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After 100 Years: Stop State Payments to the Churches – Now!

Alliance "BAStA" calls on politicians to take action

More than half a billion euros of state payments per year are currently transferred by the federal states of Germany to the churches - in addition to all the money with which the state finances church social institutions. 100 years ago, the abolition of these state benefits was laid down in the Weimar Constitution. Yet despite the fact that this demand for abolition was reiterated in 1949 in the Basic Law, the money still goes to the Protestant and Catholic Church today. And despite massively shrinking membership numbers of the churches, the sum increases annually.

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A Transparent Tactical Maneuver

Commentary on the proposed reform of § 219a StGB

The media praised yesterday's draft bill to reform the controversial § 219a StGB as a success. In fact, however, it is a transparent tactical maneuver to defuse the street protests and preserve the outdated German legislation on abortion, which stands in diametrical opposition to the constitutional requirement of worldview neutrality. A commentary by Michael Schmidt-Salomon.

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"Now More Than Ever: Away with §219a StGB!"

gbs supports nationwide campaign day for sexual self-determination on 26 January

The so-called compromise proposal to modify § 219a of the German Criminal Code ("Advertising for Abortion"), which the government coalition presented in December 2018, does not improve the situation of physicians, pregnancy conflict counseling centers, and unintentionally pregnant women whatsoever. Therefore, the "Bündnis für sexuelle Selbstbestimmung" ("Alliance for Sexual Self-determination"), including the gbs, calls for a "nationwide campaign day for the abolition of § 219a StGB" on 26 January.

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New Year Reception 2019

gbs begins the new year with a musical highlight

On January 1, 2019, the Giordano Bruno Stiftung invites you to its traditional New Year's reception at "Haus Weitblick" in Oberwesel. This year a very special musical delicacy awaits the guests: After a brief "New Year's speech" by Michael Schmidt-Salomon, renowned German cellist Manuel Fischer-Dieskau and exceptional Canadian pianist Connie Shih will perform works including by Ludwig van Beethoven, whose sonatas for cello and piano the duo recently recorded on a highly acclaimed CD.

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gbs Annual Review 2018

In the "Year of Human Rights" more than 10,000 supporting members endorsed the foundation's activities

Buchvorstellung "Frauen dürfen hier nicht träumen" (Berlin, Januar 2018)

"But where there is danger, the saving powers will grow as well." With this Hölderlin verse, gbs spokesman Michael Schmidt-Salomon commented on the remarkable increase in the foundation's activities and the number of supporting members in 2018. In the past twelve months the number of "friends and supporters of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung" has grown by more than 1,500 persons, which means that for the first time, in the "Year of Human Rights", the gbs was endorsed by more than 10,000 supporting members.

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Plea for Digital Human Rights

gbs submits digital charter proposal to United Nations

70 years ago, on December 10, 1948, the UN General Assembly in Paris adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The digital revolution was still in the distant future. Just in time for the 70th anniversary, the Giordano Bruno Stiftung (gbs) now submitted its proposals for a Charter of Fundamental Digital Rights to the United Nations.

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70 Years "Universal Declaration of Human Rights"

Celebration, lectures, and discussion - event with Jacqueline Neumann and Michael Schmidt-Salomon in Hamburg

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To duly commemorate its 70th anniversary, the Secular Forum Hamburg, with support from the Giordano Bruno Stiftung and other cooperating partners, invites Jacqueline Neumann (Institut für Weltanschauungsrecht - Institute for World View Law) and Michael Schmidt-Salomon (gbs) as speakers to a ceremony at Patriotische Gesellschaft Hamburg on Monday, December 10, 2018 (start: 8 pm, admission 7 pm).

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A Milestone in Human History

The campaign "Weltbürger statt Reichsbürger" elucidates universal human rights

Today the Giordano Bruno Stiftung released its brochure "Die Menschenrechte: Wie sie entstanden sind - und warum wir sie verteidigen müssen" ("Human Rights: How they came about - and why we must defend them"). It provides compact information on the historical background and the current threats to human rights and can now be ordered free of charge by schools in Germany.

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70 Years of Human Rights

Press conference on the "Secular Week of Human Rights" on November 12 in the House of the Federal Press Conference

"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good," said Thomas Paine, leading pioneer of the idea for human rights. The press conference on the "Secular Week of Human Rights" on November 12, 2018, at the House of the Federal Press Conference explains the largely overlooked background of the UN Declaration of Human Rights as well as its current threats posed by Trump, Putin, Erdogan, & co. In addition, it examines the practical significance of human rights work by illuminating the fates of those who fled to Germany from political Islam.

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Criminal Charges Against Sexual Offenders in the Catholic Church Throughout Germany

Lawyers demand preliminary investigations in all German dioceses

Much has been said about the abuse scandal, now it is time to act: Six renowned law professors in collaboration with the Insitut für Weltanschauungsrecht (ifw) filed criminal charges with the public prosecutor's offices responsible for the 27 dioceses in Germany on Friday. In their eleven-page explanatory statement the legal experts argue that in the Catholic abuse scandal there is an urgent need to initiate "investigation measures to convict the perpetrators", "for example, to investigate archives and confiscate complete, non-anonymous files".

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