International dailies and periodicals” “

In the debate on the referendum for the abrogation of the Italian law on assisted fertilization, called for by a committee headed by the Radical Party, the Italian Catholic daily Avvenire (19/05) has published an article by Enrico Negrotti citing the thinking of Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and […]

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Liberty, security and justice ” “

The European launched its new five-year action plan for liberty, security and justice on 10 May. The Plan – which contains inter alia detailed proposals in the sectors of terrorism, immigration, asylum, privacy and judicial cooperation – is based on the principles of “prosperity, solidarity and security”. There are ten priority area in the Plan: […]

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Aid for the Palestinians” “

The new financial package of humanitarian aid released by the European Union in favour of over a million “vulnerable” Palestinians resident in the occupied territories and in Lebanon amounts to 28.3 million euros. The funds – administered by the EU humanitarian office ECHO – will be allocated to the provision of water and food, activities […]

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More quantity and quality in information” “

“The European Union communicates little and badly”, said – not for the first time – the Vice-President of the European Commission Margot Wallstroem, in presenting a Resolution to the European Parliament with the aim of contributing to the revival of the strategy of communication in the EU. The EP approved the Resolution by a large […]

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Eurostat, GDP growth alarm” “

Eurostat – the statistics office of the European Community – has published the data on economic growth in the Euro-zone for the first three months of 2005 and the estimates for the second quarter. If a brief revival of GDP was registered in the period January-March (+0.5%), especially due to the +1% registered by Germany, […]

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council of europe" "

A choral response” “

“Apart from the important documents we have signed, apart from the official speeches, we have been able to speak to each other, discuss together common problems and ways of tackling them. I think that during these days in Warsaw we have finally been able to breath an air of pan-European unity”, said the “host” of […]

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environment" "

The measure of sufficiency” “

A denunciation to the Western world that continues to maintain, and to export to other parts of the world, a lifestyle that outstrips the natural possibilities of the planet has been made by the 120 participants at the 5th Assembly of the Ecumenical Christian Network for the Environment (ECEN). Coming from 30 countries of Europe, […]

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immigration" "

Need for dignified return” “

There are some positive elements, but also “concerns” about the measures of “detention while awaiting expulsion, including the detention of children, and the fact that an appeal against forced expulsion does not suspend its effect”: that is the comment of PETER VERHAEGHE, immigration expert of Caritas Europe, on the recent adoption (11 May 2005) by […]

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switzerland" "

Splendid images” “

“The religious media are quicker to ‘react’ to new tendencies than the general media”, says CLAUDE LONGCHAMP , director of the Institute for research on politics, communication and society in Bern. Referring, in particular, to the death and funeral of John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI, Longchamp notes that “the splendid images […]

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Spain: children and interfaith dialogue” “

Some 600 people will meet in Barcelona on Sunday 29 May to participate in the first Catalan Parliament of Religions, which also plans a series of activities for children aged between 2 and 10. The organizers (Catalan Network of Interfaith Dialogue) explain to SIR that they are hoping for the participation of some sixty young […]

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