Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Kailash Satyarthi: The basic dignity according to me is that all of us should have a very strong belief that we are the same children of one God. So, we enjoy the birth right to be equal, we should -- we have been given equal opportunities by our father. Secondly, we have to ignore that we cannot live without each other because we are born with freedom and independence. But, on the other hand, there is some sort of interdependency. Our survival depends on the nature, our survival depends on our society and our neighborhood. And, that's why the togetherness is one of that value which we have to inculcate and we have to know because it is something which is needed. So, the basic dignity is the dignity of being equal human being with equal opportunities, freedom and justice. And, that has to be translated into action. Without that, it is not possible. And, that brings us respect. If you feel that the whole world is created -- the whole universe is created by one God, then all of us are equal and we have to enjoy that freedom and equality. And, if we are interfering and dismantling that basic dignity of human being, that will go against the nature, that will go against the God.

by Kailash Satyarthi

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Kamal Boullata: Article one of the universal declaration of human rights proclaimes and i quote: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and of [course], the basic dignities that each human being deserves are to live in freedom and to ensure one's human, political and social rights in equality with all other members of the human family regardless of faith, race, creed or colour. Does one's dignity may begin with selfrespect but its full realization is atteint through commpassion and respect for the lives of others. As for why so many people continue to go without the basic dignities they deserve it is mainly because elected officials who controle the reigns of political power in our world are cursed with greed as much as they are fired up by the need to extend their domination by waging war if need be. To them, all questions of [light] can only be solved and mesured by might. History teaches us however that people everywhere will continue to resist and risk their lives just to retain the basic dignities. Regardless of where we come from each one of us shares the resonsibility to win this battle for all.

by Kamal Boullata

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Kigge Hvid: Hi, Claire. Sorry, I’m just a little late. What are the basic dignities? Basically, I think the dignities that all humans need is the right and possibility to care for themselves, their family, their communities, and their societies. This would mean that they would have the right to education, to a job, to freedom of speech, to cover their basic needs, to food, to a place to sleep, stuff like that. This is basically covered in the Bills of Human Rights, the UN Bills of Human Rights. So, that is one part of it. What are the needs? Basically, it’s the right to provide for yourself and care for yourself, your family, your communities. So -- and why do we let so many people go without them? It’s true that we do. It’s true that so many freedom rights are oppressed many places in the world. But, do we just let them go without it? Now, I think there’s a big emphasis in the world, in the UN, in a lot of governments around the world, in a lot of activist movements, in a lot of NGOs to have this fact changed. I see a lot of people, and you can just look around this table being very deeply engaged in seeing to that all people have the basic rights of living. When we don’t do that, places where the human rights are not obeyed, it would be a question of fear, of egoism, of money, of religion, and of tradition. And, that would mean that somewhere, some places, the work against this will be a very very long walk, but it is a walk that started and it is the walk that would continue.

by Kigge Hvid

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Kurt Weidemann: The basic elements of dignified human existence have to be determined by humans and humans have to uphold them. Communication has to be practiced in a better way. Communication is a difficult process. Konrad Lorenz once said, we have to consider that said is not heard, heard is not understood, understood is not approved, approved is not applied and applied is not maintained. From these six steps of communication, if five are fulfilled but the sixth is not fulfilled, if something is applied but not maintained, then communication is disrupted and isn’t taking place. This means the maintenance of dignity, of respect and all these things has to be mastered by communication and communication has to bring these things into the world.

by Kurt Weidemann

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Lesego Rampolokeng: If we need to even start by defining what basic human dignities are, then I think this world is in a worse state than I thought at the very beginning, because I wouldn't think that any human being on this planet needs to be told that. Respect for that which is life is the ultimate human basic whatever you want to call it. If I’m called upon to define those, to enumerate them, to line them up one after the other, then I think I’m in the wrong place altogether. We said at the beginning that certain sectors of humanity see themselves as being in a position to dictate the lives of others. And if that is indeed so, then it is very simple to let other people slide beyond the life, slope beyond the human plain and be comfortable with watching them rive and wriggle at your feet or in the midst of your own refutes, your own feces, your own body waste, it becomes easy then to want to feed the people atomic waste, to want to feed people that which will see them riving in contortions at the feet of the Bushes of the world, at the feet of the capital monsters of the world, at the feet of the houses of finance. So, this “we” that allows us to let others do that is very comfortable indeed and very happy. But then again, I refuse to see the entire human-scape as being one we all agreed upon, we all exist within, because they are those who stand in positions of power and they are those who die because of what those in positions of power visit upon them. So, I don't belong to any "we" out there.

