… Seco)
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders reached a hard-fought … against climate change,” tweeted EU Council president Charles Michel … recovery clinched Thursday by EU leaders swung the momentum. … be submitted to the European Council in the spring.
The …
Fri. 8:27 a.m.: EU leaders agree to reduce emissions after all-night talks
Coming up: Sakharov prize, EU summit, Covid-19, drinking water | News | European Parliament
, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20201203STO93001/
Pandemic harming freedom from religion in many countries, says report
The Covid-19 pandemic has undermined the rights of people who reject religious norms in many countries, according to the latest Freedom of Thought Report from Humanists International.
This year’s edition of the report, an annual assessment on the rights of Humanists, atheists and the non-religious, was published yesterday – coinciding with International Human Rights Day.
The report found that blasphemy remains a punishable offence in at least 68 countries. People can effectively be put to death for expressing atheism in 11 countries, all of which are majority Muslim.
Impact of pandemic
The report also said countries including Zimbabwe and Kenya have scapegoated the non-religious for the pandemic, with Zimbabwe’s president describing it as “a warning to people to leave their sinful ways”.
Countries including Azerbaijan have used it as a chance for broader crackdowns on freedom of expression.
It has also had a negative impact on the freedom to reject or change religion. Many people questioning their communities’ religious identities have been trapped with their families, while atheist support groups have often been unable to organise activities.
Many people have found themselves unable to access consular or other support services as they have fled harm. Women’s access to abortion has been restricted in some countries.
Other key findings
The report said “the overwhelming majority” of countries fail to respect the rights of Humanists, atheists and the non-religious.
It found that government figures or state agencies openly marginalise, harass, or incite hatred or violence against the non-religious in 12 countries.
And it said dozens of countries engage in discriminatory funding of religion; derive their state legislation in whole or in part from religious law; or use religious courts on family or moral matters.
It also criticised laws which discriminate against the non-religious, for example by not allowing them to marry, or which define citizens by their membership of religious groups.
Non-religious people are barred from holding at least some offices in 26 countries.
Comments
Andrew Copson, the president of Humanists International, wrote the introduction to the report. He said restrictions caused by the virus, “whilst completely necessary”, had “also had the secondary effect of undermining and destabilising the lives of those who are most vulnerable”.
National Secular Society head of communications Chris Sloggett welcomed the report.
“This is a sobering reminder of the restrictions on basic rights which many non-religious people and members of religious minorities face globally, and of the need to defend human rights from religious impositions.
“This year’s report also makes a valuable contribution by specifically highlighting the impact of the coronavirus, and the upheaval it’s caused, on the freedom to reject religious norms.”
Youth perspectives in focus at high-level meeting on schooling during COVID-19 pandemic
This week, WHO/Europe hosted a virtual high-level meeting with ministers of health and education from across the WHO European Region to highlight ways to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the schooling, health, well-being and education of young people.
In a statement, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said: “School closures and interventions such as distance learning may have a negative effect on children’s long-term educational outcomes. Children living with disabilities are further disadvantaged by school closures and inadequate distance learning measures to meet their needs. We owe it to the next generation, particularly those in vulnerable settings, to do everything we can to reduce vulnerabilities and to keep their in-person learning alive.
“The evidence is growing that targeting transmission in our communities will address the risk of transmission in schools. If proper and consistent measures are in place, schools do not pose a greater risk of infection for children, teachers and other staff than any other public place.”
Challenges and cooperation
The need for updated evidence for schools to operate safely was highlighted, as was the necessity of further enhancing the existing framework to support countries on schooling and COVID-19 with evidence sharing. In addition, the attendees explained the importance of evaluating responses to COVID-19 and how they impact the rights of children.
During the meeting, countries highlighted the methods they have employed to ensure that schools remain open as long as possible, while also recognizing the difficulties encountered during the pandemic.
In addition, the meeting heard from partners and collaborators on what they do and how they support countries. They also agreed on continued regional collaboration.
Hearing direct from young people
A group of youth advisors to the technical advisory group on schooling during COVID-19 (TAG), which was established earlier this year, were invited to contribute. The perspectives and participation of young people is vital to the topic of schools and COVID-19.
In their presentation, the youth advisors highlighted some findings from a survey shared with students from across the European Region. Feedback from young people included concerns about the immediate impact on their learning and well-being, as well as whether examinations and long-term plans, such as university, could be negatively affected.
Some students explained that they were feeling under pressure to complete work in a shorter time, while others said that in some cases, they lacked the ability to be properly educated at home; for example, if they have a poor internet connection or live in a vulnerable situation.
