Contributions
NEVILLE
KEERY, Clerk of QCEA, reports further on suggestions brought to
his attention in the period 7 April to 1 July, 2002
Some
suggestions have been made as to how QCEA’s presentation to
the Convention might be presented. There could be an introductory
section summarising the Quaker contribution to the peaceful governance
of Europe, going back to William Penn’s federal ideas. Subsequent
sections could focus on the areas of particular interest to Friends,
particularly as established in the Testimonies of the Religious
Society of Friends in areas like Peace, Simplicity, Integrity and
Equality. The approach in these sections might be to identify matters
of controversy of concern to Friends, putting forward where possible
ideas for finding better ways forward.
In
the area of Peace the EU’s role in conflict prevention and
resolution needs to be made known and strengthened and given as
much prominence as that given to military rapid reaction initiatives.
There should be a rapid reaction force equipped to deal with major
humanitarian emergencies and the consequences of natural and other
disasters. Citizens could be given the opportunity of indicating
that the proportion of their income tax which goes automatically
to military expenditure could go instead to humanitarian aid, should
it be designated in that way in their returns.
Where
Simplicity is concerned, like most citizens, Quakers would like
to see EU legislation being greatly simplified and made more comprehensible.
Where
Integrity is concerned, many Quakers believe the EU should protect
and encourage the toleration of a rich diversity of spiritual expression
and culture. If the EU is to grow and develop in a positive way
it will need the support of interested and enthusiastic citizens
expressed in higher voter turn-out in elections at all democratic
levels, local, national and European. Throughout the EU all primary
schools should be required to include in their teaching curricula
a basic citizenship module. The development of the media industry
should not be allowed put at risk the provision of essential national
and international information, a pre-requisite of informed citizenship.
Where
Equality is concerned, many Quakers continue to be supportive of
continued progress towards equal opportunity and equal pay for equal
work as between men and women. Equality of access for all to a basic
EU-wide standard of quality health care should be added to the EU’s
social objectives, underlining further the priority the EU’s
social model commitment should be seen to have in the face of persistent
pressures to follow a liberal market economic model.
Many
Quakers are to be found among those citizens disenchanted with EU
legislation because of their belief that it often focuses on topics
which are not a priority concern to the ordinary citizen or which
interfere unnecessarily with simple freedoms or have negative effects
beyond the EU. One example of this would be the banning of certain
alternative medical products, it is suggested at the behest of a
medical and drug-company lobby. Other examples come from concerns
that the Common Agricultural Policy privileges EU producers in ways
that are very damaging to agricultural production in the developing
world. (At the same time, it has to be stressed, Quakers generally
seem to be supportive of the EU’s efforts to insist that all
marketed food is safe.)
In
international relations, Quakers believe that the EU’s international
conduct should be guided – at minimum – by the same
values citizens expect to see applied by domestic governments respecting
the rule of law
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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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