by Lesego Rampolokeng

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Leung Ping-Kwan: The question as to why do we consider our lives to be worth more than others. I don’t consider this life to be worth more than others. But I do see that in our rosier days, there are all kinds of discrimination. There are people who are prejudiced, particular class, gender, race over others, and there are people who consider to have lives more worthy than the others. Of course, we don’t agree with that. The problem and the reason in all kinds of prejudice is seeing something as more valuable than the other, either because of class, because of race, because of wealth, somebody more wealthy than the other. Somebody are more favored than the others and some of the people would consider some life worth more than others and I think in order to go against that idea, we have to re-examine our values and see the needs of particular society. There are particular value adjustment system. They are frivolous to some people over other and see some people whose life worth more than the others.

by Leung Ping-Kwan

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Lijun Fang: We must consider the diversity of human society. People living in different regions at different times have different definitions of basic dignities. We also need to consider the differences between various groups. People from different groups understand dignity in different ways. Hence, we can hardly give a standarized or quantitated description of basic dignity so as to measure people's dignities.

by Lijun Fang

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Lillian Holt: I suppose I could say this exactly in two words: respect and tolerance. I'm a bit worried about those words because I think tolerance - I mean I as an indigenous Australian, this question is from an Australian. I don’t wish to be tolerated, actually because that says I am actually a problem. But on the other hand, I’d rather be tolerated than trampled upon. I would rather be understood and tolerated and in terms of respected, I would rather be accepted than respected. So, you know, acceptance as supposed to rejection; being understood as opposed to being tolerated. When I say understood that requires communication. And it requires the basic dignity of listening, I believe. So the society has become so hasty and quick that I think we tend to, we have our own agenda and everybody has that. I'm not saying that I'm [inaudible]. I'm talking about myself when I answer these questions. The basic dignities I would like to have are that I'd be part of the community and be accepted and that I'd be understood in one sense, and it's impossible for everybody to understand everybody, even me. I'm not asking for huge deal here. What I'm asking for is we need to know this the [Oracle at Dip Farse] and that the first commandment is know thyself. And then to be true to thyself, but to know thyself, and I think that once we know ourselves we actually don't have to ask these kinds of questions. What are the basic dignities? I mean really I think what we know deeply and truly within our souls what is required and it's the same thing, it's like to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I’ll tell you what - sometimes that's a big request for some of us. And it means actually overcoming self from time to time in order to respect the dignity of others because when we exclude and reject, we're in great trouble.

by Lillian Holt

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Livingstone Maluleke: To my understanding is that all those things that the basic dignities that each human being deserve include amongst others respect, freedom of actions, the rights and access to resources, and the rights to live. These are some of the aspects which are very important and pertinent to the whole fundamental package of human rights. But then, we also need to say we should not have ignorance. We should not do away with illiteracy. We need not have arrogance. People should have as much as things which are driving forces, which are developmental in nature, which will drive this world forward, so that at the end of the day the ethics and this possibility is taken by all and therefore respect, freedom of actions, the rights and access to resources, and the right to live are the aspects which are very fundamental and being the basic dignities that each human being deserve to have and this is what we should keep in mind and promote all the time.

by Livingstone Maluleke

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Mae-Wan Ho: I have to think about this one, you know. That’s a very good question and I guess I come down to being heard and being recognized, I think these are the basic human dignities. And why do we let so many people go without them, well, people -- many indigenous people for example, are denied a voice, in global forums, in their national forums and they are not heard. And, the political system does not recognize. They see them as a threat to the nation instead of being an asset. And I think that's got to do -- that really is one of the most serious problems of today, it is a violation of the basic human rights. We after all, we have laws protecting animals that are in danger of extinction, but we do not have laws protecting indigenous people from extinction, protecting them from the mining, logging, and other industries that destroy and devastate them and livelihood.

