an essay about freedom day

• Society and Politics
• Art and Culture
• Biographies
• Publications

Freedom Day: 27 April

Freedom Day on 27 April is an annual celebration of South Africa's first non-racial democratic elections of 1994. It is significant because it marks the end of over three hundred years of colonialism, segregation and white minority rule and the establishment of a new democratic government led by Nelson Mandela and a new state subject to a new constitution.  The holding of the first non racial elections was the culmination of years of struggle and a negotiated settlement which led to the unbanning of the liberation organisations, the release of political prisoners and the return of exiles and the formal all party negotiations which drafted an interim constitution.

The moment which changed the path of South African history came after long and tension-ridden negotiations held between 1991 and 1992. The South African government, the African National Congress (ANC) , the South African Communist Party (SACP) and other liberation movements engaged in these talks.

 The 1994 election paved the way towards a new democratic dispensation and a new constitution for the country. The elections took place in a peaceful and festive atmosphere, though there were threats of political violence.

Of South Africa’s 22, 7 million eligible voters, 19.7 million voted in the 1994 national election. The election was won by the ANC with 62.65 % of the vote. The National Party (NP) received 20.39 %, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) 10.54 %, Freedom Front (FF) 2.2 %, Democratic Party (DP) 1.7 %, Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) 1.2 % and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) 0.5 %. Although the ANC gained a majority vote, they formed the Government of National Unity, headed by the president of the ANC’s Nelson Mandela who became the first democratically elected President of the country.

Speaking at the first anniversary of South Africa’s non-racial elections President Mandela said; “As dawn ushered in this day, the 27th of April 1995, few of us could suppress the welling of emotion, as we were reminded of the terrible past from which we come as a nation; the great possibilities that we now have; and the bright future that beckons us. Wherever South Africans are across the globe, our hearts beat as one, as we renew our common loyalty to our country and our commitment to its future. The birth of our South African nation has, like any other, passed through a long and often painful process. The ultimate goal of a better life has yet to be realised. On this day, you, the people, took your destiny into your own hands. You decided that nothing would prevent you from exercising your hard-won right to elect a government of your choice. Your patience, your discipline, your single-minded purposefulness have become a legend throughout the world...”

At Freedom Day celebrations in 2008 Thabo Mbeki delivered his last speech as South Africa President: “The brutalities of the past - detentions without trial, disappearances of our people, deaths in detentions, hangings of those opposed to apartheid, imprisonment, exile, massacres, assassinations, forced removals, banishments, the Group Areas Act and many more laws that made the lives of black people unbearable - are testimonies that our freedom was never free. Although today we walk tall because our collective efforts culminated in the 27th of April being our Freedom Day, we all still carry scars that remind us that our freedom that is at times taken for granted, was never free...”

In 2009 the acting President, Kgalema Motlanthe (who took over from Mbeki) maintained “I am equally honoured to celebrate this important day on our National Calendar in the province of KwaZulu Natal. For it is also here in this beautiful land of our forefathers that the struggle for liberation was fought by generations of heroes and heroines - fearless warriors, brave students, determined workers, powerful men and women, who believed that it was their mission to bring us our freedom. And fear of death itself would not stop them. This movement took on greater strength as new generations joined them. Their only purpose was that the next generation would live to taste the fruits of freedom...”

During the 16th anniversary of Freedom Day celebrations held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria prior to  the FIFA 2010 World Cup , President Jacob Zuma paid tribute to  the brave activists that played a role in South Africa’s liberation: “On this day we remember all the brave men and women whose struggle and sacrifices made it possible for us to enjoy the benefits of democracy today. It is a day to reflect on how far we have advanced in building a new, united and democratic nation. Importantly, it is also a time to consider the extent to which the freedoms articulated in our Bill of Rights find expression in the daily lives of our people. From the ruins of a racially polarised order, we have built a nation driven by a strong commitment to the values of justice and equality. As taught by our icon President Nelson Mandela, we must remain steadfast in our determination that never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another...”

Since political freedom in 1994 South Africans have strove to correct the wrongs of the past. We are still faced with a number of challenges such as crime, poverty, unemployment, racism and sexism amongst others. Freedom Day affords South Africans the opportunity to make a pledge towards fighting against the legacy of racism and economic inequality as well as renewing their loyalty to their country and their commitment to its future.

Collections in the Archives

Know something about this topic.

Towards a people's history

What is Freedom Day in South Africa and Why Do We Celebrate It

Mar 8, 2021 | History and Politics

First published 24 April 2017. Updated 08 March 2021.

The 27th of April marks Freedom Day in South Africa.  Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa and is the celebration and commemoration of the long struggle for democracy in the country.

Here’s everything that you need to know about why we celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa, the history behind the day and how you can celebrate the holiday.

Why do we celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa?

Freedom Day is a day of respect and commemoration. Celebrated on the 27th of April each year, Freedom Day honours the anniversary of South Africa’s first non-racial election of 1994 and pays homage to the country’s liberation from Apartheid rule, where the minority exercised prejudice political power over the majority of the country.

Carry on reading to learn more.

The History of Freedom Day

Freedom Day is celebrated annually on the 27th of April in honour of the auspicious day in 1994 when the first non-racial election was held in the country. South Africa celebrates Freedom Day to mark the liberation of our country and its people from 300 years of colonialism, White minority domination, politically enforced prejudice and Apartheid.

Apartheid was officially implemented in South Africa in 1948; however, colonialism and oppression of the African majority had plagued various countries throughout the African continent since as early as the 1600s.

Under the brutal Apartheid rule, indigenous people of colour in South Africa were denied the right to vote and hence did not have a say in the political governing and running of the country. During Apartheid, the majority of South Africans were excluded from any form of political power or influence.

Freedom Day honours those who fought for our country’s liberation, and the many men and women who suffered through incarceration, bannings and torture on behalf of the oppressed during Apartheid.

The First Democratic Election of 1994

On Wednesday, 27 April 1994, the nation cast its vote in the first democratic election. For the first time, all races in the country were allowed to vote for a government of their choice. Nineteen political parties participated in the non-racial election, and 19.7 million people across the country voted.

The African National Congress (ANC) won the election with 62.65% of the vote, and the party’s frontman, the revered Nelson Mandela became the first black president of the country on the 10th of May. Contrary to fears of political violence, the election took place in a festive and celebratory atmosphere.

If you want to learn more about Nelson Mandela’s incarceration on Robben Island, where he spent 18 of his 27 year-long sentence, read more about our Robben Island Museum Tour .

5 Facts About Freedom Day in South Africa

Here’s a few interesting facts about Freedom Day in South Africa:

• The 1994 elections were the first non-racial elections in South Africa , where everyone over the age of 18 from any race was allowed to vote, including foreign citizens permanently resident in South Africa.
• The ANC won the 1994 election with 62.65 % of the vote. This was followed by the National Party (NP) with 20.39 %, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) with 10.54 %, Freedom Front (FF) with 2.2 %, Democratic Party (DP) with 1.7 %, Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) with 1.2 % and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) with 0.5 %.
• Freedom Day was first celebrated in South Africa in 1995 and has since been celebrated annually on 27 April, honoring the day that changed the nation.
• Freedom Day is part of the twelve public holidays in South Africa .
• UnFreedom Day is an unofficial annual event coinciding with Freedom Day on 27 April. Started in 2005 by Abahlali baseMjondolo in Durban, the aim of the day is to demonstrate how the poor are still not free in South Africa as well as to celebrate the growing strength of the movement’s struggle.

Ways to celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa

Celebrating Freedom Day in South Africa is all about commemorating the country’s history and the start of democracy. A great way to celebrate this day is by doing something that reminds you of the struggle that many South African’s fought to get to that important day in 1994.

Here are few ways that you can honour the struggle to democracy in South Africa:

• Visit Robben Island : The island off the coast of Cape Town that is famed for its detention of many political prisoners during the anti-apartheid struggle, including Nelson Mandela.
• Visit Iziko Museums : Iziko Museums of South Africa offer free entry to selected museums on certain commemorative days, including Freedom Day. There are various museums across the country.
• Visit the Apartheid Museum and Soweto : Discover the history of the iconic township of Soweto along with a visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. Note that the Apartheid Museum is currently closed due to COVID-19, keep an eye out for their reopening.
• Visit the Nelson Mandela Capture site : Located just outside Howick, this site is an interactive area where you can walk through the journey of Nelson Mandela as well as see the iconic sculpture of Madiba’s face.
• Read one of the many books about South Africa’s history, including Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, A Long Walk to Freedom .  

To take it further, you can walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela in a 13-day tour of South Africa .

Walk in the Footsteps of Nelson Mandela

Discover the inspiring story of global icon, Nobel Peace Prize winner, freedom fighter and the late former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela on a comprehensive 13-day tour that takes travellers through an inspiring journey of Tata Madiba’s life.

Learn about Madiba’s childhood, his law career, Umkhonto weSizwe, his arrest and release. Discover how one man’s unwavering dedication to a democratic South Africa led an entire nation to live in a new state of liberation.

Beginning in Johannesburg and ending in Cape Town, the Footsteps of Nelson Mandela Tour takes guests across South Africa to visit various historical museums, monuments and significant points of interest that are relevant to Mandela’s life. At each point, travellers will gain a deeper understanding of South Africa’s struggle and the inspiring story of Tata Madiba’s fight for freedom.  

Freedom Day is a special day for all South Africans to reflect on the painful struggles we’ve overcome as a country, as well as to honour the students, teachers, political leaders and everyday people who lost their lives in the fight for a democratic South Africa.

If you have any questions about Freedom Day or the Footsteps of Nelson Mandela Tour , feel free to share them in the comments section below. We love receiving your feedback.

Read about the other important public holidays in South Africa:

• Learn about Human Rights Day and why we celebrate it on March 21
• Learn the story of the Soweto Uprising and why we celebrate Youth Day on 16 June
• Learn about the Union Building protests and why we celebrate Women’s Day on August 9th
• Learn about National Heritage Day
• While not a public holiday, here’s how you can celebrate Mandela Day on 18 July

Join our newsletter!

Sign up for travel tips and news from Africa delivered straight to your inbox! We won't send you spam or boring emails, we promise!

Thank you! Please check your inbox for a confirmation mail.

By joining our list, you agree to the terms of our privacy policy .

I would have loved to be able to download this information for educational purposes.

Correction in my name: Moira Wentzel instead of Moiran Wentzel. My apologies for the typo.

How old are you

What transpired freedom day

It was the instigation of the end of apartheid

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

• Why Do We Celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa? - Lets Make Progress - […] Article Source: africantravelcanvas.com […]
• Freedom: 7 Countries on 4 Continents Who Celebrate their Independence - KSK Culture - […] Sources: https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/south-africa/south-africa-freedom-day / https://africantravelcanvas.com/experiences/history-and-politics/what-is-freedom-day-and-why-do-we-c… […]

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

• Africa’s Big Five and Where You Can View Them March 7, 2024
• The 5 Most Endangered Animals in Africa | Rare African Animals February 6, 2024
• What to Wear on Safari in Southern Africa Packing Guide & Tips January 16, 2024
• The Top 10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Cape Town November 20, 2023
• Top 10 Activities You Can Do on a Beach and Island Vacation in Southern Africa November 12, 2023

Pin It on Pinterest

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

South Africa remembers an historic election every April 27, Freedom Day

The Associated Press

People queue to cast their votes In Soweto, South Africa April 27, 1994, in the country's first all-race elections. South Africans celebrate "Freedom Day" every April 27. Denis Farrell/AP hide caption

People queue to cast their votes In Soweto, South Africa April 27, 1994, in the country's first all-race elections. South Africans celebrate "Freedom Day" every April 27.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africans celebrate their "Freedom Day" every April 27, when they remember their country's pivotal first democratic election in 1994 that announced the official end of the racial segregation and oppression of apartheid.

Saturday is the 30th anniversary of that momentous vote, when millions of Black South Africans, young and old, decided their own futures for the first time, a fundamental right they had been denied by a white minority government.

The first all-race election saw the previously banned African National Congress party win overwhelmingly and made its leader, Nelson Mandela, the country's first Black president four years after he was released from prison.

Here's what you need to know about that iconic moment and a South Africa that's changing again 30 years on:

A turning point

The 1994 election was the culmination of a process that began four years earlier when F.W. de Klerk, the last apartheid-era president, shocked the world and his country by announcing that the ANC and other anti-apartheid parties would be unbanned.

Mandela, the face of the anti-apartheid movement, was released from prison nine days later, setting him on the road to becoming South Africa's first Black leader.

Then African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela casts his vote April 27, 1994 near Durban, South Africa, in the country's first all-race elections. John Parkin/AP hide caption

Then African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela casts his vote April 27, 1994 near Durban, South Africa, in the country's first all-race elections.

South Africa needed years to prepare and was still on a knife-edge in the months and weeks before the election because of ongoing political violence, but the vote — held over four days between April 26 and April 29 to accommodate the large numbers who turned out — went ahead successfully.

A country that had been shunned and sanctioned by the international community for decades because of apartheid emerged as a fully-fledged democracy.

Nearly 20 million South Africans of all races voted, compared with just 3 million white people in the last general election under apartheid in 1989.

Associated Press photographer Denis Farrell's iconic aerial photograph of people waiting patiently for hours in long, snaking queues in fields next to a school in the famed Johannesburg township of Soweto captured the determination of millions of Black South Africans to finally be counted. It was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

"South Africa's heroes are legend across the generations," Mandela said as he proclaimed victory. "But it is you, the people, who are our true heroes."

Apartheid falls

The ANC's election victory ensured that apartheid was finally dismantled and a new Constitution was drawn up and became South Africa's highest law, guaranteeing equality for everyone no matter their race, religion or sexuality.

Apartheid, which began in 1948 and lasted for nearly half-a-century, had oppressed Black and other non-white people through a series of race-based laws. Not only did the laws deny them a vote, they controlled where Black people lived, where they were allowed to go on any given day, what jobs they were allowed to hold and who they were allowed to marry.

30 years on

Current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa — a protege of Mandela — will lead Saturday's 30th anniversary Freedom Day celebrations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the seat of government.

