Leo van Doesburg

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has reaffirmed that Member States has an obligation to ensure non-discrimination in the workplace based on the grounds or religion or belief in an adopted resolution , based on the report    of Davo Stier (EPP/CD). PACE called on Member States to “promote a culture of tolerance and ‘living together' in a religiously pluralist society” , while ensuring that “the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is respected”. The fact that freedom of religion and conscience on the workplace has been reaffirmed is a very positive development. This is in line with previous resolutions and international documents that are calling the Member States to promote reasonable accommodation. It is an "adjustment made in a system to accommodate or make an individual exception based on a proven need" . The United Nations use this term in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities "   supporting the vi...

The politics of 2019 was focused a lot on environmental issues and climate change. However, I saw as well that th is issue is becoming radicalized, with political far left and right opposing each other and using it in their political agendas . As Christians we are guided by the Word of God. In this year's message I like to explore a bit more on the theme of environment and climate change and what we can learn from the Holy Scriptures. God the Creator When I explore the B ible, the first thing I notice is how blessed we are by the fact that God created the h eaven and the earth, with forests, mountains, and oceans , and their rich life. God the Creator deserves all the glory and praise, as prophet Nehemiah mentions. “Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You ...

"WHY VOTING CHRISTIAN MATTERS?" Date : 20th February 2019 Time : 12.30 – 17.30 Venue: Hotel Mariott Grand Place, Rue Auguste Orts 3-7/Grand Place, Brussels, 1000 Belgium The European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) is the only European political party with an explicit Christian profile. To contribute to the wellbeing of the people in Europe, the ECPM united parties and politicians around Christian values to generate political solutions to EU’s key problems. Unlike other European parties, the ECPM focuses on the human being in its relationship to God, other people and the creation. We see this relational thinking as the heart of Christian-democracy. The manifesto will include priorities for the future MEPs who will represent ECPM in the next European Parliament: • Promoting the Christian roots of Europe; • Reforming the EU, Focus on Community instead of Union; • Priority for Family based on a marriage between one man and one woman • Protecting Hu...

At the end of 2018, ECPM Member and Senator Rónán Mullen 's report in the Council of Europe on Providing Palliative Care has been adopted the end of last year. This report affirms that Palliative Care is fundamental to human dignity and a component of the human right to health. Palliative care aims at the quality of life of both patients and their families. The Council of Europe asks the Member States to recognize palliative care as a human right and fully integrate it into their health-care system and to dedicate the necessary resources to it.  The Assembly deeply regrets that on the organisation of palliative care, hundreds of thousands of people in Europe still do not have access to appropriate palliative care services and is concerned about the lack of access to appropriate pain relief leading to situations in which patients suffer for months and even years and experience avoidable painful deaths.  Furthermore, the Governments should remove all obstacles that restr...

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” Romans 2:12 Th e year 2018 was a year full of events. It was for me a challenging but also a blessed year. First of all, the ECPM has continued to grow. New parties and individual Members of Parliament have joined the ECPM, and even with stricter regulations, ECPM is able to continue to operate as one of the ten European parties. Besides this, I am thankful for the work of our members and partners in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Many resolutions and reports have been adopted this year which sought to promote human dignity. One of the highlights was the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights exactly on the same date this Declaration has been ratified by the United Nations. This document names the fundamental human rights, like ...

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