Welcome to our page!
OUR IDENTITY
We are independent of any political parties and the mainstream media. We voice the opinions of those who are socially and economically marginalized and whose constitutional, civil and human rights are abused and violated. We also voice the opinions of those who question the existing socio-economic, political, legal and moral order based on violence and coercion often perpetrated by the state and its institutions. We object to the institutionalization, legalization and bureaucratization of state-promoted violence.
We are aware of the rising wave of social discontent and civil unrest currently flooding the world stemming from the ever-worsening socio-political and economic situation and the break-down in transparent and honest communication based on the principle of partnership and equality between the state and the society.
The character of the existing social relations is seriously flawed and it is bound to breed violence, social unrest, civil disobedience, distrust and the ever-widening gap separating the state from the society thus contributing to the social tension and the erosion of the authority of the state and its representatives.
We believe that these are the primary causes of the social crisis which mostly depends on the society losing its coherence and its sense of identity. It is therefore critically important to discuss and redefine such basic concepts as democracy, human rights and the quality of social relations, violence as well as the character of the relations existing between the society and the governing establishment.
THE SCOPE OF INTEREST
Our primary interest is in violence with a special emphasis on the state-endorsed institutionalized and legalized violence, violence-relevant socio-psychological trauma, corruption, human, minority and animals rights abuses, the legal and constitutional aspects of the non-governmental and social movement, the protection of civil rights and liberties.
DEFINITIONS
Human, minority and animals rights.
WE BELIEVE THAT:
A human being has an inalienable and a natural right to relate emotively to other living beings, be it humans or animals and as, universally, this relation constitutes the foundation of man's sense of security and well-being as well as the sense of his identity and as the character of this affective relation is the same regardless of whether this relation exists between humans or humans and animals, any one who perpetrates the violence-related trauma resulting from the suppression of this natural right should be held accountable as the violation of this right causes psychosomatic suffering equivalent to the violation of personal rights and freedoms.
We campaign for the extension of the definition of human and minority rights because they are inherently and inseparably related to the question of animals rights.
The unquestionable link existing between all the moral and legal concepts is one relating inseparably to violence and socio-psychological trauma and therefore, this link carries its crucial legal, moral, constitutional, social and political substance to be discussed publicly and seriously. Any one who dismisses this link as unimportant does not understand that the violation of man's natural right to relate to others freely has its tremendous social, legal, moral, philosophical and political impact on the society and is a part of the society's identity. The suppression of this right is synonymous with psychological trauma and undermines the coherence and credibility of the law and constitution giving rise to discrimination, bias and social exclusion and marginalization, being the denial of the very notion of freedom and human rights. The relativization of violence and suffering destroys the moral foundation of the law which should be firmly and ultimately based on man's natural right to develop affective relationship with both humans and animals. The relativization of life in its ugliest aspect is symbolized by the gas chambers and furnaces of the crematoria.
DEMOCRACY
We define democracy as an ongoing social dialogue based on the principle of partnership and equal responsibility. Without the full participation of the broad social movement totally independent of any political affiliation and capable of presenting its own set of values and social program, democracy is instrumentally used by the political establishment to mislead and manipulate the public. This leads to corruption, social discontent and the alienation of the political establishment which loses its legitimacy and ceases to be representative of the society's needs and wants.
Democracy is not only free elections and multi-party political system. In the first place, democracy is a totaly unobstructed participation of the sovereign social movement consisting of trade unions, NOGs, social organizations, students' associations, academic environment and the like engaged in negotiations with democratically elected politicians. These organizations are generally democratic because they have no political leadership. Nor do they possess any political and institutional means of coercion and suppression. They are not institutionalized and bureaucratized. They best articulate the needs of the society unlike often corrupt political establishment. They are totally outside of the political establishment and the institutions of the state.
Therefore, a serious constitutional and legal debate is needed to establish the constitutional and legal rights of the social representation as well as its responsibilities. In terms of decision-making process and in the sense of the range of participation, we believe, that the social representation should be granted legal and constitutional rights equal to those of the political establishment but should decidedly remain outside the party system and the state institutions. No decisions taken both at the central and local level should be legally valid without social consultations and dialogue and the active participation of the social representation in the process of decision-making.
Our primary interest is in violence with a special emphasis on the state-endorsed institutionalized and legalized violence, violence-relevant socio-psychological trauma, corruption, human, minority and animals rights abuses, the legal and constitutional aspects of the non-governmental and social movement, the protection of civil rights and liberties.
DEFINITIONS
Human, minority and animals rights.
WE BELIEVE THAT:
A human being has an inalienable and a natural right to relate emotively to other living beings, be it humans or animals and as, universally, this relation constitutes the foundation of man's sense of security and well-being as well as the sense of his identity and as the character of this affective relation is the same regardless of whether this relation exists between humans or humans and animals, any one who perpetrates the violence-related trauma resulting from the suppression of this natural right should be held accountable as the violation of this right causes psychosomatic suffering equivalent to the violation of personal rights and freedoms.