A crowd of people sing and give peace signs during a lunchtime peace march in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan. 27, 1994 ahead of the country's all race elections. Denis Farrell/AP hide caption

A crowd of people sing and give peace signs during a lunchtime peace march in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan. 27, 1994 ahead of the country's all race elections.

The ANC has been in government ever since 1994 and while it is still recognized for its central role in freeing South Africans, it is no longer celebrated in the same way as it was in the hope-filled aftermath of that election.

South Africa in 2024 has deep socio-economic problems, none more jarring than the widespread and severe poverty that still overwhelmingly affects the Black majority. The official unemployment rate is 32%, the highest in the world, while it's more than 60% for young people aged 15-24.

Millions of Black South Africans still live in neglected, impoverished townships and informal settlements on the fringes of cities in what many see as a betrayal of the heroes Mandela referred to. South Africa is still rated as one of the most unequal countries in the world.

The ANC is now largely being blamed for the lack of progress in improving the lives of so many South Africans, even if the damage of decades of apartheid wasn't going to be easy to undo.

An election poster, with President Cyril Ramaphosa atop a pole in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Themba Hadebe/AP hide caption

An election poster, with President Cyril Ramaphosa atop a pole in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024.

Another pivotal election?

The 30th anniversary of 1994 falls with another possibly pivotal election as a backdrop. South Africa will hold its seventh national vote since the end of apartheid on May 29, with all the opinion polls and analysts predicting that the ANC will lose its parliamentary majority in a new landmark.

The ANC is still expected to be the largest party and will likely have to enter into complicated coalitions with smaller parties to remain part of the government, but the overriding picture that is expected is that more South Africans will vote for other parties in a national election for the first time in their democracy.

South Africans still cherish the memory of Mandela and the elusive freedom and prosperity he spoke about in 1994. But the majority of them now appear ready to look beyond the ANC to attain it.

• Nelson Mandela
• South Africa
• freedom day

National Freedom Day

By Charlene Mires

Created in 1942 by a Philadelphian born in slavery, the annual National Freedom Day commemoration each February 1 calls attention to the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which ended slavery, and the continuing struggle for African American justice and equality.

National Freedom Day began in the early months of U.S. involvement in World War II . Upon hearing President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) speak of the Four Freedoms , Richard R. Wright Sr. (1855-1947) wrote in the Philadelphia Tribune that Americans would not be free until everyone, including African Americans, shared fully in those freedoms.  Born into slavery in Georgia, Wright had moved to Philadelphia in 1921 following a long career as an educator, including the presidency of the State College of Industry for Colored Youth and Mechanic Arts in Savannah. Also well known as a political activist and journalist, he was among the thousands of African Americans who migrated north during and following World War I.  After joining several of his children in Philadelphia, including Richard R. Wright Jr. (1878-1967), later Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church , he co-founded the Citizens and Southern Bank and Trust Company at Nineteenth and South Streets.

Wright had a longstanding interest in commemoration, including involvement in the fiftieth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, a “Seventieth Anniversary Celebration of Negro Progress” in 1933, and creation of the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors (initially in Fairmount Park, later moved to Logan Circle). For National Freedom Day, he selected February 1 because it was the date when President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) signed the Congressional resolution proposing the Thirteenth Amendment. Promoted vigorously and nationally by Wright until his death in 1947, the earliest observances of National Freedom Day included parades and gatherings of delegates from around the nation at Independence Hall and Congress Hall . Such prominent speakers as Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) stressed harmony and good will while also calling attention to issues such as political participation and economic opportunity for African Americans. A consistent feature of the commemoration has been the laying of a wreath at the Liberty Bell .

National Holiday in 1949

Resonating with national and global concerns for freedom and civil rights in the early years of the Cold War, National Freedom Day became a national holiday in 1949 by proclamation of President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). Over time, however, the observance became more local, including the wreath-laying at the Liberty Bell, a banquet, scholarships awarded by the National Freedom Day Association, and observances by pupils at Richard R. Wright School, Twenty-Seventh and Dauphin Streets. Despite the continuing efforts of dedicated Philadelphians, National Freedom Day garnered less attention than Black History Month (observed in February since 1926), Martin Luther King Day (the third Monday in January), and Juneteenth (June 19), which commemorates the end of slavery on the date in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas.

In the twenty-first century, however, National Freedom Day gained increased visibility on the Internet as creators of Web sites posted and expanded upon lists of federally recognized holidays. In 2010, President Barack Obama (b. 1961) directed new attention to the Philadelphia-born event and linked it to a global cause when he designated the month of January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month , culminating with February 1 – National Freedom Day.

Charlene Mires is the author of Independence Hall in American Memory (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002) and Professor of History at Rutgers-Camden. (Author information current at time of publication.)

Copyright 2012, Rutgers University

National Freedom Day, 1964

Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries

National Freedom Day is observed each year at the Liberty Bell, located inside Independence Hall at the time of this photograph in 1964.

Related Topics

• Philadelphia and the Nation
• Cradle of Liberty

Time Periods

• Twenty-First Century
• Twentieth Century after 1945
• Twentieth Century to 1945
• Center City Philadelphia
• Civil Rights (African American)
• Freedom Train
• Armstrong Association of Philadelphia
• Slavery and the Slave Trade
• Abolitionism
• World War II
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Pennsylvania Emancipation Exposition (1913)
• Liberty Bell
• Memorial Day

Related Reading

Kachun, Mitch. “‘A Beacon to Oppressed Peoples Everywhere’: Major Richard R. Wright Sr., National Freedom Day, and the Rhetoric of Freedom in the 1940s.” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 128, No. 3 (July 2004): 279-306. ( PDF )

Kachun, Mitch. Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915. Amherst, Mass.: University of Massachusetts Press, 2006.

Mires, Charlene.  “The Difference This Day Makes.” Pennsylvania Heritage (Winter 1998), 4-11.

Wiggins, Williams H.  O Freedom! Afro-American Emancipation Celebrations. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1987.

Related Collections

• Papers of Governor Edward Martin Pennsylvania State Archives Harrisburg, Pa.
• R.R. Wright Family Collection Moorland-Springarn Research Center Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Related Places

Historical Marker , Citizens and Southern Bank, Nineteenth and South Streets, Philadelphia.

Liberty Bell Center , Sixth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia.

Backgrounders

Connecting Headlines with History

• Juneteenth festival in Germantown celebrates the area's rich role in abolishing slavery (WHYY, June 22, 2015)
• Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Library of Congress)
• National Freedom Day Proclamation (The American Presidency Project)
• The Life and Times of Richard Robert Wright Sr. and the National Freedom Day Association (Library of Congress)
• Richard R. Wright Sr. (The Black Past)
• Podcast: The Legacy of the Thirteenth Amendment (National Constitution Center)

Connecting the Past with the Present, Building Community, Creating a Legacy

Reflecting on Freedom Day: A Symbol of Democracy and Progress

Posted by Adré van der Westhuizen | Apr 26, 2023 | Uncategorised | 0 |

Freedom Day is one of the most important public holidays in South Africa. It commemorates the day when the country achieved its democracy after years of apartheid rule. The observance of Freedom Day is a prompt to acknowledge the significance of safeguarding human rights and persevere in our efforts towards establishing a more fair and inclusive society. The day is an opportunity to celebrate the progress made towards building a more just and equitable society and to reflect on the work that still needs to be done.

The History of Freedom Day

Freedom Day is celebrated on the 27th of April as we remember the day in 1994 when the country held its first democratic elections. The elections represented the culmination of years of struggle against the oppressive apartheid regime, which had enforced racial segregation and discrimination in every aspect of life. The democratic elections marked the beginning of a new era in South Africa’s history, one of hope and promise for a better future.

The Significance of Freedom Day

Freedom Day is significant because it marks a turning point in South Africa’s history. It symbolises the end of a dark and oppressive period and the beginning of a new era of democracy and freedom. Countless South Africans made sacrifices to achieve this freedom, and Freedom Day celebrates the progress towards building a more just and equitable society. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that still need to be addressed, such as poverty, inequality, and racism.

Celebrating Freedom Day

Today, we celebrate Freedom Day with various events and activities. parades, speeches, cultural performances, community gatherings, and family celebrations all mark the day. It is a time for South Africans to unite to celebrate their shared history and heritage and recommit themselves to democracy, equality, and justice.

Many people also use Freedom Day as an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made since the end of apartheid, as well as to think about the work that still needs to be done. They use the day to renew their commitment to building a better future for all South Africans, one that is free from discrimination, poverty, and inequality.

In conclusion, Freedom Day is a significant public holiday in South Africa, marking the end of apartheid rule and the beginning of a new era of democracy and freedom. The day is an opportunity to celebrate the progress made towards building a more just and equitable society and to reflect on the work that still needs to be done. By commemorating Freedom Day, South Africans can renew their commitment to building a brighter future for all.

Related Posts

You asked for new courses and we delivered!

20th January 2023

How Oxbridge Academy Can Help You Succeed

14th April 2023

Visual Architects: The Role of Graphic Designers

29th June 2023

TVET colleges: bridging the skills gap

13th January 2023

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want More Info?

Subscribe to our blog, recent posts.

• Level Up Your Leadership with Whole School Management
• Talk Your Way to Success: Online Business Communication
• Your HR Manager Toolbox: 5 Gems for Success!
• The Rewarding Role of a Health Promotion Officer
• Tiny Titans, Big Impact: How Playschool Teachers Shape Futures

Freedom Day: Reflecting on 30 years of Democracy

South Africans observed “Freedom Day,” honouring their nation’s significant first democratic election on 27 April 1994. 

 This election marked the official conclusion of the apartheid era, characterised by racial segregation and oppression.

30TH ANNIVERSARY OF DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa commemorated the 30th anniversary with 21-gun salutes and reflections on the historic vote, a pivotal moment where millions of black South Africans exercised their right to determine their futures for the first time.

This marked a significant departure from the past, where a racist white minority government had denied them this fundamental right.

According to  Los Angeles Times , in the inaugural all-race election, the African National Congress (ANC) party, previously outlawed, secured a resounding victory, propelling its leader, Nelson Mandela, to become the nation’s first Black president. 

This historic moment occurred four years after Mandela’s release from prison, where he had spent decades incarcerated.

However, Saturday’s commemorations of the significant anniversary occurred amidst increasing dissatisfaction with the present government.

South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who Mandela mentored, oversaw the festivities at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, which serves as the country’s governmental headquarters.

“Few days in the life of our nation can compare to that day, when freedom was born,” Ramaphosa said in a speech. “South Africa changed forever. It signaled a new chapter in the history of our nation, a moment that resonated across Africa and the world.”

“On that day, the dignity of all the people of South Africa was restored,” Ramaphosa said.

Since 1994, the ANC has held the reins of government, acknowledged for its pivotal role in liberating South Africans. 

However, the emotional celebration that followed the historic election has waned over time.

In 2024, South Africa grapples with profound socio-economic challenges, particularly entrenched poverty that disproportionately impacts the Black majority. Officially, the unemployment rate is 32%, the highest globally, soaring to over 60% among individuals aged 15 to 24.

Many Black South Africans continue to reside in neglected, impoverished townships and informal settlements bordering cities, viewed by many as a betrayal of the ideals upheld by heroes like Mandela. 

Despite progress, South Africa remains one of the most unequal nations globally. 

The ANC faces increasing criticism for the perceived lack of advancement, although undoing the damage wrought by decades of apartheid was always going to be a formidable challenge.

ANOTHER BIG VOTE AHEAD

As the 30th anniversary of the 1994 election approaches, another potentially significant election looms.

Scheduled for 29 May, South Africa will hold its seventh national vote since the end of apartheid. 

Opinion polls and analysts suggest that this election could mark a new milestone, with forecasts indicating that the ANC will likely lose its parliamentary majority.

According to  NPR , the ANC is anticipated to retain its position as the largest party, although it may need to engage in complex coalitions with smaller parties to sustain its government presence.

 However, the prevailing expectation is that more South Africans will vote for alternative parties in a national election, marking a significant shift in their democratic landscape.

South Africans continue to hold dear the legacy of Mandela and the dream of freedom and prosperity he envisioned in 1994. 

However, many seem prepared to pursue these aspirations beyond the ANC.

Our democracy flourishes when people participate actively and unite in common goals. 

South Africans need to remember that freedom is not merely a gift; it’s a duty we all share. 

The upcoming polls on 29 May represent a crucial opportunity for every eligible voter to address the errors that have had significant consequences for our nation.

To stand by idly on election day would be tantamount to relinquishing our right to challenge the affairs of our nation.

Let’s use our votes to:

• Choose leaders who champion values of transparency, accountability, and service to the people.
• Hold our government to account – demand action on the issues that matter to us.
• Engage in civil discourse and hold constructive conversations about the future we want.

According to  The Citizen , South African’s need to keep in mind that democracy isn’t something you watch from the side-lines.

t’s an active, rigorous, and ever-evolving process that demands continuous involvement.

All south Africans should unite, not based on race, ethnicity, or beliefs, but through a collective dedication to shaping a brighter future for our nation.

The post Freedom Day: Reflecting on 30 years of Democracy appeared first on SAPeople - Worldwide South African News .

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

South Africa will mark 30 years of freedom amid inequality, poverty and a tense election ahead

As 72-year-old Nonki Kunene walks through the corridors of Thabisang Primary School in Soweto, South Africa, she recalls the joy she and many others felt 30 years ago when they voted for the first time. It was at this school on April 27, 1994 that Kunene joined millions of South Africans to brave long queues and take part in the country’s first democratic elections. (AP video and production by Nqobile Ntshangase)

FILE - People queue to cast their votes In Soweto, South Africa April 27, 1994, in the country’s first all-race elections. In 1994 people braved long queues to cast a vote after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell. File)

• Copy Link copied

Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa’s first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Nonki Kunene gestures during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa’s first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Lily Makhanya opens the classroom door at Thabisang Primary School where she voted for the first time 30 years ago, in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. In 1994 Makhanya joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa’s first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Lily Makhanya at the Thabisang Primary School where she voted for the first time 30 years ago, in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. In 1994 Makhanya joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa’s first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

FILE - Then African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela casts his vote April 27, 1994 near Durban, South Africa, in the country’s first all-race elections. In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/John Parkin. File)

FILE — Then African National Congress President Nelson Mandela, left, and secretary general Cyril Ramaphose, now South African President, right, at a news conference in Johannesburg Monday, August 30, 1993. On Saturday, April 27, 2024 the country will celebrate Freedom day when In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell/File)

FILE — A man walks along an informal settlement as a young girl plays next to the polluted Jukskei River in Alexandra, northern Johannesburg, South Africa Nov. 11, 2014. On Saturday, April 27, 2024 the country will celebrate Freedom Day when In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe/File)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — As 72-year-old Nonki Kunene walks through the corridors of Thabisang Primary School in Soweto, South Africa, she recalls the joy she and many others felt 30 years ago when they voted for the first time.

