Kirkerne til EU: bevar traktatens sociale dimension

Der har været talt en del om kirkelig "lobbyisme" i EU i de seneste måneder. Her op til topmødet i slutningen af ugen kommer der flere konkrete eksempler på hvad det fx er kirker kan finde på at lobby'e for.

Konferencen for Europæiske Kirker - den bredeste kirkeorganisation i Europa - har en afdeling i Bruxelles som tager sig af kontakten til bl.a. EU, Church and Society Commission. De har netop sendt en opfordring til Stats- og Regeringscheferne om at bevare og sikre de sociale rettigheder i den traktat der nu skal genforhandles. Udtalelsen er udarbejdet sammen med den europæiske diakonale paraplyorganisation Eurodiaconia som rent fysisk holder til i den samme bygning i Bruxelles som Church and Society Commission.

Denne udtalelse er et meget typisk eksempel på hvordan de kirkelige organisationer arbejder i forhold til EU - og hvilke sager de lægger vægt på.

Teksten kommer her for de særligt interesserede:

ENSURING SOCIAL RIGHTS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE EU’S FUTURE: CHURCHES AND DIACONAL ORGANISATIONS URGE EU MEMBER STATES TO MAINTAIN THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL TREATY

The following is a joint statement from the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and Eurodiaconia.

European Churches and diaconal organisations ask the Heads of State or Government to maintain the social dimension of the Constitutional Treaty when they meet on 21-22 June in Brussels to take key decisions on the future of the Constitutional Treaty.

Churches and diaconal organisations support the reiterated commitment of EU Member States to strengthen the social dimension of EU policies, as highlighted in the Conclusions of the Spring European Council in March 2007. They point out the need for a better balance between economic, social and environmental policies, in which social and environmental policies are an integrated part of overall policy and not simply an addendum to economic policy.

In the Constitutional Treaty, which was signed by the European Heads of State or Government in October 2004, the EU Member States committed themselves to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of human health (art III-117). For the Church and Society Commission of CEC and Eurodiaconia these are essential elements for social cohesion, which must be kept in any future Treaty of the European Union.

The Church and Society Commission of CEC and Eurodiaconia stress the importance of a legally binding reference to fundamental rights in any future treaty, sharing what the representatives of European governments once stated in the context of the Council of Europe: “Rights provide the firmest foundation for social policy. Rights put all members of society on an equal footing. With a basis in human rights, the action of the State in the social policy field is no longer a matter of charity or welfare directed at the less fortunate members of society; it is a question of guaranteeing rights that are the same for all.” (1)

* * *

The Church and Society Commission is one of the commissions of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). The Commission links CEC’s some 125 member churches from all over Europe and its associated organisations with the European Union’s institutions, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, NATO and the UN (on European matters). Its task is to help the churches study church and society questions from a theological social-ethical perspective, especially those with a European dimension, and to represent common positions of the member churches in their relations with political institutions working in Europe. The above statement has been approved by the plenary meeting of the Church and Society Commission in Armenia, 15-19 June 2007.

Eurodiaconia is a federation of 32 members - churches, non-statutory welfare organisations and NGOs in Europe - operating at national and international level. Our members are rooted in Christian faith within the traditions of the Reformation as well as in the Anglican and Orthodox traditions. We network diaconal and social work of institutions and church communities and co-operate with civil society partners.
Our Mission: We link our members to serve for solidarity and justice. Our strategic aims are to ensure quality of life for all in a social Europe, to link institutions of diaconia, social initiatives and churches in Europe, to be and to enhance a network of competence.

Eurodiaconia and the Church and Society Commission of the CEC have a joint Social Policy working group.

(1) Council of Europe’s European Committee for Social Cohesion on 31 March 2004 (CDCS (2004) 10, p. 4).

Kirker og homoseksuelle

Pyha, det er ikke altid man er lige stolt af sine kirkevenner rundt om i Europa. Behandlingen af homoseksuelle er fx et punkt hvor der, for at sige det mildt, er ret forskellige tolkninger af hvad man kan tillade sig indenfor den religion der skulle have næstekærlighed som sit varemærke.

I efteråret var der voldsomme overfald fra kirkelig side på en gay pride parade i Letland. Og nu har det også braget løs i Rusland i pinsen, kunne jeg se ved læsning af nogle ikke helt nye nyhedsmails. Og seneste nyt ved besøg på de russiske homoseksuelles hjemmeside er at medlemmer af den russiske ortodokse kirke vil holde en park i Moskva fri for bøsser. De regner ikke med at myndighederne vil gribe ind, beretter artiklen.

