An HTML-version of this newsletter is available at http://www.fnf.org.ph/enewsletter/ltm92004.htm
************************************************************** Liberal Times Manila A monthly newsletter of the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation’s Philippine Office ************************************************************** Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends of the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation, 29/9/2004 as the representative of the liberal Foundation in Manila, I am privileged to sit in the front row of many of the events organized by the liberal family. Last Thursday, I joined well over one hundred party leaders and fresh Liberal Party-“recruits” at Club Filipino for a well organized Orientation Seminar on Liberal Democracy followed by a testimonial dinner for the three recently appointed LP-Cabinet secretaries. Much could be written about these political functions. I wish to share with you two personal observations. Quite obviously, gatherings of the Liberal Party have become attractive and are attended by a growing number of individuals. As a foreign friend and observer, it seems to me that the recruits – many of them professionals and academics – are not only attracted by a desire to be part of an expanding political movement. Last Thursday at the Club Filipino, I could also feel a strong sense of fellowship, even camaraderie. For an update on these and all other LP events go to http://www.liberalparty.ph which has become a benchmark for political online communications in the Philippines. Regarding benchmarks and political communications, I should mention the 2nd Communications Workshop co-organized by the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and my Foundation in Phnom Penh from September 7 through 11, 2004. Entitled “The Media in Electoral Campaigns”, the workshop brought together campaign managers and media relations officers from liberal and democratic parties from nine Asian countries. Find out how Philippine best practices caught the attention of the participants at that event at http://www.fnf.org.ph These days, the CALD-Secretariat is busy hosting a senior delegation of the National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) visiting the Philippines. The Democrats from Burma are seeking the support and solidarity of the people and representatives of the Philippines towards the restoration of freedom and democracy in their country. Importantly this support is not only forthcoming from the Liberal camp but also other political forces. Solidarity with the oppositionists from Burma is based on the liberal commitment to democracy and human rights. Regarding the promotion of human rights in the ASEAN region, the liberal Foundation has a long-standing partnership with the Regional Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism. The RWG has just come out with a printed newsletter that provides an overview of recent developments regarding the initiative. Should you not find a hardcopy of that newsletter in your mail box, you may download the PDF-file from http://www.aseanhrmech.org/WGPages/Contents/hr_issue_1.pdf Finally, I am attaching excerpts of a commentary on what is arguably one of the most contentious issues in liberal debates – the relationship between freedom and equality. The full text of my thoughts was published in the recent issue of the liberal-philippines magazine and may be viewed at http://www.liberal-philippines.com/liberalism101.html Thank you and kind regards, Dr. Ronald Meinardus ************************************************************* The monthly Liberal Times Manila-newsletter informs about activities of the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation in the Philippines and beyond. This issue has been sent to 1292 individuals and organizations. If you do not wish to receive our messages anymore, please return this note and put “unsubscribe” in the body of the text. More information on recent FNF-activities is waiting for you at http://www.fnf.org.ph. ************************************************************** Freedom and Equality (Excerpts) … For many, freedom and equality belong together. Some say these principles are like Siamese twins. In reality, though, freedom and equality are in conflict with one another. From time immemorial philosophers have racked their brains to reconcile these objectives and model a society that guarantees equality without at the same time curtailing individual freedom. A convincing blueprint has yet to be found. Simplified, two approaches exist in what is a seemingly endless debate. On the one side are those espousing socialist thoughts. Confronted with the choice between freedom and equality, socialists tend to opt for equality. Historically, this prioritization has been fatal for that great ideological movement. Socialism has failed not only because of the breakdown of the planned economy. In many countries, and particularly in Eastern Europe, socialist regimes were swept away by angry masses lead by the desire for political freedom and other basic rights. In contrast to their socialist opponents, liberals, when confronted with the alternative of freedom and equality, opt for liberty. This may explain why they are at times accused of selfishness and lacking social consciousness. But it is wrong to say liberals oppose the notion of equality. The very concept of equality before the law is their invention and has been the battle cry of the liberal movement for many centuries. Equality before the law stands at the centre of the rule of law, and has become the corner stone of liberal democracy. Debates pertaining to freedom and equality necessarily have also philosophical ramifications. In a liberal view of life, all men and women are created equal. They are distinct individuals, who by nature have different talents, capabilities, potentials and inclinations. It follows that if one leaves these individuals to themselves, the result will be that they develop differently. Naturally some will do better than others. In line with this, free people are never equal. While, in the liberal view, they are created equal and enjoy equality before the law, as they go along in their lives they will end up in varying conditions. Given human diversity, equality of outcomes is not practicable. “The only way in which you could have even the remote chance of equalizing income and wealth across society is put a gun to everyone’s head”, writes Lawrence W. Reed, the head of an American think tank. Countries whose governments tried to implement economic equality by decree – such as Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge or North Korea – are the worst human rights violators and dictatorships. Freedom-lovers abhor this Utopia of a society in which all are supposedly equal economically. The objective is not equality of results. The challenge is to create such conditions that all members of society have equal opportunities. At this stage, politics come in. Arguably, the most crucial policy area with an effect on equal opportunities is education. Therefore, the demand for equal access to education for all members of society is a cornerstone of every liberal agenda. Education enables human development, it stands at the beginning of all human and societal progress. Promoting education is also essential in the fight against poverty which is just another word for overcoming social inequalities. Today, this task is more important than ever before. Social inequality, lack of opportunity, and hopelessness have become the breading grounds for political radicalism and violence. The stability of many nations, yes the world at large, to a great extent depends on whether governments and societies manage to close the widening social and economic gap without at the same time curtailing basic freedoms. © Liberal Philippines (August-October 2004) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/9rHolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Internet and Democracy Across Asia: MAY 2001 Online Trends in Governance, Civil Society and Media More information at: http://www.e-democracy.org/do Rule: No more than two posts a day per participant. To SUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNSUBSCRIBE, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yahoo! 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