Unlike any being on the planet Earth, the Creator gifted man with the ability of mental cognition.

Man’s
thinking ability has enabled him to gain the upper hand over the other creatures. The capacity of
subjective thinking further reinforces this ability. This diversity of thought is only fruitful if allowed to
thrive. For this to occur, freedom of expression becomes an utmost necessity. Man has realised this
reality. He has progressed by leaps and bounds on the foundations of freedom of expression in every
aspect of life: individual, social, political, economic and international. The freedom of expression has
enabled man to come out of ignorance and become enlightened. Similarly, the prevalence of peace and
tolerance became possible. Furthermore, the political and economic spectrums have seen
transformation too. It can further play a vital role in establishing peace and order in the international
community. In short, freedom of expression has played a pivotal role in the evolution of humanity from
ignorance to the bliss of enlightenment, and it is now imperative that concrete steps are taken to ensure
its extension to all of humanity.

Freedom of expression has made progress a reality. Diversity in ideas is the key to these advancements.
In the early Greek times, the philosophers propagated and instilled these values in the younger
generation. For this, Socrates went to the extent of taking poison and refused to be subdued by the
tyranny of the majority. Galileo lay on his deathbed for his views too. There are numerous other
examples where philosophers, political analysts, lawyers, journalists gave their lives for the sake of
keeping the sanctity of freedom of expression. It has indeed enabled man to think above his common
preconceptions and help humanity move forward.

The liberty to speak, write and express oneself has transformed the individual life of a man. It has played
a vital role in transforming his life from ignorance to enlightenment. Tolerance to the difference in
opinion and difference in thoughts helps an individual to identify his faults and weaknesses. This leads to
building his personality and character. These matured personalities then act with conviction and
confidence in their professional and private life thereby setting examples for the young generations.
Through the transformation of the younger generations, a social revolution based on welfare policy and
egalitarianism is brought in society.

One of the root causes of discords in modern societies is disrespecting the differences in opinion and
thought. The prevalence of conflicting views is mainly because of the subjective nature of man. These
conflicting views often became the pillars of bloodshed and chaos in the past. They find their roots in
ethnic, religious, political and social class divide. Dialogue can play a vital role in resolving most of these
conflicts. Having said that, for a dialogue to occur, a society must be tolerant enough to listen to the
other side. For instance, a dialogue between different stakeholders on the issue of the sectarian divide
in Pakistan would lead to fruitful results. On the other side, if the opinions of other groups are
compromised, it will only lead to cataclysmic chaos and disorder.

Differences in views play an important in reforming societies. Social values in some cultures are filled
with preconceptions. These preconceptions are often harmful to the growth of society. These are
controlled through the application of freedom of expression. For instance, some people consider it
taboo in South Asian culture to talk about sex education. These societies are also intolerant to debates
and discussions on this topic. Hence, the younger generation is not equipped with the required
knowledge on the said topic. Some societies consider passing by of a black from the front as a bad
omen. A belief based on such irrational foundations will only lead to the further degradation of society.
It is imperative to have freedom of expression to expunge these preconceptions out of the social fabric.

In addition, freedom of expression is one of the core principles of democracy. Democracy only works as
a culture if freedom of expression accompanies this. This is how it differs from socialism, communism,
Nazism and totalitarianism. Democracy has raised people out of poverty to enlightenment, and much of
this is because of freedom of expression. A democratic system ceases to exist without freedom of
expression to its masses. The resulting system might not be any better than any other form of
totalitarianism. The relation between democracy and freedom is reciprocal in nature. One cannot work
without the other. Pakistan is ranked 145/190 as per RSF on freedom of expression ranking by Freedom
House, while 189/195 on the political stability rating. On the other hand, Norway is placed 1st and 8th
on the respective scales. Freedom of expression ensures the democratic system is employed in its
essence.

Economic system has always dictated the socio-economic status of man. Discussions over variety of
economic system has become a possibility only due liberty of man. Man tested different systems since
the beginning of time and is still in the pursuit of perfection. The great German philosopher Hegel once
said that History is pilgrimage of man thorough time. Man is perpetual pursuit of betterment. Economic
arena is not an exception. From capitalism, socialism to neo-liberalism, every system has been tested.
Without the freedom of expression and calling new ideals to applied many system would not be tested.
For instance, the Bretton system saw its failure and the world swiftly moved to the dollarization. Hence,
it can be said that freedom of expression is playing a part in the economic arena as well.

Accountability plays a vital role in a democracy, and freedom of expression is the prime factor behind
controlling the misdemeanour of a public servant. Without this right, the common masses would be
subjected to arbitrary control of the government. Masses with the freedom of expression can hold
governments accountable for their actions. This can be achieved in several ways. First, Unbiased
journalism can withhold government responsible for actions to a great extent. The panama paper
pressurized governments all over the world for their malpractices and corruption. A common citizen can
also knock the doors of a court against any injustice, and lastly, masses can also elect another party in
elections. Therefore, freedom of expression is of paramount importance for the prevalence of
accountability.

Dialogue in the international arena can help in overcoming various discords. One of main problems of
perennial strife among various nations is the inability of these nations to listen to one another. Dialogue
can help in mitigating the circumstances to a great deal and ignoring this can lead to catastrophe. For
instance, The American invasion of Afghanistan has recently seen it dead end. America has not only lost
financial capital of around $4Tn during the war but also time. While the Americans were invading
Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, the Chinese were involved in making economic ties with its
neighbours. BRI will change the fate of the region while America has lost much of its international
influence. The main difference behind the ascending and descending trajectory can be attributed to
their opposite decision with regard to war and dialogue.
Freedom of expression has also redefined the environmental sector. Since the industrial revolution, The
boom of human inventions has led to an increase in the anthropological implications on the
environment. It is one of the existential crises for humanity. The rapid acceleration in the world
temperature is a sign of more catastrophes to come. Having said that, the discussion in today’s world
revolves around the issue of environmental protection. Greta Thunberg is one of the activists who have
raised their voices to secure the environment for future generations. Rio summit, Paris Summit and
many other conventions have reiterated the importance of environmental security for our survival.
Without the freedom of expression, the capitalists and the industrialists would land us into an
unprecedented and irreversible calamity.

While it is an utmost necessity to have free and fair dialogue, it is as much important to ensure the
fulfillment of necessary prerequisites for its fruition. Among these, Education of the masses, free from
any biases, is the one of needs of the hour. Without proper education and enlightenment, the important
discussions might turn into unnecessary deadlocks and even to the degeneration of society. Previously,
education has been used by many regimes to propagate their propaganda schemes. The Nazis of the 20 th
century resorted to it. Communism has also treaded the same path. Some of modern capitalist country
are following same path. Therefore, it is only of time that an unbiased education is implemented to take
the optimal benefit out of the freedom of expression.