The Role of the Churches in the Renewing Societies [antikvár]

Foreword Dk Ivan Platthy, Titular State Secretary Prime Minister's Office Republic of Hungary After more than a year of preparatory work, which included very intensive and mutually useful negotiations among the Hungárián Prime Minister's Office and the Chairman of the Commission for Humán Rights, Minorities and Religious Affairs of the Hungárián Parlia-ment, as well as the high ranking officers of the International Religious Liberty Association both in the United States of America, in Great Britain and in Hungary, and inspired by the international experience gained from my visits to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Ukraine and Poland, an international conference under the title 'The Role of the Churches in the Renewing Societies' took place from 2 to 5 March 1997 in Budapest. More than 50 participants from 12 renewing, Central and Eastern European former social-ist countries, the distinguished leaders and lecturers of the International Religious Liberty Association, as well as the honoured representative of the Council of Europe, gathered at Hotel Helia. My opinion is that the success of a conference is always decided by two factors, namely the persons who meet and the topic they discuss. This conference was attended by leaders and representatives of the public administration agencies responsible for relations with the churches, denominations and congregations of the Central and Eastern European countries, from different historical traditions, different adminis-trative systems and different cultural backgrounds. The participants had opportunity to listen to the main achievements in establishing legal guarantees for full religious liberty and the protection of humán rights in Europe, and they were reminded of the remedies that are offered for the injuries of the past as well as the social role of churches in the renewing societies. Many thanks for the invaluable reports and lectures of the IRLA speakers. Upon the request of the IRLA, a Recommendation and a Discussion Paper have been drafted by the Hungárián participants. The discussion paper and the draft recommendation both took intő account the conditions to be developed on the basis of the achievements of Hungary. Both documents were thoroughly discussed during the conference by the delegates of the public administration agencies involved in religious issues in the participating countries, as well as by the IRLA leaders and the lecturers requested by the IRLA. The final 'Budapest Recommendation' was elaborated and accepted by consensus. The Budapest Recommendation intends to specify the fundamentals of legal conditions to be developed in all democratic constitutional states as fiill religious liberty is implemented and the churches participate in community life. The Hungárián party as host, sent the recommendation to the participating states and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.