charterofconscience

The Charter of Conscience discussed in Ireland

admin — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:22:45 +0000

The CS Lewis lecture on Soul Freedom took place on 22nd October in Dublin with Dr Os Guinness speaking on “Soul freedom – creating a safe public space for belief unbelief”. 185 people heard him explore themes raised in the Global Charter of Conscience. An unedited recording of the evening is available to download at http://www.cslewislecture.ie (Go to “00.22.52” into the recording to find the beginning of the official programme).

The Charter Launch in Sweden

admin — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:19:42 +0000

At the end of September the Swedish Evangelical Alliance (SEA) organised a number of events surrounding the Swedish launch of the Global Charter of Conscience. The SEA has a long history of partnering together with different policy-makers in public debate. The launch of the Charter of Conscience was no exception.

The SEA had put together an intense and very strategic programme together with Os Guinness, the main drafter of the Charter, to give as many people as possible the opportunity to hear him, and strategic meetings with key people in politics and civil society.

The start of the programme actually took place before the arrival of Os Guinness with an op-ed by him about religion in public life in a Swedish newspaper. The article was very well received and worked as a launching-pad for the rest of the week.

The tour began on Wednesday, 26th September with a meeting in the Swedish Parliament with a number of MP’s and opinion leaders where Os Guinness discussed the ideas of the Charter, the civil public square and used the upcoming American election as an example when religion plays a part in public life.

On Thursday, 27th September, we travelled to Uppsala, one of the major university cities in Sweden, where Os Guinness spoke on the role of religion in public life to the students and teachers at a theological seminary. In the afternoon we went to the Ecumenical Centre in Stockholm, where several faith-based organisations have their headquarters, for the official launch of the Charter. Immediately afterwards, we had a meeting with Sweden’s Minister for the government’s relationship with religious communities, Stefan Attefall, where we handed over a copy of the Charter to the Minister and discussed how religion is handled in public life and how we can live with our deepest differences.

Friday, 28th September began with an invitation-only research seminar on Ersta Sköndal University College, with a number of academics and several members of the government’s Commission on the Future of Sweden, that works on identifying long-term challenges for Sweden and gives answers. Os Guinness addressed the issue of living with our deepest differences for about 45 minutes after which the floor was open for discussion. Several hours of intense and very constructive conversation took place among the academics.

As religion in public life is a much debated issue in Sweden, regarded by many as probably the most secular nation in the world, but at the same time with a very rich Christian history, the Charter comes at a very timely season. Since the launch, there has been a number of columns and editorials in the media that has used language taken from the Charter.

As a Christian organization, the SEA looks forward to partnering with policy-makers of all faiths and none to promote the ideas of the Charter.

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admin — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:09:35 +0000

Soul Freedom

admin — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 23:30:03 +0000

An invited audience of 175 heard Dr Guinness deliver the inaugural Premier Annual Lecture on 28th June. His title was “Soul Freedom – living with our deepest differences in an age of exping diversity. He advocated the merits of a civil public square as the best environment in which to hle diversity. It was a brilliant lecture, well received by his audience that included current former MPs. The lecture was broadcast on 21st June can be heard on Premier’s website .

Global initiative calls for a new “vision” of diversity

admin — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:31:30 +0000

Brussels. — The growing tensions involving religion, worldview and ideology have become a massive global problem, an international group of leading academics and activists say to Europe and the world. The Global Charter of Conscience, a declaration reaffirming and supporting Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (about “freedom of thought, conscience and religion”), was launched officially in the European Parliament today, in an event hosted by Finnish MEP Sari Essayah. This firm and principled document aims to bring religious tolerance back to the centre of public debate with guidelines to discuss and resolve present problems in a constructive, rights-honouring manner. The document has already gained significant support, including from Dr Heiner Bielefeldt, United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, and Dr Habib Malik, a rewarded Lebanese human-rights activist, whose father Charles Malik was the chief drafter of the Universal Declaration. “This is a powerful document,” says Heiner Bielefeldt, who wrote a special recommendation for the Global Charter of Conscience. “The potential to inspire practical commitment and to contribute to a better understanding of human rights in general is enormous.”
The Charter was initiated by English author and social critic Dr Os Guinness. The text has been drafted under the leadership of Os Guinness and Dr Thomas Schirrmacher, a German sociologist of religion. It was reviewed over the course of three years by people of many faiths and none, including more than 50 academics, politicians of many persuasions and NGOs, all committed to a partnership on behalf of “freedom of thought, conscience and religion” for all. “We want this to become something that people can refer to,” says Guinness. The drafters of the Charter are now opening it to further endorsements, and are working with activists towards practical implementation. The clear intent is also to impact civic education, Guinness adds, “so that freedom becomes in Alexis de Tocqueville’s famous term, the ‘habits of the heart.’”
The Global Charter of Conscience underlines the challenges of pluralism in the globalised world, with its rising diversity of beliefs, worldviews and ways of life. It sees many current approaches to diversity as increasingly problematic, and even dangerous. A recent study showed that three quarters of the world’s population live in countries where is a high degree of menace to their faith. In France, Sikhs found themselves forced to remove their turban, whilst in England, employees have lost their job for being unable to act on religious conscience in the workplace. The Charter points that “the responsibilities of a civil public square all pose a particular challenge to the traditional standing of established, or monopoly religions,” which should recognise their excesses as well as the rights of others, including non-religious people. It also challenges “exclusive forms of secularism,” and advocates for “a proper recognition of the rights of religious people in public life.”
“The Charter in fact allows everyone to be free to be faithful to what they believe, and acknowledge the ‘dignity of difference’,” says Thomas Schirrmacher. “We need to provide a solution to do away with the polarisations and aggravating the bitterness surrounding religion in public life – as in the so-called culture wars.” The Global Charter of Conscience encourages a new culture of civility where robust and noisy public debate is seen as good for society. “This is the only way we can secure and uphold freedom of conscience in the twenty-first century,” says British barrister Dr David McIlroy, another endorser.
Subsequent launch events will follow in Bonn and in London in the coming days.

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admin — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:41:11 +0000

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admin — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:39:13 +0000

Cyber-Religion: The Spread of Extremism and of Peace Through the Internet and Social Media

admin — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:27:58 +0000

World Conference Centre Bonn (WCCB)
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 2, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Workshop Room “Suessmuth”

Webpage: http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15779817,00.html
Register at: http://www.dw.de/dw/0,,30959,00.html
Contact: gmf@dw.de

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admin — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:23:09 +0000

The Global Charter is a forceful, eloquent and timely reaffirmation of a fundamental right currently under serious threat wherever brutal authoritarian regimes fear the liberating power of human conscience. Living justly and peaceably with deep religious and moral difference is one of the world’s most demanding challenges and the urgency of this initiative to promote that goal could not be overstated.

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admin — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:22:00 +0000

The National Council of Evangelicals in France, a member of the European Evangelical Alliance and the World Evangelical Alliance, wishes, in the vein of the “fathers” of the evangelical movement, to contribute to defending freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief for all. It is in the very name of our religious convictions that we consider this freedom as a fundamental good of all humanity, and an indispensable ferment for our societies. The Global Charter of Conscience has power to contribute instrumentally to promoting this freedom, and this is the reason why I am endorsing this text unreservedly.