THE TANDEM PROJECT
UNITED NATIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS,
FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF
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To: Netherlands; Governments, Religions or Beliefs,
Academia, NGOs, Civil Society.
Re:
Subject: Dialogue and Education is a key to solving
conflicts based on religion or belief
As we are all painfully
aware, religious conflict continues to escalate worldwide. Acceptance of the
rights of others to their own beliefs continues to be a value denied for
millions of people. Much suffering is inflicted in the name of religion or
belief on minorities, women and children and “the other” for the most part by
perpetrators in total disregard for the tenets of their own faiths.
Surely one of the best
hopes for humankind is to embrace a culture in which religions and other
beliefs accept one another, in which wars and violence are not tolerated in the
name of an exclusive right to truth, in which children are raised to solve
conflicts with mediation, compassion and understanding.
In 2008 the United
Nations Human Rights Council launched the Universal Periodic Review. Sometime
between 2008 and 2011 all United Nations Member States will receive a Universal
Periodic Review on progress to fulfill their human rights responsibilities and
obligations.
The Netherlands Universal
Periodic Review was held by the U.N. Human Rights Council on
International Human Rights Standards on Freedom of
Religion or Belief are international law and codes of conduct for peaceful
cooperation, respectful competition and resolution of conflicts. The standards
are a platform for inclusive and genuine dialogue on core principles and values
within and among nations, all religions and other beliefs.
Inter-belief,
inter-cultural dialogues show encouraging signs at resolving seemingly
irreconcilable issues. Now is the time to re-constitute a U.N. Working Group,
deferred since 1968, to draft a new International Convention on Freedom of
Religion or Belief. Such a Working Group, under the U.N. Human Rights Council,
can be an inclusive international universal forum for discussion of all matters
relating to human rights and freedom of religion or belief.
If applied these
proposals will be United Nations best practice models demonstrating the value
of International Human Rights Standards on Freedom of Religion or Belief in
local programs, as a follow-up to the Netherlands Universal Periodic
Review.
STANDARDS: http://www.tandemproject.com/program/81_dec.htm
Sincerely,
Michael M. Roan
The Tandem Project
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This is an example of the
challenge to harmonize inclusive international human rights standards on
freedom of religion or belief, with the truth claims of many religious and
non-religious beliefs. Can pluralism and personal choice be taught as early
childhood education in public, private and religious schools and places of
worship, or is this contradictory, problematic and close to irreconcilable?
This example will not
apply to other religions, public, private,
religious schools or places of worship. Each religion or belief and government
education system following this paradigm will adapt their own education
curricula to human rights standards on freedom of religion or belief. Any
religious or non-religious belief could have been selected as the example.
Example: Lutheran Bible Study for pre-school children: Click on
the link, click on lessons, and then click to view individual lessons and
levels. Adapt the phrase in the proposal on human rights standards (italics) to pre-school lessons. (This is a traditional
Lutheran religious denomination).
Lessons: http://www.clclutheran.org/godshand.htm
CLC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Lutheran_Confession
The Tandem Project: a non-governmental organization founded
in 1986 to build understanding, tolerance and respect for diversity, and to
prevent discrimination in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief.
The Tandem Project, a non-profit NGO, has sponsored multiple conferences,
curricula, reference materials and programs on Article 18 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Everyone shall have the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion - and 1981 United Nations
Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination
Based on Religion or Belief.
The Tandem Project initiative
is the result of a co-founder representing the World Federation of United
Nations Associations at the United Nations Geneva Seminar, Encouragement
of Understanding, Tolerance and Respect in
Matters Relating to Freedom of Religion or Belief, called by the UN
Secretariat in 1984 on ways to implement the 1981 UN Declaration. In 1986, The
Tandem Project organized the first NGO International Conference on the 1981 UN
Declaration.
The Tandem Project
Executive Director is: Michael M. Roan, mroan@tandemproject.com.
The Tandem Project is a UN NGO in
Special Consultative Status with the
Economic and Social Council of
the United Nations
__________________________________________
Goal: To eliminate all forms of intolerance and
discrimination based on religion or belief.
Purpose: To build understanding and support for
Article 18, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights –Everyone
shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion - and the
1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and
Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. Encourage the United Nations,
Governments, Religions or Beliefs, Academia, NGOs, Media and Civil Society to
utilize International Human Rights Standards on Freedom of Religion or Belief
as essential for long-term solutions to conflicts
in all matters relating to religion or belief.
Objectives:
1. Use International
Human Rights Standards on Freedom of Religion or Belief as a platform for
genuine dialogue on the core principles and values within and among nations,
all religions and other beliefs.
