Enlightenment in the 21st century
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.
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.
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".
In Berlin findet vom 11.-18. November die "Säkulare Woche der Menschenrechte" statt
Die universellen Menschenrechte sind durch den Vormarsch von Nationalisten und Fundamentalisten weltweit bedroht. Aus diesem Grund erinnert die "Säkulare Woche der Menschenrechte" (Berlin, 11.-18. November) an die weltbürgerliche Haltung, die der "Allgemeinen Erklärung der Menschenrechte" zugrunde liegt. Mit von der Partie sind u.a. Richard Dawkins, Hamed Abdel-Samad, Ingrid Matthäus-Maier, Michael Schmidt-Salomon, Mina Ahadi, Michael Shermer und Philipp Möller.
gbs defends participation in the demo #unteilbar
The Giordano Bruno Stiftung supported the mass demonstration #unteilbar (#indivisible) in Berlin, where on Saturday more than 240,000 people set an example for "an open and solidary society". Since organizations and individuals who do not convincingly seem to be committed to an "open society" also took part in this demonstration, the participation of gbs in #unteilbar met with some sharp criticism. The foundation responded to the critics with a short but clear statement.
Kristina Hänel overcomes another hurdle on the way to the Federal Constitutional Court
Usually defendants hope for acquittal - unlike physician Kristina Hänel. In order to legally overturn the controversial § 219a of the German Criminal Code (StGB), she could not be acquitted in today's court hearing at the Giessen regional court. After the "successful defeat" in Giessen, Kristina Hänel can now appeal against the decision and is thus one step further on the way to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe.
fowid publishes overview of religious affiliations in Germany 2017
In 2017 the Roman Catholic Church lost 269,000 members in Germany, the Protestant Church (EKD) lost as many as 394,000. The group of nondenominational people grew by 499,000 persons, the group of denominational Muslims by 105,000. This is shown in an overview of the Forschungsgruppe Weltanschauungen in Deutschland, which was recently published on its website.
Legal experts welcome today's ECJ ruling
The legal experts of the Institut für Weltanschauungsrecht welcome today's judgement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which declared the dismissal of a chief physician for "lack of loyalty" to the Catholic Church to be prohibited discrimination according to Art. 21 of the Charter of the European Union. Ingrid Matthäus-Maier, former deputy chairwoman of the SPD parliamentary group, ifw advisory board member and spokeswoman for the "Campaign against Religious Discrimination in the Workplace", described the verdict as "the beginning of the end of church labour law in Germany".
Open letter to Minister of Justice Dr. Katarina Barley
Yesterday the Insitut für Weltanschauungsrecht (ifw) sent an open letter to the Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection, Katarina Barley. This was prompted by the refusal of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) to implement a decision of the highest court.
gbs publishes position paper on the consequences of digitization
Technological progress provides people with ever more effective tools - but according to which ethical criteria should they be used? The latest brochure produced by the Giordano Bruno Stiftung titled "How should IT work?" examines this question and how universal human rights can be defended in the age of digitization.