It was at this school on April 27, 1994, that Kunene joined millions of South Africans to brave long queues and take part in the country’s first democratic elections after decades of white minority rule which denied Black people the right to vote.

The country is gearing up for celebrations Saturday to mark 30 years of freedom and democracy. But much of the enthusiasm and optimism of that period has subsided as Africa’s most developed economy faces a myriad of challenges.

Like many things in South Africa, the school that Kunene remembers has changed, and what used to be a school hall has now been turned into several classrooms.

“I somehow wish we could go back to that day, because of how excited I was and the things that happened thereafter,” said Kunene, referring to Nelson Mandela becoming the country’s first Black president and the introduction of a new constitution that afforded all South Africans equal rights, abolishing the racially discriminative system of apartheid.

For many who experienced apartheid, those years remain etched in their collective memory.

“I cannot forget how we suffered at the hands of whites. In the city at night, there were white bikers with hair like this (describing a mohawk-like hairstyle) who would brutally assault a Black person if they saw them walking on a pavement. Those white boys were cruel,” said 87-year-old Lily Makhanya, whose late husband died while working in the anti-apartheid movement’s underground structures.

“If they saw you walking on the pavement, you would be assaulted so badly and left for dead.”

For Makhanya and many others who stood in those queues to vote in 1994, it represented a turning point from a brutal past to the promise of a prosperous future.

But 30 years later, much of that optimism has evaporated amid the country’s pressing challenges . They include widening inequality as the country’s Black majority continues to live in poverty with an unemployment rate of more than 32%, the highest in the world.

According to official statistics, more than 16 million South Africans rely on monthly welfare grants for survival.

Public demonstrations have become common as communities protest against the ruling African National Congress’ failure to deliver job opportunities and basic services like water and electricity.

An electricity crisis that has resulted in power blackouts that are devastating the country’s economy added to the party’s woes as businesses and homes are sometimes forced to go without electricity for up to 12 hours a day.

Areas like the affluent Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, which hosts beautiful skyscrapers and luxurious homes, are an example of the economic success enjoyed by a minority of the country’s 60 million people.

But the township of Alexandra, which lies a few kilometers (miles) from Sandton, is a stark reflection of the living conditions of the country’s poor Black majority, where sewage from burst pipes flows on the streets and uncollected rubbish piles up on pavements.

Such contradictions are common across the major cities, including the capital Pretoria and the city of Cape Town, and they remain at the center of what is expected to be one of the country’s most fiercely contested elections in May.

For the first time since the ANC came to power in 1994, polls are indicating that the party might receive less than 50% of the national vote, which would see it lose power unless it manages to form a coalition with some smaller parties.

For some younger voters like 24-year-old Donald Mkhwanazi, the nostalgia does not resonate.

Mkhwanazi will be voting for the first time in the May 29 election and is now actively involved in campaigning for a new political party, Rise Mzansi, which will be contesting a national election for the first time.

“I had an opportunity to vote in 2019, and in local elections in 2021, but I did not because I was not persuaded enough by any of these old parties about why I should vote,” he said.

“I didn’t see the need to vote because of what has been happening over the past 30 years. We talk about freedom, but are we free from crime, are we free from poverty? What freedom is this that we are talking about?”

Political analyst Pearl Mncube said South Africans are justified in feeling failed by their leaders.

“More and more South Africans have grown skeptical of pronouncements from government due to its history of continuously announcing grand plans without prioritizing the swift execution of said plans,” Mncube said.

She said while Freedom Day is meant to signify the country’s transition from an oppressive past, it was important to highlight current problems and plans to overcome them.

“We cannot use the past, and any nostalgia attached to it, to avoid accounting for the present,” she said.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest Gauteng News

Your Email optin

Ithuba Daily Lotto Predictions for 02 May 2024

Ithuba daily lotto results for 1 may 2024, ithuba lotto results for 1 may 2024.

What is Freedom Day and Why do we Celebrate it

Understanding the significance of Freedom day and why it is celebrated

Freedom Day isn’t just another public holiday, it holds great significance in the hearts of South Africans, marking the end of the apartheid regime and the dawn of democracy in the country. Celebrated annually on April 27th, Freedom Day reflects on the struggles of the past and celebrates the freedom and democracy that South Africa enjoys today. The history and significance of Freedom Day will be explored to shed light on why it is celebrated and what it means to the people of South Africa.

The Legacy of Apartheid:

• For nearly 50 years,  apartheid  laws enforced racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa.
• Non-white South Africans were denied basic rights and freedom and faced systematic oppression and violence at the hands of the apartheid government.

The Struggle for Freedom:

• The fight against apartheid was a long and difficult struggle, marked by resistance, sacrifice, and courage.
• Leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Desmond Tutu, among many others, played a pivotal role in the fight for freedom and equality.

The Road to Democracy:

• Freedom Day commemorates the  first democratic elections  held in South Africa on April 27th, 1994.
• These elections marked the end of apartheid and the beginning of a new era of democracy, equality, and freedom for all South Africans.

Significance of Freedom Day:

• Freedom Day is a time to celebrate the triumph of democracy over oppression and to honour the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom.
• It is also a time to reflect on the progress that has been made since the end of apartheid and to recommit to the principles of equality, justice, and reconciliation.

Celebrations and Commemorations:

• Freedom Day is celebrated with various events and activities across South Africa, including speeches, concerts, cultural performances, and exhibitions.
• It is also a time for South Africans to come together to celebrate their diversity and unity as a nation.

Looking to the Future:

• While Freedom Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of the past, it is also a time to look to the future with hope and optimism.
• It serves as a reminder that the work of building a free, democratic, and equitable society is an ongoing process that requires the participation and commitment of all South Africans.

Freedom Day celebrates the remarkable journey that South Africa has undertaken from the oppression of apartheid to the liberation of democracy and freedom. It is a day to honour the courage and resilience of all those who fought for freedom and to recommit to the values of democracy, equality, and justice to ensure a better and prosperous nation for all.

Related Posts

Cybersecurity tips for south african businesses in 2024, life insurance policies in south africa (2024), how to spot fake banking websites/ apps in 2024.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

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.

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 !

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

View all posts

267 Freedom Essay Topics & Examples

Need freedom topics for an essay or research paper? Don’t know how to start writing your essay? The concept of freedom is very exciting and worth studying!

📃 Freedom Essay: How to Start Writing

📝 how to write a freedom essay: useful tips, 🏆 freedom essay examples & topic ideas, 🥇 most interesting freedom topics to write about, 🎓 simple topics about freedom, 📌 writing prompts on freedom, 🔎 good research topics about freedom, ❓ research questions about freedom.

The field of study includes personal freedom, freedom of the press, speech, expression, and much more. In this article, we’ve collected a list of great writing ideas and topics about freedom, as well as freedom essay examples and writing tips.

Freedom essays are common essay assignments that discuss acute topics of today’s global society. However, many students find it difficult to choose the right topic for their essay on freedom or do not know how to write the paper.

We have developed some useful tips for writing an excellent paper. But first, you need to choose a good essay topic. Below are some examples of freedom essay topics.

Freedom Essay Topics

• American (Indian, Taiwanese, Scottish) independence
• Freedom and homelessness essay
• The true value of freedom in modern society
• How slavery affects personal freedom
• The problem of human rights and freedoms
• American citizens’ rights and freedoms
• The benefits and disadvantages of unlimited freedom
• The changing definition of freedom

Once you have selected the issue you want to discuss (feel free to get inspiration from the ones we have suggested!), you can start working on your essay. Here are 10 useful tips for writing an outstanding paper:

• Remember that freedom essay titles should state the question you want to discuss clearly. Do not choose a vague and non-descriptive title for your paper.
• Work on the outline of your paper before writing it. Think of what sections you should include and what arguments you want to present. Remember that the essay should be well organized to keep the reader interested. For a short essay, you can include an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Do preliminary research. Ask your professor about the sources you can use (for example, course books, peer-reviewed articles, and governmental websites). Avoid using Wikipedia and other similar sources, as they often have unverified information.
• A freedom essay introduction is a significant part of your paper. It outlines the questions you want to discuss in the essay and helps the reader understand your work’s purpose. Remember to state the thesis of your essay at the end of this section.
• A paper on freedom allows you to be personal. It should not focus on the definition of this concept. Make your essay unique by including your perspective on the issue, discussing your experience, and finding examples from your life.
• At the same time, help your reader to understand what freedom is from the perspective of your essay. Include a clear explanation or a definition with examples.
• Check out freedom essay examples online to develop a structure for your paper, analyze the relevance of the topics you want to discuss and find possible freedom essay ideas. Avoid copying the works you will find online.
• Support your claims with evidence. For instance, you can cite the Bill of Rights or the United States Constitution. Make sure that the sources you use are reliable.
• To make your essay outstanding, make sure that you use correct grammar. Grammatical mistakes may make your paper look unprofessional or unreliable. Restructure a sentence if you think that it does not sound right. Check your paper several times before sending it to your professor.
• A short concluding paragraph is a must. Include the summary of all arguments presented in the paper and rephrase the main findings.

Do not forget to find a free sample in our collection and get the best ideas for your essay!

