In December 2000, a bill on the Recognition of Freedom of Conscience and Ideas was presented.
It was drafted by myself, which addressed in particular and contemplated the right of peoples and
groups of being exempted of fulfilling a normative mandate invocating their beliefs, for instance, both
in the work environment (case of Sabbat and other days of religious precept), civic duties (case of
pledging allegiance to patriotic symbols), health sector (exception of making any practice against
moral or religious conscience), or regarding the animal ritual killings.
Basically, they referred to the dramatic precise moment in which a person or a group face between
denying their faith or (which is the most important for them) or violating a law, when is possible,
even though is more difficult, to look for a reasonable adaptation, between harmonising the interests
at stake allowing to safeguard the freedom without any detrimental of state laws.
The following year, the representatives of the religious faiths were invited to the seminar
“Parliamentary Workshop on Freedom of Conscience”, celebrated in the House of Representatives,
in which the legislators of the political parties defined and promoted the approval of the project,
followed by academics who represented different religions present in society, clarifying the juridical
suitability of the bill.
After this event, the representative of the different religions argued to the drafted of the project to
build a momentum for the bill, in which during the parliamentarian discussion was left to be discussed
by the Human Rights House of representatives.
Thus, an “Interfaith Commission” was created, which reunited in person or online several times, and
repeated the request for a hearing to the Human Rights Commission of the House of
Representatives. In this hearing each one had the opportunity to raise their faith motivations to
support the initiative, followed by the juridical justification signalling de adequacy of the bill to
become law.
The project is oblivious to economic and political-partisan issues. The is not any financial cost. It is a
modest request due to its aims and to those pushing for it. It does not introduce a big constitutional
reform. But it enshrines and protects the highest values, and at the same time, the simplest, those of
the everyday, the most sacred of human beings: their conscience and the possibility to drive their
lives according to them, within the national law. It is a call for securing the freedoms of those
supporting the bases of our society, such as the promotion of the freedom of civil and faith liberty in
all its imaginable extension.
It was not forgotten the crucial management of the Jewish-Christian Brotherhood of Uruguay (CJC),
which since 1958 has been astonishing, hardening and reaping the benefits of the interfaith dialogue
which is its main driver. In fact, the CJC in Uruguay, first of the Americas, was founded by a
Methodist priest Emilio Castro, a Chief Rabi Frtiz Winter, uncle of Rafael Winter who participates
in this encounter, and of the catholic priest – Jesuit, Priest Justo Asiaín, my uncle.
As of today, the project was practically buried, being witness of the only factor that accomplished
reuniting the faith and willing of a myriad of religious faiths of the country – minority and majority –,
claiming since the beginning the silence to fulfil its duty as guardian of fundamental rights. This