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a) THE XX EUROPEAN CONGRESS
OF UEF, 19-21 MARCH 2004 GENOVA
The XX European Congress of the Union of European Federalists
took place in Genova, the Cultural Capital of Europe
2004, from 19 to 21 March 2004. About 250 participants,
including members of UEF, guests, journalists and observers
gathered in the beautiful Bristol Hotel, situated in
the heart of the historical centre of Genova, where
the UEF delegates set the federalist strategy for the
upcoming years.
Among the prominent speakers was Commissioner for Education
and Culture, Viviane REDING who held a keynote speech
on European citizenship (find her speech at: http://en.federaleurope.org/index.php?id=173)
There were a number of important elections. Jo LEINEN
(MEP/PSE, D) was re-elected UEF President and Gerda
de MUNCK-GOOTJES was elected UEF-Treasurer. Furthermore,
the newly elected Federal Committee renewed the UEF
Bureau including three Vice-Presidents: Philipp AGATHONOS
(Europäische Federalistische Bewegung Österreich),
Alojz PETERLE, Observer of the European Parliament (PPE,
SLO) and former Representative of the accession countries
in the Praesidium of the European Convention, as well
as Sergio PISTONE (Movimento Federalista Europeo, I).
Moreover, a number of important resolutions were adopted,
among them one on the future political strategy of UEF,
the European Elections, terrorism, the role of civil
society and the UEF relationship to the World Federalist
Movement (WFM).
The first day began with a colloquium
on European Identity (see point b) and ended with a
buffet in the framework of the project ‘Discovering
Europe 25’ in the Palazzo della Borsa, followed
by a presentation of “Discovering Europe”
by the head of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Milan,
Ms Stella Avallone, in the town hall of Genova.
b) UEF COLLOQUIUM: 19 MARCH
2004
The XXth UEF Congress (Genoa-March
19-21, 2004) was preceded by a colloquium on “European
Identity, Culture(s) and Federalism” in the framework
of “Discovering Europe 25”, organized by
both the Union of the European Federalists (UEF) and
the Movimento Federalista Europeo (MFE), UEF’s
constituent organisation in Italy.
European Identity, Culture(s)
and Federalism
The Colloquium had two parts both of
which were chaired by Alain CALMES (Secretary-General
of UEF-Luxembourg). The first section gathered the views
of professor Alessandro CAVALLI , John PARRY (honorary
UEF Bureau member) and Guido MONTANI (MFE Secretary-General)
on Unity, Diversity, European Identity in an Enlarged
Union and a Global Society. Prof. CAVALLI, who held
the keynote speech of the Colloquium, stressed that
the first UEF generation is the last one to have witnessed
the war and that the idea of Europe was born out of
the ashes of war. Although there are no longer wars
in Europe today, the future generations must always
remember the origins of Europe. CAVALLI also pointed
out that the lack of a real enemy makes the construction
of Europe more difficult and showed concern about what
he identified as a kind of a civil war taking place
with reference to the identity issue and that the danger
that Europe is witnessing is not nationalism but its
falling asleep in its decadence.
The second section was a round table
open to the whole panel and audience in which speakers
pointed to the Christian roots of European democracy
and, also, the laic values of Europe. Other speakers
stressed that diversity is a central point in European
integration. John PARRY reminded the audience of the
three traditions in Europe: a) Aristotle and Plato;
b) Hugo Grotius (a philosopher of ethics who wrote that
avoiding war and living together does not require religion)
and c) the Christian tradition that are a mixture of
the first two.
Both the round table and the debates
were met with real interest and participation from the
audience that opened other interesting issues on the
main subject of the Colloquium.
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see the movie of the Genova event:
[Quick Time
(5,3 MB) or windows
media format (17,2 MB)] |
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