Press Release 14/23
8 September 2014
Advancing Freedom of Religion or belief for all
Restrictions of freedom of religion or belief are an increasing challenge to the global world and to Europe in particular. The Summer School on Human Rights, hosted by the Italian Protestant Federation on 15-18 September in Palermo, Italy, is an unprecedented response. For the first time, European Churches join forces in order to designate a school on human rights and in particular to freedom of religion or belief.
The Summer School on Human Rights is a project of the Conference of European Churches, academically supported by University of Leuven, Belgium. Around 30 participants from various churches and from all over Europe will study current trends and developments in the area of freedom of religion or belief.
The course will focus in particular on:
- Human Rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief
- Politics of Freedom of Religion or Belief
- Social hostility against Religion or Belief
- Domestic and international protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief
The role of supranational institutions such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the European Union.
The daily programme will start with a multi-denominational theological discussion on a relevant theme. Theoretical and practical courses will follow.
*The Summer School on Human Rights was to have been hosted by the Diocese of Backa of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but to due to the very heavy floods this spring the decision was made to change the venue to Italy.
For more information:
Mag. Elizabeta Kitanović
Executive Secretary for Human Rights and Communication
Church and Society Commission aisbl
Rue Joseph II, 174
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel. +32 2 234 68 36
Fax +32 2 231 14 13
E-mail : eki@cec-kek.be
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 national council of churches and organisations in partnership. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.
The Church and Society Commission of CEC links member churches, national council of churches and organisations in partnership of CEC 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 and 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.