Near but distant
Differences and authenticity
It is difficult in the modern world not to observe how we have many available tools to analyze our behaviors and reflect on a better way our collective actions. Digitalization has revolutionized the global speed of information and, for those who have access to the virtual world, decreases the barriers that we had, of recognizing the distant realities of others. However, there are things that even if they change the communication channel, continue to follow the same patterns. Like the algorithms that search engines and social networks manipulate. People tend to form their opinions, acquire attitudes and take positions in situations based on first impressions and socially shared assumptions, unaware of the creation of the gaps between individuals that this originates. It would seem increasingly possible to go in one direction together, because every individual around seems to be informed about the same thing, or having experienced a similar situation, but that is still hardly a fact. The objective of this paper is to identify some of the bases of these turning points for such behavior. On the following lines, we analyze how this can justify different barriers between humans in their random encounters. We will exemplify it with the base of John Roemer's theory of justice, Equality of Opportunity, and demonstrate it through the argumentation of the Capability Approach of Amartya Sen.
For this, we will first introduce the basis of this paper, the theory of luck egalitarianism by John Rawls[1] though Roemer’s arguments on The Theory and Measurement of Equality of Opportunity.
The equality of opportunity approach to economic development arise on the late nineties as response to the failure of the identification of the source of inequality. The idea of global unity and development was just emerging from the different social movements of the time, a decade of mayor youth rebellion. In each region of the world was a time of profound radical transformations of society after the industrialization;
• In Africa, the fight was torn resisting the imperialism of United States (US), pro-indigenous movements, anti-colonialist, anti-capitalism. The high cost of living, participatory governance, erratic power supply, unemployment, poor road infrastructure and corruption were as well an important part of the protests (Abedi Asante & Helbrecht, 2018).
• In Asia, a diverse context irrupted the region. In the nowadays collapsed soviet union, the fight for unity of all the democratic organizations in the fight for social change and reform (Remnick, 1990). In East Asia, the demands for reform and a change of leadership. Student rights were part of the fight for civil human rights with a structure based on more freedom and less repression (Power & Tai, 2019).
• In Latin America, the social movement had the focus on protesting for university reforms, shared governance, women rights and as well, indigenous rights and more civil participation (Ordorika, 2020).
• In western countries continued the fight for workers’ rights, freedom in the entertainment,, protests anti-regulation, anti-capitalism, about policing, and as well proactive campaigns against racial profiling labor movement and trade unionism (Egg, 2021) (Degryse, 2020), (Lim, Oliver, & Hanna, 2019).
In essence, the world was facing the last chapter of the 90s repeating loud the desire of autonomy, a change in the social structure that included more equality and/or more justice. Through massive protests2 around the globe, it was impossible to ignore the roll that the clash of civilizations, the system-failure on the working system and the environmental awareness was taking. Especially in the conception of the coexistence of human-rational beings. Societies on this time recognize how different, big and pluralist other civilizations are. Scientific development was not as scattered and recognized. The impact of technology and social communication was overwhelming. Information was, as well on that time, faster than ever.
In an attempt to give a definition to balance, the equality of opportunity approaches different philosophers and economists with the idea of education as a social primary good in Rawls’ Sense. It considers the protection of civil liberties, which implies, having tools to take responsibility as a member of the society. In order to reach fairness, the approach tries to reach an equalized bundle of primary goods[2] for all individuals unified with the difference principle[3], which would implicate a step further to equal opportunity. Anyways, to recompile information that can help to describe and compare the types of inequality in the different economic fields and include all members of the civilization through time is, in this theory and generally, complex.
