief that violence cannot be fought with more violence. The outlawing of the death penalty is also a statement about the infallibility of justice: history shows that judicial mistakes are always possible and that there is the risk that the wrong person may be executed. However, the outlawing of the death penalty is also a testament to the belief of the right to life and dignity - and to a fair trial.

Penal Reform International is an international non-governmental organisation working on penal and criminal justice reform worldwide. www.penalreform.org

In 2011, 1,923 people in 63 countries were known to have been sentenced to death and 676 executions were known to have been carried out in 20 countries. However, the 676 figure does not include the perhaps thousands of people that Amnesty International estimates have been executed in China. 13 Belarus is the only country in Europe that in 2012 still carried out executions. According to Amnesty International, prisoners on death row in Belarus are told that they will be executed only minutes before the sentence is carried out. They are executed by a shot to the back of the head. The family members are informed only after execution, and the place of burial is kept in secret.

Young people and a culture of peace

Conflict transformation, reconciliation, peace education, and remembrance are part of the actions that carry the hope for a life free from violence and for a culture of peace. We have to learn from the past and make efforts to avoid the reoccurrence of terrible events against humanity which previous generations lived through. There are still local wars and armed conflicts in some places of the world. It is comforting to know that we are not defenceless and that we have tools to eliminate violence. Young people play an important role in this change.

Only societies based on democracy, the rule of law and human rights can provide sustainable long-term stability and peace. Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

The Council of Europe works to promote social justice, and to avoid the escalation of violent conflicts and prevent wars and terrorist activities. The organisation encourages political leaders and civil society to build and nourish a culture of peace instead of a culture of violence and it raises awareness of the cost of violence, the perspectives of a peaceful future, the importance of democracy and democratic skills, as well as promoting humanism, human dignity, freedom and solidarity.

The Council of Europe's youth sector has over 40 years of experience in working on intercultural learning, conflict transformation and human rights education. The adoption by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue "Living Together as Equals in Dignity", confirmed the political relevance of these approaches, and emphasised the need for dialogue between cultures for the development and safeguarding of peaceful societies.

Meet your own prejudice! Instead of talking about it, simply meet it. The Living Library Organiser's Guide 14

The 7th Conference of European Ministers responsible for Youth (Budapest, 2005) was devoted to youth policy responses to violence. In the final declaration, the ministers agreed, amongst others, on the importance of taking stock of all forms of violence and of their impact on people, on the need to develop violence-prevention strategies and to recognise young people as actors in violence prevention, "whilst raising their sense of responsibility and actively promoting their participation and co-operation" in this domain. The declaration also recognises human rights education as containing an essential dimension of violence prevention. The ministerial conference was the culmination of a project against violence in daily life which resulted in various educational instruments and initiatives to prevent and address violence, such as the manual for Living Library organisers.

As peace ambassadors we should become the eyes and ears of the Coun-cil of Europe in our countries and in Europe. Zlata Kharitonova, participant in Youth Peace Ambassadors

The youth sector of the Council of Europe has also initiated and supported youth-led projects addressing conflict and promoting peace education. The Youth Peace Camp has been running since 2004, and brings together young people from different conflicting areas to engage in dialogue on the understanding that they share common values and experiences, often very painful ones. The programme helps youth leaders to recognise and address prejudice, combating aggressive and exclusive forms of nationalism, and implementing intercultural learning and human rights education. For some of the participants this is the first time in their lives that they have talked face-to-face with young people from "the other side". The camp is now held annually at the European Youth Centre and occasionally in member states.

Multiplying peace education After the Youth Peace Camp 2011, six Israeli and Palestinian participants decided to keep meeting on the cease fire or so-called "green line". Every month other young people from both sides join the afternoon meeting, which includes discussions, sharing personal stories and having fun. As a joint group they engage in community work on both sides of the line, each time in a different community on a different side, always in a community affected somehow by the ongoing conflict.

The Youth Peace Ambassadors project, initiated in 2011, engages youth leaders in specific grassroots level peace education projects with young people, aiming at transforming conflict situations in their realities. The project is built on a network of specifically trained young people who strengthen the presence and promote the values of the Council of Europe in conflict-affected areas and communities.

