The Open Group, with the support of IBM has written up a Declaration of Independence for developers. While not really about open source, it is pretty interesting. I suppose it does strengthen the argument for open source.

What it basically says is that developers should develop to open standards. This doesn't mean opening up the source for everyone to use/modify. What it means is developing to documented standards. It means that the output of your software should be known and documented, allowing it to interoperate with other software seamlessly.

This allows greater choice for all parties who use the software. They can choose software that will really meet their needs. Not software that can meet the needs of a closed standard, or what people call lock-in. This freedom to choose whatever software you want, it's a right to self determination.

This right of self-determination could concievably lead to a better society, where the technological gap between countries isn't as pronounced. Increasingly, many important functions move towards computerization, and giving countries the ability to choose what is right for them can help in the closing of this (ugh, buzzword alert) "digital divide"