In order to assure people civil participation, and to choose openly and carefully how to do it policy measures must consider Well-being indices. They should contain information from the true account of people’s current and future living conditions and should represent a hope to sustainable economic progress
"Poverty is not just a lack of money; it is not having the capability to realize one's full potential as a human being."- Amartya Sen (1983)
Economist and philosopher
The analysis of equality brings the human realization of differences among everyone, and invites people to ask different questions in the matter. It is important to talk about factors as the color of skin or gender on the analysis of equality. Mostly because it points out the importance of the innate social ability, to appreciate differences. Categories, “shared thoughts”, have their limitations, as they create knowledge from other sources but the practical. For example, what if people from the global-ranked “Most Satisfied Country in the World” want to continue fighting for more subventions? Is it consequently right to say that they have enough rights in comparison to other countries and should not fight for even more benefits? No. These turning points remarking the disconnection of societies and the inexistent unity visualize are a reflex of (mis)conceptions of others. The danger of them is that they create a difficulty on communication and thereby breaches (distance) among them. The arguments from “The Capability Approach” from Amartya Sen bring understanding of the proposal of outlining the different capabilities people share so they can create bridges that forge sustainable unity.
II. The Capability Approach from Amartya Sen
The capability approach (CP) brought the attention of modern social scientists to education and health, which were already a debate on the utility function[5]. The cohesive point with the theory we just saw is the aim to consider people’s ability to achieve advantage through their free choices. Understanding and comparing behaviors through analyzing relative efforts can help to describe these free choices and can work as a logical explanation to communities, to understand the maximization of the benefits of the one’s that have less choices
With enough information and tools to understand the reality of others, like books, media or connections, an individual independent analysis can cooperate to the creation of empathy and communication skills, in different communities full of diverse challenges and complexities. Human’s innate tendency to socialize plays an important role in visualizing the limitations that concern this. Now, maybe the chance is there, but is the availability of capabilities as well? Can this be a resource to enjoy of unity?
The Capability Approach focuses on what people can actually do and do, rather than the resources they have access to, or in other words, their actual ability to achieve their goals following reason (see here positive freedom[6], substantive freedom[7]). People manage different goals and they depend in a big amount on the personal context where they develop. To quantify and observe these objectives through happiness, desire-fulfillment, and choice (utility) alone, brings separation and categorization. Sen talks about these singularities and explains how the capabilities recreate personal freedoms and how they are a tool, but important to denote on the work of Sen, is that to first use them, he explains that individuality must be cherished and that, by respecting each ones choices, this information could transform an environment conducive to human flourishing. The Capability Approach explains how important is to be aware of the living competencies among every individual at the level of everyday life.
“A society can be Pareto optimal and still perfectly disgusting by any ethical standards.”[8]
- Amartya Sen (1970)
Economist and philosopher
Considering there is a reason to choose freely based on evaluations, will indicate a well-informed decision. People’s preferences, further on the Capability Approach, are a representation of their own environment, personal values and individuality. Ethical frameworks and society acceptation support these decisions. Visualizing these preferences in a community brings them into the vulnerability of unfair judgement. For this reason, mutual respect is essential.
The denial of the proximity to problems as a mechanism of defense against imperfection is common as it is a common assumption that humans are denominated rational beings. There is a tendency to neglect negative behaviors and ignore negative emotions, as anger or sadness, by this ignoring the real opportunity of understanding each other. An example here are the qualification of graffiti, stickers and posters as vandalism, and with this, treating the message the authors wanted to transmit to the authorities and other members of the society with indifference, supremacism, and even fear. Blocking all possibilities to create a channel of communication. This problematic represents on the following lines, the unawareness of other’s individuality.
Figure 1: Artist-Activist Changing the World
Note: Communicating difficult issues to the general public, such as climate change and racism, can be challenging. This is where different forms of communication come in from documentaries to sculpture. Artist-activists, using their creative skills to create and educate.
Picture by Melissa Douglas, 2021
Note: Banksy, whose identity is the art world’s most closely guarded secret, is an enigmatic artist and world-recognized political activist. His graffiti-influenced stencil technique, often combined with anti-establishment slogans, is immediately recognizable.
