by Francisco Gomes de Matos, a peace linguist from Recife, Brazil

HUMAN DIGNITY is killed when

• a person, a group, a community is deprived of self-esteem, self-respect; is  subjected to indignities of such nature as communicative, cultural, economic, educational, physical, political, scientific, social, …

HUMAN DIGNITY is also killed when

• justice is not sought for  indignity, humiliation suffered by persons, groups in our communities
• persons , institutions, Civil Society do not do their duty to achieve justice for violations of indignity committed in the community

HUMAN DIGNITY is also killed when

• our NGOs, local agencies or commissions do not speak out and act against indignities caused to human beings, animals, the environment
• persons accused of abuses of the Right to Dignity stand trial but are not convicted

HUMAN DIGNITY is also killed when

• Public (media) debates on debasing, demeaning, dehumanizing forms of indignity are silenced authoritarianly
• legal, social, psychological assistance to victims of Dignity violations are not provided or assured

A CONCLUDING COMMENT-PLEA:

DIGNITY can be honored, supported, strengthened, sustained globally if Educating for DIGNITY be planned and implemented in a NONKILLING spirit and if in such implementation, the inseparability and interdependence of Peace, Nonviolence, Justice, Democracy, Human Rights be acted upon.

May this be a plea for a Nonkilling Approach to DIGNITY.

(received November 14, 2010)