Strasbourg Consortium

"There will be no peace in our world without an understanding of the place of religion within it." — Tony Blair

In 2005, a group of academic institutions with interest in freedom of religion or belief (FORB) assembled with the aim of developing an electronic forum, possibly stimulated from time to time by relevant academic conferences, to encourage in-depth discussion of issues pending before the European Court of Human Rights and other international institutions. This group has come to be known as the... more

9 February 2012 - Brussels:  The Erlangen Centre for Islam and Law in Europe EZIRE (partner of the RELIGARE project) cordially invites you to attend a workshop on "Arab Revolutions": a Challenge for Islam and Muslims in the EU and their Perception in Europe, taking place at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the European Union, Rue Wiertz 77, B-1000 Brussels on Thursday, 9 February 2012. The Bavarian State Minister of Sciences, Research and the Arts will open the event. High representatives of the European Commission will give their views. This workshop is jointly organized by the Erlangen Centre for Islam and Law in Europe EZIRE, the Bavarian Research Alliance BayFOR, and the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the European Union. Please register to this event by contacting Dr. Jörn Thielmann at: joern.thielmann@jura.uni-erlangen.de.  Program Flyer

6 March 2012 - Brussels:  Protecting the sacred spaces of the Mediterranean: A contribution to intercultural dialogue. Brussels, Berlaymon, Jean Monnet room. Cosponsored by the European Commission and the Sovereign Order of Malta.  Program Flyer

Sindicatul "Păstorul cel Bun" v. Romania (no.2330/09) - Chamber Judgment 31 January 2012. [Excerpts from the Court Press Release]: The applicant, Păstorul cel Bun, is a union established in April 2008 by 35 clerics and lay members of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the majority of them Orthodox priests in parishes of the Metropolis of Oltenia (a region in south-western Romania). The aim of the union, as set forth in its statutes, is to defend the professional, economic, social and cultural interests of its members, both clerics and lay members, in their dealings with the Church hierarchy and the... more

Islam, Europe and Emerging Legal Issues
Edited by W. Cole Durham Jr., Rik Torfs, 
David M. Kirkham, and Christine Scott
Ashgate Publishers 2012

Islam, Europe and Emerging Legal Issues brings together vital analysis of the challenges that Europe poses for an expanding Islam and that Islam poses for Europe, within their ever-evolving religious, legal, and social environments. This book gathers some of the best thinking on Islam and the law affecting current and contested issues that can no longer be ignored, particularly as they have found their way before the European Court of Human Rights. Contributors include leading authorities who are working at the heart of this generation's law and religion questions in Europe and across the world. This book outlines implications for all those who look to Europe-from both within and without-for models of human rights implementation and multi-cultural accommodation.

The Court's judicial year was formally opened on Friday 27 January 2012. Some 200 leading judicial figures from across Europe were invited to participate in a seminar on the topic "How to ensure greater involvement of national courts in the Convention system?"

The Court held its annual press conference on Thursday 26 January 2012. On this occasion, Nicolas Bratza, the President of the Court, presented a summary of the Court's activities and its statistics for 2011. He said that the European governments must assume their part of the shared responsibility for the protection of human rights across the continent. In connection with this press conference, the Court released its Annual Report 2011 and 2011 Facts and Figures. On 27 January the Court also released a new video on admissibility conditions for cases coming before it. 

For a summary of the January 2012 events, see Antoine Buyse's ECHR Blog.

26 January 2012 - David Peterson, reporting from Brussels

In a solemn ceremony at the European Parliament on January 24th, marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the newly elected President of the Parliament, Martin Shulz (MEP Germany), spoke movingly to more than three hundred Jewish community representatives from throughout Europe, and the world, about the Holocaust tragedy. He stated: "I am deeply touched that one of my first official engagements as President will be opening the International... more

Oxford University Press has announced a new publication, The Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, with its first issue to appear in early 2012. Advance access to that issue is available here. Five internationally renowned scholars will serve as Editors-in-Chief: W. Cole Durham, Brigham Young University (USA); Malcolm Evans, University of Bristol (UK); Silvio Ferrari, Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy); Julian Rivers, University of Bristol (UK); and Gerhard Robbers, Universität Trier (Germany). Managing Editor is Peter Petkoff, of Brunel Law School, London, and Regent's Park College, University of Oxford (UK). Case Note Editors are Jessica Giles (Oxford), Cristiana Cianitto... more