Human beings make judgements and imitate as a survival skill. The decision of how to do it, is on this paper, our observed capabilities. Appreciating differences with kindness when judging them, contemplating our own joy, and thinking about the things that we all have in common are difficult to put in practice without the correct tools. This can represent a trap for many, as people tend to act from their own knowledge, take influences from the known social structure, authorities and inclusive celebrities. This may represent a barrier to understand others that have other representations for the same values or qualities performed by other objects or perspectives. These differences are between different individuals from different contexts impossible to compare. These divisions and confusions tend to be frequent on polarization.
IV. A range of equally beneficial alternatives
Disconnecting from others may be frustrating and as well, disregarded by many. Envying others, or having pity for others, express how detached we are from others. (Mis)imagining the meaning of life, defining the right or wrong “path” to follow, as if we could completely understand the reality of others should be as well considered a source of inequality. This implies the increase or reduction of the number of opportunities someone has based on the justification of individual judgment based on physical appearance. This reflects on society, an example here is the process of recruiting members of staff. Each of us builds up these distinctions by our individual and social decisions direct or indirectly. Considering this delivers another reason of why processes of change tend to be long in societies that do not practice inclusion in a sustainable way. This brings us to the conclusion that the idea of a one-and-only-resource solution is impossible.
In the way to diversity and distribution of tasks in a community, each person or group of people that respects the individuality of others can be enriching, and the inclusion of all in effective ways can increase the amount of possibilities that there exist to improve our coexistence. We cannot universal define what it is a good life but we can give proper spaces to encounters and to ensure freedom for everyone, so they find and decide their own meaning of a good life in society.
The Capability Approach focuses on the interception of the decisions of “what I should value’ and ‘what I value’. The social objective is to give the individual free choices among a range of equally beneficial alternatives to which this individual should have access. For example, having to choose between mineral water, alkaline water, tap water, and not of the choice between drinkable water, and contaminated water. Personal qualifications on these preferences differ greatly from each different position that each individual manages. They vary in a wide range when changing personal contexts. It does shape better solutions to hear the explanation from different preferences than that of their own. The fulfillment of each individual can have divergent interpretations: their use, outcome, functioning, help, rareness, or imitability can differ importantly between individuals. An example of this is, to hate broccolis, as they remind someone from a traumatic experience, or maybe to give a bike no importance, mostly because the partner did not allowed him/her to use it, both situations unreasonable to someone who has enjoyed its health and practical benefits without limitations. Sen calls these preferences adaptive preferences, and argue that they are not a guide to our redistributive entitlements.
Further, we can then agree, on knowing that there is going to be disagreements always, and different approaches to solutions, luckily creating different valuable options for others. In order to make these differences a part of a community that is able to work and be sustainable, there has to be a recognition of all abilities, and with it, a solution to integrate it to the community. The recognition and sustentation of all abilities brings us to the actual marketplace, with the factor of value and wealth. The recognition of abilities through a value that society on a moment is willing to reward or remunerate. This leads us back to the challenging topic of utility, and therefore, money, the one instrument universally accepted to exchange. The big problem of it is that the earnings of some may bring very little social gain, or as well, considerable social loss and this is, mostly, the source of inequalities.
Colonialization, genocides, violations of human rights, consumerism, animal abuse, nature exploitation, imperialism, the abuse of power, abuse of influence, hegemony, the commodity culture, the abuse of the naivety, asymmetric information, capitalism, the limits of resources, modern colonialization, the housing crisis, racism, discrimination, (…), between others.
The communication about these issues on a world where information is each day faster represents an opportunity to change by the exchange of information. To reform social justice, to empower people, and to deconstruct all the barriers that created long years of social inequality, is not a task of a few. This issues need to remain in constant awareness and discussion as new solutions are created, but for that, society needs a space to promote healthy communication[9]. An example of actual solutions that tackle this issues are social networks, that create a new but limited way to reach others constructing local groups, initiatives as the grassroots movements that are willing to initiate voluntary cooperation, food sharing, galleries, campaigns, and the list of actions leaded by solidarity could go on.