2. Adapt these human
rights standards to early childhood education, teaching children, from the very
beginning, that their own religion is one out of many and that it is a personal
choice for everyone to adhere to the religion or belief by which he or she
feels most inspired, or to adhere to no religion or belief at all.1
Challenge: In 1968 the United Nations deferred work on an
International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Religious
Intolerance, because of its apparent complexity and sensitivity. In the
twenty-first century, a dramatic increase of intolerance and discrimination on
grounds of religion or belief is motivating a worldwide search to find
solutions to these problems. This is a challenge calling for enhanced dialogue
by States and others; including consideration of an International Convention on
Freedom of Religion or Belief for protection of and accountability by all
religions or beliefs. The tensions in today’s world inspire a question such as:
Should the United Nations
adopt an International Convention on Freedom of Religion or Belief?
Response: Is it the appropriate moment to
reinitiate the drafting of a legally binding international convention on
freedom of religion or belief? Law making of this nature requires a minimum
consensus and an environment that appeals to reason rather than emotions. At
the same time we are on a learning curve as the various dimensions of the
Declaration are being explored. Many academics have produced voluminous books
on these questions but more ground has to be prepared before setting up of a UN
working group on drafting a convention. In my opinion, we should not try to
rush the elaboration of a Convention on Freedom of Religion or Belief,
especially not in times of high tensions and unpreparedness. - UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief,
Option: After forty years this may be the time,
however complex and sensitive, for the United Nations Human Rights Council to
appoint an Open-ended Working Group to draft a United Nations Convention on Freedom
of Religion or Belief. The mandate for an Open-ended Working Group ought to
assure nothing in a draft Convention will be construed as restricting or
derogating from any right defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the International Covenants on Human Rights, and the 1981 UN Declaration on the
Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion
or Belief.
Separation of Religion or Belief
and State
Concept: Separation of Religion or Belief and State - SOROBAS. The First Preamble to the 1948 United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads; “Whereas
recognition of the inherent
dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family
is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. This concept
suggests States recalling their history, culture and constitution adopt fair
and equal human rights protection for all religions or beliefs as described in
General Comment 22 on Article 18, International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, UN Human Rights Committee,
Article
18: protects theistic, non-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well as the right not
to profess any religion or belief.
The terms belief and religion are to be broadly construed. Article 18 is not
limited in its application to traditional religions or to religions and beliefs
with international characteristics or practices analogous to those of
traditional religions. The Committee therefore views with concern any tendency
to discriminate against any religion or belief for any reasons, including the
fact that they are newly established, or represent religious minorities that
may be the subject of hostility by a predominant religious community. Article 18: permits restrictions to manifest a religion or
belief only if such limitations are prescribed by law and necessary to protect
public safety, order, health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms
of others.
International Human Rights Standards on Freedom of
Religion or Belief are used to review the actions of governments, religions or
beliefs, non-governmental organizations and civil society under constitutional
systems such as Separation of Church and State,
Dialogue: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki
Moon, at the Alliance of Civilizations Madrid Forum said; “Never in our
lifetime has there been a more desperate need for constructive and committed
dialogue, among individuals, among communities, among cultures, among and
between nations.” A writer in another setting has said, “The warning signs are
clear: unless we establish genuine dialogue within and among all kinds of
belief, ranging from religious fundamentalism to secular dogmatism, the
conflicts of the future will probably be even more deadly.”
International Human
Rights Standards on Freedom or Religion or Belief are international law and
universal codes of conduct for peaceful cooperation, respectful competition and
resolution of conflicts. The standards are a platform for genuine dialogue on
core principles and values within and among nations, all religions and other
beliefs.
Education: Ambassador
The 1981 U.N. Declaration states; “Every child shall
enjoy the right to have access to education in the matter of religion or belief
in accordance with the wishes of his parents, and shall not be compelled to
receive teaching on religion or belief against the wishes of his parents, the
best interests of the child being the guiding principle.” With International
Human Rights safeguards, early childhood education is the best time to begin to
build tolerance, understanding and respect for freedom of religion or belief.
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C&C DATABASE: http://www.tandemproject.com/databases/forms/card.htm
CONCEPT: Study Topic on Freedom of Religion or Belief:
http://www.tandemproject.com/part1/concepts_methods/concepts_methods.htm
Netherlands UPR Follow-up - Open Letter on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Netherlands - UPR Report & Freedom of Religion or Belief
Prague Speakers - 25 Year Commemoration of 1981 UN Declaration on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Now is the Time for a U.N. Convention on Freedom of Religion or Belief