| Contributions
Dorchester
Friends – September 2nd 2002
A small
group of Dorchester friends met recently and having tackled the
Briefing Papers of “The Future of Europe” tackled some
questions together. Here are the answers to the questions.
Comments
on ‘The Future of Europe: Spiritual values and Citizenship’:
Do
you think that the EU contributes to international peace and stability?
Yes,
but it should have the confidence to do much more. This should include:
•
Early,
unconditional discussion (pre-emptive diplomacy) at times of conflict
•
Support
for minorities
•
More use
of peace enforcement, conflict prevention etc by the military
•
Awareness
of and action on what destabilises communities
•
Social
measures to reduce poverty and address deprivation and social instability
Do
you think the EU is transparent?
No,
but that is not entirely the fault of the EU – our own Government
contributes to the lack of transparency
Do
you think the EU is democratic?
No.
More authority should be given to the Parliament and less to the
Council of Ministers
On
which level of decision making (local, European or national) should
the following areas of public policy primarily be dealt with (trade,
international development, economic policy, criminal justice and
policing, environment, employment, education, governance and institutions,
foreign policy and security, asylum and immigration, welfare policy,
agriculture and fisheries, public finances, health, industrial policy
and housing)
We
found this question impossible to answer. Criminal justice and policing
require different approaches. International development, economic
policy, environment, foreign policy and security, asylum and immigration,
agriculture and fisheries and health must be dealt with at the EU
level. For the rest, there should be more direct access for local
or regional authorities to European institutions and funds. We should
not forget what an important contribution local decision-making
can bring, both to local community and the decision making body.
In
which areas of public policy do you think that Quakers have a particular
message to bring to European institutions?
There
is a Quaker dimension in all of these. It is how Quakers make decisions,
not the areas in which they make them that is our most important
contribution.
How
could faith groups play a role in European decision and policy making?
Through
an inter-faith body to scrutinise proposed legislation and directives
for their moral and ethical dimensions. Further thought would need
to be given to the way in which members of the body would be appointed
What
are your fears…?
•
The rise
of the far right
•
Too much
materialism
•
Too much
paper
•
Occupation
with the EU’s own security needs, rather than looking outward
to the world’s
•
Lack of
regard for environmental sustainability
•
Continuation
of agricultural subsidies
•
Increased
authoritarianism
What
are your hopes?
•
That the
EU will adopt and support the Tobin tax campaign
•
A greater
sense of community between countries and less devotion to the interests
of individual countries
•
More regard
for non-European countries
•
That living
together can be possible
•
Increasing
understanding that the EU should use its wealth and technology for
the benefit of people who have insufficient of either
•
Personal
growth and dignity for all its citizens
•
Inter-faith
understanding
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QCEA
gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the European Commission
for this project. This publication reflects the author’s views.
The Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the
information contained in this publication.
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