• Freedom of Expression Essay For one to be in a position to gauge the eventuality of a gain or a loss, then there should be absolute freedom of expression on all matters irrespective of the nature of the sentiments […]
• Philosophy and Relationship between Freedom and Responsibility Essay As a human being, it is hard to make a decision because of the uncertainty of the outcome, but it is definitely essential for human being to understand clearly the concept and connection between freedom […]
• Freedom of Speech in Social Media Essay Gelber tries to say that the history of the freedom of speech in Australia consists of the periods of the increasing public debates on the issue of human rights and their protection.
• Freedom Writers: Promoting Good Moral Values The movie portrays a strong and civilized view of the world; it encourages development and use of positive moral values by people in making the world a better place.
• Rio (2011) and the Issue of Freedom As a matter of fact, this is the only scene where Blu, Jewel, Linda, Tulio, and the smugglers are present at the same time without being aware of each other’s presence.
• Human Will & Freedom and Moral Responsibility Their understanding of the definition of human will is based on the debate as to whether the will free or determined.
• Freedom and equality According to Liliuokalani of Hawaii, the conquest contravened the basic rights and freedoms of the natives and their constitution by undermining the power of their local leaders.
• Freedom and Determinism On the other hand, determinism theory explains that there is an order that leads to occurrences of events in the world and in the universe.
• Human Freedom in Relation to Society 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’).
• The Efforts and Activities of the Paparazzi are Protected by the Freedom of the Press Clause of the Constitution The First Amendment of the American constitution protects the paparazzi individually as American citizens through the protection of their freedom of speech and expression and professionally through the freedom of the press clause.
• “Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela In the fast developing world, advances and progress move countries and nations forward but at the same time, some things are left behind and become a burden for the people and evolution to better life […]
• Freedom in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” Literature Analysis In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, the main character, Nora is not an intellectual, and spends no time scouring books or libraries or trying to make sense of her situation.
• Jean-Paul Sartre’s Views on Freedom For example, to Sartre, a prisoner of war is free, existentially, but this freedom does not exist in the physical realm.
• Rousseau and Kant on their respective accounts of freedom and right The difference in the approaches assumed by Kant and Rousseau regarding the norms of liberty and moral autonomy determine the perspective of their theories of justice.
• “Gladiator” by Ridley Scott: Freedom and Affection This desire to be free becomes the main motive of the film, as the plot follows Maximus, now enslaved, who tries to avenge his family and the emperor and regain his liberty.
• Four Freedoms by President Roosevelt Throughout the discussion we shall elaborate the four freedoms in a broader way for better understating; we shall also describe the several measures that were put in place in order to ensure the four freedoms […]
• Fighting for the Right to Choose: Students Should Have the Freedom to Pick the Courses They Want Consequently, students should be allowed to pick the subjects which they are going to study together with the main one. Thus, students should be allowed to choose the subjects they need in accordance with their […]
• 70’s Fashion as a Freedom of Choice However, with the end of the Vietnam War, the public and the media lost interest in the hippie style in the middle of the decade, and began to lean toward the mod subculture. The 70’s […]
• Personal Freedom in A Doll’s House, A Room of One’s Own, and Diary of a Madman In Chapter Three of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, the protagonist attempts to make sense of the nonsensical elements of female history, namely, how it could be that “in Athena’s city, where women […]
• Freedom and the Role of Civilization The achievements demonstrated by Marx and Freud play a significant role in the field of sociology and philosophy indeed; Marx believed in the power of labor and recognized the individual as an integral part of […]
• Women and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin She is best known for her recurrent theme on the status of women in societal affairs, the challenges and problems facing them as well as repression and gender bias.”The story of an hour” is rhetorically […]
• Freedom in Antebellum America: Civil War and Abolishment of Slavery The American Civil War, which led to the abolishment of slavery, was one of the most important events in the history of the United States.
• Satre human freedom Sartre continues to explain that freedom is the central factor in human beings and it is permanently connected to the “for-itself” or consciousness. In the end, Sartre’s definition of freedom is that it is the […]
• Personal Understanding of Freedom Freedom is essential for individual growth and development, and it helps individuals to make informed decisions that are in alignment with their values and beliefs.
• Chapters 4-6 of ”From Slavery to Freedom” by Franklin & Higginbotham At the same time, the portion of American-born slaves was on the increase and contributed to the multiracial nature of the population.
• Freedom of Speech in China and Political Reform Although the constitution of China has the provision of the freedom of speech, association, press and even demonstration, the freedom is not there in reality since the constitution forbids the undertaking of anything that is […]
• Review of “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” From the youth, Mandela started to handle the unfairness of isolation and racial relations in South Africa. In Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Chadwick’s masterful screen memoir of Nelson Mandela passes on the anguish as […]
• Is the Good Life Found in Freedom? Example of Malala Yousafzai The story of Malala has shown that freedom is crucial for personal happiness and the ability to live a good life.
• Art and Freedom. History and Relationship The implication of this term is that genus art is composed of two species, the fine arts, and the useful arts. This, according to Cavell, is the beauty of art.
• Power and Freedom in America Although it is already a given that freedom just like the concept love is not easy to define and the quest to define it can be exhaustive but at the end of the day what […]
• Mandela’s Leadership: Long Walk to Freedom The current paper analyses the effectiveness of leadership with reference to Nelson Mandela, the late former president of South Africa, as depicted in the movie, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
• Social Values: Freedom and Justice It is evident that freedom and justice are mutually exclusive, as “the theory of justice signifies its implications in regards to freedom as a key ingredient to happiness”.
• Freedom of Expression in the Classroom The NEA Code of Ethics establishes a link between this Freedom and a teacher’s responsibilities by requiring instructors to encourage “independent activity in the pursuit of learning,” provide “access to diverse points of view,” and […]
• Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus An annotated version of “Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus” by Derek Bok in The Boston Globe.*and these stars are where I have a question or opinion on a statement* For several years, universities […]
• Freedom, Equality & Solidarity by Lucy Parsons In the lecture and article ‘The Principles of Anarchism’ she outlines her vision of Anarchy as the answer to the labor question and how powerful governments and companies worked for hand in hand to stifle […]
• Human Freedom: Liberalism vs Anarchism It is impoverished because liberals have failed to show the connection between their policies and the values of the community. More fundamentally, however, a policy formulated in such a way that it is disconnected from […]
• Voices of Freedom The history of the country is made up of debates, disagreements and struggles for freedom that have seen the Civil War, and the Cold War which have changed the idea of freedom in the US.
• The meaning of freedom today In order to come up with an agreeable and logical definition of freedom as it is in the contemporary society, people have critically analyzed the input of these philosophers and their definition of freedom in […]
• Concept of Individual Freedom Rousseau and Mill were political philosophers with interest in understanding what entailed individual freedom. This paper compares Rousseau’s idea of individual freedom with Mill’s idea.
• Predetermination and Freedom of Choice We assume that every happens because of a specific reason and that the effects of that event can be traced back to the cause.
• Freedom and Social Justice Through Technology These two remarkable minds have made significant contributions to the debates on technology and how it relates to liberty and social justice.
• Balancing Freedom of Speech and Responsibility in Online Commenting The article made me perceive the position of absolute freedom of speech in the Internet media from a dual perspective. This desire for quick attention is the creation of information noise, distracting from the user […]
• The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on Nurses’ Stress The objectives for each of the three criteria are clearly stated, with the author explaining the aims to the reader well throughout the content in the article’s title, abstract, and introduction.
• The Freedom Summer Project and Black Studies The purpose of this essay is to discuss to which degree the story of the Freedom Summer project illustrates the concepts of politics outlined in Karenga’s book Introduction to black studies.
• Democracy: The Influence of Freedom Democracy is the basis of the political systems of the modern civilized world. Accordingly, the democracy of Athens was direct that is, without the choice of representatives, in contrast to how it is generated nowadays.
• Freedom of Speech as a Basic Human Right Restricting or penalizing freedom of expression is thus a negative issue because it confines the population of truth, as well as rationality, questioning, and the ability of people to think independently and express their thoughts.
• Kantian Ethics and Causal Law for Freedom The theory’s main features are autonomy of the will, categorical imperative, rational beings and thinking capacity, and human dignity. The theory emphasizes not on the actions and the doers but the consequences of their effects […]
• Principles in M. L. King’s Quest for African American Freedom The concept of a nonviolent approach to the struggles for African American freedom was a key strategy in King’s quest for the liberation of his communities from racial and social oppressions.
• Technology Revolutionizing Ethical Aspects of Academic Freedom As part of the solution, the trends in technology are proposed as a potential solution that can provide the necessary support to improve the freedom of expression as one of the ethical issues that affect […]
• The Journey Freedom Tour 2022 Performance Analysis Arnel Pineda at age 55 keeps rocking and hitting the high notes and bringing the entire band very successfully all through their live concert tour.
• Freedom of Speech and Propaganda in School Setting One of the practical solutions to the problem is the development and implementation of a comprehensive policy for balanced free speech in the classroom.
• Twitter and Violations of Freedom of Speech and Censorship The sort of organization that examines restrictions and the opportunities and challenges it encounters in doing so is the center of a widely acknowledged way of thinking about whether it is acceptable to restrict speech.
• Freedom of the Press and National Security Similarly, it concerns the freedom of the press of the media, which are protected in the United States of America by the First Amendment.
• The Views on the Freedom from Fear in the Historical Perspective In this text, fear is considered in the classical sense, corresponding to the interpretation of psychology, that is, as a manifestation of acute anxiety for the inviolability of one’s life.
• Freedom of Speech in Social Networks The recent case of blocking the accounts of former US President Donald Trump on Twitter and Facebook is explained by the violation of the rules and conditions of social platforms.
• Emotion and Freedom in 20th-Century Feminist Literature The author notes that the second layer of the story can be found in the antagonism between the “narrator, author, and the unreliable protagonist”.
• Analysis of UK’s Freedom of Information Act 2000 To preserve potentially disruptive data that must not be released to the public, the FOIA integrates several provisions that allow the officials to decline the request for information without suffering possible consequences.
• Fight for Freedom, Love Has No Labels, and Ad Council: Key Statement The most important part of the message, to me, is the fact that the freedoms mentioned in the PSA are not available to every American citizen, despite America being the land of freedom.
• Teachers’ Freedom of Speech in Learning Institutions The judiciary system has not clearly defined the limits of the First Amendment in learning institutions, and it’s a public concern, especially from the teachers.
• Is There Press Freedom in Modern China? There is a large body of literature in the field of freedom of the press investigations, media freedom in China, and press freedom and human rights studies.
• Freedom of the Press in the Context of UAE It gives the people the ability to understand the insight of the government and other crucial activities happening within the country.
• Freedom of the Press in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) According to oztunc & Pierre, the UAE is ranked 119 in the global press freedom data, classifying the country as one of the most suppressive regarding the liberty of expression.
• Mill’s Thesis on the Individual Freedom The sphere of personal freedom is an area of human life that relates to the individual directly. The principle of state intervention is that individuals, separately or collectively, may have the right to interfere in […]
• Privacy and Freedom of Speech of Companies and Consumers At the same time, in Europe, personal data may be collected following the law and only with the consent of the individuals.
• Expansion of Freedom and Slavery in British America The settlement in the city of New Plymouth was founded by the second, and it laid the foundation for the colonies of New England.
• Power, Property, and Freedom: Bitcoin Discourse In the modern world, all people have the right to freedom and property, but not all have the power to decide who may have this freedom and property.
• Religious Freedom Policy Evaluation Ahmed et al.claim that the creation of the ecosystem can facilitate the change as the members of the community share their experiences and learn how to respond to various situations.
• The Concepts of Freedom and the Great Depression Furthermore, blacks were elected to construct the constitution, and black delegates fought for the rights of freedpeople and all Americans. African-Americans gained the freedom to vote, work, and be elected to government offices during Black […]
• Freedom of Choices for Women in Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” The story describes the sentiments and feelings of Louisa Mallard when she learns the news about her husband. The readers can see the sudden reaction of the person to the demise of her significant other.
• Freedom of Speech in Shouting Fire: Stories From the Edge of Free Speech Even though the First Amendment explicitly prohibits any laws regarding the freedom of speech, Congress continues to make exceptions from it.
• Personal Freedom: The Importance in Modern Society To show my family and friends how important they are to me, I try contacting them more often in the way they prefer.
• Economic Freedom and Its Recent Statements Economic freedom is an important indicator and benchmark for the level of income of companies or individual citizens of a country.
• The Freedom Concept in Plato’s “Republic” This situation shows that the concept of democracy and the freedom that correlates with it refers to a flawed narrative that liberty is the same as equality.
• Freedom of Speech as the Most Appreciated Liberty In the present-day world, the progress of society largely depends on the possibility for people to exercise their fundamental rights. From this perspective, freedom of speech is the key to everyone’s well-being, and, in my […]
• The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom In the introductory part of the book, the author discusses his main theses concerning the link between the development of networks and shifts in the economy and society.
• Freedom of Association for Radical Organizations This assertion is the primary and fundamental argument in the debate on this topic – radical groups should not use freedom of association to harm other people potentially.
• Freedom of Expression on the Internet Randall describes the challenges regarding the freedom of speech raised by the Internet, such as anonymity and poor adaptation of mass communication to the cyber environment.
• Black Sexual Freedom and Manhood in “For Colored Girls” Movie Despite the representation of Black sexual freedoms in men and women and Black manhood as a current social achievement, For Colored Girls shows the realities of inequality and injustice, proving womanism’s importance in America.
• Frederick Douglass’s My Bondage and My Freedom Review He criticizes that in spite of the perceived knowledge he was getting as a slave, this very light in the form of knowledge “had penetrated the moral dungeon”.
• The Essence of Freedom of Contract The legal roots of the notion of freedom of contract are manifested in the ideals of liberalism and theoretical capitalism, where the former values individual freedom and the latter values marker efficiency and effectiveness.
• Why Defamation Laws Must Prioritize Freedom of Speech The body of the essay will involve providing information on the nature of defamation laws in the USA and the UK, the implementation of such laws in the two countries, and the reason why the […]
• Pettit’s Conception of Freedom as Anti-Power According to Savery and Haugaard, the main idea that Pettit highlights in this theory is the notion that the contrary to freedom is never interference as many people claim, but it is slavery and the […]
• Domination in the Discussion of Freedom For this reason, the principle of anti-power should be considered as the position that will provide a better understanding of the needs of the target population and the desirable foreign policy to be chosen.
• Freedom or Security: Homeland Issues In many ways, the author sheds light on the overreactions or inadequate responses of the US government, which led to such catastrophes as 9/11 or the war in Iraq.
• War on Terror: Propaganda and Freedom of the Press in the US There was the launching of the “Center for Media and Democracy”, CMD, in the year 1993 in order to create what was the only public interest at that period. There was expansive use of propaganda […]
• The Freedom of Expression and the Freedom of Press It is evident that the evolution of standards that the court has adopted to evaluate the freedom of expression leaves a lot to be desired. The court has attempted to define the role of the […]
• Information and Communication Technology & Economic Freedom in Islamic Middle Eastern Countries This is a unique article as it gives importance to the role ecommerce plays in the life of the educationists and students and urges that the administrators are given training to handle their students in […]
• The Path to Freedom of Black People During the Antebellum Period In conclusion, the life of free blacks in 19th century America was riddled with hindrances that were meant to keep them at the bottom of society.
• Civil Rights Movement: Fights for Freedom The Civil Rights Movement introduced the concept of black and white unification in the face of inequality. Music-related to justice and equality became the soundtrack of the social and cultural revolution taking place during the […]
• Voices of Freedom: Lincoln, M. L. King, Kirkaldy He was named after his grandfather Abraham Lincoln, the one man that was popular for owning wide tracks of land and a great farmer of the time.
• Freedom: Malcolm X’s vs. Anna Quindlen’s Views However, in reality, we only have the freedom to think whatever we like, and only as long as we know that this freedom is restricted to thought only.
• Net Neutrality: Freedom of Internet Access In the principle of Net neutrality, every entity is entitled access and interaction with other internet users at the same cost of access.
• The Golden Age of Youth and Freedom However, it is interesting to compare it to the story which took place at the dawn of the cultural and sexual revolution in Chinese society.
• Academic Freedom: A Refuge of Intellectual Individualism Also known as intellectual, scientific or individual freedom, academic freedom is defined as the freedom of professionals and students to question and to propose new thoughts and unpopular suggestions to the government without jeopardizing their […]
• The Literature From Slavery to Freedom Its main theme is slavery but it also exhibits other themes like the fight by Afro-Americans for freedom, the search for the identity of black Americans and the appreciation of the uniqueness of African American […]
• John Stuart Mill on Freedom in Today’s Perspective The basic concept behind this rose because it was frustrating in many cases in the context of the penal system and legislation and it was viewed that anything less than a capital punishment would not […]
• Conformity Versus Freedom at University To the author, this is objectionable on the grounds that such a regimen infringes on the freedom of young adults and that there is much to learn outside the classroom that is invaluable later in […]
• US Citizens and Freedom As an example of freedom and obtaining freedom in the US, the best possible subject would be the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, particularly during 1963-64, as this would serve as the conceptual and […]
• Value of Copyright Protection in Relation to Freedom of Speech The phrase, freedom of expression is often used to mean the acts of seeking, getting, and transfer of information and ideas in addition to verbal speech regardless of the model used. It is therefore important […]
• Social Factors in the US History: Respect for Human Rights, Racial Equality, and Religious Freedom The very first years of the existence of the country were marked by the initiatives of people to provide as much freedom in all aspects of social life as possible.
• Freedom of Speech and the Internet On the one hand, the freedom of expression on the internet allowed the general public to be informed about the true nature of the certain events, regardless of geographical locations and restrictions.
• Freedom Definition Revision: Components of Freedom That which creates, sustains, and maintains life in harmony with the natural cycles of this planet, doing no harm to the ecology or people of the Earth- is right.
• Freedom of Information Act in the US History According to the legislation of the United States, official authorities are obliged to disclose information, which is under control of the US government, if it is requested by the public.
• Media Freedom in the Olympic Era The Chinese government is heavily involved in the affairs of the media of that country. In the past, it was the responsibility of government to fund media houses however; today that funding is crapped off.
• Managing the Internet-Balancing Freedom and Regulations The explosive growth in the usage of Internet forms the basis of new digital age. Aim of the paper is to explore the general role of internet and its relationship with the society.
• Ways Liberals Define Freedom Liberals are identified by the way they value the freedom of individuals, freedom of markets, and democratic freedoms. The term freedom is characterized by Liberals as they use it within the context of the relationship […]
• Balance of Media Censorship and Press Freedom Government censorship means the prevention of the circulation of information already produced by the official government There are justifications for the suppression of communication such as fear that it will harm individuals in the society […]
• Boredom and Freedom: Different Views and Links Boredom is a condition characterized by low levels of arousal as well as wandering attention and is normally a result of the regular performance of monotonous routines.
• The Idea of American Freedom Such implications were made by the anti-slavery group on each occasion that the issue of slavery was drawn in the Congress, and reverberated wherever the institution of slavery was subjected to attack within the South.
• Liberal Definition of Freedom Its origins lie in the rejection of the authoritarian structures of the feudalistic order in Europe and the coercive tendencies and effects of that order through the imposition of moral absolutes.
• Newt Gingrich Against Freedom of Speech According to the constitution, the First Amendment is part of the United States Bill of rights that was put in place due to the advocation of the anti-federalists who wanted the powers of the federal […]
• Freedom is One of the Most Valuable Things to Man Political philosophers have many theories in response to this and it is necessary to analyze some of the main arguments and concepts to get a clearer idea of how to be more precise about the […]
• The Enlightment: The Science of Freedom In America, enlightment resulted to the formation of the American Revolution in the form of resistance of Britain imperialism. In the United States of America, enlightment took a more significant form as demonstrated by the […]
• Determinism and Freedom in the movie ‘Donnie Darko’ The term determinism states, the all the processes in the world are determined beforehand, and only chosen may see or determine the future.
• Spinoza’ Thoughts on Human Freedom The human being was once considered of as the Great Amphibian, or the one who can exclusively live in the two worlds, a creature of the physical world and also an inhabitant of the spiritual, […]
• Political Freedom According to Machiavelli and Locke In this chapter, he explains that “It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be feared than […]
• Freedom From Domination: German Scientists’ View He made the greatest ever attempt to unify the country, as Western Europe was divided into lots of feudal courts, and the unification of Germany led to the creation of single national mentality and appearing […]
• The Freedom of Speech: Communication Law in US By focusing on the on goings in Guatemala, the NYT may have, no doubt earned the ire of the Bush administration, but it is also necessary that the American people are made aware of the […]
• Freedom of Speech and Expression in Music Musicians are responsible and accountable for fans and their actions because in the modern world music and lyrics become a tool of propaganda that has a great impact on the circulation of ideas and social […]
• American Vision and Values of Political Freedom The significance of the individual and the sanctity of life were all central to the conceptions of Plato, Aristotle, or Cicero.
• Democracy and Freedom in Pakistan Pakistan lies in a region that has been a subject of worldwide attention and political tensions since 9/11. US influence in politics, foreign and internal policies of Pakistan has always been prominent.
• Spanish-American War: The Price of Freedom He was also the only person in the history of the United States to have attained the rank of Admiral of the Navy, the most senior rank in the United States Navy.
• Male Dominance as Impeding Female Sexual Freedom Therefore, there is a need to further influence society to respect and protect female sexuality through the production of educative materials on women’s free will.
• Interrelation and Interdependence of Freedom, Responsibility, and Accountability Too much responsibility and too little freedom make a person unhappy. There must be a balance between freedom and responsibility for human happiness.
• African American History: The Struggle for Freedom The history of the Jacksons Rainbow coalition shows the rise of the support of the African American politicians in the Democratic party.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Definition of Freedom The case of Nicola Sacco can be seen as the starting point of the introduction of Roosevelt’s definition of freedom as liberty for all American citizens.
• Freedom of Speech and International Relations The freedom of speech or the freedom of expression is a civil right legally protected by many constitutions, including that of the United States, in the First Amendment.
• Canada in Freedom House Organization’s Rating The Freedom in the World Reports are most notable because of their contribution to the knowledge about the state of civil and political liberties in different countries, ranking them from 1 to 7.
• Philosophy of Freedom in “Ethics” by Spinoza Thus, the mind that is capable of understanding love to God is free because it has the power to control lust.
• Slavery Abolition and Newfound Freedom in the US One of the biggest achievements of Reconstruction was the acquisition of the right to vote by Black People. Still, Black Americans were no longer forced to tolerate inhumane living conditions, the lack of self-autonomy, and […]
• Japanese-American Internment: Illusion of Freedom The purpose of this paper is to analyze the internment of Japanese-Americans in Idaho as well as events that happened prior in order to understand how such a violation of civil rights came to pass […]
• The Existence of Freedom This paper assumes that it is the cognizance of the presence of choices for our actions that validates the existence of free will since, even if some extenuating circumstances and influences can impact what choice […]
• Philosophy, Ethics, Religion, Freedom in Current Events The court solely deals with acts of gross human rights abuses and the signatory countries have a statute that allows the accused leaders to be arrested in the member countries.
• Mill’s Power over Body vs. Foucault’s Freedom John Stuart Mill’s view of sovereignty over the mind and the body focuses on the tendency of human beings to exercise liberalism to fulfill their self-interest.
• Rousseau’s vs. Confucius’ Freedom Concept Similarly, the sovereignty of a distinctive group expresses the wholeness of its free will, but not a part of the group.
• The Importance of Freedom of Speech In a bid to nurture the freedom of speech, the United States provides safety to the ethical considerations of free conversations.
• Slavery and Freedom: The American Paradox Jefferson believed that the landless laborers posed a threat to the nation because they were not independent. He believed that if Englishmen ruled over the world, they would be able to extend the effects of […]
• Freedom in the Workplace of American Society In the workplace, it is vital to implement freedom-oriented policies that would address the needs of each employee for the successful performance of the company which significantly depends on the operation of every participant of […]
• 19th-Century Marxism with Emphasis on Freedom As the paper reveals through various concepts and theories by Marx, it was the responsibility of the socialists and scientists to transform the society through promoting ideologies of class-consciousness and social action as a way […]
• Political Necessity to Safeguard Freedom He determined that the existence of the declared principles on which the fundamental structure of equality is based, as well as the institutions that monitor their observance, is the critical prerequisite for social justice and […]
• Aveo’s Acquisition of Freedom Aged Care Portfolio The mode of acquisition points to the possibility that Freedom used the White Knight defense mechanism when it approached the Aveo group.
• Aveo Group’s Acquisition of Freedom Aged Care Pty Ltd The annual report of AVEO Group indicated that the company acquired Freedom Aged Care based on its net book value. It implies that the Aveo Group is likely to achieve its strategic objectives through the […]
• Freedom Hospital Geriatric Patient Analysis The importance of statistics in clinical research can be explained by a multitude of factors; in clinical management, it is used for monitoring the patients’ conditions, the quality of health care provided, and other indicators.
• Hegel and Marx on Civil Society and Human Freedom First of all, the paper will divide the concepts of freedom and civil society in some of the notions that contribute to their definitions.
• Individual Freedom: Exclusionary Rule The exclusionary rule was first introduced by the US Supreme Court in 1914 in the case of Weeks v.the United States and was meant for the application in the federal courts only, but later it […]
• History of American Conceptions and Practices of Freedom The government institutions and political regimes have been accused of allowing amarginalisation’ to excel in the acquisition and roles assigned to the citizens of the US on the basis of social identities.
• Canada’s Freedom of Speech and Its Ineffectiveness In the developed societies of the modern world, it is one of the major premises that freedom of expression is the pivotal character of liberal democracy.
• Freedom and Liberty in American Historical Documents The 1920s and the 1930s saw particularly ardent debates on these issues since it was the time of the First World War and the development of the American sense of identity at the same time.
• Anglo-American Relations, Freedom and Nationalism Thus, in his reflection on the nature of the interrelations between two powerful empires, which arose at the end of the 19th century, the writer argues that the striving of the British Empire and the […]
• American Student Rights and Freedom of Speech As the speech was rather vulgar for the educational setting, the court decided that the rights of adults in public places cannot be identic to those the students have in school.
• Freedom of Speech in Modern Media At the same time, the bigoted approach to the principles of freedom of speech in the context of the real world, such as killing or silencing journalists, makes the process of promoting the same values […]
• Singapore’s Economic Freedom and People’s Welfare Business freedom is the ability to start, operating and closing a business having in mind the necessary regulations put by the government.
• “Advancing Freedom in Iraq” by Steven Groves The aim of the article is to describe the current situation in Iraq and to persuade the reader in the positive role of the U.S.authorities in the promoting of the democracy in the country.
• Freedom: Definition, Meaning and Threats The existence of freedom in the world has been one of the most controversial topics in the world. As a result, he suggests indirectly that freedom is found in the ability to think rationally.
• Expression on the Internet: Vidding, Copyright and Freedom It can be defined as the practice of creating new videos by combining the elements of already-existing clips. This is one of the reasons why this practice may fall under the category of fair use.
• Doha Debate and Turkey’s Media Freedom He argued that the Turkish model was a work in progress that could be emulated by the Arab countries not only because of the freedom that the government gave to the press, but also the […]
• The Pursuit of Freedom in the 19th Century Britain The ambition to improve one’s life was easily inflated by the upper grade that focused on dominating the system at the expense of the suffering majority.
• The Story of American Freedom The unique nature of the United States traces its history to the formation of political institutions between 1776 and 1789, the American Revolution between 1776 and 1783 and the declaration of independence in 1776. Additionally, […]
• Military Logistics in Operation “Iraqi Freedom” It was also very easy for the planners to identify the right amount of fuel needed for distribution in the farms, unlike other classes of supply which had a lot of challenges. The soldiers lacked […]
• The Freedom of Information Act The Freedom of Information Act is popularly understood to be the representation of “the people’s right to know” the various activities of the government.
• The United States Role in the World Freedom
• Fighting Terrorism: “Iraqi Freedom” and “Enduring Freedom”
• Freedom of Speech: Julian Assange and ‘WikiLeaks’ Case
• Do Urban Environments Promote Freedom?
• Claiming the Freedom to Shape Politics
• US Progress in Freedom, Equality and Power Since Civil War
• Thomas Jefferson’s Views on Freedom of Religion
• Religious Freedom and Labor Law
• Gilded Age and Progressive Era Freedom Challenges
• Philosophical Approach to Freedom and Determinism
• The Life of a Freedom Fighter in Post WWII Palestine
• Fighting for Freedom of American Identity in Literature
• “Human Freedom and the Self” by Roderick Chisholm
• Philosophy of Freedom in “The Apology“
• Philosophy in the Freedom of Will by Harry Frankfurt
• Advertising and Freedom of Speech
• How the Law Limits Academic Freedom?
• The Issue of American Freedom in Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”
• The Jewish Freedom Fighter Recollection
• Kuwait’s Opposition and the Freedom of Expression
• Abraham Lincoln: A Legacy of Freedom
• Freedom of Speech and Expression
• Multicultural Education: Freedom or Oppression
• “The Freedom of the Streets: Work, Citizenship, and Sexuality in a Gilded Age City” by Sharon Wood
• Information Freedom in Government
• Dr.Knightly’s Problems in Academic Freedom
• Mill on Liberty and Freedom
• Texas Women University Academic Freedom
• Freedom of speech in the Balkans
• “Freedom Riders”: A Documentary Revealing Personal Stories That Reflect Individual Ideology
• Media Freedom in Japan
• Rivalry and Central Planning by Don Lavoie: Study Analysis
• Review of “Freedom Writers”
• Freedom Degree in Colonial America
• What Is ‘Liberal Representative Democracy’ and Does the Model Provide an Appropriate Combination of Freedom and Equality?
• Is the Contemporary City a Space of Control or Freedom?
• Native Americans Transition From Freedom to Isolation
• “The Weight of the Word” by Chris Berg
• What Does Freedom Entail in the US?