Undoing Hate In the last two years, the streets of Prijepolje, a multicultural town in Serbia, became surrounded by "wrong" graffiti, filled with hate speech towards foreigners and people with different religions (Muslim and Orthodox). Most of the graffiti is written by boys from 2 different hooligan groups. My project brings together 10 boys, aged 14 – 18, from both a hooligan group and ethnic/religious minorities, who will redecorate the town by using graffiti to undo the hate graffiti which was put up in various places. While doing so, a peace-building documentary will be filmed. This project should help to create a strong basis for peace building, mutual understanding and tolerance. Edo Sadikovic, JUMP organisation, Serbia (Youth Peace Ambassador's project)

Networks for peace

The following are some examples to consider the variety, seriousness and creativity of peace builders and human rights defenders.

Combatants for Peace – is a movement which was started jointly by Palestinians and Israelis who have taken an active part in the cycle of violence and now fight for peace.

Search for Common Ground implements conflict-transformation programmes.

Responding to Conflict provides training for conflict transformation. Inspiring examples of and study notes for conducting training can be found on their website.

The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict is a global network seeking a new international consensus on moving from reaction to prevention of violent conflict.

The United Network of Young Peacebuilders is a network of youth-led organisations working towards establishing peaceful societies.

1 World report on violence and health, WHO 2002, Geneva p 5: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/9241545615.pdf 2 www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/en/ 3 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): www.sipri.se 4 http://controlarms.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/killer_facts_en.pdf 5 www.unfpa.org/gender/violence.htm 6 Progress report of Barbara Frey, UN Special Rapporteur, "Prevention of human rights violations committed with small arms and light weapons", UN Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/37, 21 June 2004, para 50 7 Source: www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/SRHRDefenders/ 8 Evans, A., Resource scarcity, fair shares and development, WWF / Oxfam, Discussion paper, 2011 9 From the film Barrio De Paz 10 Nelsa Libertad Curbelo is a former nun and street gang mediator in Ecuador 11 UN General Asembly, 15 July 2011, Document A/HRC/RES/1/7/16 of the Human Rights Council 12 Based on the UK criminal Justice systems aims, see: http://ybtj.justice.gov.uk/ 13 Amnesty International death penalty statistics 14 Don't judge a book by its cover – the Living Library Organiser's Guide, Abergel R. et al, Council of Europe Publishing, 2005

Image2: Theme 'Peace and Violence' by Pancho

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Violence: Concepts and examples
12 February Red Hand Day
21 March International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
15 May International Day of Conscientious Objection
29 May International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
4 June International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
26 June United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
6 August Hiroshima Day
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11 November International Day of Science and Peace
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Essay on Obama

Free Globalization, Peace, Justice, And Freedom Essay Example

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Topic: Obama , World , Speech , Rhetoric , Democracy , Countries , Unity , Berlin

