Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - With the theme, “Without Fear,” the First National Meeting of Conscientious Objectors to the Education for Citizenship took place on February 16, in the school of Mount Tabor in Pozuelo de Alarcon (Madrid), to analyse the situation in Spain following the obligatory imposition of this academic course. Representatives from 37 associations and groups, as well as 24 parent platform groups from the various Spanish regions have participated in the event.
The goals of the meeting were: to make a presence in the public eye of the social reality that, in spite of an official “taboo,” has extended throughout all of Spain; to unite, in recognition, support, and mutual exchange, the various parent platform groups of conscientious objectors; and to reinforce support of the families of conscientious objectors on behalf of those groups working in the campaign for freedom of education and the rejection of the Education for Citizenship.
During the meeting, there was also a brief explanation of the history behind this campaign against Education for Citizenship. Jose Luis Bazan, coordinator of Juridical Consultation of Professionals for Ethics, summarised the situation of the judicial process that has allowed for the obligatory imposition of this academic course. There are already 22,334 registered objections, and an estimated 24,000 existing signatures of objectors. The meeting was opened by President of the Board of the Mount Tabor School, Carlos Cremades and the President of Juridical Consultation of Professionals for Ethics, Jaime Urcelay. During the meeting, several parents (objectors) offered their experiences and testimonies. The meeting closed with the presentation of “Freedom” awards to the persons and groups especially committed to the freedom of parents standing up to “adoctrination.” (RG)(Agenzia Fides 19/2/08; righe 23; parole 277)