27 January 2012.  Opening of the judicial year. 

27 January 2012. Court releases a new video on admissibility conditions for cases coming before it.

26 January 2012. Annual Report 2011.

26 January 2012. 2011 Facts and Figures. 

9 January 2012. New book on Court after Protocol 14. (Antoine Buyse, ECHR Blog)

4 November 2011. Sir Nicholas Bratza takes office as President of the Court. Casadevall and Garlicki begin terms as Vice-President and Section President... more

Religion isn't dying, nor should it, said Tony Blair in a 2 January 2012 blogpost "Faith in a Globalized Age," published on New Europe Online. The former British Prime Minister note that "for years, it was assumed, certainly in the West, that, as society developed, religion would wither away.  But it hasn't, and, at the start of a new decade, it is time to take religion seriously." To that end Blair has created a Faith Foundation, "to create greater understanding between the faiths."

In a companion post, "Taking Faith Seriously," published the same day,... more

31 December 2011 - HRWF Brussels 

Human Rights Without Frontiers International (HRWF Int'l), an independent nongovernmental organization, has released a 62-page report that documents the abduction and confinement of Japanese citizens for the purpose of religious de-conversion, and the failure of Japanese police and judicial authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible for such cases of domestic violence.... more

Herrmann v. Germany (no. 9300/07) — Grand Chamber Hearing held 30 November 2011. [Webcast] The applicant, Günter Herrmann, is a German national who was born in 1955 and lives in Stutensee (Germany). As the owner of two landholdings in Rhineland-Palatinate which are smaller than 75 hectares, he is automatically a member of the Langsur hunting association under German Federal Hunting Law (Bundesjagdgesetz). He complains about being obliged to tolerate the hunt on his premises even though he is opposed to hunting on moral grounds.... more

The Newsletter of 11 November 2011 of the Strabourg Consortium has now been sent to friends and subscribers. You may subscribe or unsubscribe to the Consortium Newsletter, or submit questions or comments about the Newsletter, by sending a message to newsletter@strasbourgconsortium.org. All newsletters of the Strasbourg Consortium may be viewed here.

The new President of the European Court of Human Rights, Sir Nicolas Bratza, who was elected in July 2011, took up his duties on 4 November 2011. He is the third British President in the history of the Court, following Lord McNair, who served as President of the Court from 1959 till 1965, and Sir Humphrey Waldock, who served from 1971 till 1974. 

Sir Nicolas replaces Jean-Paul Costa (French), who has been the Court’s President since 19 January 2007. Having turned 70 years old on 3 November 2011, Mr. Costa was required by Article 23 § 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights to step down.

Human Rights Without Frontiers announces the release of the report "EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA): A Reality Check." In addition to being available here, the full 72-page report is available at the HWRF website and also as the 9 November 2011 entry of the blog Religious Freedom. Following is a summary by the author of the report, Dr. Nadja Milanova.... more

Human Rights Without Frontiers has published its Preliminary report of a fact-finding mission in Bahrain (23-28 October 2011). The report, available here and on the HRWF website.

The Executive Summary of the Report follows:

On 14 February 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter, the Bahrain Youth for Freedom group called for demonstrations to demand economic reform (better job opportunities and better housing), more political freedom, institutional reforms and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy. Thousands of people took to the streets of... more

On 20 October 2011, Mr. Heiner Bielefeldt, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, took part in an interactive dialogue with the General Assembly Third Committee. His report and oral presentation focused on the promotion of inter- and intra-religious communication as a means to combat religious intolerance and hate speech. Mr. Bielefeldt also called attention to the possible adverse side effects that may occur in the context of interreligious dialogue projects; including if religious communities are portrayed stereotypically or... more

The European Court of Human Rights has compiled two series of factsheets providing information about its case law, including pending cases. A series of "country profiles" provides wide-ranging State-specific information for each the forty-seven European countries that have ratified the European Convention on Human Rights, touching upon the human rights issues dealt with by the Court for each State. A compilation of "Stastistics on judgments by State" is also available, offering charts showing the subject matter of judgments for each State. In addition, a series thematic factsheets summarizes the Court's case work by topic. It is hoped that these resources will help make the Court's work and case-law better known and more accessible.