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Published: 11/22/2021

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Ever since the Second World War, different nations have come together with the aim of creating some form of unity. The various organizations formed by the different countries have mainly aimed at ensuring peace, justice, and economic stability among the countries. These organizations have also played a major role in uniting countries that were once enemies, as well as creating the notion of a citizen of the world. The feeling of being a citizen of the world has promoted more instances of globalization as different groups of people have learned to live with one another. In his Berlin speech in 2008, President Obama explained the need for the citizens of the world To Unite as one and work together to fight the various ills facing the planet. President Obama in the various parts of his speech explained how far the world has come and how much further globalization can take the world. The speech, delivered before a large crowd in Berlin, came at the opportune time, as it was reelection year in the United States. The speech, although not delivered directly to US citizens, helped to put forward Obama’s campaign message of international cooperation. The speech mainly entailed the president talking about the various instances that the United States has worked together with Germany and other countries to meet a single goal (Obama, 2008). Through the speech, Obama emphasized in the world being United rather than divided. By being united, the different countries would solve problems such as terrorism and climate change as well as promote peace and justice in the world. At the beginning of the speech, Obama first explained the various events leading to his presidency. He explains the need for freedom as the driver towards his father seeking a better life in the United States. Explaining freedom results in him going back into history to the days of the Berlin wall. Obama provides a recap of how the Americans and Germans worked together to bring down the wall. Obama explains the power unity as it is only through unity that the communist were defeated and freedom restored in Germany (Obama, 2008). Obama’s speech employs historical evidence as a way of evoking a feeling of pride. Explaining his descent allows the Berlin citizens to view Obama not as a president of the United States, but as a citizen of the world. His explanation of his origin also moves forwards the notion that all human being are the same with no superior being or race. Although his grandfather has worked for the British Colonialists, Obama still managed to become president signifying that anything is possible in a world where every individual is equal. The speech also explains the various instances that different people have become united; therefore, fostering freedom. Obama explains the different walls, whether hypothetical or real that have come down due to the unity of people. Obama’s first example was the Berlin wall, which he explained to have been a major barrier to freedom (Obama, 2008). Demolition of the Berlin wall represented how a division can harm people. With the destruction of the wall, Germany retained her economic strength as the people were now united. The coming down of the Berlin wall also allowed other instances of freedom, including the introduction of democracy in different nations, as well as the closure of prison camps used to detain enemies of the state. In this part of the speech, Obama illustrates to his listeners, how much good can come from human beings being united Obama’ speech moves from the past to the present, where he explains the various changes that have come with globalization. With problems of freedom having been solved in the 20th century, Obama describes the newer threats facing that world with a critical emphasis on terrorism. He explains how terrorists have used different areas to plan train and execute attacks. Other than terror, Obama describes climate change as another issue facing the modern human society. The various inventions developed by man, have resulted in a change of climate patterns promoting more instances of drought; therefore a reduction of the world food supply. Other problems explained that have resulted from globalization are the influx of drugs in the European market, as well as ethnic violence, which could lead to a new breed of terrorists. Explaining these issues brings an insight into the need for unity in the World. Obama explains that countries need to unite to fight the various problems affecting the earth as no single country can stop the ills. In the speech, Obama explains that the different worldviews have resulted in a division of the world. Europeans tend to believe that America is the main problem affecting the world; therefore reduced instances of cooperation between the two areas (Gullette, 2012). Obama explains the new world problems to have resulted in the creation of new walls between the different countries. Obama appealed towards the citizen of the world notion in calling for unity between the various countries. He explained the need for Europe and America to come together to help countries achieve democracy, as well as help, fight terror across various areas of the world. Obama emphasized on globalization as a way of bringing peace, freedom, and justice into the world (Gullette, 2012). In the speech, the president called for German citizens as well as citizens from other nation to acknowledge the need for unity as the only way to bring peace an equality. Obama called for the different countries to view each other as equals and shun any instances of discrimination based on race, religion among other factors. Equality is a major factor towards promoting unity; therefore, the emphasis on equality in the speech. In calling for the treatment of every individual as an equal, Obama also drove home the message of world citizens. As citizens of the world, everyone is equal and everyone has a role to play in ensuring that a peaceful, free, and just world. Obama’s speech in Berlin emphasized on the human race being united. Globalization has allowed different developments including the creation of international bodies such as NATO. However, globalization has led to newer problems including terrorism and climate change. To ensure that a solution is found to this problem, there is a need for human beings to unite and work together.

Gullette, G. S. (2012). Globalization. Retrieved from Oxford Bibliographies: http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766567/obo-9780199766567-0010.xml Obama, B. (2008, June). Full script of Obama's speech. Retrieved from CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/24/obama.words/

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Reflections on Peace and Freedom Week

Awakening heroism, fostering unity for peace, climate action.

By CECILIA GUIDOTE-ALVAREZ Director, Earthsavers UNESCO Artist for Peace, Magsaysay Outstanding Asian Artist Laureate 2022 LaMaMa Global Artist Awardee, NYC The celebration of Peace and Freedom Week begins on Aug. 21 with commemoration of the martyrdom of Ninoy Aquino and culminating with the observance of National Heroes Day on the last Monday of August.

