European volunteer service from 2005

The European Conference on volunteer service (Rome, 29/11) was the occasion to review the national legislation on the matter and confirm the project of the Union to establish a European volunteer service, probably from 2005. With a view to structuring and rendering permanent the European volunteer service, the Commission intends to organise “new forms of […]

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Anti-Semitism: new report

The EU Centre for monitoring racism and xenophobia (EUMC) has announced the publication of the draft of the controversial “Report on anti-Semitism in Europe”, “censured” by the Centre itself two weeks ago because considered “unreliable”, but nonetheless published on various Internet sites in recent days. The EUMC in Vienna had been severely criticised for its […]

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Dailies and periodicals” “” “” “

The legislative elections in Russia, followed a day later by the kamikaze attacks at the heart of Moscow, monopolise the attention of the main international dailies. Steve Lee Myers, writing in the Herald Tribune (10/12), links the two events, and observes: “In Sunday’s elections, the Russian voters gave a convincing victory to the party in […]

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Cologne and the WYD" "

The camel of the Three Magi” “

14 sections, 8 work groups, scores of volunteers in all the dioceses and a team of some thirty persons, all working full time. The organizational machine of Cologne is now in full swing. The final goal will be the 20th World Youth Day scheduled to be held in Cologne in August 2005. “It’s an event […]

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Disabled " "

But it’s only the beginning” “

The closing conference of the European Year of persons with disabilities, held in Rome from 5 to 7 December, was first and foremost a great convention with 500 men and women delegates, scores of interventions and testimonies: all of them focused on the handicapped, with all their aspirations, problems, needs and stories of everyday life, […]

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Against barriers ” “

There are 38 million people in situations of disability in the European Union and when the frontiers are enlarged to comprise 25 states, that number will jump to some 50 million. A mind-boggling number of citizens who still await the full protection of their rights and specific attention to combat every form of discrimination. Europe […]

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France" "

Lay state is not secularism” “

A lay State that is open to dialogue, that may give space to everyone without any form of discrimination, and that may offer the necessary means to foster integration, especially on the outskirts of the big cities. That is the hope expressed by the three Presidents of the Council of the Christian Churches in France […]

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ecumenism" "

A wound, not a breach” “

“A moment of genuine ecumenical sadness”. That’s how. Crispian Hollis, Catholic bishop of Portsmouth, a diocese on the south coast of England, and head of the Department for mission and unity of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, defined the decision taken jointly by the Vatican and the Anglican Communion to postpone the plenary […]

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universities" "

Faith, study and the young” “

“I encourage you, dear brothers, to ensure that your educational course be constantly sustained by the search for God”. “You too, who form part of the university world, must make your contribution” to the “process of European integration. It is indispensable that contemporary Europe safeguard its heritage of values”, ‘promoted, conciliated and consolidated’ “by Christianity”.With […]

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Euromed: "common destiny"” “

The sixth summit of the Foreign Ministers of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference, that represents the 25 members of the EU and the states on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, was held in Naples on 2/3 December. Significant was the absence of the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, who opposes the positions of […]

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