More political leadership and media engagement are needed to confront anti-Muslim rhetoric, said participants in an OSCE high-level meeting held in Vienna on 28 October 2011. OSCE participating States' governments and other key actors must challenge intolerant public discourse against Muslims, while preserving freedom of expression. The conference organized by Lithuania's 2011 OSCE Chairmanship and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) gathered some 150 participants... more

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held its Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw during 29 September - 7 October 2011. Among the topics addressed during the course of the meeting was the registration of religious communities.  

W. Cole Durham, Jr. of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham... more

Human rights constitute a journey and a work-in-progress, as much for the Union itself, as for its partners around the world.

This EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World  [4 MB]   tells the story of that journey in 2010.  It charts the EU's human rights work in its relations with other countries, both in its formal dialogues and in its practical, direct assistance.  It also reviews the Union's work in multilateral forums, especially the UN, in trying to establish and entrench human rights as indivisible and universal. We remain absolutely committed to strengthening this work.

31 January 2012. EU: Dutch government implements ban on face-covering clothing. (eGov Monitor)

28 October 2011. Breaking the law by just stepping out. (Angelique Chrisafis -Guardian News & Media Ltd, Gulf News)

22 September 2011.  France court fines two women for wearing niqab, or full-face veil, in first action since ban took effect. (Angelique Chrisafis, The Guardian.co.uk)

22 September 2011. Muslim women flout French ban of veil.  (Elaine Ganley, Associated Press via The Deseret News)

29 August 2011. Islamic Headscarves, Religious Pluralism... more

14 October 2011. NSS publish European Court of Human Rights intervention. (Keith Porteus Wood, National Secular Society)

11 October 2011. Wrong to penalise Christian registrar, consultation finds. (The Christian Institute)

28 September 2011.  Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) submits intervention to ECtHR on religious discrimination in the workplace.  (wired-gov.net)  [EHRC Consultation Response Summary] [EHRC Submission to ECtHR]

20 September 2011. Observations by Dr. Grégor Puppinck, Director, European Centre for Law and Justice.  [... more

The European Court of Human Rights has elected a new Vice-President – Josep Casadevall (Andorra) – and elected a new Section President – Lech Garlicki (Poland). Both will assume their three-year terms on November 4, 2011. Judge Casadevall, who has served as President of Section since February 2008, has been a Judge of the Court since November 1998. Judge Garlicki has served on the Court since June 2002. The Court is composed of one judge in respect of each of the 47 States to have ratified the European Convention on Human Rights. Judges work in five Sections from which Chambers of seven judges are constituted. The Court also sits as a Grand Chamber of seventeen judges. The Court has two Vice-Presidents both of whom also preside over Sections, the other three Sections each having a Section President.

Representatives of the OSCE’s 56 participating States met in Rome on 12 September to discuss ways to prevent and respond to hate crimes against Christians. The meeting, organized by the OSCE’s Lithuanian Chairmanship and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), aims at raising awareness on hate-motivated crimes and incidents targeting Christians and their property across the OSCE region. Participants also shared good practices and developed a set of recommendations on how to prevent and respond to such crimes and incidents, with a special focus on attacks on places of worship.... more

Summer Harvest of Academic Articles and ECHR Articles in the News HRLR (lists by Antoine Buyse, ECHR Blog)

Elena Miroshnikova, The Cooperation Model in State-Church Relations, Lambert 2011

Antoine Buyse & Michael Hamilton, eds., Transitional Jurisprudence and the ECHR: Justice, Politics and Rights, Cambridge University Press 2011

Jonas Christoffersen & Mikael Rask Madsen, eds., The European Court of Human Rights between Law and Politics, Oxford University Press 2011

Philip Leach, Taking a Case to the European Court of Human Rights, Oxford University Press 2011 (3rd ed.)

