Dignity
In a democracy the dignity and civil liberties of each person are supposed to be upheld. If they are not, it is up to others to defend their rights and dignity.
A few years ago Spain grappled with a cultural revolution within its own borders. Catalonia wanted independence from Spain. It held a referendum. Government authorities tried to stop the referendum, jailed politicians involved in it and brutally assaulted protestors and even voters on referendum day. Spanish authorities attacked dissidents and the political cases of Catalan leaders is ongoing.
During this upheaval, Julian Assange drew attention to Spain’s crackdown on political dissidents. At the time, he resided as an asylee in Ecuador’s embassy in London, UK; arbitrarily detained, denied justice and physically / mentally suffering.
Today, Catalonia announced that it honoured Assange for his reporting, fact-correcting and advocacy for democratic processes and civil liberties while it prepared for the referendum, voted and managed the political fall-out of the results. Assange was awarded the 2019 Dignity Prize. https://www.news.com.au/national/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-awarded-dignity-prize-from-catalans/news-story/207b2f05fbff34175570411b349c9a93
Assange has made it his life’s work to defend the rights of the “under-dog”, persecuted or victimized. He assisted Australian Federal Police in their hunt for online child predators/pedophiles. He helped launch Wikileaks, an online digital publisher that changed the way journalism is conducted around the globe. Assange’s proclivity for accuracy in data and news stories has led to a perfect reporting record on Wikileak’s website.
Assange has risked his life to bring the truth to the world and inform the public. He may pay the ultimate price for his extreme altruism. If Assange were in it for himself, he would have jettisoned out of journalism years ago. Instead, he has held fast to the principles of International Law, fact-checking and award winning journalism. He partnered with other media organizations in order to maximize the impact of the disclosures that whistleblowers entrusted to Wikileaks and team.
Assange has endured mental torture for nine years, since Dec. 7, 2010. Over 100 doctors have spoken out publicly to demand that Britain release him from the arbitrary detention which they have overseen for those nine years. Britain has refused. Britain has flouted the United Nations rulings on Assange. Britain cheated Assange from justice within its courts, all the way up to its Supreme Court. Britain is the problem. It excluded him from due process and impartiality in the court process leading up to June 2012 when Assange desperately fled to Ecuador’s embassy in fear of extradition to the United States for his publishing work. Consecutive UK Prime Ministers must prepare to answer for Assange’s suffering and potential death in its custody. The list includes David Cameron, Theresa May and now Boris Johnson.
Assange is human. He is genius, likely on the “spectrum” of autism. He is determined and he has put his talents and energies at the disposal of his global brothers and sisters. His life is a service to humanity and history. His computer skills, public speaking, research and writing have served the global public and for this, he is being tortured almost to death.
Dignity is the worth or value of his humanity, and our own. Is Assange’s life worth anything? Yes. It is priceless, unique and his contribution to humanity is indelible .Even if Assange were not gifted, articulate, computer savvy, intellectual or driven to empower the powerless, he has inherent dignity. If he were brown-skinned, he has inherent dignity. Dignity does not depend on gender, race, ability or disability. It does not depend on one’s financial “worth”.
I dedicate this poetry reading and cello accompaniment to the dignity of Julian Assange. This poem by Martha Graham really summarizes what human dignity is. Thank you Meryl Streep and Yo Yo Ma. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7IXfiop6_0
A letter from Martha Graham to Agnes DeMille
There is a vitality,
a life force,
a quickening
that is translated through you into action,
and because there is only one of you in all time,
this expression is unique.
And If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.
The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine
how good it is
nor how valuable it is
nor how it compares with other expressions.
It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly
to keep the channel open.
You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work.
You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate YOU.
Keep the channel open…
No artist is pleased…
There is no satisfaction whatever at anytime
There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction
a blessed unrest that keeps us marching
and makes “us” MORE alive than the others.
Martha Graham
( — a letter to Agnes De Mille-)