Značka: jan figel
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For peace, we need a Schuman and Marshall Plan 2.0
Shared security should be offered to all states of NATO and former Soviet Union Illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times OPINION: Three wars in Europe in the 20th century escalated into tragic and long global conflicts: World War I, World War II and the Cold War. Danger of a similar escalation of the conflict in…
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Building Peace Beyond Borders: An Initiative organized at the Vatican
The legacy of the Venerable Robert Schuman, often hailed as the founding father of a united Europe, continues to inspire efforts to build peace across the continent. Schuman’s guiding principle, “Economic progress must go hand in hand with moral progress,” remains a central tenet for those dedicated to fostering harmony and cooperation. Monsignor Bernard Ardura,…
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The future of Europe’s research and innovation programmes on the cusp of a new era
With the EU’s current research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe, ending in 2027, the ground is now being set for its successor: one that needs to match the caliber of Europe’s knowledge base with the creativity and precision needed to drive the bloc’s competitiveness for the next decade, write José Manuel Barroso and Ján Figel.…
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The Strong and Deep Nexus Between Human Dignity and Religious Freedom
Peace is a fruit of justice. The core of justice is based on respect of fundamental human rights. And the foundational principle of human rights is dignity. Today, the agenda of human rights is hijacked by various groups representing ideologies, violent extremism, or ethical relativism. We also tend to forget or neglect our human duties…
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Strong and deep nexus between human dignity and religious freedom
By Jan Figel, Former EU Commissioner and FoRB Special Envoy HRWF (10.12.2023) – Today, the agenda of human rights is hijacked by various groups representing ideologies, violent extremism or ethical relativism. We also tend to forget or neglect our human duties towards the other and towards society. Peace is a fruit of justice. The core of…
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Ján Figeľ’s Address at the Transatlantic Summit at the UN headquarters in New York on 17 Nov 2023
Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reaffirming our commitment to it preserving life from its conception to natural death and celebrating family as the core of societies around the globe. „The Political Network for Values is a global platform for legislators and political representatives rooted in a Transatlantic dialogue…
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Figel’ v Slovakia: Potential landmark ECtHR decision on COVID-19 related restrictions to FoRB
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a period of unprecedented restrictions to fundamental rights, unthinkable no less than five years ago: freedom of movement, assembly, and expression, and the right to private life, among others, were all impacted. Freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) was no exception. In the name of public health, governments all around the…
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Arguments submitted at Europe’s top human rights court on COVID worship ban
Strasbourg (28 July 2023) – Are blanket bans on public worship compatible with the international human right to the communal exercise of religious freedom? This is the question brought by former EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Dr. Ján Figeľ, who has filed a challenge at the European Court of Human Rights…
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Religious freedom requires vigilance
In 2016, I became the first-ever Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) outside the European Union. It was a time of mass atrocities committed by terrorists and militants of so-called ISIS against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria, and for four demanding years, I visited many countries…