We campaign for the extension of the definition of human and minority rights because they are inherently and inseparably related to the question of animals rights.
The unquestionable link existing between all the moral and legal concepts is one relating inseparably to violence and socio-psychological trauma and therefore, this link carries its crucial legal, moral, constitutional, social and political substance to be discussed publicly and seriously. Any one who dismisses this link as unimportant does not understand that the violation of man's natural right to relate to others freely has its tremendous social, legal, moral, philosophical and political impact on the society and is a part of the society's identity. The suppression of this right is synonymous with psychological trauma and undermines the coherence and credibility of the law and constitution giving rise to discrimination, bias and social exclusion and marginalization, being the denial of the very notion of freedom and human rights. The relativization of violence and suffering destroys the moral foundation of the law which should be firmly and ultimately based on man's natural right to develop affective relationship with both humans and animals. The relativization of life in its ugliest aspect is symbolized by the gas chambers and furnaces of the crematoria.
DEMOCRACY
We define democracy as an ongoing social dialogue based on the principle of partnership and equal responsibility. Without the full participation of the broad social movement totally independent of any political affiliation and capable of presenting its own set of values and social program, democracy is instrumentally used by the political establishment to mislead and manipulate the public. This leads to corruption, social discontent and the alienation of the political establishment which loses its legitimacy and ceases to be representative of the society's needs and wants.
Democracy is not only free elections and multi-party political system. In the first place, democracy is a totaly unobstructed participation of the sovereign social movement consisting of trade unions, NOGs, social organizations, students' associations, academic environment and the like engaged in negotiations with democratically elected politicians. These organizations are generally democratic because they have no political leadership. Nor do they possess any political and institutional means of coercion and suppression. They are not institutionalized and bureaucratized. They best articulate the needs of the society unlike often corrupt political establishment. They are totally outside of the political establishment and the institutions of the state.
Therefore, a serious constitutional and legal debate is needed to establish the constitutional and legal rights of the social representation as well as its responsibilities. In terms of decision-making process and in the sense of the range of participation, we believe, that the social representation should be granted legal and constitutional rights equal to those of the political establishment but should decidedly remain outside the party system and the state institutions. No decisions taken both at the central and local level should be legally valid without social consultations and dialogue and the active participation of the social representation in the process of decision-making.
VIOLENCE
We extend the definition of violence, human and animals rights abuses to include the state's deliberate policies of austerity which lead to socio-economic marginalization, social misery and exclusion. We condemn the state-run extermination programs of mass killings of stray animals which legalize and institutionalize violence against animals and people. The use of violence by any government discredits it in the eyes of the public and deprives it of its legitimacy.
We extend the definition of violence, human and animals rights abuses to include the state's deliberate policies of austerity which lead to socio-economic marginalization, social misery and exclusion. We condemn the state-run extermination programs of mass killings of stray animals which legalize and institutionalize violence against animals and people. The use of violence by any government discredits it in the eyes of the public and deprives it of its legitimacy.
APPEAL
We call on non-political, independent social organizations, NGOs, trade unions, students associations, academic centers, and constitutional, legal, moral and religious authorities to stimulate a public debate regarding the questions of social representation, democracy, human rights, violence and violence-related trauma. Taking into account the scope of the social violence, the loss of peoples' confidence in the state and the ruling establishment, the socio-economic crisis, the extent of the social trauma and misery, we believe that a public debate is urgently needed to redefine the concepts of social justice, democracy, violence, social representation, and social trauma.
Constitutional and legal changes are urgently needed to cope with a gradual degeneration and erosion of social relations and the socio-political system.
We stress the special importance of the protection of animals rights within a broader social, constitutional, legal, human rights and moral context as this issue is often underestimated and disregarded to the detriment of the consistency and integrity of the legal system. Such state of affairs must not be tolerated because it is a source of political, legal and social corruption which endangers social stability and leads to moral decline and violence.
Andrzej Szczepanek & Pia Berrend
We call on non-political, independent social organizations, NGOs, trade unions, students associations, academic centers, and constitutional, legal, moral and religious authorities to stimulate a public debate regarding the questions of social representation, democracy, human rights, violence and violence-related trauma. Taking into account the scope of the social violence, the loss of peoples' confidence in the state and the ruling establishment, the socio-economic crisis, the extent of the social trauma and misery, we believe that a public debate is urgently needed to redefine the concepts of social justice, democracy, violence, social representation, and social trauma.
Constitutional and legal changes are urgently needed to cope with a gradual degeneration and erosion of social relations and the socio-political system.
We stress the special importance of the protection of animals rights within a broader social, constitutional, legal, human rights and moral context as this issue is often underestimated and disregarded to the detriment of the consistency and integrity of the legal system. Such state of affairs must not be tolerated because it is a source of political, legal and social corruption which endangers social stability and leads to moral decline and violence.
Andrzej Szczepanek & Pia Berrend