Mr. Bogdan Pammer, Youth Director of UPF – Europe, spoke on the issue of how the UPF youth committees around Europe are dealing with these issues. He first quoted the so-called Böckenförde-dictum: “The liberal secular state lives on premises that it cannot itself guarantee”. Bodgan mentioned that it is human beings that violate human rights and that human rights violations are often committed along the borders of identity.

He said that, “Our practical focus is to work with those people who want to make a difference but feel that they don’t have the power to do so. This involves providing practical skills and sustainable tools which go beyond the initial excitements. The universal in UPF doesn’t refer to peace on mars, but to something holistic! When we talk about Human Rights, we always refer to something higher and in UPF we have the concept of one family under God, which is not a theological concept. A lot of power springs from the power of conscience. Young people have a lot of power but can easily become disillusioned. Hatred and revenge give so much energy, but we have to develop the same kind of energy for good.”

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