✍️ Freedom Essay Topics for College

• Leila Khaled: Freedom Fighter or Terrorist?
• Environmentalism and Economic Freedom
• Colonial Women’s Freedom in Society
• The S.E.C. and the Freedom of Information Act
• African Americans: A Journey Towards Freedom
• Freedom of the Press
• Coming of Age in Mississippi: The Black Freedom Movement
• Freedom of Women to Choose Abortion
• Human Freedom as Contextual Deliberation
• The Required Freedom and Democracy in Afghanistan
• PRISM Program: Freedom v. Order
• Human rights and freedoms
• Controversies Over Freedom of Speech and Internet Postings
• Gender and the Black Freedom Movement
• Culture and the Black Freedom Struggle
• Freedom from Poverty as a Human Right and the UN Declaration of Human Rights
• Hegel’s Ideas on Action, Morality, Ethics and Freedom
• The Ideas of Freedom and Slavery in Relation to the American Revolution
• Psychological Freedom
• The Freedom Concept
• Free Exercise Clause: Freedom and Equality
• Television Effects & Freedoms
• Government’s control versus Freedom of Speech and Thoughts
• Freedom of Speech: Exploring Proper Limits
• Freedom of the Will
• Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World
• Benefits of Post 9/11 Security Measures Fails to Outway Harm on Personal Freedom and Privacy
• Civil Liberties: Freedom of the Media
• Human Freedom and Personal Identity
• Freedom of Religion in the U.S
• Freedom of Speech, Religion and Religious Tolerance
• Why Free Speech Is An Important Freedom
• The meaning of the word “freedom” in the context of the 1850s!
• American History: Freedom and Progress
• The Free Exercise Thereof: Freedom of Religion in the First Amendment
• Twilight: Freedom of Choices by the Main Character
• Frank Kermode: Timelessness and Freedom of Expression
• Human Nature and the Freedom of Speech in Different Countries
• What Is the Relationship Between Personal Freedom and Democracy?
• How Does Religion Limit Human Freedom?
• What Is the Relationship Between Economic Freedom and Fluctuations in Welfare?
• How Effectively the Constitution Protects Freedom?
• Why Should Myanmar Have Similar Freedom of Speech Protections to the United States?
• Should Economics Educators Care About Students’ Academic Freedom?
• Why Freedom and Equality Is an Artificial Creation Created?
• How the Attitudes and Freedom of Expression Changed for African Americans Over the Years?
• What Are the Limits of Freedom of Speech?
• How Far Should the Right to Freedom of Speech Extend?
• Is There a Possible Relationship Between Human Rights and Freedom of Expression and Opinion?
• How Technology Expanded Freedom in the Society?
• Why Did Jefferson Argue That Religious Freedom Is Needed?
• How the Civil War Sculpted How Americans Viewed Their Nation and Freedom?
• Should Society Limit the Freedom of Individuals?
• Why Should Parents Give Their Children Freedom?
• Was Operation Iraqi Freedom a Legitimate and Just War?
• Could Increasing Political Freedom Be the Key To Reducing Threats?
• How Does Financial Freedom Help in Life?
• What Are Human Rights and Freedoms in Modern Society?
• How the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom Affects the Canadian Politics?
• Why Should Schools Allow Religious Freedom?
• Does Internet Censorship Threaten Free Speech?
• How Did the American Civil War Lead To the Defeat of Slavery and Attainment of Freedom by African Americans?
• Why Are Men Willing To Give Up Their Freedom?
• How Did the Economic Development of the Gilded Age Affect American Freedom?
• Should Artists Have Total Freedom of Expression?
• How Does Democracy, Economic Freedom, and Taxation Affect the Residents of the European Union?
• What Restrictions Should There Be, if Any, on the Freedom of the Press?
• How To Achieving Early Retirement With Financial Freedom?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 24). 267 Freedom Essay Topics & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/freedom-essay-examples/

"267 Freedom Essay Topics & Examples." IvyPanda , 24 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/freedom-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '267 Freedom Essay Topics & Examples'. 24 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "267 Freedom Essay Topics & Examples." February 24, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/freedom-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "267 Freedom Essay Topics & Examples." February 24, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/freedom-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "267 Freedom Essay Topics & Examples." February 24, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/freedom-essay-examples/.