by Mae-Wan Ho

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Mahsa Shekarloo: There are many basic dignities. A couple, a few just to mention here, is the right to not live, for example, under occupation. I think that is a basic dignity that we need to allow, grant, respect for all peoples of the world. Basic human dignity is to have the value of their lives respected, to understand and to acknowledge that every life is equally valuable, whether that be a life in Africa, a life in South Asia, a life in West Asia. All lives have to be considered equal. Sovereignty, I think, is a basic human dignity, to have control over your resources, over your decisions. Self-determination is a basic human dignity. We let so many people go without them so we can let other people do what they do, take lands, drop bombs, take water, control mines, control minerals, get cheap oil. There are very real reasons why we violate other people’s human dignities.

by Mahsa Shekarloo

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Mark Benecke: Basic dignities are based on health, wealth, freedom, of course. All on a certain degree. But we do let go, or we do not take care so much what people in other societies in which we think people don't have that, because we don't want it. We first want to protect our own kin so we take care of that first. And then later maybe, we take care of other people. So, it's a biological principle. If something is wrong somewhere else, I first take care of the core structures; then I take care of the other structures. What we see now in many countries and societies, it is that if we gain a profit of any kind, a monetary profit, social profit, cultural profit from helping people to achieve basic dignities or to implement them in their societies, if we gain something from that, economically, socially, culturally, then we do help them. But first, we all had to develop our own structures, put them on a firm fundament and from that we can start to spread them. And I think this is a process that is currently happening. So, I guess basic dignities are there and basic cultural and social values and we are spreading them and the world is getting better right now. Not worse.

by Mark Benecke

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Martin Almada: Every woman and every man at any place in the world and at any point in time are concerned by the same questions. They need to be sured of possibility to exist, to be, to do and to have: to be somebody in a society, to belong to a society, to be able to express itself in a society and to have something in a society too. The values of life are solidarity, dignity, safety and creation. People need to be sure to survive common deseases, to carry dignity in their breast, to have refuge, education, to be respected, to develop their potentials, above all creativity, to promote their creative imagination. Market, the leader, where everything is being bought and sold introduces communist anti- values: competitiveness and individualism that are of detriment to the social justice. shelter competitiveness

by Martin Almada

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Masami Saionji: I think it is dignity of life, and also freedom and then creation/imagination of human beings. The most important thing is the dignity of life. No one should violate it, and make full use of it. That is what life should be. Also there are lot of people who are suppressed their own dignity of life by themselves. Because if they do not know the meaning of their birth and their life or their mission of life, they are easy to believe that their life is restrained and injured by others. The dignity of life should be protected by others and we must recognize the dignity of our own life by ourselves. One thinks that he is bad, he does not have any ability, or he does not worth to live. It is really wrong that he lives with the denial of himself. All human beings, no matter what kind of people, dwell in brightness live. And inside the life, there is a holy bright mystical wisdom of god. It is the nature of human beings to make full use of each person's life and his freedom.

by Masami Saionji

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Masuma Bibi Russel: Basic dignity is human dignity, their pride. So, they can have their head up, not head down, they don’t have to scared of anything. They’re also -- maybe they are in living in a remote village in some part of developing country, so what? They should be standing straight, they should be looking at you, they should be -- that is something you should never taken away, the human dignity, pride. That’s so, so, so important for someone. That once taken away you’ve taken away everything. I think that is the most important things that, giving them a little bit of confidence that they are part of this world, they can live, even they are poor, they can live with the dignity. They can have a piece of cloth to cover their pride and don’t take it away. That means you are making them completely naked. So, I think human dignity and pride is so important that it shouldn’t be taken away. That is the most important thing. And of course, also the peace. Even the -- everywhere in the world even it’s elite society, poor, middle class, they have their peace. Have their peace, don’t take it away. Don’t make them scare. I mean it’s so important. For me the human dignity and the pride, we should be never taken away from a person. That means you just finish that person. It’s so sad to see that.

