To write is to exist. It is to give shape to thoughts, memories, feelings, and dreams. Whether on paper, screen, or in the margins of our minds, writing becomes a mirror of who we are and what we believe. It is through writing that we make sense of the world and of ourselves.
As we wrap up Human Rights Month, where we honour the memory of those who struggled for freedom and dignity, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the rights and responsibilities enshrined in our Constitution.
South Africa’s Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression, including freedom of the press and other media, freedom to receive or impart information or ideas, and freedom of artistic creativity. In essence, the work we do, the messages we create, and the campaigns we build are protected by law. Reading the last sentence, it seems absurd that we come from a time when this wasn’t always the case.
I am reminded of iconic South African publications that lived and thrived on words, despite the challenges of the time. Drum Magazine, The Daily Dispatch and The Sunday Times. Writing captures the narrative and creates the words on which history is built, then and now.
In the most basic sense, our right to write is not an abstract legal concept, it is a daily occurrence. WhatsApp’s, emails, shopping lists and notes in lunchboxes are all part of our basic rights in action. But expression is not only about being heard, it’s also about being able to be quiet. That moment when silence speaks louder than words.
Writing is about connection. When we write and share, we invite others into our world. A copywriter, a columnist, a blogger, journalist or users on X. Words can bridge divides, challenge assumptions or build empathy. They inform and create context. Happy. Sad. Poignant. Concise or cutting. Carefully crafted words are poems, articles, instructions, directions and questions. They are a window to new worlds and ideas and reflections of what we are.
At the end of Human Rights Month, let me leave you with a call to action. I’m aware that not every right is actionable and not every right to write, can be written. Reading and writing are critical cornerstones of education, and we have an obligation to use our abilities to further ideas and enhance society. Let’s honour our rights by using them to uplift others and imagine a more creative world.
Because the right to write is the right to be.