• Freedom Of Expression Questions
• Equality Topics
• Free Will Paper Topics
• Constitution Research Ideas
• Civil Rights Movement Questions
• Respect Essay Topics
• Bill of Rights Research Ideas
• Liberalism Research Topics
• Civil Disobedience Essay Topics
• Tolerance Essay Ideas
• First Amendment Research Topics
• Social Democracy Essay Titles
• Personal Ethics Titles
• Justice Questions
• American Dream Research Topics

Know your history: 10 Facts about Freedom Day

Freedom day is much more than just another public holiday, it is an important day to commemorate the country's history and the dawn of democracy..

POLOKWANE – Freedom Day is significant because it marks the end of over three hundred years of colonialism, segregation and white minority rule and the establishment of a new democratic government led by Nelson Mandela and a new state subject to a new constitution.

Here are 10 facts about Freedom Day that every South African should know:

1. The day celebrates freedom and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994.

2.  Some groups and social movements celebrate a version of Freedom Day called UnFreedom Day in which they mourn the unfreedom still experienced by the poor.

3.  The elections were the first non-racial national elections where everyone of voting age of over 18 from any race group was allowed to vote.

4. Of South Africa’s 22, 7 million eligible voters, 19.7 million voted in the 1994 national election.

5. The election was won by the ANC with 62.65 % of the vote. The National Party (NP) received 20.39 %, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) 10.54 %, Freedom Front (FF) 2.2 %, Democratic Party (DP) 1.7 %, Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) 1.2 % and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) 0.5 %.

6.  Since political freedom in 1994 South Africans have strove to correct the wrongs of the past.

7. Nelson Mandela is considered the father of Modern South Africa for the instrumental role that he played in establishing a democracy and ending the oppressive rule of the white minority.

8. Freedom Day was first celebrated in 1995 and has since been celebrated annually on 27 April in memory of the day that changed the nation.

9. The South African government says Freedom Day is significant because it “marks the end of over three hundred years of colonialism, segregation and white minority rule and the establishment of a new democratic government led by Nelson Mandela and a new state subject to a new constitution.”

10.  F or many South Africans Freedom Day brings back memories of the euphoria of 1994, when black, Indian and mixed race voters stood in long meandering lines to cast their first ballots.

What are your memories of 1994?

Mamatlakala bridge bus crash: Bodies ready for repatriation

Don’t miss e-rotary’s online auction tomorrow night, related articles.

Two Beitbridge officials sent to jail for illicit cigarettes

Minister promises water by June after 14-year wait for Giyani villagers

Merger of schools in Limpopo leaves 80+ learners in one class

Gemengde gevoelens oor afsterwe van ‘kriptobedrieër’ Johan Steynberg

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of World Press Freedom Day: A Day of Reflection and Inspiration

“Let me make one thing clear. I won’t be defined by your labels. I won’t be confined by your expectations. I won’t be silenced by your opinions. So, call me whatever you want; for I am more than the words you use. I am a human, complex and true.”

Jalasa Sapkota, a visually impaired girl, stood before a diverse audience of 150 people - lawmakers, human rights defenders, media experts, journalism professors and students - and recited powerful poetry that challenged the labels, expectations, and opinions imposed upon her. Her words set the tone for the 30th anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day celebration, organized by the UNESCO and UN Resident Coordinator Office in Nepal in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission, the Federation of Nepali Journalists, and the Central Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Tribhuvan University.

The day-long event featured informative and stimulating discussions on the crucial role of press freedom in promoting and protecting human rights, aligning with this year's theme, "Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all Other Human Rights". The celebration was filled with thought-provoking presentations, inclusive art exhibitions, and inspiring performances, including a wheelchair dance and a cultural Sekela dance.

In today's digital era, the rise of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech has become a growing concern. Sadly, violence against journalists continues to pose a major threat, with journalists facing daily risks of being killed or threatened. Women journalists, in particular, have been subjected to online harassment, cyberstalking, rape threats, and trolling, which is a serious violation of their human rights. During the event, UN Resident Coordinator Ms Hanaa Singer Hamdy shed light on the gravity of the situation, stating that the crackdown on press freedom and threats to the safety of journalists is a global phenomenon. She expressed concern about the increasing trend of misinformation, hate speech, and attempts to regulate content through various policies and acts, which often compromise media freedom.

The Windhoek Declaration, signed on May 3rd, 1991, is considered a benchmark for ensuring press freedom around the world. “In the years that followed there was an optimism and a promise of progress as countries across the world put in place reforms for more open media. Unfortunately, much of this optimism has eroded in the years since.” Therefore, on the 30th anniversary of the declaration, the Windhoek +30 Declaration was made in 2021 to reaffirm the fundamental principles of press freedom and the need for urgent action to secure it as a public good across countries. “As Nepali media is rapidly evolving in a digital age, I call on all the relevant stakeholders to collaborate to ensure Nepal leads the way in creating press freedom and safety of journalists in a digital age a reality,”  said Hamdy. 

The program also gave a voice to people with disabilities, showcasing their talents through various performances that highlighted the power of creativity and expression in promoting human rights and inclusion.

Although the constitution of Nepal includes provisions for a free press, there is still a need for the formulation and implementation of laws to support it. To achieve this, the ministry is committed to creating relevant public information laws and enhancing the capabilities of the press through the establishment of a training institute.

Rekha Sharma, Minister for Communications and Information Technology 

Presentation by the Press Council Nepal

Bal Krishna Basnet, the chairperson of the Press Council Nepal, took the stage to shed light on the council's crucial role in protecting press freedom. His presentation centered around the code of conduct that journalists must abide by, and the growing prevalence of new media which has brought with it a unique set of challenges to the field of journalism.

During the event, one participant, Sujan, who works in photojournalism and is hearing-impaired, posed an insightful question to the presenter. He emphasized that freedom of expression is a basic right for all and asked for insights on how individuals with disabilities can exercise this right. “How can the organization like the Press Council Nepal, and the Federation of Nepali Journalists ensure inclusion regarding the accessibility of information provided by the press?,” he asked.

His question highlighted an important issue that is often overlooked and prompted a thoughtful and informative discussion on how to ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has access to the information they need.

Panel Discussion on Freedom of Expression for enabling information as a public good

The panel discussion convened a diverse group of human rights advocates, media professionals, parliamentarians, and legal experts. They talked about the situation of press freedom, human rights, rights of journalists and connected it with the gaps in the country’s laws.

Aarati Raya, one of the participants, drew attention to the crucial role of media consumers in the proliferation of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. She asked, "How can we promote media, cyber, and digital literacy among consumers to ensure that freedom of expression is not misused?"

Art performances

In addition to the informative discussions, the program also featured some captivating paintings centered on the theme of freedom of expression. These artworks were created by participants of the Media and Information Literacy art workshop, organized earlier in the year by the UNESCO Youth Media Champion. Furthermore, the event included a mesmerizing performance by a group of physically disabled women who expressed themselves through the art of wheelchair dance, accompanied by music. Additionally, the audience was treated to a traditional cultural dance known as Sakela, practiced by the Kirat Rai community in the eastern region of Nepal.

The World press Day event was very important for personal growth as well as for great networking with amazing individuals around. The panel discussion, in particular, was an insightful session that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I have learned a great deal from this program, particularly about the significance of not only having a free press, but also an inclusive one that serves as a voice for the voiceless. The most impactful part of the program was the session featuring Sumana Shrestha. She shed light on the transformative potential of the IT sector when approached responsibly.

In response to a question about the program's feedback, she said, “I deeply appreciate the inclusive approach taken in organizing this event but I must express my concern regarding the absence of representation of the disability community on the panel discussion.”

Related items

• Information and communication
• Country page: Nepal
• Region: Asia and the Pacific
• UNESCO Office in Kathmandu
• Partners: United Nations
• See more add

More on this subject

Other recent stories

Essay on Freedom

Students are often asked to write an essay on 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 Freedom

Understanding freedom.

Freedom is a fundamental human right. It is the power to act, speak, or think without restraint. Freedom allows us to make choices and express ourselves.

The Importance of Freedom

Freedom is vital for personal development. It helps us discover who we are and encourages creativity and innovation. Without freedom, our world would lack diversity and progress.

Freedom with Responsibility

However, freedom comes with responsibility. We must respect others’ rights and freedoms. Misuse of freedom can lead to chaos and conflict. Therefore, it’s crucial to use freedom wisely.

Also check:

• 10 Lines on Freedom
• Paragraph on Freedom
• Speech on Freedom

250 Words Essay on Freedom

Freedom, a concept often taken for granted, is a cornerstone of modern civilization. It’s synonymous with autonomy, self-determination, and the capacity to make choices without coercion. Freedom, however, is not absolute; it’s a relative term, defined by societal norms, legal frameworks, and cultural contexts.

The Dialectics of Freedom

Freedom can be broadly categorized into two types: positive and negative. Negative freedom refers to the absence of external constraints, allowing individuals to act according to their will. In contrast, positive freedom is the ability to act in one’s best interest, which often requires societal support and resources. The dialectics of these two types of freedom form the crux of many political and philosophical debates.

Freedom and Responsibility

Freedom is inextricably linked with responsibility. Every choice made in freedom has consequences, and individuals must bear the responsibility for their actions. This interplay between freedom and responsibility is a key aspect of ethical and moral judgments.

Freedom in the Modern World

In the modern world, freedom is often associated with democratic rights and civil liberties. However, the rise of digital technology poses new challenges. Questions about data privacy, surveillance, and censorship have sparked debates about the boundaries of freedom in the digital age.

In conclusion, freedom is a complex and multifaceted concept. It’s a fundamental human right, yet its interpretation and application vary widely across different societies and contexts. Understanding the nuances of freedom helps us navigate the ethical and moral dilemmas of our time.

500 Words Essay on Freedom

Freedom, a concept deeply ingrained in human consciousness, is often perceived as the absence of restrictions and the ability to exercise one’s rights and powers at will. It is a fundamental right and the cornerstone of modern democratic societies. However, the concept of freedom is multifaceted, and its interpretation varies across different socio-cultural and political contexts.

The Philosophical Perspective

Philosophically, freedom is more than just the absence of constraints; it is about the ability to act according to one’s true nature and fulfill one’s potential. This perspective, known as positive freedom, contrasts with negative freedom, which focuses on the absence of external interference. The tension between these two interpretations of freedom has been a central theme in political philosophy.

Freedom and Democracy

In the realm of politics, freedom is the bedrock of democracy. It ensures the right to express one’s opinions, to choose one’s leaders, and to live without fear of oppression. However, freedom in a democratic society is not absolute. It is balanced with the responsibility to respect the freedom and rights of others. This balance is often a source of conflict and debate, as societies grapple with the question of where to draw the line between individual freedom and collective responsibility.

Freedom and Human Rights

Freedom is also closely linked to human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations, recognizes freedom as a basic human right. It encompasses not only political and civil liberties but also economic, social, and cultural rights. However, the realization of these rights remains a challenge in many parts of the world, where freedom is curtailed by oppressive regimes, social inequalities, and cultural norms.

The Paradox of Freedom

While freedom is universally desired, it also presents a paradox. Absolute freedom can lead to anarchy, while too much restriction can result in oppression. Finding the right balance is crucial. Hence, freedom should not be seen as a license to do as one pleases, but rather as a responsibility to respect the freedom and rights of others.

Conclusion: The Future of Freedom

In conclusion, freedom is a complex and multifaceted concept. It is a fundamental human right, a cornerstone of democracy, and a philosophical concept that has been debated for centuries. As we move forward into the future, the quest for freedom continues. It is our responsibility to ensure that freedom, in all its forms, is respected and protected. The challenge lies not only in ensuring our own freedom but also in upholding the freedom of others, thereby contributing to a just and equitable world.

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

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Free Trade
• Essay on Free Speech
• Essay on Free Healthcare

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

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Freedom Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on freedom.

Freedom is something that everybody has heard of but if you ask for its meaning then everyone will give you different meaning. This is so because everyone has a different opinion about freedom. For some freedom means the freedom of going anywhere they like, for some it means to speak up form themselves, and for some, it is liberty of doing anything they like.

