This one answer to that question has been ringing through my head for a couple of days.
- The right to solidarity, i.e. all should be allowed to partake in solidary action during a strike.
- The right of initiative and right to recall.
- The right to free software, or freedom from proprietary software.
- The right to a third place, i.e. ready access to physical spaces that allow for socializing with strangers.
- Freedom from eviction (mainly wrt rent strikes and squatting.)
- The right to democratic education.
- The right to cross borders.
- The right to be forgotten.
- The right to purpose, or freedom from meaningless labor. This includes the right to an employee fund.
And there are of course other things. I just think that under the world’s current paradigm, these, at least individually, seem relatively attainable without a literal revolution.
Perhaps we might talk about how we might guide society toward these things using technology.
I guess cypherpunks aren’t strictly the same as crypto-anarchists, but this feels like sort of odd fare for this community? Maybe my idea of what cypherpunks are has been colored by hanging around with Bitcoin people for so long.
Overall I’m not huge on pushing for positive rights. The only negative right I see on this list is “the right to cross borders”, aka freedom of movement, which is something that I’m very much in favor of. I guess from a mutualist perspective, “freedom from eviction” would also be a negative right, since ownership is supposed to be based on occupancy and use.
For anyone that’s not familiar with the terms, a negative right is a right not to have something imposed on you, where a positive right is a right to be provided with something.
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Ill take a stab at it.
Action Plan for Societal Rights
This plan outlines potential actions for enabling certain societal rights. These measures might need substantial changes and persistent, collective action from various stakeholders, including governments, non-profit organizations, businesses, communities, and individuals.
1) Right to Solidarity
- Educate the public about their rights to organize, unionize, and engage in collective bargaining.
- Advocate for and draft legislation to safeguard and expand these rights, including during strikes.
- Establish legal aid funds for workers facing legal action when involved in strikes.
2) Right of Initiative and Right to Recall
- Lobby for legislative reforms permitting citizens to initiate legislation or recall elected officials.
- Launch educational campaigns to inform citizens about these rights and how to exercise them.
3) Right to Free Software
- Encourage the development and use of open-source software through public funding.
- Urge government and institutions to adopt open-source software and contribute to open-source projects.
- Promote legislation ensuring proprietary software companies provide public access to their source code or offer free alternatives.
4) Right to a Third Place
- Invest in public infrastructure, such as parks, community centers, and libraries, which can function as third places.
- Encourage businesses and developers to incorporate community spaces into their plans.
- Implement urban planning policies prioritizing the creation of spaces for community interaction.
5) Freedom from Eviction
- Advocate for housing as a human right and push for legislation that protects against eviction, especially during rent strikes or for vulnerable communities.
- Invest in affordable housing projects and increase public housing funding.
- Enforce rental control policies and establish legal funds to assist tenants facing eviction.
6) Right to Democratic Education
- Advocate for democratic and inclusive education systems allowing students, parents, and teachers a voice in decision-making.
- Encourage educational policies promoting critical thinking, creativity, and active participation in society.
- Develop training programs for teachers to implement democratic education in classrooms.
7) Right to Cross Borders
- Advocate for fair and compassionate immigration policies.
- Support international cooperation to address the root causes of forced migration.
- Improve legal and humanitarian assistance for refugees and asylum seekers.
8) Right to be Forgotten
- Advocate for digital privacy laws, including the right to be forgotten, and lobby for their implementation.
- Raise public awareness about digital privacy and how to protect it.
- Encourage technology companies to design privacy-preserving systems.
9) Right to Purpose/Freedom from Meaningless Labor
- Support the development of employee-owned cooperatives and other forms of worker self-management.
- Advocate for job guarantee programs and universal basic income to offer economic security.
- Encourage businesses to provide meaningful work and ensure fair wages, good working conditions, and employee participation in decision-making.
10) The Right to an Employee Fund
- Encourage legislation mandating companies to allocate a portion of profits for an employee fund.
- Create awareness and provide education about the benefits of such a fund.
This plan, if progressively implemented with broad societal consensus, can help attain the listed rights without necessitating a complete societal revolution. However, these steps require consistent efforts, funding, cooperation, and most importantly, political will.
It shouldn’t be considered to be “new”, since we’ve all been operating for decades in the assumption that we’ve had this right, but apparently not: the right to privacy.