Norman Doe, Law and Religion in Europe: A Comparative Introduction, Oxford... more

5 October 2011 - Conscientious objection at the European Court of Human Rights: Comments on the Bayatyan v. Armenia judgment and some other pending cases, by Grégor Puppinck, Ph.D., Director of the ECLJ

7 July 2011 - Strasbourg :  The Grand Chamber has issued its judgment in Bayatyan v. Armenia, heard in Strasbourg on 24 November 2010. Contrary to the Court's 2009 Chamber Judgment, the Grand Chamber found a violation of ECHR Article 9 (right to freedom of religion or belief) in the conviction of Mr. Vahan Bayatyan, a Jehovah's Witness and Armenian national, for... more

July 2011 - Strasbourg

Following the 26 November 2009 popular vote (57.5%) in Switzerland to prohibit the building of minarets, the European Court of Human Rights received a number of complaints. On 28 June 2011 the Court ruled the following applications inadmissible:

Ligue des Musulmans de Suisse and Others v. Switzerland (no. 66274/09) and Ouardiri v. Switzerland (no. 665840/09).

The Court ruled that the applicants, though offended, were not victims in any sense defined by the European Convention and could not claim damage from theoretical future events, reiterating that Article 13 (guarantee of effective remedy) does not guarantee a remedy "allowing a State's legislation to be challenged on the ground of being contrary to the Convention."... more

30 June 2011 - Strasbourg

In a Chamber Judgment of 30 June 2011 in the case Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah v. France (application no. 8916/05), the European Court of Human Rights held that there had been a violation of Article 9 religious freedom rights in a supplementary tax demand for more than 57.5 million Euros made by the French tax authorities upon the applicant association during the years 1993-1996. 

Critics of the French action had noted that the 60% supplementary tax levied on the Association, which relies upon donations... more

June 2011 - Strasbourg

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has elected a new judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of France. André Potocki, elected with an absolute majority of votes cast, will begin a term of office of nine years on 4 November 2011.  He will succeed Judge Jean-Paul Costa, who is currently serving as president of the Court. Judge Potoki holds a law degree from the University of Paris II and is a graduate of the Institute of Legal Studies, Bordeaux. He has been on the bench since 1976, most recently as Judge at the Commercial Section of the French Court of Cassation. From 2006-2007... more

8 June 2011 - London

Professor Malcolm Evans of Bristol University delivered the Annual Lambeth Inter Faith Lecture, hosted by Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth Palace on Wednesday evening, 8 June 2011. Professor Evans addressed the topic "Advancing Freedom of Religion or Belief: Agendas for Change." 

Noting that understanding what religious freedom means or requires is difficult, Professor Evans focused in his address "on the manner in which that freedom is currently being engaged with, in order to highlight ... a singularly significant opportunity... more

Representatives from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist faiths were in Brussels on Monday, May 30, 2011, to talk with the presidents of the EU institutions about rights and liberty and building a partnership for democracy and shared prosperity between Europe and its neighbours.

"The challenges to promote democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, human rights and social justice in Europe can only be met with the active contribution of the religious communities. Today's discussion confirmed... more

Professor Tore Lindholm – "one of the pillars of the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR)," was honored on the occasion of his 70th birthday at the event "Multiculturalism and Human Rights – a Symposium in Honor of Tore Lindholm," held 26 May 2011 in Oslo, Norway. The symposium was sponsored by the Human Rights and Diversity Working Group of the Faculty of Law of the University of Oslo. The conference involved a rountable discussion on Multiculturalism and Identity Politics, "between Professor Lindholm and some distinguished friends and colleagues," including Professor Cole Durham of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) at Brigham... more

April 2011 - Strasbourg

Norway Supreme Court Justice Erik Møse has been elected Judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Norway, with a term of office to begin 1 September 2011. Judge Møse is an international human rights expert who has published extensively in the field. He chaired the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights and the Committee which drafted the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, as well as the Committee which elaborated the draft Act on incorporation of human rights conventions into... more