The different atmospheres where situations can evolve into this encounters have as well their limitations. What each individual considers a “common preference” or “common thought’ is nowadays with help of globalization, each time more divergent and therefore, confusing. Surprise and fascination play nowadays an important role on this information exchange, where it is necessary to be prepared to receive a lot of disinformation as well. To practice critical inquiry[10] in order to analyze speeches of hate or manipulation plays a crucial role while getting to know external ideas and making them their own.
An example of how much important concepts are involved when these different contexts colliding follows:
Person A and B go to eat together, they find out one eats cheese (Person A), and one does not (Person B). Person B has moral and personal reasons for not doing it and has completely replaced cheese on his/hers’ diet recently. Person A just gets a bit curious and remembers discussions from the topic that he/she had lately. They both analyze the possibility of sharing the experience of the other one and start to talk about their own reason of this choose on diet. They agreed to disagree and the discussion of the topic ended. They went later to the park and continued to have a nice evening. Afterward, person A does a grill, where Person A is aware of the persons coming (Person C) has a total contrary and determined position against people who does not like cheese. Person A faces on his/hers thoughts different scenarios:
In case Person A invites Person B, Person A has the following options on his/her considerations:
1. Include free-cheese food in the menu for Person B
2. Include free-cheese food in the menu for everyone
3. Talking with Person B explaining there is no way, there will not be food without cheese, and advising him/her to bring his/hers own food.
4. Changing the menu to a cheese-free menu for everyone including him/her-self, and telling the other guests that if they want to eat cheese, they have to bring it.
In case Person A does not invites Person B, Person A has the following options on his/her considerations:
1. Avoid thinking about cheese-free food for this time, thinking about tolerating it just for the time Person B is present.
2. Trying some other time cheese-free food to experience it and “give it a chance”.
3. Avoid cheese-free food.
Person A decides to invite Person B, and include free-cheese food on the menu for everyone, with this decision he consciously inwardly compromises him/herself to open a space to talk about cheese-free food. Once they are all together on the grill, Person C explains him/herself on the topic, does not share the concept of cheese-free food, but agrees on some points. This example is further mention as the decisions example.
V. A reconsideration of what we define insignificant.
Why the sun looks so small if it is so big? Mostly, because of distance. Distance (breaches) ignore important elements to understand the wholeness of reality and, at the same time, it allow us to focus on our experience. In order to explain and understand what is between our experience and the reality of what is far, we need to ignore simplicity. Therefore… why we, with our own human capacities, cannot see with our eyes how big the sun is: It is mostly because of our perspective, and as well, because we are not working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Inclusion in daily encounters can be a threat of these situations. Commonly, simplicity is a result of the decisions of few individuals and luck. Decisions could sound as little insignificant details, but it is important to denote that they come from intrinsic motivators influenced from other social and psychological factors that affect interaction and interpretation. This brings the necessity of better channels of communication that abolish the need of mistreating, what sometimes is not easy to cherish: differences. As we saw on the decisions example, if Person A had chosen to change the menu to a cheese-free for everyone, Person A would have detonated a chain of consequences that every individual could freely interpret and tolerate from their very own perception.
It is important to respect and validate each other’s perceptions. People manage to imagine and conceive the world through their very own knowledge. The sources of this knowledge have its basis on proper or external imagination and/or influences. Back to the explanation of the luck egalitarians, all this sources proceed from coincidence are as well a source of injustice, as no individual can repeat the experiences from others. Namely on the example referring to the non-cheese diet, the very variability of Person A having tasted a bad cheese replacement before, could be a trigger for a different decision or behavior agains the decision of Person B.
