In view of the upcoming elections for the European Parliament and amidst increasingly loud nationalistic and populistic voices, Pax Christi International has launched a manifesto in support of the European Union as a peace project.
The document – jointly elaborated by Pax Christi with its members from the Netherlands, Belgium (Flanders), Germany, France, Italy, Austria, the UK and Portugal – highlights some of the achievements of the EU and the several challenges it still needs to address.
Below is an excerpt of the manifesto:
“1. ‘Europe’ is a unique peace project which has held for more than 70 years. When it started after World War II, the “European project” was built on two parallel constructed pillars: one was the joint control over war resources, namely through the European Coal and Steel Community (1951); the other was the promotion and protection of human rights as a significant means to prevent war among European nations through the creation of the Council of Europe (1949). Following this, the European Convention on Human Rights (1950) and the European Court of Human Rights (1959) were established.”
You can find the manifesto in English, Italian and French on Pax Christi International’s website.