April 2011 - Strasbourg

International law expert Helen Keller, professor of law at Zurich University, has been named judge of the European Court of Human Rights for a term of nine years, beginning October 2011. She will serve in respect of Switzerland, replacing Judge Giorgio Malinverni. Since 2008 Professor Keller has been a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee; in 2009 she was a Visiting Researcher at the Court in Strasbourg. A native Swiss, she speaks English, French, German, Italian, and Polish. In an interview with swissinfo.ch, Professor Keller pointed to "the possibility of passing verdicts which break new ground in human rights law" as a key fascination in taking up the position at the Court. ... more

The European Court of Human Rights has produced and made available on its website several helpful manuals and reports, including the following:

• The Court in Brief
• Country Fact Sheets 1959-2010 
•  The European Court of Human Rights in Facts and Figures 2010
• Text of the European Convention on Human Rights in the languages of participating states

April 2011 - Vienna

At a special Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Human Rights held in Vienna on 14 April 2011, members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) asserted that national human rights institutions need a clear mandate, sufficient resources, and genuine independence from government to be able to play their role effectively. The two-day meeting, organized... more

• "Who can bring a case to the Court?"
• "What are the conditions of admissibility?"
• "What is the difference between a Chamber and a Section?"
• "Do judges sit in cases concerning their own country?"
• "Can the Court's composition vary from one case to another?"
• "When does a Grand Chamber hear a case?"
• "What are the different stages of proceedings before the Court?"
• "What is a pilot case?"
• "How are the Court's judgments enforced"?

To answer such questions, the European Court of Human Rights has produced the online handbook The ECHR in 50 Questions. Some answers are better suited to scholars of and practitioners before the Court than to casual readers, but the publication is helpful for anyone concerned with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and with the Court (also ECHR, or, to avoid confusion, ECtHR).

23 March 2011 – Prague

Participants at an OSCE meeting in Prague on confronting anti-Semitism in public discourse today called for more decisive steps to counter expressions of intolerance and hatred while preserving the freedom of speech.

From the OSCE Press Release:  

At the opening of the two-day meeting organized by the OSCE's Lithuanian Chairmanship and the OSCE Office for Democratic... more

21 March 2011 - Strasboug
FRA Press Release

The first comprehensive guide to European non-discrimination law was launched by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on 21 March 2011, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.... more

Ongoing 2011 - Strasbourg

On 18 March 2011 the European Court of Human Rights announced a Grand Chamber Judgment, a ruling in favor of Italy, in the controversial Lautsi and Others v. Italy - a case predicted to become "a flash point in the religious history of Europe." The Court press release is available in English, French, Italian, and German. More information about the history of the case, including summaries of the arguments, documents of intervention, and selected scholarly commentary, can be found on this website and on the website of the European Centre for Law and Justice. For ongoing discussion since the release of the judgment, please see below:  ... more

24 March 2011 - Strasbourg

The European Court of Human Rights had announced a new rule (Rule 61), which clarifies and codifies the Court’s existing "pilot-judgment procedure." This procedure was developed by the Court over the past few years to assist in dealing with the massive influx of applications concerning similar issues – also known as "systemic issues" – arising from non-conformity of member States' domestic laws with provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.... more

23 March 2011 - Strasbourg
From the FRA Press Release

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has on 23 March 2011 released its report Access to justice in Europe: an overview of challenges and opportunities. The report was launched in Budapest at the conference ‘Protecting victims in the EU: the road ahead’, hosted by the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, with... more

21 March 2011 - Strasbourg, Vienna, Warsaw

In a joint statement issued on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Nils Muiznieks, Chair of the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI); Morten Kjaerum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA); and Janez Lenarčič, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), strongly condemned manifestations of racism and related... more

16 March 2011 - Vienna

The Constitutional Court of Austria (Verfassungsgerichtshof, VfGH) has ruled that the display of crucifixes in classrooms of state-run nursery schools does not violate Austria's constitution. In Austria as elsewhere in Europe the European Convention on Human Rights enjoys the status of constitutional law, and interpretation of the Convention generally follows the ECtHR’s case law. Hence, in this case, filed by an atheist following the ECtHR’s Lautsi decision, a different result might have been expected.  