The meeting highlighted the importance of providing support to children and young people with disabilities or pre-existing health conditions.
Building on shared experiences
This week’s virtual discussion follows on from a meeting that took place in August of this year, highlighting the need for sharing evidence and country experiences on schooling during COVID-19. This resulted in the establishment of the TAG, which has been meeting to discuss the response to COVID-19 and schooling.
Education often has an impact on wider health in society. The closure of schools has led to concerns about some students being left behind, with many more facing mental health challenges as a result of the pandemic.
Leaving no one behind is central to the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025 – “United Action for Better Health”. Mental health, and the development of a coalition for mental health, is 1 of the 4 priorities influencing the work of WHO/Europe in the coming years.
Boris Johnson and EU chief pessimistic about chances of Brexit trade deal being reached
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen both appear pessimistic about the chances of a Brexit trade deal being reached before the UK officially leaves at the end of the year.
Key points:
- Ursula von der Leyen told an EU summit in Brussels a “no deal” resolution is more likely, according to an EU official
- That came a day after Boris Johnson said there was “a strong possibility” a deal would not be clinched
- Mr Johnson said on Thursday the UK’s relationship with the EU could end up looking like Australia’s
According to a European Union official, commission president Ursula von der Leyen told the bloc’s 27 national leaders that Britain was more likely to leave the EU at the end of the year without a trade deal than with one.
“The probability of a no deal is higher than of a deal,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity about the message Ms von der Leyen gave leaders at an EU summit in Brussels.
The United Kingdom quit the EU in January but it remains an informal member until December 31 when it will finally leave the bloc’s orbit after 48 years.
“It’s looking very, very likely we’ll have to go for a solution [where] … we’ll be able to do exactly what we want from January 1, it will obviously be different from what we set out to achieve,” Mr Johnson told reporters.
“But I’ve no doubt this country can get ready and as I say, come out on World Trade terms.”
That came a day after he said there was “a strong possibility” a deal would not be clinched, suggesting the relationship with Europe could be more akin to Australia’s link to the continent.
“I do think we need to be very very clear, there is now a strong possibility, a strong possibility, that we will have a solution that is much more like an Australian relationship with the EU,” Mr Johnson said on Thursday.
“That doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing,” he added, backing the country to “prosper” if that was how things ended up.
Australia does not have a free trade deal with the 27-nation EU but does do business with the bloc, albeit to a lesser degree than the UK, mainly due to geography.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull told the BBC that Australia’s trade relationship with Europe was not considered “satisfactory”.
Both sides of the Brexit debate say they want a trade deal, but negotiations are deadlocked.
British and EU negotiators seeking a new arrangement on nearly $1 trillion in annual trade have been stuck on two main issues for weeks: how much fish EU boats can take from British waters and how far the EU can tie Britain into its rules in the future.
Trucks heading towards the English port of Dover were stacked up for miles this week.
Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen have given negotiators until Sunday night (local time) to break the impasse over fishing rights and allow Britain to be punished if it was to diverge from the bloc’s rules in future.
The EU official summarised Ms von der Leyen’s message, saying the “main obstacles remain”.
The British pound tumbled, stocks fell and implied volatility surged as investors started to price in the risk of a chaotic finale to the five-year Brexit crisis.
A no-trade deal Brexit would damage the economies of northern Europe, send shockwaves through financial markets, snarl borders and sow chaos through the delicate supply chains that stretch across Europe and beyond.
Some EU diplomats have suggested claims from the British are theatrics intended to wrench out a deal at the last minute, but officials in London said they cannot accept the EU’s current demands.
British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, who voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum, told Sky News there was still “a significant possibility that we could get that deal”, but “that deal cannot come at any price”.
Mr Johnson said he was “always hopeful” that the British negotiators in Brussels would reach some sort of agreement.
“If there’s a big offer, a big change in what they’re saying, then I must say that I’m yet to see it,” he said.
ABC/Reuters
Turkey rejects ‘biased and illegal’ EU approach at summit
Turkey on Friday rejected the European Union’s “biased and illegal” approach at its summit this week and provocatively called on the bloc “to act with principles, strategically and with reason”.
This is what the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Friday, after EU leaders agreed on Thursday to prepare limited sanctions on Turkish individuals over an energy exploration dispute with Greece and Cyprus.
The bloc has postponed, however, any harsher steps until March as countries sparred over how to handle Ankara.
In a statement, the ministry as said a proposed conference with all eastern Mediterranean countries was an opportunity to tackle maritime issues in the region.
“Ankara was ready for talks with Greece without any pre-conditions. It calls on the EU to act with principles, strategically and with reason,” it added.
