Preface to the monography „HUMAN RIGHTS AS A FUNDAMENT OF EUROPE OF VALUES”

Times after great tragedies, almost always, are the sources of dreams on better and happier life. A trauma of the World War II, let to say, was universal. In a substance it should not surprise, bearing in mind extention of misfortunes caused by this conflict.

Hon.Prof. Dr Józef Antoni Haber

In a result of that war it was lead down not only human dignity, but what more it has been destroyed confidence to law and people each other. In a people’s consciousness was fresh in memory, not met till now, a fear that such a danger can repeat. The cold war only strengthened this state. In Europe such fears have been especially seen. Today, in a perspective of a century, we understand it better, Bearing in mind that both world’s wars in Europe began. In a consequence on European continent have appeared ideas to restain from new folly going towards total breach of rules and values systems. People still believed, that it is a possibility to renew a faith to human rights, that it makes possibile to rebuild again Europe as a continent of values. So, this faith actuated, after WW II, creators of an idea of united Europe. Europe based on such values as peace, security, solidarity, responsibility, tolerance and courage. Especially this last value – courage, has been immensely important, because mainly this value has been missing to oppose borning totalitarian systems. It has been missing a prudence, which requires knowledge and reflection. I think, that’s why, among others, founders of the Preambule of the United Nations Charter decided to place those words of its beginning: We The Peoples of the United Nations Determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…, to indicate on all evills of wars. After almost 70 years since that moment, when the Charter entered into force, we should to put a question if and to what extend, we are the United Peoples? If those fundamental rights into the Charter included, and next especially embossed and resolved in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and expanded in many next documents, are there really preserved?, and State’s and international institutions are acting responsibly? Human rights are expressed in values so strongly, that people have been ready to suffer a loss, and especially freedom, to fight and assert those rights, and a lack of its keeping to publish. Europe, just this integrating, is grounded on those values undermining this in its total and complex European integration evolution. Freedom of a man and his rights became a fundamental of European Single Market concept, and its creation I recognize as a greatest achievement of integration. Founded on the base of such a value as freedom, basic quadrangle for development, composed of freedom of movement of goods, capital, services and people. Without people Europe, the European Union is a pure abstract. People create and decise on a shape of Europe. We recognized, as nations of Europe, that for achieving higher level of development we have to act unanimously. Solidarity became our important value. It became a condition of a success of activities for development. Particularly came into importance this solidarity after beginning unprecedented, in European history, transformation process within Central and Eastern Europe.That’s why, in that part of Europe, we are particularly sensitive on keeping human rights, and on laches of State institutions, who those rights should especially protect. We are observing with anxiety how those laches have a tendency to consilidation, taking into account the number of affairs submitted by citizens to the European Court of Human Rights. Those laches are pungent for citizens within all spheres, economic included. Human rights are fundament of Europe of values, and I want to believe, that it is still as such, or it can be again. Unfortunately Europe of values appears today more Europe of rivalry, fight of contradictory interests. And that’s why I put in that place proposal to dedicate European cycle of conferences on Human Rights as fundament of Europe of Values. Such a cycle, which will take attention of a large public opinion, based on specific case or cases, on dangerous renewed erosion process of a lack of confidence to law and justice institutions, and via this debilitating idea of European integration. A process of such going forward lack of confidence can only be stoped by solidary activities for using in a practice human rights. Rights based on values, which are more and more forgeting by Europe, on behalf badly understood political correctness.