COE : Exchange of views between the candidates for the post of Secretary General
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Exchange of views between the candidates for the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Conference of INGOs
On 11 April the Conference of INGOs held an exchange of views with the two candidates for position of Council of Europe Secretary General: Minister Didier Reynders (Belgium) and Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić (Croatia). It was an excellent opportunity for the members of the Conference to find out more about the candidates' political vision for the future of the Council of Europe. For the candidates it was an occasion to listen the main concerns and ideas aiming at restoring public trust in democratic institutions and reinforcing the impact of Council of Europe standards.
During the exchange, several questions from the floor addressed issues such as how to face the political and financial crises in the Council of Europe, how to prevent corruption, promote equality, fight against LGBTI discrimination and how to reinforce the implementation of Council of Europe standards and human rights.
We wish both candidates a lot of success for their campaign!
COE : "NGOS PROVIDE VALUABLE SUPPORT TO THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM"
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Meeting between the President of the Congress and the President of the Conference of INGOs STRASBOURG3 APRIL 2019
On the 3rd April, the President of the Conference of INGOs met with the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
During this first bilateral meeting, Anna Rurka stressed the importance and interest of the Conference of INGOs to reinforce its interactions with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. She informed the President on the INGOs decision to hold the Conference of INGOs autumn session in parallel of the Congress session, in order to foster interactions and common debate.
The Conference of INGOs and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is working together on the updating of the Code of good practice for Civil Participation in the Decision-Making Process. The draft of the amended Code should be presented for adoption by the Congress and the Conference of INGOs during their reciprocal sessions in autumn.
The President of the Congress underlined the importace of the NGOs contribution to the work of the Congress in the Member States of the Council of Europe. Both highlighted interdependence between the participation of the NGOs in the decision-making process at the local, national and intergovernmental levels and the importance for the Council of Europe to continually focus its attention on the enabling environment for civil society organizations.
CoE : The future of the Council of Europe: Civil Society’s commitment
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The future of the Council of Europe: Civil Society’s commitment
At its plenary session on 12 April 2019, the Conference of INGOs adopted Resolution CONF/PLE(2019)RES1 on the future of the Council of Europe and Civil Society’s commitment.
Whilst affirming that the future of the Council of Europe as a pan-European standard-setting, monitoring and co-operating intergovernmental Organisation is of great concern to its members, it called for a stronger Council of Europe with greater impact of its conventions and treaties.
The Conference of INGOs emphasised the continued need to safeguard and achieve genuine democracy and strengthen public trust in democratic institutions by supporting meaningful participation in the democratic decision-making process, which can empower citizens and NGOs and help young people to be confident in a common European future. It also underlined that reinforced interaction with civil society through a space for substantial, formal, honest and open debates on the strategic orientations of the Organization represents a real opportunity and strength for the Council of Europe.
CoE : Priorities of the French Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
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Priorities of the French Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (17 May – 27 November 2019)
The French Presidency will be marked by the official celebration of the Council of Europe's 70th anniversary in Strasbourg, on the margins of the Parliamentary Assembly October part-Session, as well as the taking of office of a new Secretary General.
France will ensure that the Organisation’s cohesion is maintained . With its 47 member States, the Council of Europe forms the main platform for dialogue and co-operation on the scale of the European continent and has contributed to the creation of a shared legal space. Confronted with the rise of populism and extremism, we must gather around common values, build on the foundation of the European Convention on Human Rights and uphold the authority of the Court that guarantees compliance with the Convention.
The French Presidency will work in a spirit of trust and dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly to overcome the difficulties of the last few years and boost the capacity of those two bodies to act jointly in
crisis situations, within the framework of the principles that guide our Organisation.
France wishes to use the opportunity afforded by its Presidency to help build the Council of Europe of tomorrow. This means consolidating the achievements of the past 70 years and responding to new
challenges linked to the development of technologies and of societies.
The Council of Europe has always demonstrated its ability to innovate and anticipate, devising new instruments to protect rights and freedoms. It must continue in this pioneering role for the benefit of our
continent's 830 million inhabitants. This also presupposes that the Organisation's financial sustainability is guaranteed.
With all this in mind, France has selected three priorities for its Presidency: 1) preserving and consolidating the European system of human rights protection, 2) promoting equality and living together,
3) meeting the new challenges facing human rights and the rule of law.
