Column: Freedoms crucial, now more than ever

In the dawn of January, 80 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the U.S. Congress awakening our nation’s conscience to dedicate our lives for liberty, democracy and human rights for all in America and “everywhere in the world.”

The Four Freedom message meets the moment the nation faces now. It demanded a new direction in domestic and foreign affairs, recognizing all is one and our common future depends on our collective commitment. The moral architecture assembled in the four pillars of freedom and peace offer a path forward for humanity beginning in Hawaii.

The fight for freedom was the heart of the major policy providing foundational principles moving forward for holistic human security rooted in respect and equality.

Calling for freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship as one chooses, freedom from fear and freedom from want, FDR ignited an initiative for individuals evolving into an international institution dedicated to end the scourge of war and protect people from own politicians preying on fear armed with four freedoms to prioritize civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights to guide our governments.

Throughout the decades, a global democracy movement burns bright in hearts of humanity. People still dream, desire and demand fundamental freedoms and put their lives on the line for liberty around the planet. We can even see this summer in the streets and fall at the ballot box of the United States, a spark for social justice embodied in the four freedoms. It ignited a flame that had flickered for too long in a country too comfortable to begin to burn bright again and build back better during dark days of a double pandemic.

As we launch the 117th Congress, the message matters. As our democracy faces challenges inside with authoritarian actions being attempted with abandonment, everywhere in the world there is an alarming increase of dictators denying the four freedoms to own people most recently in Hong Kong with new laws passed.

We must all protect the rights of people everywhere in the world. During the past four years, partners in peace have stood with the U.S, people against actions by the administration that tasted of tyranny spreading even more turbulence in these tumultuous times. The journey for justice requires us all to remain vigilant for human rights for all.

While FDR alerted us to foreign peril of fascist racist regimes ruling by hatred and fear, today the threat is within our borders as much as beyond. Our institutions dedicated to rule of law are being challenged constantly.

We must reset and regain ground at the global level with our partners around the planet. We have walked away from the world and toward narrow nationalism rooted in racism. We withdrew from the international institutions that counted on us to at least stand united not undermine. In the middle of global crises from climate to health, we weakened the moral architecture, from the U.N. Paris Agreement to the World Health Organization.

Fortunately, Hawaii continued to be a partner for we the people and our planet. We led as the first state claiming We Are Still in for the Paris Agreement and recognizing our historical role in the Pacific to combat the climate crisis with our neighbors.

Hawaii also became the first state ever to present a Voluntary Local Review around the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals outlined in our Aloha+Challenge bringing together public-private partnerships guided by kanaka maoli values of Malama Honua.

The Four Freedoms provide a roadmap to realize human rights and improve all lives. More recently, the United States underwent the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) providing a human rights check up where fellow United Nations members states provided nearly 350 recommendations to better promote and protect civil liberties and economic rights.

In the first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration, the U.N. Human Rights Council will officially adopt the UPR report. The U.S. should send a high level delegation for the hour plus session and return from Geneva with a greater commitment to respect, protect and fulfill human rights.

Joshua Cooper is a lecturer at University of Hawaii, co-chairs the National UPR Task Force, and is a UNA-USA National Council representative.