In the presence of notable individuals sharing heartbreaking testimonies of survival, the resilience of human dignity, and strong character in conditions beyond hope at the Oslo Freedom Forum, I found myself thinking, “What could I add? What coherent thought could follow a series of talks that left everyone nearly speechless?”
The answer came from some of the speakers. Former Vice President of Bolivia, Víctor Hugo Cárdenas, spoke about the various nations or indigenous groups forming Bolivian society. Cárdenas belongs to the Aymara nation, just like Evo Morales, but as he clarified, unlike President Morales, whom Cárdenas considers a misrepresentation, he actually speaks the indigenous language of his ancestors. Recently, a Morales-supporting mob attacked Cárdenas and his family for political reasons: as he stated, even during the worst periods of past dictatorships in Bolivia, against which he built his political career, his wife and children never faced violence from adversaries. The exacerbation of racial hatred, stemming from Bolivia’s highest office, is tearing the fabric of society apart. Yet, Cárdenas remains hopeful amidst adversity and highlighted the ability of the various indigenous nations or groups to live in peace and harmony.
The former President of Lithuania, Vytautas Landsbergis, expanded on the necessity of making the concept of human rights understandable and accessible to all. More importantly, he emphasized the need for all civilized nations to be held accountable for violations. The definition of responsibility seems to conform to political convenience, while accountability appears inversely proportional to the economic and military power of nations today.
Vladimir Bukovsky asserted that human rights violators must at least have the courage to commit their atrocious crimes in front of the world, because that act of facing international criticism is more demanding than the crimes themselves.
Others highlighted the sheer hypocrisy of most governments when asked to reconcile trade relations with regimes that systematically crush human rights. When it comes to business, it seems that the majority are eager and ready to deal with bullies as long as profits can be made.
Benedict Anderson wrote a book titled “Imagined Communities.” In it, he argues that one of the fundamental principles of nation-building is language. Once upon a time, Latin was the chosen language of the educated elite in Europe, and regardless of their country of origin, people communicated in it. The printing press brought significant change, as books began to be printed in vernacular languages, reaffirming national identities and contributing to the massification or democratization of knowledge.
After hearing some of the speeches, I couldn’t help but notice that our gathering was, in fact, the embodiment of Anderson’s “Imagined Communities,” a group of individuals sharing fundamental beliefs, principles, and a language—essentially, a nascent nation. I have more in common with Leyla Zana than with Cilia Flores*. Similarly, I find more inspiration in Armando Valladares than in the dictator who imprisoned him for 22 years for refusing to conform to communist ideologies. Palden Gyatso endured imprisonment and torture for 33 years for holding onto his religious beliefs, while the family of Elie Wiesel was not as fortunate, if that’s the right word. Vladimir Bukovsky states that an encounter between torturer and victim is merely a clash of wills; the one who prevails has shattered the mind of the other. Armed with nothing but conviction, these individuals have triumphed, proving that imposed collective thinking or groupthink will never conquer a spirit committed to its own beliefs.
I felt that each one of us present in Oslo has been a victim, to varying degrees, of the same type of individual: the one who fears our inherent capacity to discern, reason, choose, and express opinions. Because it’s not violence they fear, but the expression of language—i.e., words—that drives the enemies of freedom. A shared language makes us members of an imagined community, that of freedom defenders.
However, much work remains to be done to strengthen our nation. As Jack Healey pointed out, only a small fraction of the global population knows of the existence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent treaties. Therefore, the task of education must begin earnestly, for a society where knowledge transfer does not occur is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.
*Head of the National Assembly of Venezuela