Read the complete text CM/Inf(2019)1710/05/2019 in attachment
Humanity, our true cathedral
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The fire that devastated Notre Dame Cathedral painfully struck not only Christians, who saw a place of their faith wounded, but the entire human community, who saw this dramatic event as a sign of loss; because even those who profess other religions or, as for example a large part of the French people, do not recognize themselves in any religion, perceived that a good belonging to the history of France and Europe, a piece of those roots that nourished it culturally and socially, has been damaged. The human community, beyond any nation, religious belief, political feeling, has united to share the commitment to reconstruction, also through very concrete gestures of solidarity.
Europe's future depends on the values we prioritise
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What are we talking about when we talk about populism?
Populism is on everyone's lips. For better or for worse. Some people hate them. Others, although they don't like the term, applaud its pretensions. Populism has several components. In these lines I only reflect on the opposition of populisms to what they call elites, who would only seek their own profit, in front of the people, good by nature, subjugated by them.
Migrants before the next European Parliament elections
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In view of the call for elections to the European Parliament and town councils on 26 May, the Platform of Christian Entities with immigrants calls for citizen participation, given the magnitude of the social challenges facing Europe in the coming years, as well as the key role of our municipalities for social cohesion. With this intention, from our commitment as citizens and as Christians with democratic values, we want to publicly share the following considerations:
1- We are once again experiencing an important moment of entry for migrants, both in Europe as a whole and in our country. This is due to the circumstances of insecurity, violence, poverty or inequality suffered by many neighbouring regions and the whole world, as well as to the opportunities offered by our society. As long as these circumstances do not change, and will not do so in the short or medium term, many people will continue to arrive in search of a better future. We must be aware and accept reality as it is.
The Miacs in the church and in the world
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Conclusion of the Brussels meeting May 11th anf 12th 2019.
1 We have a common mission: evangelization which means humanization in the spirit in the Gospel or in the perspective of the kingdom of God: a society where human dignity is respected, where borders between people are abolished. For example, the Joci supports the dignity of young people working in a company as Fatima in Lahore, Fimarc creates relationships beyond the generation gap among farmers in Senegal.
Meic statement on European elections
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The elections for the renewal of the European Parliament next May will mark the Union's path in depth. The citizens of Europe who are called upon to vote are at a crossroads, which may lead to the relaunch of the project of political unification or to its sinking, which is likely to be definitive. That is why it is not enough to acknowledge the mistakes of the recent past, due to the lack of solidarity between the Member States, the excessive confidence placed in the instruments of economic, monetary and financial unification alone, and the blatant short-sightedness of the ruling classes.
Restart from european humanism
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This 2019 will be the year of Europe. The spring elections will inevitably mark either the relaunch of the European political project or its sinking, probably definitive.
The mistakes of the past are there for all to see and the consequences are being paid for dearly. These errors are linked to a lack of solidarity between the Member States of the Union and a lack of foresight on the part of the ruling classes, the result of the will to collect, from time to time, an immediate electoral gain, to be spent at national level only. The humiliations reserved for the peoples, the Greek people among others, show how history has taught little or nothing: the lesson of the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, born under the ashes of frustration and humiliation, seems to have been in vain.
Migration and democracy
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1 -The theme of the Exclusion-Inclusion of immigrants has become the hot topic around which the destiny of Europe and the future of humanity are being played out. At the centre of the chronicles, the infernal game of politics, a place of conflict over ethical values, migrants and their tragedies, have become a direct expression of the globalisation of indifference to which Pope Francis now refers on a daily basis. If, in fact, the economic, social and democratic crisis affects the whole world, globalization is the decline, if not the end, of the solidarity that the state had put in place to manage fear and insecurity.
CoE : Letter of the President of the INGO Conference
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"We have many reasons to be proud of the achievements made by the Conference of INGOs for more than 40 years. These successes and experiences give us the strength and motivation to continue bringing the voice of national and international civil society and to represent it in the Council of Europe. This cannot be achieved without the Council of Europe Civil Society Division and people devoted to reinforcing the presence of INGOs in the Council of Europe"
Read the full text on attachment.
CoE : A Statement on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Council of Europe
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A Statement of INGOs on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is a more indispensable institution today than ever. It has still much to provide to the European continent. May it find, with all its stakeholders, especially civil society, the ways to make an effective renewal for a defense and greater promotion of Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law!