by Masuma Bibi Russel

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Mayank Mehta: I think the list of basic dignity is endless. Perhaps the easiest ones will be food, shelter, medicine, minimal education. These are I guess basic rights, dignities. I don’t know what you mean by dignities? The right to live respectable life. What is respectable? So, I don’t know how to answer the question from the point of view of dignity. So, I will say what other least things that everybody I hope the world has, which is basically minimal guarantee, since there is enough food in the world, at least right now. For people to feel, that yes, they will have food, clean water, minimal chance of education, basic healthcare, I think if we can provide this to most people in the world, it can be a gigantic step forward. We are extremely very very far from that right now, and that’s very sad. The question is how can we do that? And I have hope that this current economic globalization that is going on, perhaps can lead to this, that as more people in the third world country, as the economic wealth reaches the third world countries, even though in a highly imbalanced fashion right now. Eventually, it will spread because much of this wealth is not based on social status, much of this current wealth is based on people’s performance, their ability to learn some skills and use them, at least that’s my impression. As long as that goes on there will be more more chance that people across the world will be able to use this things and break cast or culture, or religion based system and replace it with system based on people’s abilities or merit. As more of this goes on, more people will be brought in to the whole of living a dignified life with certain minimal amenities or standards. Having said that, I’m not entirely sure that it’s all that is going on and whether that is going to happen in the future.

by Mayank Mehta

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Michael E. Tigar: In every period of human history, this question is posed and the answer is socially, historically and culturally determined. When the Americans who wrote the Declaration of Independence proclaimed certain inalienable rights and then went on to write a Constitution that supposedly enshrine them, they carefully excluded slaves, native Americans and women, and by inference, those who did not own property. That was the first generation of rights. Then in the wake of the Second World War and the struggles for colonial liberation and the founding of the United Nations, certain rights to education, to employment, social rights of people began to be recognized. And now the third generation of rights, the rights that might be called those of the earth and the environment and the place where we live, these third generation rights, are beginning to be recognized in documents of international organizations and in constitutional drafting such as that in Namibia and South Africa. So the recognition of rights is an historical and cultural process that doesn't arise out of the sprung from the brows of so called wise people rather these rights are stated and defined and put into practice based on social struggle. They are then protected or not protected, depending upon the establishment and maintenance of institutions where people who are denied them can bring their claims and have them heard. That is the task that confronts us now. It confronts you. It confronts me. To make sure that every person with a claim for justice under any of these three generations of rights has someone to go to to talk about it and a tribunal or forum in which the deprival of that right can be presented and the denial of that addressed. And that the gap between our ability to imagine these rights and the power of institutions to protect them is our struggle.

by Michael E. Tigar

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Michael Laitman: We must respect only the aspirations and efforts of a person that are directed towards the good of humanity; not towards his own good, the good of his nation or his family—but only towards the good of humanity. If we will respect this, then we will see to what degree a person overcomes his egoistic nature for the sake of belonging and contributing to the whole world. I think that all people must overcome themselves, their egoistic desire. If each of them will contribute in this way, then in response they must merit gratitude and respect from society. Everyone—the children at home, the wife or husband, the relatives, the parents, the environment, the friends, and the whole world—must be grateful to the person and value him only to the degree of his contribution to society. A person is created in such a way that he needs society's recognition. This way, in essence he expresses his "I." If we will arrange things in such a way that society will protect a person and respond to his contribution to humanity, by this we will obligate every person to be an active part of humanity. We will see only good things from every person relative to the whole human society; we will see what contribution every person adds. This is why we must establish such laws in our society, where every person will be evaluated only according to his contribution to humanity, so that this will catch people's eye. If we will measure a person only by these criteria, if every person will know that others evaluate him and treat him precisely in this way—then he will not have a choice and he will have to become a healthy cell in the general body, that is, a person who is maximally useful to humanity.

by Michael Laitman

Sep 9, 2006 11:30:00 AM cite

Michael P. Totten: We live with biases and dogma that -- whether it’s fueled by our families, our communities, our religion, our nationality, and we are very bad at raising the issue of contemplating and reflecting our needs, our prejudices and biases, so that we end up valuing what we know, are most familiar with in growing up, than what is foreign to us and different from us, and we obviously take to heart those that we trust, their views on other cultures and peoples, and their religious views. It seems to me that that never was from my perspective an acceptable way to view life. We need to really promote a tolerance of view points, and in fact recognize that there is a seed in each individual that should be allowed to grow and flourish, and our curiosity in looking at what that is in each person, to open our minds to that awe and wonder of how that person came into being, the long lineage of that person, going back throughout time, and to the point where we all were connected at one point. For me there is such mystery in our daily lives and interactions that if we can look upon others as a walking embodiment of that mystery and again, the phrase I love is awakened from our dogmatic slumbers and put at bay those prejudices that constrain us from allowing ourselves to experience others, then we won’t differentiate the value of some as more worthy than others. We see this in our own country right now with the Bush administration causing such--[audio ends].

by Michael P. Totten