European Union leaders agreed late on Thursday to prepare limited sanctions on Turkish individuals over an ongoing energy exploration dispute with Greece and Cyprus.
EU leaders agreed a summit statement that paves the way to punish individuals accused of planning or taking part in unauthorised drilling off Cyprus and Greece.
COVID-19: a stark reminder of the importance of universal health coverage
As COVID-19 spread across Europe earlier this year, many countries moved quickly to address gaps in health coverage by extending entitlement to migrants, suspending the payment of health insurance contributions for low-income self-employed people, adding teleconsultations to the benefits package and offering free access to testing and treatment of the virus.
These actions demonstrate widespread acceptance of the need to ensure that everyone has access to health care and protection from out-of-pocket payments in a pandemic. On Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day – 12 December 2020 – WHO releases new analyses that underline the importance of extending this principle to all needed health services on a permanent basis.
Financial protection and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
A new factsheet sets out how failure to address common gaps in health coverage before the pandemic was already undermining national and regional ability to meet targets to reduce poverty (SDG 1.1) and income inequality (SDG 10.1), and move towards UHC (SDG 3.8).
Two coverage gaps have even greater resonance now, in the context of COVID-19 and its economic impact.
First, countries that base entitlement to publicly financed health care on payment of health insurance contributions (rather than residence) find it hard to cover the entire population at the best of times, particularly if the informal economy is significant. This challenge grows in an economic crisis, as people lose jobs or suffer a drop in wages and can no longer afford to pay contributions.
Ensuring that everyone living in a country has health coverage is a precondition for UHC, not an optional extra.
Second, just being covered is not enough. User charges (co-payments) for covered services are a key source of financial hardship in health systems in Europe. Countries can reduce access barriers and alleviate financial hardship by exempting poor households and people with chronic conditions from co-payments. Redesigning co-payment policy allows the health system to target those most in need of protection.
Cyprus fixed its roof while the sun was shining
New WHO analysis of financial protection in Cyprus shows how health budget cuts and coverage restrictions introduced in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis were associated with a rise in unmet need for health and dental care and a doubling in the number of households with catastrophic health spending. Before the economic crisis, Cyprus already had one of the largest gaps in population coverage because entitlement was linked to income and citizenship. This gap grew from 15% to 25% of the population during the years of the economic crisis, as new rules linked entitlement to payment of social security contributions.
Cyprus has recently redesigned its coverage policy. The new General Health System implemented in 2019 changed the basis for entitlement to residence, allowing all legal residents to be covered for the first time. It also reduced user charges, particularly for low-income people. As a result of removing many financial barriers to access, Cyprus was better prepared to meet the health and economic challenges of the pandemic.
The Republic of Moldova makes progress during the pandemic
Over 10% of the population in the Republic of Moldova lacks health coverage because entitlement is linked to payment of health insurance contributions and the informal sector is significant. Reforms introduced in the last ten years have led to greater use of health services and fewer people reporting unmet need due to cost, but better access to care has also increased people’s exposure to out-of-pocket payments – for example, through heavy co-payments for outpatient medicines and informal payments in hospital. New WHO analysis finds that poor households are at high risk of being uninsured, facing financial barriers to access and experiencing catastrophic health spending.
In working to control the pandemic, the Republic of Moldova has used reserve funds to guarantee free hospital treatment for everyone, regardless of health insurance status. As the longer-term economic disruption caused by COVID-19 becomes more evident, this short-term measure could be turned into a permanent feature. De-linking entitlement to all health services – not just hospital care – from payment of contributions would ensure people do not lose coverage when they need it most. Redesigning co-payment policy will also help to reduce financial hardship.
From crisis response to sustained progress towards UHC
UHC is one of the three priorities in the WHO European Programme of Work. “COVID-19 has caused enormous disruption and devastation, but it has shown us the importance of accessible and affordable health services. No one should be denied the fundamental right to health care,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “A commitment to universal health coverage is at the heart of our work at WHO/Europe. We need to mobilize the public and political will to make sure it remains a priority.”
Two policy responses to the pandemic stand out as candidates for permanent change in European health systems: breaking the link between entitlement to health care and payment of contributions, and exempting poor people and people with chronic conditions from co-payments. WHO/Europe will support the efforts of Member States to put universal health coverage at the core of recovery from COVID-19.
EU chief tells leaders chances of Brexit deal low
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday told the bloc’s leaders that there were “low expectations” a post-Brexit trade deal could be struck with Britain, EU sources said.
