| The Foundation for Effective Governance is dedicated to improving the living standards of people of Ukraine by promoting economic reforms in the country. We believe that no reform can be successfully implemented without being openly debated and granted educated public support and, more generally, effective governance is not possible without informed electorate. The Foundation therefore works to foster the institution of high quality public discussion in Ukraine by means of its Public Debates project and the forthcoming international conference on Freedom of Speech.
Freedom of Speech is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of democratic values which is granted formal recognition in law in most countries. Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that: “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
However, the reality of how freedom of speech is exercised is far more complicated and the notion is currently at the center of international public discussion on how to ensure that freedom of speech serves the interests of society as a whole. The right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and is limited to different degree in different societies depending on their traditions and values with most common limitations being on libel and hate speech. Furthermore, freedom of speech as a right includes not only the content, but also the means of expression, and media plays a critical role here. Nevertheless, freedom of the press is not necessarily enabling freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is a right which belongs to all, while not everybody has equal access to the media and the mere scope of its influence attracts additional attention to the issues of media representativeness and professional journalism standards.
What is freedom of speech? Should freedom of speech be limited to any degree and who should decide what these limitations are? Can social demand for freedom of speech be fostered? How to ensure that freedom of speech works to the benefit of society as a whole? What should be done to create a level playing field for the media market?
The Foundation of Effective Governance hopes to promote a constructive discussion on these and other issues concerning freedom of speech during the international conference it hosts in Kiev, Ukraine on December, 2nd 2010.
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Foundation for Effective Governance
23F Kudrjavska Street Kiev 04053, Ukraine
Reception: +380 44 501 41 00 PR Department: +380 44 501
41 07 Fax: + 380 44 501 41 05
e-mail: feg@feg.org.ua |
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