Meaning of Freedom

The real meaning of freedom according to books is. Freedom refers to a state of independence where you can do what you like without any restriction by anyone. Moreover, freedom can be called a state of mind where you have the right and freedom of doing what you can think off. Also, you can feel freedom from within.

The Indian Freedom

Indian is a country which was earlier ruled by Britisher and to get rid of these rulers India fight back and earn their freedom. But during this long fight, many people lost their lives and because of the sacrifice of those people and every citizen of the country, India is a free country and the world largest democracy in the world.

Moreover, after independence India become one of those countries who give his citizen some freedom right without and restrictions.

The Indian Freedom Right

India drafted a constitution during the days of struggle with the Britishers and after independence it became applicable. In this constitution, the Indian citizen was given several fundaments right which is applicable to all citizen equally. More importantly, these right are the freedom that the constitution has given to every citizen.

These right are right to equality, right to freedom, right against exploitation, right to freedom of religion¸ culture and educational right, right to constitutional remedies, right to education. All these right give every freedom that they can’t get in any other country.

Value of Freedom

The real value of anything can only be understood by those who have earned it or who have sacrificed their lives for it. Freedom also means liberalization from oppression. It also means the freedom from racism, from harm, from the opposition, from discrimination and many more things.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Freedom does not mean that you violate others right, it does not mean that you disregard other rights. Moreover, freedom means enchanting the beauty of nature and the environment around us.

The Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech is the most common and prominent right that every citizen enjoy. Also, it is important because it is essential for the all-over development of the country.

Moreover, it gives way to open debates that helps in the discussion of thought and ideas that are essential for the growth of society.

Besides, this is the only right that links with all the other rights closely. More importantly, it is essential to express one’s view of his/her view about society and other things.

To conclude, we can say that Freedom is not what we think it is. It is a psychological concept everyone has different views on. Similarly, it has a different value for different people. But freedom links with happiness in a broadway.

FAQs on Freedom

Q.1 What is the true meaning of freedom? A.1 Freedom truly means giving equal opportunity to everyone for liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Q.2 What is freedom of expression means? A.2 Freedom of expression means the freedom to express one’s own ideas and opinions through the medium of writing, speech, and other forms of communication without causing any harm to someone’s reputation.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

• Mass Media /

Essay on World Press Freedom Day

• Updated on  
• May 30, 2022

One of the most important aspects of a democratic society is freedom of the Press. Since the invention of the press, many journalists ended up losing their lives while exploring the truth and presenting it to the country’s people. Every year 3rd May is observed as World Press Freedom Day in different parts of the globe to remember these sacrificed lives. Further, the freedom of media is accomplished by abolishing the freedom of the press. This is also an important and common essay topic in schools and competitive exams such as IELTS , TOEFL , SAT , UPSC , etc. 

This Blog Includes:

Tips for writing an essay, essay on world press freedom day in 200 words, essay on world press freedom day in 300 words , best universities for journalism, mass communication abroad, best universities for journalism, mass communication in india.

If you want to write an impactful essay that helps you score well, here are an array of tips on writing an essay on World Press Freedom Day. 

• The most important and first step is to write an introduction and background information about and related to the topic.
• Then you are also required to use the formal style of writing and avoid using slang language.
• To make an essay more impactful, write dates, quotations, and names to provide a better understanding
• You can use jargon wherever it is necessary as it sometimes makes an essay complicated
• To make an essay more creative, you can also add information in bulleted points wherever possible
• Always remember to add a conclusion where you need to summarise crucial points
• Once you are done read through the lines and check spelling and grammar mistakes before submission

Sample Essay 

The importance of freedom of the press is regarded as World Press Freedom Day and is celebrated on 3rd May across the globe.

The press and its freedom are essential components in a civilized society as a free press is considered a country’s health indicator. World Press Day is celebrated to look into and formulate solutions to the problems faced by journalists in exercising the free press. The Freedom of the Press helps it enact the role of a watchdog of democracy in a particular country as the free press can become a voice of the poor and a recorder or exposure of corruption. Journalists help people voice their opinion on governance and reforms, which helps the system of a country change for the betterment of the nation.

3rd May is celebrated as World Press Freedom Day as recommended by UNESCO way back in 1991. Thus United Nations 1993 declared this special day as World Press Freedom Day to remember and celebrate structural and basic principles of press freedom.

Furthermore, this day acts as an alarming reminder to the democratic government to respect the commitment to the press and the right to information to the country’s citizens for the development and growth of a particular nation. 

One of the golden opportunities to portray the professional ethics of journalists , World Press Freedom Day is a reminder to the governments to stay committed to the goal of press freedom. Every year May 3rd is considered the World Press Freedom Day to celebrate the fundamental principles of the free press and to pay tribute to the journalists who lost their lives while performing their duties. People need to realize that journalism is a part of civilized society as they help people recognize its importance and demand. In India, according to the constitution, the freedom of speech and expression of every citizen, as per the provision, the freedom of the press is regarded as the absolute right in the country. Further, the World Press Freedom Day is a support to the press workers who fall prey to numerous measures that restrain or seek to abolish freedom of the press. Observance of the day will inculcate a feeling of security for journalists exposed to violence by leaders and underworld mighty men. It is a day of remembrance for many journalists killed because of their profession. The celebration of this day is to teach a triangular relationship between journalists, masses, and leaders. It is a reminder day that government must respect its commitments to press freedom. It is also an occasion to inform citizens about press freedom violations so that they can contemplate and choose their leaders to act in press freedom direction.

The day reminds the citizens that publications are censored, fined, suspended, and closed down in dozens of countries worldwide.

On the other hand, journalists, editors, and publishers are harassed, attacked, imprisoned, detained, and murdered due to press freedom. Press freedom day is the day to contemplate and know the process, ways, and means of forming a socialist society. The free press is not a luxury but a core of equitable development.

There are numerous universities globally that offer courses in Journalism, mass communication, and related subjects. Some of the best universities are 

One of the main courses in India, Mass communication and journalism is offered by an array of universities in India. Some of the top colleges that offer these courses are

Lastly, we hope this blog has helped you in structuring a terrific essay on World Press freedom day. Planning to ace your IELTS, get expert tips from coaches at Leverage Live by Leverage Edu .

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Search the United Nations

• UN Secretary-General
• UNESCO Director-General
• UN Observances

  As the [COVID-19] pandemic spreads, it has also given rise to a second pandemic of misinformation, from harmful health advice to wild conspiracy theories. The press provides the antidote: verified, scientific, fact-based news and analysis. UN Secretary-General António Guterres  

A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the environmental crisis

In 2024, World Press Freedom Day is dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global environmental crisis.

Awareness of all aspects of the global environmental crisis and its consequences is essential to build democratic societies. Journalistic work is indispensable for this purpose.

Journalists encounter significant challenges in seeking and disseminating information on contemporary issues, such as supply-chains problems, climate migration, extractive industries, illegal mining, pollution, poaching, animal trafficking, deforestation, or climate change. Ensuring the visibility of these issues is crucial for promoting peace and democratic values worldwide.

In the context of the world’s triple planetary crisis —climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution— dis-/misinformation campaigns challenge knowledge and scientific research methods. Attacks on the validity of science pose a serious threat to pluralistic and informed public debate. Indeed, misleading and false information about climate change can, in some cases, undermine international efforts to address them.

Dis-/misinformation about environmental issues can lead to a lack of public and political support for climate action, effective policies, and the protection of vulnerable communities affected by climate change, as well as of women and girls, as climate change tends to exacerbate existing inequalities.

To achieve sustainable development, it is necessary for journalists to report accurately, timely, and comprehensively on environmental issues and their consequences, as well as on possible solutions.

This requires a comprehensive strategy that includes:

• Preventing and protecting against crimes committed against journalists.   
• Ensuring the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of scientific research, and access to key sources of information, in addition to combating dis-/misinformation through journalism.   
• Promoting the plurality, diversity, and viability of media, especially regional, local, indigenous, and/or community-based media.   
• Ensuring that the governance of digital platforms foster the transparency of technology companies, their accountability, due diligence, user empowerment, and content moderation and curation based on international human rights’ standards, as indicated in UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms.
• Promoting Media and Information Literacy programs to empower users with skills to engage and think critically in the digital environment.

Read the concept note

Origins and purpose of the Day

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.

After 30 years, the historic connection made between the freedom to seek, impart and receive information and the public good remains as relevant as it was at the time of its signing. Special commemorations of the 30th anniversary are planned to take place during World Press Freedom Day International Conference.

May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to:

• celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
• assess the state of press freedom throughout the world;
• defend the media from attacks on their independence;
• and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

31st World Press Freedom Day Conference

The 31 st edition of World Press Freedom Day will highlight the significant role played by the press, journalism, access, and dissemination of information to ensure and secure a sustainable future that respects the rights of individuals and their diversity of voices, as well as gender equality.

2 - 4 May 2024

Gabriela mistral cultural center, santiago, chile.

Side Events

Celebrations around the world

UNESCO and partners are organizing celebrations around the world.  Register your event  in order to feature it in UNESCO's list of celebrations .

Safety of Journalists

Find out what the United Nations is doing on the safety of journalists .

Fostering Freedom of Expression

As the United Nations agency with a specific mandate to promote “the free flow of ideas by word and image”, UNESCO works to foster free, independent and pluralistic media in print, broadcast and online. Media development in this mode enhances freedom of expression, and it contributes to peace, sustainability, poverty eradication and human rights

UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

Created in 1997, the annual Prize honours a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when achieved in the face of danger. The Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza , a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia in1986. 

Why do we mark International Days?

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances .

Subscribe Now! Get features like

• Latest News
• Entertainment
• Real Estate
• Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live
• WBBSE Madhyamik Result Live
• WBBSE Result 2024
• Crick-it: Catch The Game
• Lok Sabha Election 2024
• Election Schedule 2024
• IPL 2024 Schedule
• IPL Points Table
• IPL Purple Cap
• IPL Orange Cap
• The Interview
• Web Stories
• Virat Kohli
• Mumbai News
• Bengaluru News
• Daily Digest

Press Freedom Day 2024: Date, history, significance and all that you need to know about the day

Press freedom day 2024: from date to significance, here's all that you need to know about the special day..

Press Freedom Day 2024: The media is responsible for bringing the truth to the public. However, they often face challenges in performing their duties, such as threats, violence and censorship. It is important for the government and the public to understand and create a conductive environment for the press and the journalists to perform their duties in the most righteous way possible. Every year, Press Freedom Day is observed to remind everyone of the challenges faced by the journalists and the duties they perform to ensure that the flow of information remains smooth. It also serves as a reminder for everyone that being a journalist is not an easy task. As we gear up to celebrate the special day, here are a few things that we should keep in mind.

Every year, Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3. This year, Press Freedom Day falls on a Friday.

After the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991, the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 established Press Freedom Day to be observed every year on May 3. The first Press Freedom Day was observed in 1994. The day is established with the intention of ensuring free4dom of press and also remembering and honouring the journalists who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Significance:

The theme of this year's Press Freedom Day is - A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the environmental crisis. The day helps in reiterating that the public must always have access to all kinds of information and the government should support it in creating a safe space for journalists to do their jobs. This day also honours the media organisations and journalists for their work in ensuring that the truth is told, and freedom of the press is respected at all times.

Tapatrisha is Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She covers stories related to health, relationships, and fashion. ...view detail

• Press Freedom

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like.

• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Weather Today
• HT Newsletters
• Subscription
• Print Ad Rates
• Code of Ethics

• CSK vs PBKS Live Score
• IPL Match Today
• T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule
• CSK vs PBKS Live
• IPL Live Score
• IPL 2024 Auctions
• T20 World Cup 2024
• Cricket Teams
• Cricket Players
• ICC Rankings
• Cricket Schedule
• Other Cities
• Income Tax Calculator
• Budget 2024
• Petrol Prices
• Diesel Prices
• Silver Rate
• Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Taylor Swift: A Primer
• Telugu Cinema
• Tamil Cinema
• Board Exams
• Exam Results
• Competitive Exams
• BBA Colleges
• Engineering Colleges
• Medical Colleges
• BCA Colleges
• Medical Exams
• Engineering Exams
• Horoscope 2024
• Festive Calendar 2024
• Compatibility Calculator
• The Economist Articles
• Lok Sabha States
• Lok Sabha Parties
• Lok Sabha Candidates
• Explainer Video
• On The Record
• Vikram Chandra Daily Wrap
• EPL 2023-24
• ISL 2023-24
• Asian Games 2023
• Public Health
• Economic Policy
• International Affairs
• Climate Change
• Gender Equality
• future tech
• Daily Sudoku
• Daily Crossword
• Daily Word Jumble
• HT Friday Finance
• Explore Hindustan Times
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Subscription - Terms of Use

Freedom for the Wolves

Neoliberal orthodoxy holds that economic freedom is the basis of every other kind. That orthodoxy, a Nobel economist says, is not only false; it is devouring itself.

A ny discussion of freedom must begin with a discussion of whose freedom we’re talking about. The freedom of some to harm others, or the freedom of others not to be harmed? Too often, we have not balanced the equation well: gun owners versus victims of gun violence; chemical companies versus the millions who suffer from toxic pollution; monopolistic drug companies versus patients who die or whose health worsens because they can’t afford to buy medicine.

Understanding the meaning of freedom is central to creating an economic and political system that delivers not only on efficiency, equity, and sustainability but also on moral values. Freedom—understood as having inherent ties to notions of equity, justice, and well-being—is itself a central value. And it is this broad notion of freedom that has been given short shrift by powerful strands in modern economic thinking—notably the one that goes by the shorthand term neoliberalism , the belief that the freedom that matters most, and from which other freedoms indeed flow, is the freedom of unregulated, unfettered markets.

F. A. Hayek and Milton Friedman were the most notable 20th-century defenders of unrestrained capitalism. The idea of “unfettered markets”—markets without rules and regulations—is an oxymoron because without rules and regulations enforced by government, there could and would be little trade. Cheating would be rampant, trust low. A world without restraints would be a jungle in which only power mattered, determining who got what and who did what. It wouldn’t be a market at all.

