The Political Network for Values and its allied organizations focus on the need for collaboration among political peers to promote shared values in a globalized political context. The Second Transatlantic Summit will bring together members of the European Parliament and national legislators from Europe, Latin America and North America as wel as other regions of the world.
The summit will create a forum spotlighting topics regarding the institution of marriage, family, human life, human dignity, freedom of religion and freedom of conscience in international organizations. Policy makers will discuss a proposed agenda based on the risks and challenges identified by experts, and will set the ground for its implementation.
Venue: European Parliament
Attendance by invitation only.
Limited spaces available.
THE II TRANSATLANTIC SUMMIT OF THE POLITICAL NETWORK FOR VALUES BRINGS TOGETHER MORE THAN 100 KEY POLITICAL PLAYERS AND CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS FROM 30 COUNTRIES IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Brussels, April 27-28th 2017
The Second Transatlantic Summit of the Political Network for Values was held on 27 and 28 April in the European Parliament, bringing together Members of the European Parliament, experts in various fields, as well as legislators from Africa, from North, Central and South America, around the nodal themes of human dignity and life, family and society, freedom of conscience and religious freedom.
The theme for the Summit was Personhood, Family and Society: Global Challenges, Global Responses. Participants reflected on various aspects of the world scenario, addressing relevant issues such as the European Parliament resolution on the systematic massacre of religious minorities, positive examples of public policies to strengthen the family, provide palliative care for people with terminal illnesses, as well as protect the lives of the most vulnerable.
A thriving space was created for the exchange of opinions and experiences on the work that can be done in favor of human rights in various international instances, such as the European Union, the UN and the OAS, taking into account the key role that the family plays for the sustainable development of nations, as well as the fundamental rights to life, freedom of conscience and religious freedom.
The opening ceremony of the Summit included a speech by Marian-Jean Marinescu (Vice-Chair of the EPP Group in the European Parliament), Jaime Mayor Oreja (Chair of the Political Network for Values) and Laima Andrikiene (Member of the European Parliament). The Summit also welcomed His Excellency Msgr. Gintaras Grusas, Archbishop of Vilnius as a special guest and keynote speaker during the reception dinner.
The context and purpose of the Summit can be summarized in the words of Jaime Mayor Oreja, Chair of the Network: “A liquid society begins to undermine its own foundations, its values and principles. Intellectual weakness overwhelms and political correctness demands for a thought police to delegitimize and marginalize the heterodox.” We, however, “will not allow ourselves to be trampled upon, whether by the New Global Ethic or by reactive extremism.” It is imperative to formulate an answer from the values of the Greco-Latin and Judeo-Christian heritage of Western Culture.
The Political Network for Values shares a Decalogue of values and commitments for human dignity and the common good, among which are the right to life as the first of all human rights, without which the other rights lose their foundation; the family as the basic unit of society, and as the first school to build the character and values that shape individuals and prepare them to exercise a positive role in society; marriage as an institution in which man and women make a different and simultaneously complementary contribution to the process of family formation; the right of parents to decide the education of their children according to their moral, religious, philosophical and pedagogical convictions; the value of duties versus relativism, an ideology that is driving our culture to demand more special treatments and to create false new rights that abolish duties, especially the duty of caring for the most vulnerable in our society – the elderly, children and unborn human beings; or the defense of religious freedom as central to human dignity.
Within the Summit, a special program took place for young leaders who aspire to take responsibility for the future in the promotion of human dignity and the common good, and who are committed to an understanding of leadership as service. Participants in the program came from Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Spain and the United States of America.
The II Transatlantic Summit has been sponsored by the EPP Group in the European Parliament, the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM), International Organization for the Family (IOF), National Organization for Marriage (NOM), Family Watch International (FWI) and CitizenGO.
