The Global Charter of Conscience launched

Yesterday in Brussels, The Global Charter of Conscience was launched.

This charter is hugely signficant for the legal, educational and social promotion of freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

Well-known writer Os Guinness is one of the authors of the new charter.

The charter is introduced as follows:

Freedom of conscience underpins many of the other human rights that we all enjoy. This is why the right to express your belief is enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, this freedom is being marginalised.

The Global Charter of Conscience will bring religious tolerance back to the centre of public debate, and it will help future generations engage freely in the public life of their nation.

The Charter has been drafted by people of many faiths and none, politicians of many persuasions, academics and NGOs, all committed to a partnership on behalf of «freedom of thought, conscience and religion» for people of all faiths and none.

The Charter calls for the cultivation of civility and the construction of a civil public square that maximises freedom for everyone. It provides a vision and framework to help us discuss and resolve our present problems in a constructive, rights-honouring manner. This is long term work but we need to start now.

In the coming months, Charter supporters will be providing opportunities to reflect on what is needed to help make the world genuinely «safer for diversity.»  We invite all people of good will to join the conversation.

Read the whole charter here – and reflect and act on its challenging content.

I would also recommend reading the insightful summary by Director of Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics (KLICE) Jonathan Chaplin. It is also worth reading the interesting RZIM news article on the charter.

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Norsk: Igår i Brussel ble et svært viktig dokument om samvittighetsfrihet lansert, med den kjente forfatteren Os Guinness som en av opphavsmennene. Det nye charteret anbefales for nøye studium!

Se også Svenska Evangeliska Alliansens presentasjon av charteret.

(Updated 26th July 2012)