NEW RELIGIOUS COUNCIL TO BE LAUNCHED IN UKRAINE

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Risu.org.ua – November 2016

At the.initiative of a number of religious organizations that are not members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) a working group has been established to prepare a constituent assembly of All-Ukrainian Religious Council (AURR).

The format of the new Council provides for greater involvement of all registered religious organizations in social and public life and in the process of changes in Ukrainian legislation regarding freedom of conscience and international cooperation of religious organizations.

According to organizers, “AURR also aims to eliminate the current imbalance in the development of church-state relations, when the format of work of most state departments and agencies with religious organizations is limited to cooperation with the AUCCRO members. The same can be said about the meetings of the state leaders and leading politicians with the leaders of churches and religious organizations, participation of religious organizations in public events, etc.”

According to the founders of AURR, it is a violation of the Ukrainian legislation, which warns the officials against attempting to give preference to individual churches or religious movements. “This leads to the situation where the state ignores the position of religious organizations that are not included in AUCCRO, albeit they often refer to fundamental issues that affect the activity of all religious organizations. It should be also mentioned that the potential of these churches and religious organizations is not fully employed in social and charitable sectors, etc.,” says the information message, which RISU received from head of the working group prof. Sagan.

However, the initiators of AURR do not deem it an alternative to AUCCRO and invite all members of AUCCRO and other similar councils established by religious organizations to participate in the establishment and activities of AURR.

AURR plans to work on a regular basis on the principle of rotation of presiding members.
The next working group’s meeting is set to be held on 17 November at 15:00, at the Institute of Philosophy of NASU (Tryokhsvyatitelskaya str., 4, room 318). It invites representatives of Ukraine’s registered religious organizations. More detail on AURR can be obtained by mail: ol.sagan@gmail.com

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