In this time of uncertainty, at home and disarray abroad as we are buffeted by the quadruple challenge of survival: climate catastrophe, armed conflict, covid resurgence with a new mpox -possible pandemic and collapsing economy, we must remind ourselves of who we are and what we stand for to overcome the existential challenges we face.

The Peace and Freedom Week is meant to remind ourselves of our heroes’ sacrifices — from Lapu-Lapu, Sultan Kudarat, and all our freedom fighters against colonialism from Spanish dominion, American rule, Japanese occupation, or any incursion of foreign power even local tyranny, and now the need to confront aggression in the West Philippine Sea. It is only proper to express appreciation to the gallantry of our heroes who stood up for our independence and defending our sovereignty while sustaining our self-reliance, care for Mother Earth and deference to the rule of law.

Confronted with existential crisis, rather than be condemned to relieve the errors of the past, we must draw lessons to chart wisely, the proper course of action and destiny of our people. Our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal had admonished more than a century ago, "Awaken your consciousness of the past, already effected from your memory - rectify what has been falsified and slandered. Then we shall be able to study the future."

Our recorded past is sometimes seen as nothing more than narratives of conquest by foreign aggressors, of poor governance and betrayal by our own leaders, of human pain and suffering. But the chronicles of our past also reveal noble and glorious moments, replete with examples of grace and goodness, of sacrifice and heroic struggles, of moments when we can stand proudly and proclaim "I am a Filipino and the Filipino is worth dying for." It is essential to recall the sacrifice of Ninoy whose brutal assassination, paved the road to EDSA where our birthright as a free people was redeemed. It was a shining moment applauded by the International Community of nations serving as an inspiration in the breakdown of the Berlin Wall. The glorious scenario in EDSA is inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World program. This unique heritage is defended by the task of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) from any fake revisionist news that will assault the integrity of history that can cause irreparable damage to our nation’s psyche leading to a confused even schizophrenic perspective of right and wrong.

When my late husband, Senator Heherson T. Alvarez initiated the Peace & Freedom Week observance, he stressed: “We must highlight the vital importance of knowing our heroes that provide a vision that Filipinos are a tough, resilient, brave, enduring, peace-loving people. Ninoy gave us such a moment. Ninoy returned from exile at a time of national crisis with mortal danger to himself with a mission for peace and a conviction that a non-violent strategy like the ways of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela can prevail in the Philippines.”

In the undelivered statement at the airport, Ninoy reiterated his call that "National reconciliation and unity can be achieved but only with justice for our Muslim and Ifugao brothers. In a revolution, there can really be no victors, only victims. We do not have to destroy in order to build."

Auspiciously, at long last, we applaud the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law as a most significant potential for fulfilling peace in Mindanao. Peace accord was also praised by the United Nations and the European Union. Peace is a continuing saga of political will, compassion, and a sense of kinship and fairness. There are still the peace talks to be revived with the NPA rebels and the response to the cry for equity from our brothers in the Cordillera region as we re-echo the global cry for ceasefire and climate justice to ensure survival on earth. The task for peace continues. All those engaged in this process including our soldiers that liberated Marawi from the Maute assault comprise our modern-day heroes.

On Peace and Freedom Week, we underscore pride in our history with the urgent need to break the barrier of political, ethnic, religious, and social difference in a spirit of cooperation and the union in diversity to peacefully seek freedom from poverty and pollution, drugs and disease, ignorance and injustice, terrorism, tyranny, we must accomplish our country commitment to fulfill the SDGs.

We in NAM-SERVE with our partners, coordinated through the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) continue the tradition of remembering August 21st, inaugurated at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport more than three decades ago. We invited Coretta Scott King, the widow of civil rights champion, Martin Luther King to join then President Corazon Aquino unveil the following inscription on the marker written by National Artist for Literature, a patriot himself, Dr. Alejandro R. Roces: “On this spot Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was assassinated on 21st August 1983. It is eternally enshrined: “For wherever a martyr has shed his blood for truth, justice, peace, and freedom there is sacred ground. The sun cannot bleach, the wind cannot blow, the rain cannot wash that sanctity away. From ground like this springs that which forever makes the Filipino great” to inaugurate the tarmac marker at the renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

We must not forget; we must mitigate any evolving effort to inflict amnesia on our nation.

