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mercredi, juin 21, 2006

The Lamppost Movement - Manifesto


The Draft version of the Manifesto is ready. I am reproducing the Introduction in this post. To read the whole manifest - Introduction, Preamble & Declaration please download the Word Document from this site. All suggestions for correction or additions will be considered. Either post a comment here or send an email to jacques dot zammit at gmail dot com.

Extract from the Lamppost Movement Declaration of Principles:

Introduction

At the dawn of the 21st century in an increasingly global society, we hold the concept of one human family as a truth that has now become self-evident. The mapping of the human genome is a recent extraordinary achievement which reaffirms our common humanity.

The future lies in recognising the possibilities and potential in exercising the inventive, creative and moral capacities of the human family with the equal participation of all. Instead of allowing diversity of race and culture to become a limiting factor in human exchange and development, we must refocus our understanding, discern in such diversity the potential for mutual enrichment, and realise that it is the interchange between great traditions of human spirituality that offers the best prospect for the persistence of the human spirit itself.

For too long diversity has been treated as threat rather than a gift – too often that threat has been expressed in racial contempt and conflict, exclusion, discrimination and intolerance.

We believe that our society runs the danger of closing an eye to the threats and menaces of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. We have noted all too often that the ills and wrongs of society are being blamed solely on issues of immigration and that the anger of intolerance is being used as a scapegoat by those who would purportedly provide an "easy solution" to the problems of society.

In order to combat those who abuse of the discontent and those who purportedly hold an "easy solution", we feel that it is necessary to campaign in favour of tolerance and diversity. We believe that a better understanding of the social realities would help in overcoming the current forces that feed of darkness, discontent and ignorance and that a positive campaign will serve this end.

The Movement is intended as a platform and as a symbol. All too often the Lamppost has been mentioned as a threat - a symbol from which to hang all those who disagree and disavow the theories of intolerance. We have chosen to adopt the symbol as a symbol of individual light in the darkness. If every individual, association or organisation who adheres to the idea of the Lamppost Movement it will be another step in the battle against the dark ideas of intolerance.

With this in mind we are adopting this declaration of principles that underlines the basic beliefs of all those who adhere to the Lamppost Movement.

20th June 2006
World Refugee Day

9 commentaires:

Kenneth a dit…

Export to PDF, dude, PDF.

Jacques René Zammit a dit…

final draft will be pdf, dude, final draft

Hsejjes a dit…

I have read the manifesto and liked it. One thing I would like to comment about. And that's the style it is written in.It is too much like a contract or the drafting of a law. Or is that the idea? I would have thought you want to reach as many people as you can, so maybe using simpler language would be more ideal. (Ara don't be offended ta!!)

Jacques René Zammit a dit…

Thanks Hsejjes. Actually last night I was mulling on a short bulletted summary of the main ideas - to be used in combination with a press release.

The declaration itself is based on a UN Declaration on the Principles of Tolerance, a World Vision of Tolerance by Nelson Mandela and hints of the Oxford Liberal Manifesto.

Fausto Majistral a dit…

Education is all over the place ... you're one incurable romantic!

Andre a dit…

Fausto, I can't agree with you on the education bit. And if education is "all over the place" it's clearly not doing it's job well.

david a dit…

A short commercial break from the tolerance debate...

Three guesses who wrote this in today's The Horizon...

Però dan l-ahhar qed jispikkaw ukoll zbalji bl-ilsien Ingliz. Fuq l-istazzjonijiet televizivi kollha malli l-gurnalisti flok ma jintervistaw membri tal-pubbliku Maltin, jintervistaw lnglizi, jew xi turisti bl-Ingliz, tinduna kemm l-espressjonijiet uzati huma dghajfin. Jidher car li l-gurnalisti Maltin ghandhom livell baxx hafna fejn jidhol l-Ingliz. Hafna mill-ftit espressjonijiet li fil-fatt jigu trasmessi huma totalment Maltin fil-hsieb u sahansitra bi zbalji grammatikali.

Fausto Majistral a dit…

Education is "all over the place" in the "Lamppost Manifesto". Education will not redeem the world. Too many of the world's miseries came about thanks to well-educated (and over-educated) people.

Jacques René Zammit a dit…

Andre'. I do not think that Fausto is criticising - he is jsut pulling my leg over my history with regards reports and education re:my history in KSU.

Fausto: yep. Old romantic. I always thought education is the source of a good society. My belief has not changed since those old debates at KSU where I argued from the heart with genuine belief in improving society (remember the "Education costs money but then so does ignorance" slogan, that I had unearthed?) while others had different, macchiavellian and nationalist agendas of manipulation in mind.

At least I am glad we made a bit of a difference.