Leo van Doesburg

Yesterday, as Secretary General of the European Parliament Working Group on Human Dignity, I helped to organize (together with the offices of MEPs Bas Belder and Luigi Morgano) and participated in an event of the Working Group  with the title "Refugees and Human Dignity". It was a very successful event  that offered to all participants new insights on the situation of refugees in Europe. Seven Members of the European Parliament as well as representatives of different NGOs, Parliamentarian assistants and experts participated to this meeting. You can read below the official press release that was issued after the event.

More than 550 participants joined the "international forum on Cooperation of politicans and civil society to protect Christian values”   Last week, After the 5th Ukrainian Prayer Brea k fast , around 550 p oliticians, repres entatives of NGOs, and churches gathered toget her around the international forum on the "Cooperation of Politicians and Civil Society in the Promotion of Christian Values on the International Arena". The forum was organised by ECPM and the faction al Parliamentary Group "for s pirituality, morality and health for the Ukraine" . Distinguished speakers and experts from all over the world, as well as local contributors discussed on the issue of the Promotion of Christian Values and the ways the collaboration between decision makers, academics and civil society can become more effective. On the final day of the conference, participants signed the "Declaration on the Establishment of a "European Christian Coalition"....

The issue of euthanasia is becoming more and more relevant in Europe today. As Secretary General of the Working Gr oup for H uman Dignit y , on behalf of the ir members, I organized an  event last mont h where all participants noted that the elderly and terminally ill should be treated with respect and human dignity. Unfortunately, i n Belgium, euthanasia was also seen as a part of palliative care, focusing on the so-called "dignity to die". Also t he country where I come from, the Netherlands, has become a "champion" for euthanasia, becoming the f irst countr y that legalized euthanasia . This article, which was written with the kind help of the  De Nederlandse Patiëntenverening , the Italian Matchman News and my assistant L efteris Ka loterakis, shows how this issue has evolved in the public discourse and how the practice of euthanasia threatens the life and human dignity of thousands of my compatriots.