CONFERENCE 1st October 2013

 European Year of Citizens & 30th anniversary of the Charter of

Rights of the Family of the Holy See

 The family, a subject of rights

 

Venue:

European Youth Centre
Council of Europe
30 rue Pierre de Coubertin
F-67000 Strasbourg, France

Simultaneous translation provided in English and French

About

The European Federation of Catholic Family Associations, FAFCE, was founded in 1997 and holds a participatory status at the Council of Europe. It represents national family associations from 16 countries across Europe. The FAFCE bases its work on the social and family teaching of the Catholic Church. It promotes the families’ interests and valorises the contribution of the family to society towards the political decision makers at the European level.

In the context of the European Year of Citizens and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Charter of Rights of the Holy See, the FAFCE wishes to draw attention to the family as a subject of rights.  This event is also leading up to the 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family (2014).

The FAFCE wishes to promote the family as a subject of rights and thereby contribute to the strengthening of those rights that already exist and are enshrined in legal instruments at the international, European and national levels.

This conference will address the family as a subject of rights, drawing on the inspiration provided by the Charter of rights of the Family of the Holy See and by exploring the existing legislation in favour of the family as a resource for legislators at the European and national levels.

The conference is open to legislators, legal experts, law students, think tanks, family associations and others who take interest in the promotion of the family and its interest.

 

Draft programme

09.00 – 09.30 :          Welcome and registration

09.30 – 10.00 :          Opening and introduction 

Antoine Renard, President of the FAFCE and of the CNAFC, France

 

SESSION I: The Family, a subject of rights, not an object to be administrated

Moderator: Jean Paillot, President of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations of Bas Rhin (Alsace), France

10.00 – 10.40 :          The Charter of Rights of the Family, a proposal from the Catholic Church 

Mgr Jean Laffitte, Secretary, Pontifical Council for the Family, Vatican

10.40 – 11.00:           Q & A with the public

11.10 – 11.30:           Coffee break

11.30 – 12.00:           The family: a subject and not an object – a legal approach

Grégor Puppinck, Director of the European Centre of Law and Justice, France

12.00 – 12.15:           Q & A with the public

12.15 – 12.45:           The European Charter of Social Rights and the recognition of rights of the family

Régis Brillat, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter, Council of Europe

12.45 – 13.00:           Q & A with the public

13.00 – 14.30 :          Lunch

 

SESSION II: The Family as the corner stone of society

Moderator: Maria Hildingsson, Secretary General of the FAFCE

14.30 – 16.00 :         Promoting the family in public policies

Key note speech by Dr Anna Záborská, Member of the European Parliament, EPP; President of the Intergroup on Family, Childhood and Intergenerational Solidarity of the European Parliament, Slovakia

Panel debate: How can policy making contribute to a family friendly society

Mikael Oscarsson, Member of the Swedish Parliament (Kristdemokraterna) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Sweden

David Fieldsend, President of the European Christian Political Foundation (ECPF), Belgium

16.00 – 16.30 :          Coffee break

16.30 – 17.50 :          The family, a key factor of development for the society

Key note speech by On. Luca Volontè, President of Foundation Novae Terrae, Former President of the EPP group of the PACE, Italy

Panel debate: How can the civil society act in favor of education, marriage and freedom of conscience?

Algirdas Petronis, Vice President of the FAFCE, Lithuania

Dr Petar-Krešimir Hodžić, Director of the Office for Life and Family, Croatian Bishops’ Conference, Croatia, tbc

Brian Brown, President, National Organisation for Marriage, United States, tbc

17.50 – 18.00 :           Conclusion

Giuseppe Barbaro, Vice President of the FAFCE, Italy

Event sponsored by the European Christian Political Foundation.

From 2011 on, the activities of the ECPF are financially supported by the European Parliament. The liability for any communication or publication by the ECPF, in any form and any medium, rests with the ECPF. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

and by NOM