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''Software and the right to development''

Of all human rights, the one most pertinent to the question of software seems to be the so-called right to development, another of the third generation human rights. It forms part of what are known as 'solidarity rights', such as the right to a satisfactory environment, to peace, and the overall frame of reference is that of human development.

The reflection which gave rise to the idea of human development emerged over a long historical period beginning with an acknowledgement of the failure of the theory of economic growth and the need to attribute importance to other dimensions of the development process. The inspirational 'father' of this theory, the Indian economist Amartya Sen, claims that the concepts of development and well-being have to go beyond simple possession of goods or the availability of services; they are certainly a means to achieving well-being but are not, of themselves, an indicator of it. We need to look elsewhere: what can people achieve and be through using the means and capabilities at their disposition? What range of possibilities and important life objectives are accessible to them?

Those who support Free Software maintain that what they have created is a formidable impulse for human development. But they have tended only to stress its economic advantages. This kind of software does not require huge production infrastructure. Earning margins are high, much higher than for traditional industries. Software is a strategically important sector because of its reliance on investment in human resources, and one element not lacking in developing nations is precisely the availability of human resources. The key then becomes adequate instruction and education.

Whatever the reasons are for a nation turning to Free Software, and we could add further reasons to the above, there is little doubt that the result is in line with the theory of human development: increase in available opportunities, those offered by expanding human capabilities and functions rather than the market.

Software and the right to education (:nl:)