9 March 2011 - Strasbourg

The European Court of Human Rights has announced that the Grand Chamber has reached its decision in the controversial "Italian Crucifix" case, Lautsi v. Italy (no. 30814/06). Parties to the case were informed on 9 March that the decision had been reached on 16 February and would be announced to the public at 3 p.m., local time, on 18 March 2011 in the Human Rights Building in Strasbourg. The original Court ruling in favor of the applicant, Soile Lautsi, taken by the Second Section on 9 November 2009, ignited international interest and an immediate appeal by Italy, which was accompanied  by an unprecedented number of third-party interventions. The case was heard by the Grand Chamber on 30 June 2010.  At issue is not only the right of those such... more

January 2011 - Strasbourg 

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has elected Paulo Sérgio Pinto de Albuquerque as judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Portugal. Mr de Albuquerque, who obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected for a term of office of nine years beginning after 5 February 2011. Judges are elected by PACE from a list of three candidates nominated by each State that has ratified the European Convention on Human Rights. Mr de Albuquerque, 55, has had a long career as a public prosecutor in Lisbon, most recently as Deputy Principal State Prosecutor, Director of the Lisbon public prosecution service. During 1998-2001 he was a member of the European Committee on Crime Problems PC-OC. Since... more

January 2011 – Vilnius

Effective 1 January 2011, Lithuania has assumed the Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, succeeding Kazakhstan, Chair for 2010. Audronius Ažubalis, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Lithuania and the new Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE indicates a focus on internal and external threats in the OSCE area, fostering democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, notably freedom of the media, promoting energy security in Europe, and building upon synergies between regional organizations. "We will work towards building a true security community, without dividing lines, where commitments are implemented, the use of force is... more

December 2010 - Strasbourg

In an attempt to stem the flow of obviously inadmissible applications flooding the European Court of Human Rights, the Court's Registry has published a Practical Guide on Admissibility Criteria for lawyers. The handbook explains in detail the Court's admissibility criteria and is available in English and French. Versions in other languages, particularly Russian and Turkish, will be available later.

December 2010 - Strasbourg

In a Grand Chamber Judgment issued 16 December 2010 in the case A, B, and C v. Ireland, the Court found, in respect of the third applicant, a violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to private and family life) while declining to assert that the ECHR supports a right to abortion in contravention of national laws to the contrary. The case concerned three women, two Irish nationals and one Lithuanian national, who because of restrictions in Ireland sought abortions elsewhere. They claimed that the impossibility of... more

December 2010 - Vienna

In commemoration of International Migrants Day on 18 December, representatives of churches from across Europe met for two days in Vienna to analyze contemporary achievements and challenges in the area of migrants' rights in Europe.  The 17-18 December conference also highlighted activities of European churches responding to migration. For more information, read the pre-conference Press Release: "The year of European Churches responding to migration 2010 has aimed... more

November 2010 - Europe

The weekly newspaper New Europe has published a special edition, "Religious Freedom: Building a bridge through dialogue." The publication brings together more than "30 visionaries to set a dialogue platform on a sensitive topic." Contributors include Archbishop Demetrios of America, Wilfried Martens, Egemen Bağış, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Rodi Kratsa, Thomas Hammarberg, Renate Sommer, Mario Mauro, Charles Tannock, Fiorello Provera, Sophia in ‘t Veld, Konrad Szymanski, Heiner Bielefeldt, Pieter Omtzigt, Grégor Puppinck, Sencer Ayata, Willy Fautré, Jay Sekulow, Amanda Paul, Nicolas Berger, Greg Austin, Andy Darmoo, Otmar Oehring, Emre Öktem, Robert Ellis, Mine Yildirim, George Readings, Francisco Jaime Quesado, and the New Europe team.  

In a statement published 15 November 2010 in New Europe, Heiner Bielefeldt, United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, underscored the "broad scope of application" of freedom of religion or belief, a scope which should include groups and communities large and small, old and new, and which protects "theistic, non-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well as the right not to profess any religion or belief." Many people worldwide are excluded from such protection, noted Mr. Bielefeldt, and live vulnerable to restrictions and discrimination impacting not only religious choices but also employment and family life, including marriage. Noting that Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stresses that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," Bielefeldt reiterated the... more