Very simple differences and understandings from the various stimulants of the atmosphere, in which someone develops, influence our communication and our way to relate with other beings. All these between other daily coincidences and thoughts, are what make us all distinctive individuals. In the deep understanding of the validation of others’ perception, together with healthy communication, political awareness, and a sense of service, empathy represents here a step closer to life satisfaction. Where people recognize and understand how individual an adaptation to differences or changes can be, reinforcing hereby our feeling of unity.
What until here and from these examples has to be clear, is how different the perspective of everyone is and how much each day that passes can affect our decisions and with it our outcomes. The variability that things happen in different ways as the one we know is immense. A good example of this is the COVID-pandemic as it affected relationships and plans from one day to another
Differences come in many ways and forms, sometimes obvious and some other times, as we previously mentioned, in little details. Sometimes they are different tastes, and other times different colors of skin. In any case, kindness, empathy, generosity, compassion and tolerance for all lifestyles, diets, political groups, cultures, lifestyles, or religions are a key to talk about justice around the world. The individual promotion of these prosocial behaviors is fundamental to build a society that cares and shares. An environment where people can respect each other’s individuality forges healthy communication. Such an environment is able to understand the sources of inequality and in this way, as well, can be able to reach to just and viable solutions for everybody.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” - Audre Lorde (1934-1992)
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches
On this point, it is as well important to denote the progress that exists already on the topic. People’s sympathy has managed through time to think about the direction on the use and the sharing of resources. Social problems in a world full of diversity and complexity. Social courage from different great communicators and resilient people was indispensable to reach to this point, where we enjoy already sharing spaces to work in this and to compromise ourselves on the way to handle it. We nowadays observe local and international conclusions and results just by being able to speak about these problems.
VI. With opportunity comes challenge
Moreover, the need for different metrics to assure wellbeing for all and the recognition of the role of culture in development is crucial. Including this and the named social ethical objectives[11] at the center of public opinion and decision-making will support the construction and strengthening of the foundations of social cohesion and peace on international levels. Furthermore, it is relevant to show for further studies, how statistical data and actual economic theories can support this.
On the Capability Approach, Sen’s clarification on people existing preferences respecting their values brings debate while analyzing well-being. As we explained before, emotional motivators enhance human essence and with this honesty. Positive emotions are in this way important, as they are a tool that promotes brain health and serve as an important social function that expresses feelings of freedom, resilience, safety and ease.
The happiness index and the satisfaction index compare people’s opinions about their emotions about their surroundings. Some live with inconsistencies, for instance not enough availability to basic resources and some have more access to what is considered basic attentions. The comparison on regions created groups that showed to be happier and other ones more satisfied. Moreover, limitations on the definition and subjectivity of terms, incomplete information, and variables to understand and validate different hypotheses represent difficulties in finding reliable information for well-being indices. This brings us to important challenging facts to consider for their further inclusion on their application and further economical investigation:
i. Culture
Studies has shown that a high level of racial diversity are associated with a high level of wealth inequality. The absurd role of ranging intelligence in all different cultures create differences based on judgment and social (mis)conceptions. Conflicts and what other people has been exposed to, marks a limit of empathy and formal recognition on others, as there is a lack of an ability to relate. This creates less social solidarity and less redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor. This is an important complement to political and economic analysis in understanding the emergence of (violent) group mobilization. Languages and language recognition represents a barrier to understanding. To practice respect to ethno cultural practice and custom is an ability that has to be developed. High racial diversity is found to be related to a greater ability spread on these assessments. Such relations should be considered on the Gini index[12].
ii. Anger
This emotion has relevance on social relationships as a motivator and as an impulse. This emotion, together with a good ability on healthy commination, can describe other’s situation and uncomformity. On the other side, it is a problematic anger if it violates others’ freedoms and well being. Reducing problematic anger may in turn help mitigate economic difficulties. Problematic anger needs more research. Possible helps include a stronger social cooperation and healthcare.
iii. Cooperative behaviors
Embarrassment and negative emotions while communicating are associated with the lack of cooperative behaviors. Cooperative behaviors should enable participation from all members of a society. Creativity, commitment, curiosity and understanding other’s reality are abilities that play an important role.
