IADRL, with the purpose of contributing to the prevention of conflicts and violence related to religion
and minorities, and in order to provide information and open a forum for debate on human rights and
religious freedom, publishes since 1948 - year of the Universal Declaration on Human,Rights- , the
Conscience and Liberty magazine in three languages: French, English and German, and plans to be
translated into Portuguese, Spanish and other languages, being a training instrument and a special approach
for the political leaders, diplomats religious figures, and treating topics of present interest. We will promote
human rights and different initiatives of international and regional institutions.
The 2012 edition of Conscience and Liberty has addressed the topic: "Universality of Human
Rights".
The special edition of 2013 - which will appear soon - evokes the importance of the Edict of Milan
since 1700 years ago (313), for human rights and religious freedom; it also evokes 65 years from
the first appearance of the Magazine in 1948. The main topic of this special issue is: "Human
rights and religious liberty: a new balance or new challenges". The authors of this book are
ambassadors, religious leaders, judges and professors, evoking religious freedom in an inclusive,
positive and comprehensive manner.
By measures of this kind, we wish to support and appreciate the efforts Your Excellencies do every day
through your delegations, that we all have a safer and better world.
We consider that all of us today present here could combine our efforts with the purpose of contributing to
Peace and understanding between persons, minorities and nations.
We believe that all nations and peoples that Your Excellencies represent at the United Nations are
important for all positive contribution brought to our global home.
IADRL promotes and supports the Resolutions and projects of the United Nations Human Rights Council,
and also initiatives of the European Union (European Parliament and the European Commission), the
Council of Europe (CoE) or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in relation to
the need for an inclusive religious freedom, protecting all those who need its
Dr. Bruno Vertallier, president of the IADRL rightly observed:
"Freedom of conscience and religion remains in a fragile .balance" and "Yet who think s intolerant
as to refuse his neighbor freedom to think or believe what he wants? (...) The story reminds us that
periodically freedom of conscience and especially religious freedom was not a leisurely walk from
the Edict of.Milan in 313"
There have been some deviations.'
Mr. President
We are all looking for stable solutions. We fight that "big deviations of history may not repeat again." And,
"Each one of us has a belief"
I would conclude this Statement, with the practical reflections of the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Kimoon:
"In short, how do we build communities rooted in ."coexistence" — living together in peace, based on trust
and mutual respect? The process of building inclusive societies must itself be inclusive, It takes each and
every one of us. After all, peace and reconciliation cannot be imposed. They are seeds, planted by people,.
nurtured by communities. Day, after day, after day... (...)
I, can see on the horizon a world that understands that, together, we are better. I can hear shouting replaced
with listening. I can feel a force committed to making it happen. Governments, civil society, the private
sector, the faith community, young people. You • - and all this Alliance represents. A global social
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Dr. Bruno Vertallier, Conscience and Lib erte 2013, Introduccion: Bon Anniversaire, Bern, Switzerland
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