An EU official said leaders heard that the “probability of a no deal is higher than of a deal” at a brief discussion of Brexit at a marathon Brussels summit, as time ticks down to a Sunday deadline to make a call on prolonging talks or giving up.
The pessimistic tone came after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Thursday there was a “strong possibility” of no deal, and instructed his government to prepare for Britain to crash out of the European Union’s single market at the end of this year.
Negotiators from the EU and Britain are carrying on talks in Brussels Friday to see if they can fathom a route to an accord by the weekend cut-off point set by von der Leyen and Johnson at a combative dinner meeting this week.
An EU official said it would become clear soon if there was any point to prolonging the discussions, but refused to rule out a last-minute “turnaround” in the talks to secure a deal despite the gathering gloom.
The EU on Thursday published its own contingency plans to keep basic air and road travel running and fishing rights open in the event of no deal, in a move seen as a warning shot to London.
Britain left the EU on January 31 after five decades of integration but a standstill transition period, under which it remains bound by the bloc’s rules pending any new deal, ends on the night of December 31.
Without a post-Brexit deal, Britain’s trade with its biggest market would in future operate on pared-down World Trade Organization rules, with tariffs and quotas.
Talks are mainly blocked over the issue of fair competition, with Britain refusing to accept a mechanism that would allow the EU to respond swiftly if UK and EU business rules diverge over time and put European firms at a disadvantage.
Fishing is another sore issue, with Europe eager to keep as much access as possible to the UK’s waters.
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What Role Does Religion Play in Your Life?
In “Saying Goodbye to Hanukkah,” Sarah Prager writes about celebrating traditionally religious holidays without religion:
Growing up, my sister and I ate our Hanukkah latkes next to stockings our mother had cross-stitched with depictions of Santa. The white flickering light from the menorah’s candles mixed with the glow of colorful electric lights on our locally cut Christmas tree, decorated with tinsel and Stars of David. Celebrating two holidays at once was normal and a joy. But I’m making different choices with my own children, who won’t grow up with Hanukkah at all.
My sister and I never attended religious services for any Jewish or Christian holidays, but we were still raised with religion. My family attended a Unitarian Universalist meeting house where it was common to celebrate multiple religions’ holy days. We looked forward to the annual Festival of Lights, where each room of the building had a different activity set up: Kwanzaa candle dipping, gingerbread house decorating, reindeer craft making, dreidel spinning, Yule wreath building.
My father’s Jewish tradition only appeared at Hanukkah for the American “holiday season.” We didn’t celebrate Passover or Rosh Hashanah or any other Jewish holiday as a family. In contrast, my mom’s Catholic upbringing emerged not only at Christmas, but also for Easter, though that was only about eggs, bunnies and the resurrection of spring, not Jesus.
We celebrated every holiday secularly, like Halloween or Thanksgiving 一 except Hanukkah. Each of those eight nights we’d recite the Hebrew prayer about God while lighting the menorah. We memorized the syllables and repeated them, but they had no meaning to us and my parents didn’t expect, or want, us to believe what we were reciting. We were trying to honor my dad’s heritage, but it wasn’t a custom he truly wanted to hold on to.
Ms. Prager goes on to explain that, now, she and her wife identify as “nones” — people with no religious affiliation — and that they raise their children celebrating Christmas and Easter, but not in the context of religion:
I respect the incredible value of keeping traditions alive, especially those that centuries of persecution have sought to erase. But while I have more of a connection to Judaism than some, I am not Jewish and it doesn’t feel authentic to celebrate a Jewish holiday religiously. My kids may end up playing dreidel sometimes, but they won’t learn the prayer that begins Baruch atah Adonai, sacred words that are nonetheless empty to them.
Discontinuing my family’s Hanukkah celebration fits right in with our family’s tradition of bucking tradition. Most families do this in some way, even if just adjusting the Tooth Fairy’s gift for inflation. As a queer person, I know my kids will grow up alongside other children whose families created their own way of doing things because the old way hurt or didn’t fit.
Pride in June is my favorite holiday, but this year, the first as our completed family of four, we couldn’t go to a parade. I missed that much more than any holiday rooted in a religion that isn’t mine. I hope that the balloons, floats and rainbows that typically mark its celebration will be a special part of my children’s memories as they grow, and that they anticipate our invented Pride Fairy’s gifts as much as the Easter Bunny’s.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
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In a few sentences, how would you describe your religious or spiritual beliefs — or your choice not to subscribe to religion?
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What role does religion play in your life? Do you pray each day? Do you participate in religious traditions through the clothes you wear or the food you eat? Do you have a spiritual community that is important to you? Do you participate in religious holidays?