As holocaust survivor and Noble laureate Elie Wiesel stated, "Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society no future."

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Guest Essay

An Old Bangladeshi Reflex Threatens Its Revolution

A picture shows people standing in the foreground of a half-obscured image of the Bangladeshi founding figure Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

By Tahmima Anam

Ms. Anam is a Bangladeshi-born novelist.

In Bangladesh, we are experts at erasing history.

Ever since our young nation was born 53 years ago in a traumatic war of liberation from Pakistan, historical amnesia and censorship have afflicted Bangladeshis like a chronic illness. When a regime is toppled, its successor moves quickly to erase the symbols and legacy of the previous one as if it had never existed.

That is why, for decades, when one of the two political parties that have dominated Bangladesh — the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party — was in power, the other would often boycott Parliament or refuse to participate in elections it alleged were rigged. There has never been a healthy relationship between the people in power and those who oppose them. Party was always placed before country.

This has been a curse, preventing solid democratic institutions from flourishing in Bangladesh and making our politics fractious, hateful and peppered with violence and counterviolence.

The unexpected revolution that toppled the increasingly autocratic and corrupt rule of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this month offers Bangladesh a chance to break free of this cycle. What makes this revolution unprecedented and so meaningful is that it was a grass-roots movement led by idealistic university students, not one of the warring main political parties. As a Bangladeshi, I am watching with jubilation.

Yet, I also worry that the old Bangladeshi reflex to expunge the past is kicking in.

Just a few weeks ago, when visitors flew into Dhaka, the capital, they were greeted at the airport by an enormous mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ms. Hasina’s father, who was the leader of Bangladesh’s 1971 independence movement and the nation’s founding figure. In 1975, when he was president, he was assassinated in a military coup along with most of his family. The mural’s caption welcomed travelers to “Mujib’s Bangladesh.”

Since Ms. Hasina’s overthrow, portraits and statues of Sheikh Mujib are being defaced and taken down across the country. His former home, which had become a museum to his memory, was looted and set on fire . Ms. Hasina’s declaration of Aug. 15 — the anniversary of her father’s assassination — as a national day of mourning was canceled .

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Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago

Sophia Tareen, Associated Press Sophia Tareen, Associated Press

Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press

Lea Skene, Associated Press Lea Skene, Associated Press

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Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/protesters-rally-outside-of-democratic-national-convention-as-chicago-officials-pledge-to-keep-peace

Protesters rally outside Chicago DNC, where officials pledge to keep peace

CHICAGO (AP) — A few thousand protesters marched toward the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza, as Chicago officials said they were committed to keeping the demonstrations peaceful.

As the crowd neared the United Center, where the convention is being held, dozens of protesters broke through a fence set up by police. Officers put on gas masks as some members of the crowd tried to bring down a second fence set up in front of police, who yelled at protesters to get back.

The march happened just as President Joe Biden, who has been the target of intense criticism from pro-Palestinian groups, including the marchers, was doing a walk-through of the largely empty United Center. Biden was scheduled to address the party in the evening.

Live updates: Biden, Hillary Clinton and Shawn Fain expected to speak on Day 1 of the DNC in Chicago

“Biden, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide,” the marchers chanted amid the beating of drums. They also referred to him as “Genocide Joe” and lodged similar chants at Vice President Kamala Harris.

Protesters said their plans have not changed since Biden left the race and the party quickly rallied behind Harris, who will formally accept the Democratic nomination this week. Activists said they were ready to amplify their progressive message before the nation’s top Democratic leaders.

“We have to play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, to end U.S. aid to Israel and stand with Palestine,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC, which includes hundreds of organizations.

Protesters marched along a mile-long route ending at a park near the United Center, as hundreds of police officers lined the streets. The heavy police presence at the march included Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, who walked in a group of officers ahead of the protesters.

