Stop homophobia in Lithuania

Yesterday Members of the Green Group in the European Parliament together with a few FYEG’ers and other NGO’s  were present at a demonstration outside the Lithuanian permanent representation in Brussels to protest against the new homophobic and oppressive law in Lithuania.

On 16 June 2009 the Lithuanian parliament adopted an amended Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information. According to this law, “propaganda of homosexuality and bisexuality” is one of the detrimental affects on the minors and information on homosexuality and bisexuality is banned from schools and any other places where it can be accessed by youth.

This is a disturbing attempt to diminish the human rights of EU citizens. This new law limits the freedom of expression solemly based on homophobia and this is a clear violation of the EU’s fundamental rights and principles.
This can not proceed unnoticed and therefor we ask of the Lithuanian governement to stop the adoption of this law immidiatly.

STOP BARROSO

World Refugee Day

Last Saturday, the 20th of June was the World Refugee Day and in times where climate refugees are such a hot topic one should take the occasion to take a moment and reflect upon the existence of fortress Europe.

One often thinks that the whole world would like to seek refuge on our European continent whilst the largest amount of refugees actually are found on the African continent and those people do not even have the intention to ever cross the Medditeranian.
But somehow there is this misconception that the European Union is overflooded with refugees in search of a better future either for political or economical reasons.

This misconception has led to the belief that we are in need of shutting our borders off for economical refugees and that we use very subjective criteria to determine if somebody is entitled to the status of political refugee and thus makes a chance for that much needed and hoped for better future.

It is only human to be in search of something better as it is understandable that every person on this globe would like a life that is not only about surviving but also about living.

And then comes the question why there is a belief that there should be criteria to determine if somebody has the right or not to be entitled to a better life. An answer is yet to be given to those who are returned to their country of origine and to those who live in the European Union and are being considered as illegal. This whilst it is hard to actually understand how a human being as such can be illegal.