Deprivation of liberty-Amir Alibabic
Updated: Sep 1, 2022
We are living in a society of equality, or at least we are trying to live in a society of equality. The biggest problem comes when we try to make everyone equal, or try to redistribute equality between all people. Many questions arise, like what is freedom, what is liberty, is there anyone who is deprived of liberty, etc … World isn’t perfect, but our main goal should be that we try to make it perfect.
This notion was also included in our training activity in Slovenia, which took part from 5th of June till 11th of June. We were a really heterogeneous group from Italy, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovenia, but in the end we became homogenic. In groups were participating disabled and body abled people, with different backgrounds (students, teachers, dancers, leaders of NGOs, …). Through the discussion, especially dancing and sensual touch, we discovered how different we are and how different our needs are. Also our viewpoints on what the needs were different. In the case of disabled people we in most cases have the need that our space must be accessible (no stairs, no slopes, big rooms, adapted toilets and showers, etc …). But is this our need? I would rather say it is our right and liberty.
In most cases people use the terms freedom and liberty as synonyms in today's world. In case of freedom we are talking primarily about an internal construct, while on the hand liberty is predominantly more an external construct. Like Viktor Frankl, the legendary Holoucaust survivor, had put it:
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way (in how he approaches his circumstances)”.
We must expand our horizons and feel the needs of all people around us, which are just battle cries for liberty and equity.
Last night we discussed if we can tell jokes about disabled people, and my answer is ABSOLUTELY YES. So let me finish with telling you a joke. You know what you get for winning at the Paralympics? THE STAIRS :).
By Amir Alibabic