Live fact check: Night 1 of the Democratic National Convention

Mayor Brandon Johnson said authorities were well prepared. “The city of Chicago is really good at things like this,” he told a news conference. “We are ready.”

Watch the news conference below.

Organizers had hoped at least 20,000 people would take part in Monday’s rally and march, but it appeared that only a few thousand were present when the march began, though city officials declined to give a crowd estimate.

“We’re proud of the turnout, especially considering the degree of the repression from the city,” said organizer Faayani Aboma Mijana.

The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses were bringing activists from all over the country.

Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, traveled from Atlanta for the march. Cook said the group was pushing all Democrats to call for an end to aid to Israel, with a particular focus on Harris.

“We’re saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think it’s just Joe Biden, but she is vice president,” Cook said. “So we’re saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.”

READ MORE: What to expect on Day 1 of the DNC in Chicago

Medea Benjamin, who traveled to Chicago from Washington, D.C., with a women-led group of protesters calling for peace, said she was shocked that the Biden administration recently approved an additional $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel.

“There’s an incredible discrepancy in what people are calling for in this country and what the administration is doing,” she said ahead of the rally in Union Park. “We’re so disgusted by this.”

Pro-Palestinian supporters descended on the park, west of the Loop business district, for the rally.

Prior to the march, independent presidential candidate Cornel West addressed the crowd, which welcomed him with cheers.

“This is not about some Machiavellian politics or some utilitarian calculation about an election,” he yelled into a microphone. “This is about morality. This is about spirituality.”

WATCH: The Harris-Walz ticket has reinvigorated Democratic voters. Can they sustain the momentum?

Around 40 pro-Israel supporters walked around the park during the rally. Remaining mostly silent while waving Israeli flags, they were accompanied by about 20 police officers on bicycles. Although tensions flared at times, there were no physical altercations.

Josh Weiner, co-founder of Chicago Jewish Alliance who walked with the pro-Israel group, said their intent was to “make our presence felt.” He said the group applied for permits that were not approved by the city.

“The pro-Palestine protesters have gotten multiple permits, including a march, which seems to be a little bit weighted on one side,” Weiner said.

Snelling praised police and march organizers for a peaceful Sunday night protest calling for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights and an end to the war in Gaza. Chicago police said two people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of resisting police and damaging property.

“Listen, it’s this simple. The Chicago Police Department is here to protect everyone in this city,” Snelling said. “What we will not tolerate is intimidation. We will not tolerate violence.”

WATCH: What voters are saying about Harris’ policy proposals ahead of the Democratic convention

Protester issues include climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, to name a few, but many agree that pressing for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is the top message of the demonstrations. They have likened it to the Vietnam War of their generation.

Chicago, which has hosted more political conventions than any other U.S. city, has been unable to escape comparisons to the infamous 1968 convention where police and anti-Vietnam War protesters violently clashed on live television.

Some businesses boarded up their windows as a precaution, and county courts said they would open more space in case of mass arrests. Chicago police say officers have undergone extensive training on constitutional policing and de-escalation tactics.

Coalition activists and the city have been at odds over the location of the protests and other logistics. A judge sided with the city over an approximately 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) march route, which organizers argued was not big enough for the expected crowds.

Not a single speaker or spectator showed up by early afternoon to a speakers’ stage offered by city officials near the United Center. Eight groups with progressive agendas had signed up for 45-minute speaking slots on Monday. On other days, some conservative groups, including the Illinois Policy Institute think tank, have plans to speak.

Also Monday, the Philadelphia-based Poor People’s Army, which advocates for economic justice, planned to set up at Humboldt Park on the city’s northwest side to feature events with third-party presidential candidates Jill Stein and West, plus a 3-mile (5-kilometer) march.

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Human Freedom in Relation to Society Essay

Introduction

COMPASS Manual for Human Rights Education with Young people

Violence: concepts and examples

Violence in the world

Military spending, arms trade and violence

Is corporal punishment legitimate?

Gender-based violence

Violence Against Human Rights Defenders

The fight for resources

Peace, human security and human rights

What is peace?

Human security

Peace as a human right

Legitimate (state) violence