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Katarina, a student, suggested this question: “Can you pick and choose which aspects of religion to follow?” What do you think? Is it possible to participate in only some elements of a religion, like holidays or prayers, without following all of a religious tradition? Do you do this in your own life? If so, how do you decide which parts of your religion to observe and which parts to leave behind?
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If you are not religious, do you have other beliefs, traditions or practices — like meditation, yoga, art, music or being in nature — that ground you or give you a deeper sense of purpose or connection to the world? If so, what are they and what do they mean to you?
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Which holidays are most important to you? If they are traditionally religious, is their religious nature important to how you celebrate them? Or do you celebrate them without the religious stories or rituals, like the writer of the article?
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To what extent is your relationship to religion your own choice? Is it important to your family that you are connected to religion? Do you observe your religion in the way you are instructed to by religious leaders or texts? Or have you been able to explore and form your own spiritual beliefs? When you grow up, do you think you will choose to practice religion differently than your family does now? Why or why not?
About Student Opinion
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Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Marijuana: the other “pandemic” in Europe
At a time the main focus of all the sectors of the society is on the COVID pandemic, there is another insidious problem developing covertly: the drug. If the pandemic has undoubtedly an impact on the health, the economy, and the society at large, it has also affected the availability and through the confinement of the use of the different drugs. And this is a real concern for the EMCDDA (1) but also for the other international institutions such as UNODC (2) and WHO (3).
Aware of these problems and to ensure the youth, parents, and public will not be deprived of vital information on the harmful effects of drug use, the Foundation for a Drug Free Europe (4) and its teams of volunteers of the hundred Say No To Drugs associations and groups existing in some twenty European countries, continued their actions of prevention education about drugs.
Indeed, wearing their turquoise tee-shirts and using the requested outdoors protections (masks, gloves, etc.) for distributions, the volunteers were found either outdoors in streets or parks, or behind a booth, handing-out their booklets The Truth About Drugs (5), or proposing a display of booklets to shopkeepers. Meanwhile, other volunteers were organizing educative series of lectures online on: what are drugs, their actions, etc. followed by discussion. They were rather successful.
Where do we stand at in Europe?
At the European level, The EMCDDA in a series of rapid studies, has also reported on the impact of COVID-19 on drug use and associated problems, help-seeking, service provision and the operation of the drug market.
In the last European Drug Report 2020 statistics EMCDDA reported an increasing amount of seizures being: 40% Herbal cannabis, 29% Cannabis resin (668 tonnes), 2% Cannabis plant, 10% Cocaine and crack, 6% Amphetamines, 5% Heroin, 3% MDMA, and 6% Other substances.
For Cannabis, from surveys of the general European population, it is estimated that around 1 % of adults are daily or almost daily cannabis users. The majority of these (60 %) are under 35 and around three quarters are male. Cannabis is always the world’s most popular illegal drug with the highest level of availability. The Chinese called it “the drug that takes away the mind”.
The number and quantity of cocaine seizures are now the highest ever reported, with over 181 tonnes of the drug seized in 2018. Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands are key countries for the interception of large quantities. Cocaine is now playing a more important role in the European drug problem. The cocaine market also appears an important driver for drug-related violence.
Regarding heroin and other opioids, 1,3 millions of people are high-risk opioid users and opioids are found in 82% of the fatal overdoses. After cannabis and cocaine, heroin is the third most common substance involved in drug-related acute toxicity presentations monitored by Euro-DEN Plus in 2018.
Is there a solution?
The first point should be the application by the governments (6) of the article 33 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Then, fighting the drug scourge can be achieved by education of the youth and by prevention, spreading the message on the truth about drugs from the streets to the working place via the classrooms and everywhere. Indeed, empowering the youth with facts on what drugs are and what they do, is giving them the choice to decide to live a drug free life and reach their goals in a safe and sane society.
References
1-EMCDDA: European Monitoring Center on Drugs and Drug Addiction. Find more on https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/13238/TD0420439ENN.pdf European Report 2020 – Key Issues.
2-UNODC: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, located in Vienna (Austria).
“Know more, care more. Addressing the world drug problem requires responses that are based on facts, solidarity and compassion.” Ms. Ghada Waly, UNODC Executive Director
3-WHO: World Health Organisation; its main objective is “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.
4-FDFE: Established in 2004, a non-profit NGO, with an operating office located in Brussels. Visit: www.fdfe.eu Part of the European Commission Transparency Register.
5-The website www.DrugFreeWorld.org, partnering with FDFE is providing the 14 The Truth About Drugs prevention booklets in 17 languages, a DVD of testimonies and an Educator Guide.
