– by Sérgio Miranda

I searched the internet looking for our flag. Strangely enough, I could not find a suitable one. Sometimes, comfort can be had in representation. Therefore, I have decided to design it. And, here it is, the flag for Freedom of Expression:

Elements of the flag:

Colors:

RED: Color of blood; to pay homage to those who have sacrificed in order to fight for and defend our freedoms.

BLUE: To remind us that attention must be paid to Freedom of Expression when developing and implementing new technologies, especially the ones directly related to communication.

YELLOW: Because Freedom of Expression is the beacon that can enlighten us towards the future.

GREEN: Because Freedom of Expression plays an essential role to help us flourish both as an individual as well as in a group, impacting positively all of mankind.

WHITE: Because we want these principles to remain pure and untainted. Our Freedom of Expression should remain unhindered as long as it does not impair the freedoms from another.

GREY: Color of stone/metal; because we want these values to be “set in stone” and persist as long as humankind exists. They should/deserve to be defended.

Design:

The Freedom of Expression is first and foremost centered on the individual and interaction.

The presence of eye(glasses), ear (headphones), speak(bubble), tact (palms), feel (heart), think(bubble) and (inter)action/exchange (arrows) are the most often used ways in which we express or act our Freedom of Expression. Open arms and palms, together with the arrows, represent the freedom for (inter)acting and openness to (unhindered) exchange. The up arrow, representing our action, expression or contribution is over the color white as to represent our own = (“pure”) expression; while the down arrow is over the yellow color as to represent that what we receive from others  comes (“enlightened”) = tinted by them. The individual and the heart lie over the green color to represent the potential for growth – flourishing. The speech and thought bubbles over white color represent: the freedom (space), the crave and the will; don’t the three dots just seem to scream: “What? Say it. Do it.”? Probably, the humans’ crave for Freedom of Expression stems from a competition between rationality and emotion. Consequently, we should decide with our brains while taking into consideration (listening to) our hearts. The wire lies over the blue color or over the technical aspect while swerving slightly over the red color because some small sacrifice must be required to safeguard the Freedom of Expression in technology.

Finally, in case of printing this flag in a suitable medium, Freedom of Expression should be embossed in Braille. Here is what it could look like in English:

• As a consequence of the injustice being committed against Julian Assange, during October 2020 the flag for Freedom of Expression is born.