Text based on the contributions of several INGOs members of the Conference of INGOs and adopted by:
AEDE – AIC - CEP - EN-RE – Justice et Paix Europe - KEK - MIAMSI - OIEC - Pax Christi - Pax Romana - UMOFC
(Re. Attachment)
News from Catholic Professionals of Tanzania (CPT)
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Catholic Professionals of Tanzania (CPT) is one of the church groups in Tanzania well recognized within the Church and the Tanzanian society at large. For the past three years, activities of the movement focused on Moral Revival Movement (MRM).
Activities
- Reflection on Ethics in Public Policy Making. Currently, CPT members are involved in engaging public leaders and politicians on how to come up with policies that safeguard the welfare of every Tanzanian. This ongoing reflection is aiming at holding a bigger Forum (2019) in commemoration of two decades since the demise of Mwalimu J. K. Nyerere. The theme will be “People centred Development.” A number of topics will be explored. They include: Pro-poor Economic Policies, Family Friendly Policies, Social Protection, Education for Self-Reliance, Ethics Financial Services, Public Accountability and Responsibility
The dream of Europe and his crisis
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The responsibility of Christians.
That Europe is seriously in crisis is an obvious fact. The crisis is particularly worrying because it is part of a global framework of strong tensions that threaten peace. Today it is urgent for Christians to reflect on the words of Pope Francis: "Good politics is at the service of peace", and it is only so if it is lived as "service to the human community".
Peace must, therefore, commit us as Christians, and this becomes all the more true that it appears evident that this action of fraternity cannot simply be delegated at the moment when the political practices take an orientation contrary to human rights, justice, social solidarity. Today it is necessary to reflect and to support a good culture that opposes the prevalence of the principles of individual and national selfishness. We have a duty to react to these practices.
CoE : Council of Europe celebrates the World NGO Day
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Statement of Anna Rurka, President of the conference of INGOs
Today February 27th, the Conference of INGOs celebrated World NGO Day for the first time at the Council of Europe with a debate on “Why do we need NGOs? - (I)NGO contribution to the work and to the mandate of the Council of Europe”. The event gathered a variety of stakeholders, including representatives of Civil Society, Permanent representations of Council of Europe Members States, prominent Human Rights activists, students and members of the Secretariat of the Council of Europe. We were particularly delighted to welcome Marcis Liors Skadmanis, founder of the international calendar day for Non-governmental organizations, ‘World NGO Day’.
INGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe are partners of the Council of Europe bodies and institutions with regard to standard setting, monitoring and implementation of activities. However, most of them agree that there is room for improvement to make this contribution less sectorial and more visible.
Migration phenomena and the responsibilities of Italy.
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Five proposals and one commitment
The synthetic data presented in the document below show how the common perception of migratory phenomena is deformed by an improper reading of reality, the extent of which is often amplified by the deforming lens of mismanagement and instrumentalisation for electoral purposes. On the basis of this observation, it is important:
1) Not to accept the rhetoric of immigration as an unstoppable wave of African population impoverished or eradicated by climate change. The numbers say more and we do not see how large masses of migrants could arrive in the future, especially from the poorest areas;
Catholic Professionals of Tanzania
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Catholic Professionals of Tanzania (CPT) is one of the church groups in Tanzania well recognized within the Church and the Tanzanian society at large. For the past three years, activities of the movement focused on Moral Revival Movement (MRM).
Activities
- Reflection on Ethics in Public Policy Making. Currently, CPT members are involved in engaging public leaders and politicians on how to come up with policies that safeguard the welfare of every Tanzanian.
International Movement of Catholic Intellectuals of Burkina Faso
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History
The idea of creating MIIC-BF (MIIC Burkina Faso) was born a few years ago after meeting a member of MIIC-Togo, Mr. Cyrille N'kawula. Indeed, after talking with Cyrille about ICMICA-Pax Romana, I was very interested and I was willing to get involved and talk to others around me about it.
Role of civil society in post 1989 Europe
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1989 was a success because of the civic movements in Central Europe. These actors who are the real heroes of the change. Which lessons?
1 Don’t accept to be unified from above, which means accept the differenciation due to the cultures. Don’t destroy the piano of Chopin.
2 In his article “Living in truth”, Vaclav Havel tells us that in the communist time, when there was no confidence in the politic system, it was necessary to invest in the civil society, to have an “antipolitics” movement in the civil society, able to give a moral impulse. Not to criticize the global system but ask oneself, which moral values to introduce in the system.
