**At a base level, no human is inherently better than another, and so equality should be a basic human right** There is no reason why one person should suffer because of the conditions of their birth. Race, gender, class, sexuality, and any other social descriptor should not prevent someone from attaining the highest quality of life. It really is as simple as that... - For the purposes of this argument, we can assume that an equal world is an equitable one - where [resources are distributed according to what is needed, rather than people who already have enough receiving the same as someone with nothing](https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/equity-equality-whats-the-difference-global-goals/) - [Inequality ultimately hurts everyone](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ENGLISH_Why_it_Matters_Goal_10_Equality.pdf), as it stops countries from reaching their maximum potential - Equality and diversity is so important that it has been [enshrined in law](https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/corporate-reporting/public-sector-equality-duty), aiming to protect the rights of potentially vulnerable people - A collective approach to pursuing equality and achieving social justice is [more effective that and individualist, economic one](https://www.abc.net.au/religion/why-effective-altruism-is-not-effective/13310708), and so it is something we must *all* work together on - The most powerful people in the world have such a large influence that their [moral responsibility to making people more equal is clear](https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2021/04/16/sherrilyn-ifill-on-the-moral-responsibility-of-business-in-politics)

**Equality between social groups - especially in terms of [human rights] (https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/what-are-human-rights) and [equality of opportunity] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/equal-opportunity) - is important. Whether it can ever be fully achieved is another matter, but we should always strive for it.** - It is an inescapable part of human programming that [we find it harder to empathise] (https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/close-encounters/201812/why-do-we-people-who-are-similar-us) with people who are different from us. This means that it can be easy, especially from a socially privileged position, to accept inequality. - But - divisions between social groups like race and gender does not affect [our basic common humanity] (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/06/15/the-power-of-common-humanity/?sh=3562f90f50d0). We are all the same in a vital sense. This is why equality of human rights is the most important interpretation of the effort to 'make all groups equal in society'. - The other is in terms of opportunity - each individual is different. We can't enforce 'equality' in terms of a perfect balance between all social groups in all areas of society. But - rather than discrimination based purely on our identity within a social group, what should be worked towards is a consideration of the individual. Each person should, in theory, be given the room to succeed or fail based on their own capabilities. - Western society is [skewed in favour of certain social groups] (http://www.scrippscollege.edu/xbk/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/files/Power-Privilege-and-Oppression.pdf) - and it's something that we as a whole should not be complacent about. An equalising of opportunity can be worked towards by [providing for those whose choices are limited] (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1525/ctx.2007.6.3.23). We might never fully achieve equality - but recognising the biases we have and attempting consciously to shift them, is an important step towards evening the playing field.