iv. Health,
Material, behavioral and psychosocial pathways in a mix with a lack of support networks are some of the problems facing health. They are partially shaped by socioeconomic factors, and contribute to health inequalities.
a. positive social relationships,
There is a critic to the focus on market prices and market efficiency ignoring the conception of markets as a “place” where relationships, perceptions, learning and care of all could as well take place. Positive social relationships enable the opportunity of good mental health. This includes lower rates of anxiety and depression, higher self-esteem, greater empathy, and more trusting and cooperative relationships. Capabilities needed for empowerment
v. Availability and access to basic resources
In order to understand the functioning of individuals with the available resources they manage, it is to consider ecological, socio-economical- and political factors. Aid faces challenges to obtain their desired outcome when putting in practice their policies and procedures. This can aggravate inequity as this creates stress for other members of communities that face additional hurdles and fear. The development aid should focus on the cost of living and schooling, as on healthcare, nutrition, and social destructive housing.
Amartya Sen has contributed to the understanding of even more variables. In the Capability Approach he affirmed, that happiness in surroundings that have not enough availability to basic resources is a capability that has to be respected, and that does not represent a validate argument for the inattention of governments on such spaces. This may be, as well, a controversy in the cases of hegemonic interventions, or the negative perception of individuals on change. Again, a space for healthy communication and education among all individuals is here crucial.
We can conclude here, that the definition of poverty as the result of the lack of basis resources makes researchers question the meaning of human basic resources. The subjectivity comes from different perspectives, and the influence that some historical events on the values of society have, for example, the industrial revolution together with capitalism, is an important focus point to understand poverty. Either ways, this last observation should not diminish the participation of technology and wealth on the development, but should open a space for the reconsideration of the limits of resources, and the distribution of them
Late important indices that could help in this research, as they developed in order to visualize the realities of more people in the world, point out different domains:
the importance of the pursuit of happiness above the Gross Domestic Product[13], good governance, sustainable socio-economic development, psychological wellbeing (positive emotions and resilience), health, education, community vitality, time use, cultural preservation, environmental conservation, cultural and ecological diversity, living standards, life satisfaction, life expectancy, satisfaction levels, ecological footprint and the consume of the fair share of the Earth’s resources.
These measured outcomes are components of the Gross National Happiness Index[14] (GNHI), the World Happiness Report[15], or The Happy Planet Index[16] (HPI).
According to Sen, the role of governments in ensuring the individual and collective well-being of the citizens is not only resulting from the indispensable redistribution of economic wealth but also by ensuring the necessary condition for social cohesion, human rights fulfilment, and, in short, individual and collective well-being. This implies approaches, not only based on economic resources. Tangible and intangible[17] resources from all around the world can be used as a guide to a diverse culture that bring proper encounters to life that maintain visible social objectives, and that creatively negotiate our way through possible transitions. Enhancing people’s cultural capacities such as co-operation and creativity, openness to diversity and curiosity, lyricism as much as logical thinking is essential to achieve a fully sustainable society that enjoys human rights, civil liberty and shared well-being. Art and science powerfully contribute to the enhancement of such capacities as well as cultural life, education and research do from another angle.
In order to reach a society that is open to speak and to plan together a future that can be achievable, it is necessary to develop our individual capabilities. By engaging our differences with a more adaptive mutuality, and use our diversity to develop ourselves into more worthy instruments able to serve what we as community most value; our living beings, systems, cultures and environments. It is not only our surroundings, but also our globalized and each day more reachable world that needs communities that have the ability to extend curiosity, compassion and unbiased interpersonal warmth. These qualities can come from the most recondite places of the world, and therefore, we need (daily) preparation and practical training to understand others, among all societies.
