Leo van Doesburg

After a bit longer sleep than the days before I had an interesting discussion with two representatives working in the parliament. We discussed about the ways for collaboration. It was a long but constructive and friendly discussion. Many opinions about the current political situation were shared. It will be an interesting time because both Putin and Medvedev will probably candidate for the next year's presidential elections. They suggeste d to organize a conference in the Russian Parliament, an interparliamentarian conference to discuss human dignity within the Russian context. If there is central approval, they would like to organise this in collaboration with the ECPM. In the afternoon I had a meeting with the majority of members of the newly formed movement. First they discussed the working name of the movement. This discussion was led by Ekaterina. The working name became "Christian Civic Movement". After this I explained shortly the already famous "hour glass mo...

The conference would start today later in the afternoon. Therefore I had time to go with Henkjan van Schothorst (Roel Kuiper left home already) to visit the Red Square. It remains a powerful square with the red building of the historical museum and the St Basil cathedral. We visited the cathedral and saw the nice interior and a few of the Red Square. While Henkjan went back to the hotel to pick up some things, I visited the church service in the cathedral. After that I went to the conference. The first greeting was from the vice president of the 'Center for Slavic Culture and Literature' where the three days' event was hosted. This was followed by a Christian entrepreneur who explained that though there were many pressures, he tried to remain integer. He called the business people up not to be involved in corruption but to form a kind of Christian business club (he called it a parallel economy) where businesses were committed together to remain clean. His speech was follow...

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him. shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him" (John 3:16,17) Dear Friends Easter is for me always a time also of self-reflection. This first thing that comes in my mind is Gods Love. This great love that God has for us is humanly speaking very hard to understand. He sent His Son to the earth. There He suffered, He was humiliated, tortured and finally killed. Finally Jesus was left alone by everyone: by His friends, by the people of Israel (whom He loved so much) and even by God His Father Himself! Carrying His Cross through the streets of Jerusalem. The cursed wood that would bring Him to death. If I see to this love of God, I wonder myself: "What is man that you are mindful of him; the son of man that you care for him" (Psalm 8:4), Because, who are we? Who are these sons of man? ...

The second day of the conference started with a lecture from Dutch Senator Roel Kuiper. He spoke about the important fact that Christians historically are wise focused on creating communities. The new movement that will be started is an example of this. He also mentioned that the main founders of the Christian social thinking can be laid by Pope Leo XIII and Abraham Kuyper. Interesting was that here in Moscow also a Leo and a Kuiper explained the basics of Christian Democracy. Christians always have been focused on the creation of communities and he wondered if the societies have become not too much based on contracts and less on covenants. The difference between a contract and a covenant is that the latter is focused on an agreement and a commitment for a longer sustainable time. Contracts are business like, short time oriented. In his eyes, moral capital is more important than social capital. Christian justice should be therefore be based on "shalom" and "cheset...

The next day, after we picked up Roel Kuiper from the hotel, we went to the place where the conference will start: the Orthodox center for Slavic languages. After the openings prayer of Father Nicholas, advisor for external affairs and the opening of Ekaterina, I was asked to give the opening lecture. The subject I chose was human dignity as base for the Christian Social thinking. I told about different views on dignity in history and talked about the catholic and Protestant view on Human Dignity and the universal declaration on human dignity recognizing that we are created in the image and likeness of God from the conception till the natural death as base for legal charters and legislation (even as base for the universal declaration for human rights) and motivate the participants to promote the principles also in Russia. Although I thought that the lecture I gave might be long and somehow heavy in the morning, the reactions were enormous encouraging. Father Nicholai said that he was v...

Congratulations to Hungary for adopting a new constitution with references to Christianity, protection the life of a foetus "from conception" and which preserves "the institution of marriage between man and woman" the New Constitution! Please find here their new constitution in the English language . Below you find some additional information. The 2011 Constitution In 2010, a drafting process for a new constitution began to take place, was finalized by April 11, 2011, and was adopted by the Parliament on April 18. It is expected to be signed into law by Pál Schmitt on April 25 and will go into effect on January 1, 2012. On February 4, 2011, a National Consultative Body was set up with József Szájer as head, and János Csák, Hungarian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Zsigmond Járai, chairman of the supervisory board of the National Bank of Hungary, József Pálinkás, president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and Katalin Szili, former house speaker, as members. Th...

On 5 April in the evening i was in a taxi driving me to my destination in Moscow. The taxi driver was a very friendly man although he could not speak English. "Ich bin ein Dumkopf" ( "I'm a fool" ) he said in broken German and that was all he could say. He pointed to beautiful churches, the river 'Moskva' and we got into Moscow. While in most parts of Europe the Spring already has begun, in Moscow the weather was still cold and snowy. From 8-10 April an important conference will take place. Recently, an initiative group was formed that would bring representatives, churches and people active in politics together to discuss how Christians could have more impact in their society, social-economy and politics. The name of the conference was: "Civic responsibility of a Christian for his Russian fatherland" and was organized in collaboration with the ECPM and the Dutch Reformed Party (SGP). I arrived safely to my destination. The next d...

The European Christian Political Foundation ( www.ecpf.info ) wants to draw your attention to a report done by European Dignity Watch ( www.europeandignitywatch.org ) on a new proposal from the European Commission regarding the automatic recognition of civil status documents that could lead to a situation in which the EU member states will no longer define marriage. Instead, member states could be forced to recognize forms of “marriage”, civil partnerships, same-sex adoption and other practices, even if these contradict their national laws and public order. European Dignity Watch issued an analysis of the Greenpaper, which you find below. The analysis is meant to facilitate answers that can be sent to the European Commission as reaction to the public consultation (Green Paper). The ECPM asks all decision makers on national and European level to take note of this report and take action in their own political body. If the ideas in this green paper would become EU policy, all action taken...

On March, 30 the co-chairman of the organizing committee for the BCD and ex-candidate for the presidential post Vital Rymasheuski was indicted anew under article 342 of the Criminal Code ("Organization and preparation of activities that grossly violate public order or active participation in such activities" ). Thus, the article under which he had been previously indicted was changed for a milder one. The same change of article under the Criminal Code took place also in relation to ex-candidate Uladzimir Niaklyaeu, deputy chairman of the Young Front Nasta Palazhanka and representatives of the campaign “Speak the truth” Alaxandr Fiaduta, Siarhei Wazniak and Andrej Dzmitryeu. On April, 4 accusations against Paval Sieviarynets, Dzmirty Bandarenka , Iryna Khalip , Siarhej Martsaleu have been also re-qualified in the same way. Ex-presidential candidates Mikalaj Statkevich , Dzmitry Us and Andrej Sannikau ,as well as Aliaksandr Klaskouski are still suspected in organi...

Hungary, 4 Mar 2011 – Parliament is currently discussing the draft Constitution (PDF Hungarian) submitted by an ad-hoc committee. The Constitution does not mention sexual orientation as a forbidden ground for discrimination and protects only family based on marriage, defined to be a union between a man and a woman. The final vote should take place at the end of April. When the centre-right government took power, it announced the drafting of a new constitution. The Committee is headed by Jozsef Szajer, an MEP of the ruling party, and by two other members, Gergely Gulyas of Fidesz and Laszlo Salamon of the Christian Democrats. The wording of Article 9 does not mention sexual orientation, even though it could be understood to be included [ Budapester Zeitung report , in German]. Article 7 defines marriage and protects family. The suggested text reads: "The Constitution . . . places marriage as the most fundamental and natural union between man and woman . . . and the fam...