Heksejagternes tid er desværre langt fra forbi...

Åbent brev fra kirkerne til Angela Merkel: EU skal tage sit globale ansvar alvorligt

Konferencen for Europæiske Kirker (KEK) har sendt et åbent brev til Angela Merkel. Jeg har ikke tid til at elaborere meget på det, så her kommer lige teksten fra den e-mail der lige er tikket ind fra KEK:

CEC ADDRESSES GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL: THE EU MUST ASSUME ITS RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALISATION

In a letter to the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, the Conference of European Churches (CEC) urged the European Union (EU) to fulfil “its responsibility in the globalisation process, by taking a pioneering role in working with all its power, within the context of the United Nations, for concrete goals and deadlines for combating poverty and climate change for all G8 countries.”

The letter was sent today, on the eve of the G8 Summit (Heiligendamm, Germany, 6-8 June) and the European Council (Brussels, 21-22 June) meeting under the German Presidency. It was signed by Rev. Rüdiger Noll, Director of the Church and Society Commission and Associate General Secretary of CEC.

“One of the great challenges which Europe faces today”, the letter states, “is raised by the globalisation process. In this context this year, the Federal Republic of Germany has a particular responsibility, not only through the EU presidency but also in chairing the G8”. The letter to Chancellor Merkel notes that Church leaders from the CEC member churches, meeting last December in Brussels, had underlined that “Europe’s wealth starkly contrasts with the conditions of people in many parts of the world. The EU and other European states have a responsibility to work for a balanced world economy with just trade relations, equitable migration policies and an end to economic exploitation* We urge political leaders to develop a better balance between economic, social and ecological policies in which social and ecological policies are an integrated part of overall policy and not simply an addendum to economic policy” (see http://www.cec-kek.org/content/openletter13.shtml).

The letter thanked Chancellor Merkel for her participation in the 15 May dialogue meeting with leaders of churches and religious communities in Brussels (see http://www.cec-kek.org/content/pr-cq0723e.shtml). The letter also emphasised some of the “core concerns” of the European churches regarding the shaping of Europe. Among them, the draft EU Constitutional Treaty, which includes values such as human dignity, freedom and solidarity, justice and reconciliation, equality and mutual respect. The churches “urgently request that this foundation of values be preserved for the further development of the European Union in any future treaty”. They also plead for “the inclusion in any future treaty of an unambiguous and legally binding reference to human rights”.

The letter underlined the need to “bring Europe closer to its citizens”, to guarantee “a healthy balance between social dimensions such as social justice and social cohesiveness on one hand and economic competition on the other”, and to enhance “civil means of preventing conflicts and mediation” within the EU security policies.

Hebron bosat

Her kommer lige noget der ikke har så meget med kirker i Europa at gøre - bortset fra at mange kirker i Europa følger meget bekymret med i hvad der sker for de kristne i Palæstina.

Og jeg bliver bare så gal, så her kommer det alligevel på denne blog.

Som alle andre palæstinensere er de kristne palæstinensere ramt af de israelske myndigheders mange og ofte fuldstændigt arbitrære tiltag der forhindrer dem i at færdes frit i deres egne områder.

Den israelske menneskerettighedsorganisation B'Tselem dokumenterer dette. Et af de værste steder er i Hebron hvor spændingen mellem jødiske bosættere og palæstinensiske indbyggere overgår hvad man ser andre steder på Vestbredden.

Jeg har selv besøgt en af de gader i Hebron der burde være åbne for palæstinensere ifølge også den israelske lovgivning. Men se på denne video fra Hebron af B'Tselem hvordan det faktisk ser ud med den frie bevægelighed.

Lyst til mere? Så se også denne lidt længere video fra Hebron. Om hvordan det er at leve i et bur omgivet af galninge.

Læs Erling Tiedemanns tale fra Danske Kirkedage

"Grænser diskuterer man ikke; dem forsvarer man – sagde Mussolini.
Så hvis nogen skulle have den samme opfattelse med hensyn til kirker – altså at grænser mellem
kirker dem diskuterer man ikke; dem forsvarer man – så bør de måske lige standse op og mindes,
hvordan det endte – for Mussolini ..."

Sådan indledte Erling Tiedemann sin tale på Danske Kirkedage i Haderslev i Kristi Himmelfartsferien.

Hans tale, Grænse for grænser mellem kirker kan nu læses på catholica.dk. Den gamle katolik var som altid værd at høre.