Free Nutritious Meals as a Constitutional Right An Ethical and Maqashid Shariah Perspective in Indonesia
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Abstract
The Free Nutritious Meals (FNM) policy can be analyzed through two primary frameworks in ethical and justice theory: the "charity" approach and the "rights-based" approach. The charity approach emphasizes social solidarity and voluntary benevolence, whereas the rights-based approach asserts that access to nutritious food is a fundamental human right that the state is obligated to guarantee. Utilizing John Rawls’ Theory of Justice (Justice as Fairness) and the Maqashid Shariah framework (hifz al-nafs and hifz al-’aql), this research examines the legal and ethical standing of the FNM program in Indonesia. This qualitative study employs a normative-philosophical method to evaluate the policy's implications. The findings conclude that the FNM program is more appropriately positioned as a constitutional right rather than a mere social assistance or charity. Positioning FNM as a right ensures policy sustainability, legal accountability, and the preservation of the recipients' human dignity (karamah humanum). Consequently, the state bears a constitutional mandate to design an FNM program that is transparent, equitable, and fiscally sustainable. This transition from a "needs-based" to a "rights-based" paradigm is essential to fulfill the national objective of developing superior human capital.
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