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What Is a Free and Just Society?


On November 8-9, WYA will host the 13th Asia Pacific Emerging Leaders Conference. This year’s Asia Pacific ELC will center around the theme, “Dignity Unbound: Emerging Leaders for a Free and Just Society.” Participants will discuss how to build a society that is genuinely free and just for all. But what does a free and just society actually look like?

It all starts with Human Dignity

Understanding the right answer to the question, “Who is the human person?” determines a country’s policies and culture—and in fact, its entire vision for humanity.

Is the human person the object of various policies, programs and end goals, or a subject with inviolable dignity, who stands at the center of all policies and initiatives? The World Youth Alliance maintains that all human beings have dignity and therefore are subjects who should be respected. Human dignity is intrinsic, independent of any individual condition; it is not granted, and it cannot be rescinded.

Human dignity is the foundation of all human rights, and States have the responsibility to recognize and respect the dignity of the human person.

Solidarity and the Common Good

Human dignity is best served when a government advances the common good. The state should use its power not in a self-aggrandizing way. Rather, it will strive to create conditions that allow people to pursue virtue and excellence. The truly just society will create a social, political, and economic environment that enables each person to reach their full physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional potential.

As WYA’s Declaration on Good Governance notes:

“The common good consists of the well-being of the persons in a community, solidarity among those persons and the environment in which each person’s deepest human aspirations and capacities can flourish. The common good arises from the person’s free and deliberate choice to pursue something beyond himself both for his own benefit and for the benefit of the community.”

Every free and just society is built on solidarity—the unified commitment of persons to live and work in the truth of who we are and for the pursuit of the common good.

In a free and just society, the state uses its power to foster unity and trust amongst citizens. It follows the rule of law, is accountable to its people, and transparent in its dealings. It encourages free expression and participation in the civic life of the country. And it cares in a particular way for the needs of the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable.

The Importance of the Family

As a fundamental unit of society, the family ensures the sustainability of civilization and culture. WYA’s Declaration on the Family explains why:

“The family . . . can provide the person with a fundamental experience of what it means to be truly human, through the parents’ unconditional gift of self to the child and through their mutual self-gift to each other.”

The family takes on essential tasks in the care of all, especially the weakest and the most vulnerable. This is why state must affirm the importance of the family. In particular, governments ought to protect the unique roles of mothers and fathers and the special place of children within the family.

Men and women should have the right to marry, to begin a family, and to have children. Everyone ought to have the right to be free from interference in his family life. Parents must be allowed to choose their children’s education, to ensure the moral and religious education of their children in accordance with their own beliefs, and to direct their children in the exercise of their rights. Additionally, the State should prioritize keeping families/parents and children together for the best interests of the child.

States must follow their obligations under international law and regional law and ensure that their own national and local laws conform to these standards.

Conditions for Flourishing

The specific conditions that people need to flourish will vary somewhat from country to country. Even so, every human deserves access to basic necessities such as clean water, sanitation, and adequate healthcare. The State also should practice responsible stewardship of its natural resources and foster conditions of peace, freedom, and security to provide stability for its people.

Access to education is another crucial element of human development. As WYA’s Declaration on Development states:

“The goal of education must be to help people recognize their dignity and equip them with the necessary tools to exercise their potential. When every member of a population is aware of how their education contributes to development, they will be able to fulfill their responsibility in society.”

Universal Values

No two countries’ needs, challenges, or cultures are the same. And yet, there are universal values that every nation must embrace if it wants to be truly free and just. At the end of the day, all states must be committed to protecting the dignity of the human person. They must be built on solidarity and a pursuit of the common good so that every person—no matter their background or
walk of life—can flourish and contribute to society.



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