The European The European UnionUnion

United in diversity.

The European Union: The European Union: 500 million people 500 million people –– 27 countries 27 countries

Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom

The big enlargement: The big enlargement: Healing the division of EuropeHealing the division of Europe

Fall of Berlin Wall – end of CommunismEU economic help begins: Phare programme

Criteria set for a country to join the EU:• democracy and rule of law• functioning market economy• ability to implement EU laws

Formal negotiations on enlargement begin

Copenhagen summit agrees enlargement

10 new EU members: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia

1989

1992

1998

2002 2004

2007 Bulgaria and Romania join the EU

CandidatesCroatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey

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Values of the European Values of the European UnionUnion

• The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, liberty , democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.

• Moreover, the societies of the Member States are characterised by pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men…any European State wishing to become a member of the Union must respect these values in order to be considered eligible for admission.

Human Rights GoalsHuman Rights GoalsTo promote human rights around the world, the EU funds the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights.

Strengthening democracy, good governance and the rule of law (support for political pluralism, a free media and sound justice system);

Abolishing the death penalty in countries which still retain it

Combating torture through preventive measures (like police training and education) and repressive measures (creating international tribunals and criminal courts)

Fighting racism and discrimination by ensuring respect for political and civil rights.

The initiative also funds projects for gender equality and the protection of children.

Challenges to the EU Challenges to the EU VisionVision

• France’s expulsion of “illegal” Roma (2010)

• Poland bans gay rights parade (and teachers)

• Hungary imposes restrictions on free press(2011)

• France bans Islamic “scarf”

• Invasion of Polish “plumbers, butchers and nurses” (low-cost independent contractors)

• Slovak village builds wall to keep Roma out

• The Muslim question (fundamentalist imams)

Challenges to the EU Challenges to the EU VisionVision

Challenges to the EU Challenges to the EU VisionVision

Challenges to the EU Challenges to the EU VisionVision

Challenges to the EU Challenges to the EU VisionVision

Challenges to the EU Challenges to the EU VisionVision

Secular HumanismSecular Humanism The European Union is officially secular

By default, secular humanism is the consensus ethical system of most modern nation states

Secular humanism, through the state, indirectly imposes values on society that may be contrary to the beliefs of specific religions:

- Acceptance of the rights of gays

- Distribution of condoms in schools

- Banning of religious dress and symbols

Humanist SocietiesHumanist Societies American Humanist Association

International Humanist and Ethical Union

Council for Secular Humanism

Humanist BeliefsHumanist Beliefs

Rejection of religious systems and dualism of mind and body

Human beings are the supreme product of nature

Reason can solve all problems

Science and technology are the basis of human progress

Compassion for others is the primary “commandment” that should guide human behavior

Humanist ManifestosHumanist ManifestosHumanist Manifesto I (1933)

Humanist Manifesto II (1973)

A Secular Humanist Declaration (1980)

A Declaration of Interdependence (1988)

IHEU Minimum Statement on Humanism (1996)

HUMANISM: Why, What, and What For, In 882 Words (1996)

Humanist Manifesto 2000: A Call For A New Planetary Humanism (2000)

The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles

Amsterdam Declaration (2002)

Humanism and Its Aspirations

Humanist Manifesto III (Humanism And Its Aspirations) (2003)

Notable HumanistsNotable Humanists

Steve Allen Isaac Asimov Albert Camus Noam Chomsky Sir Arthur C. Clarke Aaron Copland Roger Ebert Umberto Eco Albert Einstein Karl Marx Friedrich Engels E. M. Forster John Lennon

Bill Maher Bill Nye

Linus Pauling Salman Rushdie Bertrand Russell Carl Sagan Jon Stewart Oliver StoneNeil DeGrasse Tyson Kurt Vonnegut Frank Zappa

Secular HumanismSecular Humanism

Secular HumanismSecular Humanism

Kieslowski & Secular Kieslowski & Secular HumanismHumanism

Rejection of organized religion

Rejection of history and nationalism

Compassion as the dominant ethic for living in the modern world

Redemption through compassion for others

Promotion of a cross-national social order

Values of liberty, equality and fraternity

BUT still Christian values at the core (e.g., 1 Corinthians 13)

A “European” film made in 1993 (the year of the Maastricht Treaty that formed the EU)

Belief in God Among EU Belief in God Among EU NationsNations