11 March 2003
NEWS
An Important Symposium on EU Future in Japan
“The EU in the 21st Century: Towards a European Constitution" was the theme of a symposium held on January 27 at the National Press Club in Tokyo, coorganized by the daily Mainichi Shimbun, the German-Japanese Center Berlin, the Goethe-Institut Tokyo, and the French-Japanese Institute Tokyo.
The participants were: Klaus Hansch (Member of the European Parliament) Pierre Lequiller (Member of the French National Assembly and President of the Assembly's European Affairs Committee), Jutta Limbach (President of the Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes and former President of the German Federal Constitutional Court), Daniel Vernet (Director for International Relations at the French Daily Le Monde), Megumi Nishikawa (Senior Mainichi Editorial Staff Writer), and Teruhiko Ito (Foreign News Editor of Mainichi).
Here is an extract from the symposium:
Question from the floor: The EU seems to be bound a common religion.
Limbach: The EU is bound by such traditions as Christianity, Greek philosophy, and the ideals of the Enlightenment. Many countries have constitutions whose preamble makes references to Christian ethics. This has been embraced by the European constitution as well. A clear distinction has been drawn, however, between church and state, and I am opposed to rejecting Turkey's membership bid purely for religious reasons.
Vernet: The initial stages of European integration were driven by Christian democratic ethics, and the people who embraced them built the foundations for what has today become the EU. But the separation of religious elements from political activity has already been achieved, and there are many Islamic residents in member states.
Public opinion in most EU countries is opposed to Turkey's accession, but the biggest reason is the country's large population. Were it to join the EU, it would become the most populous member, many of whose workers are then likely to flood labor markets in major European cities.
Religion is the second reason. People are skeptical about whether Islamic doctrine is compatible with Europe's political ethics and democratic institutions. The third reason is the present Turkish regime's policy on ethnic minorities; some are critical of the lack of democracy in the country.
Limbach: All member countries will live under the EU's democracy. Countries that do not observe fundamental human rights will not be accepted.
Vernet: There remains a need to decide whether the EU should continue expanding indefinitely. The conditions a candidate must meet for membership, such as geography, culture, political system, and religion, must be clearly defined.
Lequiller: It is impossible for the EU to continue growing without limit. With neighboring countries it might be more practical to sign collaboration agreements, rather than invite them to join the EU.
[Source: Mainichi Shimbun]
Italian Eurodeputy advocates for a Buddhist monastery on the Holy Mountain!
Italian " radical" Eurodeputy Mr. Marco Cappato (one of the youngest
Eurodeputies in the European Parliament- only 31 years old- and recently
elected as the " Man of the Year" by the prestigious bulletin " THE EUROPEAN
VOICE”) tabled a parliamentary question to the Council of Ministers of the
EU concerning the " religious freedom" in Greece and the claims of a Greek
citizen (Mrs. Chara Kalomiri) who would like to run a " Center of Pracical
Psychological Philosophy” near Mount Athos (!). The full text of Mr.
Cappato's question reads as follows:
" Subject: Religious freedom in Greece
Mrs. Chara Kalomiri, a Greek citizen, is at the centre of a legal saga which
raises disturbing doubts as to whether freedom of religion is being
respected in Greece. She was reported by the Mount Athos authorities for
having led, from September 1994 to March 1995, a "centre for practical
psychological philosophy" in the Chalkidiki peninsula. She was sentenced by
a Greek lower court in 1997; this sentence was quashed by the Supreme Court,
but a retrial led to her being sentenced over again. The judges justified
their verdict on the grounds that the "place of Buddhist worship devoted to
meditation" had not received the mandatory authorisation of the Ministry for
Education and Religion, which is granted after the Orthodox hierarchy has
given its opinion. Does the Council not consider that, given that respect
for religious freedom is a fundamental right of the individual and a
principle common to all the Member States, action should be taken under
Articles 6 and 7 of the TEU or Article 13 of the EC Treaty, as a matter of
urgency, to put an end to all violations of human rights and fundamental
freedoms and all forms of discrimination related to religious freedom, with
particular attention being paid to Greece"
The official answer given by the Council of Ministers is the following:
"The question raised by the Honourable Member, which concerns facts,
decisions and judgements which are purely domestic in nature, does not fall
within the competence of the European Union. The right of freedom of
religion or belief, which is embodied in the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and as results from the
constitutional traditions common to the Member States, does form part of the
general principles of Community Law (Article 6 of the TEU). However, this
provision of the Treaty applies only in situations covered by Community or
Union law."
[Costas Kydoniatis, Brussels for Ecclesia Report]
Russian Church Prepare for St Serafim of Sarov Jubilee
Local and federal Russian officials have earmarked 360 million rubles ($11.5 million) of budgetary funds for the restoration of the Cathedral and other religious places in the Nizhnii Novgorod Oblast city of Sarov in time for the 250th anniversary of the birth of St. Serafim Sarovskii next year. Preparations for the holiday were discussed at a meeting in Sarov of the organizing committee for the holiday.
[Source: newsru.com]
FEATURE
Gauging the Humanitarian Cost of War
U.S. Hopes to Limit Civilian Casualties, But Others Aren't So Optimistic Concerns over civilian casualties in an Iraq war are fueling opposition to any such conflict. Estimates of deaths or the number of refugees caused by a war vary widely, but all agree that large numbers of innocent people would suffer.
A leaked U.N. report calculated up to a half-million people could require medical attention in case of a military conflict, the British daily Guardian reported Jan. 29. The World Health Organization estimated that about 100,000 civilians could be wounded, and another 400,000 would be hit by disease due to the bombing of water and sanitation services and the lack of food.
The U.N. Children's Fund calculated that around 3 million people, 80% of them children under age 5, would be in a dire situation regarding a lack of food. The U.N. report noted that some 16 million Iraqis depend on the monthly food basket of basic goods supplied by the government. In the event of war these supplies likely would be disrupted.
On Jan. 28 a group of U.K. aid organizations -- Oxfam, CAFOD, Christian Aid, ActionAid and Save the Children -- published a joint press release warning that military action could trigger a major humanitarian disaster. "Military action against Iraq could devastate the lives of millions of people," Oxfam director Barbara Stocking was quoted as saying. "The humanitarian situation in Iraq is now more fragile than it was on the eve of the 1991 Gulf War."
The declaration also commented that under the Geneva Conventions it is against international humanitarian law for "any objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population" to be targeted during military action. In the case of Iraq, these objects include infrastructure such as ports, railways and roads vital for the distribution of food aid across the country as well, as the water and sanitation system, powered by the main electricity supply.
A report released by the New York-based Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) warned that the fragile Iraqi health care system, already badly damaged by 12 years of economic sanctions, is woefully inadequate to deal with the effects of a new war.
The report said that 92% of hospitals surveyed indicated they were lacking basic medical equipment. Shortages of medications, including antibiotics, already undermine routine care.
[Source: Zenit, text abridged]
