Is your legal identity the basis for your social economic dignity? This is something that the UN has purported in its latest press release. When we think of social impact, our mind is instantly drawn to social justice because we only ever think in terms of loss of human rights. When we live without proper legal identity that would be recognised in all quarters and areas of our country and around the world as well, that is a loss of social dignity as well. Justice does not always have to reach a point of humanitarian crisis in order to be served. The loss of social dignity is also a major talking point and starting point when it comes to the very need for social justice and prevention of conflict. This is also, tellingly, the basis for better inclusion.
When a statement like this is made by the UN and there is a clear mark of distinction between dignity and justice in the social arena, there is bound to be a greater social impact at play. In the address UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed talks about how in life and then later, in death, a person needs to be accorded the full right of an identity that would be recognized in any part of the world. This is crucial when it comes to defining the very mindset of a community or group as well as the way their social structures would be established. If we have a passport that is not recognized in other countries, what does that say about our identity? And more than that, what does that say about our options in life?
When we limit our options for a life like any other in a certain part of the world, we are basically also defeating the purpose of inclusion and sustainable development in the long run.