Wir2030

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Explanation and justification

Human dignity is inviolable.
This is stated in Article 1 (1) of the Basic Law – and this sentence is not a decor, not a quote for commemorative speeches, not a fair-weather principle.
It is absolute.
It does not apply conditionally, not depending on political situations, not only in times of stability or prosperity.
It always applies.
Even – and especially – in a state of emergency.

Because this is where it is decided whether a state and its society have actually internalized their own principles – or whether they are just paying lip service, which in the worst case scenario will give way like paper in the rain.

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What does human dignity mean?

Human dignity is not a gift from the state.
Nor is it an award for good behavior.
It is a basic condition that is inherent in every human being – regardless of origin, age, health, political stance or lifestyle.

Human dignity includes:

• the right to physical and mental integrity
• respect for the individuality and life plan of every person
• the free development of thinking, feeling, believing, doubting and hoping
• the recognition of man as an end in himself, never as a means for others
• the right to make autonomous decisions about one’s own body and mind
• the right not to be manipulated, degraded or coerced
• the right to social participation, without discrimination, isolation or stigmatization
• the preservation of social identity – through clothing, language, name, world view and tradition
• the protection of privacy, the family, the home, correspondence
• the guarantee of not being treated arbitrarily or under duress – not even under the pretext of the common good

Human dignity is the core of freedom – and the foundation of democracy.
It must never be relativized.

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What happened in times of crisis

In recent years, a state of emergency – be it due to a pandemic, war, terrorist threat or disaster alert – has become a pretext for making the unavailable available.

Examples of serious violations of dignity:

• Old people died alone and without relatives in nursing homes and clinics. Their last gaze was often directed at a white wall, not the face of their loved one.
• Children have been psychologically worn down by the obligation to wear masks, isolation, compulsory testing, feelings of guilt and fear – at a time when security is essential.
• People who had decided against certain medical measures were defamed, disenfranchised, publicly shamed – as if they were second-class citizens.
• Dissenting opinions were censored, pathologized or criminalized instead of being heard and discussed.
• People lost their livelihoods because they did not want to subordinate their convictions to the state narrative.
• Physical autonomy was replaced by coercive measures – with reference to “the bigger picture”.

All of this was described as “necessary”.
But necessity knows no law when it breaks the dignity of the individual.
What happened here was often unconstitutional, inhumane – and traumatizing in its long-term effects.

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Why this is dangerous

When you start to make human dignity a bargaining chip, dams are created that can break:

• Anyone who attaches conditions to human dignity is dehumanizing.
• Anyone who says: “You have to make compromises in a crisis” is betraying the core of the liberal order.
• Anyone who believes that fundamental rights can be “paused” as soon as it becomes uncomfortable is setting dangerous precedents.
• The definition of what is considered a “state of emergency” can be manipulated – by the media, governments and expert circles.
• People are no longer seen as subjects of the law, but as objects of what can be done.

But human dignity is designed for precisely this moment:
When things get uncomfortable.
When it is difficult to maintain principles.
When the majority shouts: “Now is not the time for moral scruples.”

Then – precisely then – it must stand unassailable.

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Our position

We2030 reminds you of this:

• Human dignity is not relative, but absolute.
• It is the supreme benchmark for all government action.
• No law, no state of emergency, no committee, no ministry, no expert council may override them.
• A complete review of all measures that violated human dignity and fundamental rights during the state of emergency is needed.
• Compensation, rehabilitation and public recognition are needed for all those whose dignity has been violated – in old people’s homes, schools, on the streets, in the media and at work.
• A new culture of unavailability is needed in which human dignity is no longer treated tactically, but protected unconditionally.

Because:
Human dignity also applies in a state of emergency.
If it falls there – then it falls everywhere.
And without it, there is no free society, no democracy – and no humanity.