The Freedom to Connect

Despite having a controversial record, it is indisputable that the United States has been a leader in the promotion of civil and political rights around the world. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech in which he laid out the framework for human rights in the 20th century. He spoke of four essential human freedoms: freedom of expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. These words later inspired Eleanor Roosevelt and her important work in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The world today is very different from the one President Roosevelt addressed in 1941. Our comprehension of human rights has evolved in many ways, in part as a response to the new strategies employed by governments to violate the human rights of their people. These new challenges can only be met by a more modern understanding of human rights, one that is firmly based in the principles established 70 years ago, but that is also able to adapt to new circumstances that could not be foreseen in the past.

As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has played a substantial role in creating a new framework for freedom of expression, one that is responsive to the recent advancements in communication technologies. In a speech at the Newseum in January 2010, Secretary Clinton said:

“So as technology hurtles forward, we must think back to that legacy. We need to synchronize our technological progress with our principles. … Today, we find an urgent need to protect these freedoms on the digital frontiers of the 21st century.”

In response to these challenges, in her speech Secretary Clinton elaborated on the freedom to connect, a fifth freedom that builds on elements inherent to the freedoms cited by President Roosevelt 70 years ago. The freedom to connect is a combination of the freedoms of expression and assembly as they relate to the new tools for communication. This new framework argues that individuals have the basic right to use these technologies to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”, and also to connect, communicate and organize with other individuals through these mediums.

In a touching preview of events later to come, in her 2010 speech Secretary Clinton spoke about the detainment by the Egyptian government of 30 bloggers, one of whom had been released and was present during the event. She also highlighted how these technologies can serve as a means of organizing society around common goals. She mentioned the story of a 13-year-old boy in India who used social networks to organize the largest civilian response to the Mumbai terrorist attacks, including blood drives and a massive interfaith book of condolence.

No Limits is firm supporter of the freedom to connect, which enables persons everywhere to seek and distribute information and to connect with their fellow citizens. These new media tools cannot change the world on their own. However, when combined with strong individuals concerned with human rights and political freedom, they can become a strong weapon against repressive governments.

Watch Secretary Clinton's speech below: