UN General Assembly
2012

﻿Freedom, dignity, self-determination and the hope of a better life were the driving forces behind the movement for change in the Arab world. As Germans, we know from our own bitter experience that freedom is not a gift. It has to be won and constantly defended. Freedom is more than just freedom of thought. It is freedom to express one’s own opinion and to voice public criticism. For that reason alone, freedom is not always comfortable. The first article of the Basic Law, Germany’s Constitution, states that human dignity shall be inviolable. That applies to every single individual, regardless of their origin, culture, creed or sex. As Germans, we have experienced what it is to lack freedom in the course of our own history. We will always stand by those who, wherever they are in the world, call for freedom of opinion, religion, the press and artistic freedom. Freedom has a daughter; it is tolerance. And freedom has a son; it is respect, respect for other people, respect for what is important to others, respect for what