Nonetheless, Hayek and Friedman argued that capitalism as they interpreted it, with free and unfettered markets, was the best system in terms of efficiency, and that without free markets and free enterprise, we could not and would not have individual freedom. They believed that markets on their own would somehow remain competitive. Remarkably, they had already forgotten—or ignored—the experiences of monopolization and concentration of economic power that had led to the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) and the Clayton Antitrust Act (1914). As government intervention grew in response to the Great Depression, Hayek worried that we were on “the road to serfdom,” as he put it in his 1944 book of that title; that is, on the road to a society in which individuals would become subservient to the state.

Rogé Karma: Why America abandoned the greatest economy in history

My own conclusions have been radically different. It was because of democratic demands that democratic governments, such as that of the U.S., responded to the Great Depression through collective action. The failure of governments to respond adequately to soaring unemployment in Germany led to the rise of Hitler. Today, it is neoliberalism that has brought massive inequalities and provided fertile ground for dangerous populists. Neoliberalism’s grim record includes freeing financial markets to precipitate the largest financial crisis in three-quarters of a century, freeing international trade to accelerate deindustrialization, and freeing corporations to exploit consumers, workers, and the environment alike. Contrary to what Friedman suggested in his 1962 book, Capitalism and Freedom , this form of capitalism does not enhance freedom in our society. Instead, it has led to the freedom of a few at the expense of the many. As Isaiah Berlin would have it: Freedom for the wolves; death for the sheep.

I t is remarkable that , in spite of all the failures and inequities of the current system, so many people still champion the idea of an unfettered free-market economy. This despite the daily frustrations of dealing with health-care companies, insurance companies, credit-card companies, telephone companies, landlords, airlines, and every other manifestation of modern society. When there’s a problem, ordinary citizens are told by prominent voices to “leave it to the market.” They’ve even been told that the market can solve problems that one might have thought would require society-wide action and coordination, some larger sense of the public good, and some measure of compulsion. It’s purely wishful thinking. And it’s only one side of the fairy tale. The other side is that the market is efficient and wise, and that government is inefficient and rapacious.

Mindsets, once created, are hard to change. Many Americans still think of the United States as a land of opportunity. They still believe in something called the American dream, even though for decades the statistics have painted a darker picture. The rate of absolute income mobility—that is, the percentage of children who earn more than their parents—has been declining steadily since the Second World War. Of course, America should aspire to be a land of opportunity, but clinging to beliefs that are not supported by today’s realities—and that hold that markets by themselves are a solution to today’s problems—is not helpful. Economic conditions bear this out, as more Americans are coming to understand. Unfettered markets have created, or helped create, many of the central problems we face, including manifold inequalities, the climate crisis, and the opioid crisis. And markets by themselves cannot solve any of our large, collective problems. They cannot manage the massive structural changes that we are going through—including global warming, artificial intelligence, and the realignment of geopolitics.

All of these issues present inconvenient truths to the free-market mindset. If externalities such as these are important, then collective action is important. But how to come to collective agreement about the regulations that govern society? Small communities can sometimes achieve a broad consensus, though typically far from unanimity. Larger societies have a harder go of it. Many of the crucial values and presumptions at play are what economists, philosophers, and mathematicians refer to as “primitives”—underlying assumptions that, although they can be debated, cannot be resolved. In America today we are divided over such assumptions, and the divisions have widened.

The consequences of neoliberalism point to part of the reason: specifically, growing income and wealth disparities and the polarization caused by the media. In theory, economic freedom was supposed to be the bedrock basis for political freedom and democratic health. The opposite has proved to be true. The rich and the elites have a disproportionate voice in shaping both government policies and societal narratives. All of which leads to an enhanced sense by those who are not wealthy that the system is rigged and unfair, which makes healing divisions all the more difficult.

Chris Murphy: The wreckage of neoliberalism

As income inequalities grow, people wind up living in different worlds. They don’t interact. A large body of evidence shows that economic segregation is widening and has consequences, for instance, with regard to how each side thinks and feels about the other. The poorest members of society see the world as stacked against them and give up on their aspirations; the wealthiest develop a sense of entitlement, and their wealth helps ensure that the system stays as it is.

The media, including social media, provide another source of division. More and more in the hands of a very few, the media have immense power to shape societal narratives and have played an obvious role in polarization. The business model of much of the media entails stoking divides. Fox News, for instance, discovered that it was better to have a devoted right-wing audience that watched only Fox than to have a broader audience attracted to more balanced reporting. Social-media companies have discovered that it’s profitable to get engagement through enragement. Social-media sites can develop their algorithms to effectively refine whom to target even if that means providing different information to different users.

N eoliberal theorists and their beneficiaries may be happy to live with all this. They are doing very well by it. They forget that, for all the rhetoric, free markets can’t function without strong democracies beneath them—the kind of democracies that neoliberalism puts under threat. In a very direct way, neoliberal capitalism is devouring itself.

Not only are neoliberal economies inefficient at dealing with collective issues, but neoliberalism as an economic system is not sustainable on its own. To take one fundamental element: A market economy runs on trust. Adam Smith himself emphasized the importance of trust, recognizing that society couldn’t survive if people brazenly followed their own self-interest rather than good codes of conduct:

The regard to those general rules of conduct, is what is properly called a sense of duty, a principle of the greatest consequence in human life, and the only principle by which the bulk of mankind are capable of directing their actions … Upon the tolerable observance of these duties, depends the very existence of human society, which would crumble into nothing if mankind were not generally impressed with a reverence for those important rules of conduct.

For instance, contracts have to be honored. The cost of enforcing every single contract through the courts would be unbearable. And with no trust in the future, why would anybody save or invest? The incentives of neoliberal capitalism focus on self-interest and material well-being, and have done much to weaken trust. Without adequate regulation, too many people, in the pursuit of their own self-interest, will conduct themselves in an untrustworthy way, sliding to the edge of what is legal, overstepping the bounds of what is moral. Neoliberalism helps create selfish and untrustworthy people. A “businessman” like Donald Trump can flourish for years, even decades, taking advantage of others. If Trump were the norm rather than the exception, commerce and industry would grind to a halt.

We also need regulations and laws to make sure that there are no concentrations of economic power. Business seeks to collude and would do so even more in the absence of antitrust laws. But even playing within current guardrails, there’s a strong tendency for the agglomeration of power. The neoliberal ideal of free, competitive markets would, without government intervention, be evanescent.

We’ve also seen that those with power too often do whatever they can to maintain it. They write the rules to sustain and enhance power, not to curb or diminish it. Competition laws are eviscerated. Enforcement of banking and environmental laws is weakened. In this world of neoliberal capitalism, wealth and power are ever ascendant.

Neoliberalism undermines the sustainability of democracy—the opposite of what Hayek and Friedman intended or claimed. We have created a vicious circle of economic and political inequality, one that locks in more freedom for the rich and leaves less for the poor, at least in the United States, where money plays such a large role in politics.

Read: When Milton Friedman ran the show

There are many ways in which economic power gets translated into political power and undermines the fundamental democratic value of one person casting one vote. The reality is that some people’s voices are much louder than others. In some countries, accruing power is as crude as literally buying votes, with the wealthy having more money to buy more votes. In advanced countries, the wealthy use their influence in the media and elsewhere to create self-serving narratives that in turn become the conventional wisdom. For instance, certain rules and regulations and government interventions—tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, deregulation of key industries—that are purely in the interest of the rich and powerful are also, it is said, in the national interest. Too often that viewpoint is swallowed wholesale. If persuasion doesn’t work, there is always fear: If the banks are not bailed out, the economic system will collapse, and everyone will be worse off. If the corporate tax rate is not cut, firms will leave and go to other jurisdictions that are more business-friendly.

Is a free society one in which a few dictate the terms of engagement? In which a few control the major media and use that control to decide what the populace sees and hears? We now inhabit a polarized world in which different groups live in different universes, disagreeing not only on values but on facts.

A strong democracy can’t be sustained by neoliberal economics for a further reason. Neoliberalism has given rise to enormous “rents”—the monopoly profits that are a major source of today’s inequalities. Much is at stake, especially for many in the top one percent, centered on the enormous accretion of wealth that the system has allowed. Democracy requires compromise if it is to remain functional, but compromise is difficult when there is so much at stake in terms of both economic and political power.

A free-market, competitive, neoliberal economy combined with a liberal democracy does not constitute a stable equilibrium—not without strong guardrails and a broad societal consensus on the need to curb wealth inequality and money’s role in politics. The guardrails come in many forms, such as competition policy, to prevent the creation, maintenance, and abuse of market power. We need checks and balances, not just within government, as every schoolchild in the U.S. learns, but more broadly within society. Strong democracy, with widespread participation, is also part of what is required, which means working to strike down laws intended to decrease democratic participation or to gerrymander districts where politicians will never lose their seats.

Whether America’s political and economic system today has enough safeguards to sustain economic and political freedoms is open to serious question.

U nder the very name of freedom, neoliberals and their allies on the radical right have advocated policies that restrict the opportunities and freedoms, both political and economic, of the many in favor of the few. All these failures have hurt large numbers of people around the world, many of whom have responded by turning to populism, drawn to authoritarian figures like Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, and Narendra Modi.

Perhaps we should not be surprised by where the U.S. has landed. It is a country now so divided that even a peaceful transition of power is difficult, where life expectancy is the lowest among advanced nations, and where we can’t agree about truth or how it might best be ascertained or verified. Conspiracy theories abound. The values of the Enlightenment have to be relitigated daily.

There are good reasons to worry whether America’s form of ersatz capitalism and flawed democracy is sustainable. The incongruities between lofty ideals and stark realities are too great. It’s a political system that claims to cherish freedom above all else but in many ways is structured to deny or restrict freedoms for many of its citizens.

I do believe that there is broad consensus on key elements of what constitutes a good and decent society, and on what kind of economic system supports that society. A good society, for instance, must live in harmony with nature. Our current capitalism has made a mess of this. A good society allows individuals to flourish and live up to their potential. In terms of education alone, our current capitalism is failing large portions of the population. A good economic system would encourage people to be honest and empathetic, and foster the ability to cooperate with others. The current capitalist system encourages the antithesis.

But the key first step is changing our mindset. Friedman and Hayek argued that economic and political freedoms are intimately connected, with the former necessary for the latter. But the economic system that has evolved—largely under the influence of these thinkers and others like them—undermines meaningful democracy and political freedom. In the end, it will undermine the very neoliberalism that has served them so well.

For a long time, the right has tried to establish a monopoly over the invocation of freedom , almost as a trademark. It’s time to reclaim the word.

This article has been adapted from Joseph E. Stiglitz’s new book, The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society .

​When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

Support for this project was provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Opinion World Press Freedom Day, 2024

• Opinion | World Press Freedom Day, 2024 27 minutes ago Opinion | World Press Freedom Day, 2024 27 minutes ago
• Opinion | Cartoon by Nick Anderson May 1, 2024 Opinion | Cartoon by Nick Anderson May 1, 2024
• Opinion | Cartoon by Matt Davies May 1, 2024 Opinion | Cartoon by Matt Davies May 1, 2024

Looking for Memorial Day weekend plans? You can get into any of Florida's state parks free

Florida’s “Summer of Freedom” sales tax holiday is set to kick off again starting with free admission to state parks over Memorial Day weekend .

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on the holiday on Tuesday following the success of last year’s historic $2.7 billion tax relief package.

This year’s sales tax holiday isn’t quite as extravagant, lasting only the month of July rather than the whole summer.

Pensacola state parks: Looking for things to do in Pensacola? Try one of our three state parks

Consumers can enjoy tax savings when purchasing fishing supplies, outdoor recreational equipment, admissions to state parks and museums.

“Florida’s 175 award-winning state parks are second to none,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “I encourage all of Florida’s residents and visitors to take advantage of these extra savings and discover the unique experiences the real Florida has to offer.”

Here is what to know about Florida’s Summer of Freedom sales tax holiday and our local state parks.

What is Florida’s Summer of Freedom sales tax holiday?

DeSantis first unveiled the Summer of Freedom sales tax holiday last May while announcing a historic $2.7 billion in tax relief that also included permanent sales tax exemptions for baby and toddler needs, as well as oral hygiene products, firearm safety devices and firearm trigger locks and cables.

Last year’s tax holiday lasted from May 29 to Sept. 4. This year will offer tax exemptions for items through the month of July, with a few exceptions. Here’s a quick look:

Boating and water activity supplies:

• Goggles and snorkels ($25 or less)
• Pool toys ($35 or less)
• Coolers, life jackets, paddles ($75 or less)
• Inflatable water tubes and floats, wakeboards ($150 or less)
• Paddleboards, surfboards ($300 or less)
• Canoes, kayaks ($500 or less)

Fishing supplies:

• Bait and tackle ($5 or less for individual items, $10 or less for multiple items sold together)
• Tackle boxes ($30 or less)
• Reels, rods ($75 or less)

Camping supplies:

• Flashlights ($30 or less)
• Sleeping bags, camping chairs ($50 or less)
• Tents ($200 or less)

Outdoor supplies:

• Sunscreen ($15 or less)
• Water bottles ($30 or less)
• Bicycle helmets ($50 or less)
• Outdoor grills ($250 or less)
• Bicycles ($500 or less)

Admissions to events or performances scheduled to be held between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024:

• Live music events
• Live sporting events
• Movies to be shown in a movie theater

Admissions purchased for any of the following:

• Museums, including annual passes
• State parks, including annual passes
• Season tickets for ballets, plays, music events, and musical theater performances

Get into Florida’s state parks for free on Memorial Day weekend

In addition to getting into Florida’s state parks for free in July, DeSantis announced free entrance on Memorial Day weekend, which runs May 24-27.

"To start off our Summer of Freedom, we are suspending entrance fees for Florida State Parks during Memorial Day weekend," DeSantis said during the announcement. "Florida’s award-winning state parks are a great way for families to enjoy the outdoors. I encourage all Floridians to take advantage of the upcoming entrance fee-free weekend!"