Definitions

Freedom of Expression is defined by the American Civil Liberties Union as: Freedom of speech, of the press, of association, of assembly and petition — this set of guarantees, protected by the First Amendment, comprise what we refer to as freedom of expression. The Supreme Court has written that this freedom is “the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other form of freedom.” See the ACLU website for more information.

On an international scale, Article 10 of the Human Rights Act protects your right to hold your own opinions. See the Article 10: Freedom of Expression on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website for a definition of free expression.

The Constructive Dialogue Institute defines constructive dialogue as: “a form of conversation in which people who have different values, beliefs, and perspectives seek to build new ways to undertand and interact with each other, even as they sustain commitments to their own principles and perspectives.”