what we take for granted

there are so many things europeans, or rather westerners take for granted

when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was "voted" we thought we had set the goal for humanity and although in many countries this has been largely (but nowhere fully) achieved, the fact remains that those countries continue to be the exception rather than the rule around the world

the problem is that we now take it for granted, we have largely forgotten the struggles and what it took to get there and we're largely too comfortable to keep on pushing the boundaries, to continue fighting and to realise that the struggle is at home as much as abroad

rule of law, freedom of expression and personal security are as important as food, education and a minimum standard of living because one trio without the other does not make humanity advance

when circumtances beyond one's control render one vulnerable to attack and forced displacement, even in the most comfortable circumstances, you begin to realise that really, the minimum standards cannot be taken for granted