Social movements continue to exist through our abilities to find a way to express ourselves. Expressing ourselves about problems brings solutions, and solutions fight social barriers, much more effective than denial or counter-blaming. Communicating is therefore a capability required to participate in political, cultural, social, and educational life, and is essential for personal belonging. To maintain safe our social encounters and enforce communication skills, such as constructive criticism, positive communication and critical enquiry, can help in a sense of learning to hear others and being prepared to respect others opinions, as well as to consider alternative points of view. The capacities of collective solidarity, respect and empathy are here key to unity. Unity is a big contribution to voluntary cooperation, social cohesion and global cooperation.
Trespassing the barrier of communication means breaking the barrier that separates different ideas and therefore, available knowledge. Imagination, experimentation, proactivity, validation and consciousness in a mixture can be a good definition of what collective knowledge is about, and how it handles naivety or ignorance. This knowledge would therefore mean an accumulation of experiences that can enrich society and enforce social sciences.
We can conclude as well, that people existing preferences respect their values. The differences that may come from these decisions are respectable and necessary for a diverse and empath society. We saw as well, that appreciating joy on the path to the different goals each individual on his reality has, is a capability that we together as a society involved in a useful system can create and just offer in a tangible and/or intangible way.
Bringing a feeling of understanding among individuals that appreciate their difference is part of the broader discourse aimed around the development of the societal cultural assets and concerns each individual. This will be important to enforce empowerment, boost solidarity, increase hope on people and trust in the solidarity of others. Personal engagement influences the public sphere and this allows the inclusion of social aims in further policies, which affect more individuals.
[1] A twentieth-century American philosopher who wrote A Theory of Justice(1971), a failproof model for identifying what truly might be unfair – and how we might gather support for fixing things. (see Appendix 1)
[2] Primary goods known on this theory as the necessary input to the success of any life plan. They have worth in society, as they are the tool for individual rights and freedoms, opportunities to gain power, authority in social life, income, wealth and a social basis of self-esteem. (see here Roemer & Trannoy, 1969, S. 3)
[3] Also known as the maximin principle, which explains a distribution that differentiates who needs more and who needs less in a society. The ones that need more are the ones that have as well the less opportunities.
[4] See in Appendix: GDP.
[5] See Appendix 2: Sen and Utilitarism
[6] Positive freedom focuses on a person’s capability to choose to do (or not to do), to achieve (or not to achieve) something, rather than on external constraints that prevents (or limits) someone from doing something (negative freedom).
[7] The ability to live to old age, engage in economic transactions, or participate in political activity.
[8] An economy is in a Pareto Optimal state when no further changes in the economy can make one person better off without at the same time making another worse off.
[9] From NorthStar Transitions we proceed to define healthy communication as the ability to communicate without offering hateful or undesirable responses. It engages with the understanding of emotions and intentions behind a person's words. When practicing healthy communication, an individual will be able to clearly convey his or her message while also listening in a way that helps another person feel heard and understood.
[10] Critical Inquiry is the continued ability to question and evaluate decisions, actions and behavioral change through observation, experience, thinking, reasoning and judgment.
[11] Empathy, Mutual Respect, Generosity, Compassion, Kindness, among other important named values.
[12] In economics, the Gini Index or coefficient measures income distribution across a population.
[13] “In reality, GDP growth on its own does not mean a better life for everyone, particularly in countries that are already wealthy. It doesn’t take into account inequality, the things that really matter to people like social relations, health, or how they spend their free time, and crucially, the planetary limits we are upagainst”
[14] The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach towards notions of progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects of wellbeing.
[15] The Report is produced by the UN’s Sustainable Development Systems Network and scores nations on responses to the ‘life evaluation’ questions collected in the Gallup World Poll. These include variables such as real GDP per person, healthy life expectancy, corruption levels and social freedoms.
[16] An innovative new measure that shows the ecological efficiency with which human well-being is delivered.
[17] democracy, rights, rule of law, freedom of expression, welfare/solidarity, education, environmental sensitivity, public spaces, etc.),
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