Max Tallberg
The world should be just; this is the end result that surely all people will agree with. Fairness is also one of the fundamental values that guides Global Visions ry’s operations. But what is justice? It is harder to agree on that. However, it is widely believed that a fair outcome is one in which everyone gets what they deserve.
Let us consider what exactly this means. For example, does a person’s actions and achievements determine their reciprocal personal gain? We at Global Visions think that the situation is not so simple. Here we should never merely consider people’s achievements because everyone has their own starting points in life. A well-balanced and happy life often relies on the childhood experiences of the individual, even though they alone never determine the success of an adult in the end. This also means that people have genuinely different chances of success—each individual has inherited certain traits from their relatives, each individual’s childhood and growth environment are different, and life can treat people very differently. Everyone also has their own temperament and personality, and these have a strong influence on what people do in their lives. Great success in almost all areas of life always relies on inherited talent.
For these reasons, we do not believe that it is enough to think of people’s own actions as defining what they should receive in return. It is therefore important to ensure that everyone—including those who cannot manage on their own—is cared for. We therefore believe that the ideal society is a meritocracy, yet one in which no one is left behind. Meritocracy is a good starting point for justice, but this alone is not enough, because people have different chances for success in their lives.
In societies with strong welfare states, society has helped every individual throughout their lives—for example, it has guaranteed free education, on which all subsequent successes are based as a rule. In addition, society has helped individuals when they have had health or wellbeing problems. Therefore, it is reasonable to think that successful people need to help others to have the same opportunities to build their lives as those successful people have had. This is fair.
It is also reasonable to think that every human being basically wants to live a good life. This includes work that seems meaningful, and for which one gets a suitable return, and which has been chosen by the individual. Working is part of a good life, although perhaps the individual does not always understand this. Therefore, a person who receives fulfillment and suitable compensation for their work should think that they are also obliged to support other people. At the same time, society should encourage and guide everyone into an active life. This should be done clearly enough, without penalising those who are incapable of doing so.
Global Visions’ vision of fairness is therefore based on these ideas. However, justice also includes the idea of equality, which is one of the core values of our association. Equal human dignity for all is central to this. We think that all people should be valued for who they are, and that they should be allowed to operate freely in society according to their own interests and values. This also is fair. However, behaviour which harms others must never be tolerated. We believe that it is possible to identify such activities and thus eradicate them from society.
We are an impartial player. This is reflected in the fact that we are not representing the interests of any single group of people but are trying to find fair ways of improving the state of the world for the benefit of all. These are actions that ideally everyone can agree to. In general, however, this means that disadvantaged people must be given more support than those who already are successful. In our view, however, such action is reasonable. At the same time, measures that are equally targeted at all people are also fair and equal. They should therefore be acceptable to all.
We believe in the power of debate. The best solutions can be found on the basis of joint discussion, which must be constructive and based on facts. Debate can sometimes be fruitful, but often the best solutions are the ones that have been decided together. We should therefore adopt an attitude of searching together—not one on which a person has already decided their position, to then try to persuade others to accept that position. If on the other hand, we genuinely listen to others with an open mind, and work together to find the best solution in any particular matter, then we can arrive at it in a more organic way.
