FREEDOM FORUM-CENTRAL AMERICA GUATEMALA LAY
CHALLENGES FOR THE RECOGNITION OF A SECULAR STATE
"Both the secular state, possibilities and impossibilities" Marcia Ugarte
Barquero
Collective for a Free Choice
www.colectiva-cr.com Costa Rica
The Central American region is characterized by many things, one of them, not very pleasant, is the influx of mainly religious fundamentalists who have gained strength in recent years have many resources and summon tens People under manipulative discourses of faith and subjectivity.
Costa Rica is no exception to this. Same as rest of the region, is a country with a strong Catholic influence in their culture, customs and traditions, inherited from colonial times and strengthening with every passing year. However, there are groups, organizations that perform a daily efforts to fight against fundamentalism more retrograde and harmful to be a dissenting voice in a society too talkative and traditional, to bring to the table issues that many cost to call them by name and give them the attention they deserve, and within these there is the Collective for a Free Choice. In this short essay will present some elements of the Collective and especially his experience as part of the team that presented Bill to reform Articles 75 and 194 of the Constitution to make Costa Rica a Secular State.
The Collective for a Free Choice is a group of feminist women committed to protecting, promoting and claiming a right of women to decide fully on sexuality and reproduction processes through advocacy, research and joint action . The Collective believes, among other things, respect for diversity of views, the horizontal, self-respect, sisterhood and lifelong learning, and all actions done in areas related to sexual rights and the rights reproductive women (such as the decriminalization of abortion, contraception, sex education), as well as others also linked the struggle for a secular state and sexual diversity. Among its objectives which provides a special interest in this paper and which is to promote a secular state and secular freedoms as the foundation of a democratic state of law that respects the right to decide for people, this because a truly democratic state is the space where it should be possible to exercise a fundamental right like the right to decide, right is closely linked to autonomy and freedom of women to decide over their own bodies and lives, from recognition of their being women as subjects rights, citizens, able to make decisions on their own, with responsibility and also to respect its decisions. Before
directly to the experience of the Collective have to contextualize the situation in the country quickly on the issue lay. Costa Rica is a confessional state, so stipulated in the Constitution, specifically Article 75 which states that "Religion, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman, is the state, which contributes to its maintenance ..." Thus, This institution receives money from public funds to support themselves, involved in policy discussions and has a strong authority in various socio-political spaces, hindering many times the exercise of basic human rights or the performance of others.
The Collective becomes part of the Movement for a secular state and of the Iberoamerican Network of Lay Freedoms, Red with carrying out activities such as the Central American Forum on Civil Liberties I Lay last year and which already have a Memory written. Is with the other organizations, entities and individuals that make up the Movement for a secular state that the Collective for a Free Choice makes this process of study, advocacy, consultation and others around the subject of the secular state in the country that culminates for now, with the presentation of the draft law reform in these two articles of the Constitution which would make Costa Rica a secular state. This presentation is made for the month of August this year and enters the legislative corrriente supported by 13 deputies of the Congress. The project can condense to effect this work as follows: Articles of the current Constitution in mind:
Article 75. "Religion, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman is the state, which contributes to its maintenance, without impeding the free exercise in the Republic of other religions that do not contradict the universal moral or good manners."
Article 194. "Do you swear God and promise to the country to observe and defend the Constitution and laws of the Republic and faithfully perform the duties of your office? "Yes, I swear. - If they do them, God help you, and if not, he and the country you request it. "
reform proposal modifies this:
Article 75. "Everyone is free to adopt and profess a religion that respects human rights, or not to take. The state will be neutral in religious matters, but will guarantee the exercise of this freedom, according to law. "
Article 194. "Do you swear by their convictions and promises to the country to observe and defend the Constitution and laws of the Republic and faithfully perform the duties of his office? - Yes, I swear. - Should it do so that the country be recognized, and if not, she demands it. "
The proposal raised a lot of dust at the level of public opinion and contrary responses were immediate. The right-wing press has traditionally been the more aggressive they criticized the bill and began a kind of "holy crusade" in the middle of distortions and manipulations that lent itself to confusion. So the Movement was accused of being a
While the initiative was unsuccessful bill by now (the weather was not the best legislative and intervention of the church completely obstructed the course of their discussion), it is clear that the country must go slowly preparing to address issues like these, it became clear the urgency of debates around the need for a secular state and showed the presence of large numbers of people, organized groups, etc., with different beliefs and ethical frameworks that support and favor such reform. The public discussion so far has focused on other topics of interest, due mostly to the proximity of national elections, but it is not an issue yet exhausted and after the elections are expected to be taken up strongly.
To download the draft
http://sitio.estadolaico.cr/node/13 law
visit
CHALLENGES FOR THE RECOGNITION OF A SECULAR STATE
"Both the secular state, possibilities and impossibilities" Marcia Ugarte
Barquero
Collective for a Free Choice
www.colectiva-cr.com Costa Rica
The Central American region is characterized by many things, one of them, not very pleasant, is the influx of mainly religious fundamentalists who have gained strength in recent years have many resources and summon tens People under manipulative discourses of faith and subjectivity.
Costa Rica is no exception to this. Same as rest of the region, is a country with a strong Catholic influence in their culture, customs and traditions, inherited from colonial times and strengthening with every passing year. However, there are groups, organizations that perform a daily efforts to fight against fundamentalism more retrograde and harmful to be a dissenting voice in a society too talkative and traditional, to bring to the table issues that many cost to call them by name and give them the attention they deserve, and within these there is the Collective for a Free Choice. In this short essay will present some elements of the Collective and especially his experience as part of the team that presented Bill to reform Articles 75 and 194 of the Constitution to make Costa Rica a Secular State.
The Collective for a Free Choice is a group of feminist women committed to protecting, promoting and claiming a right of women to decide fully on sexuality and reproduction processes through advocacy, research and joint action . The Collective believes, among other things, respect for diversity of views, the horizontal, self-respect, sisterhood and lifelong learning, and all actions done in areas related to sexual rights and the rights reproductive women (such as the decriminalization of abortion, contraception, sex education), as well as others also linked the struggle for a secular state and sexual diversity. Among its objectives which provides a special interest in this paper and which is to promote a secular state and secular freedoms as the foundation of a democratic state of law that respects the right to decide for people, this because a truly democratic state is the space where it should be possible to exercise a fundamental right like the right to decide, right is closely linked to autonomy and freedom of women to decide over their own bodies and lives, from recognition of their being women as subjects rights, citizens, able to make decisions on their own, with responsibility and also to respect its decisions. Before
directly to the experience of the Collective have to contextualize the situation in the country quickly on the issue lay. Costa Rica is a confessional state, so stipulated in the Constitution, specifically Article 75 which states that "Religion, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman, is the state, which contributes to its maintenance ..." Thus, This institution receives money from public funds to support themselves, involved in policy discussions and has a strong authority in various socio-political spaces, hindering many times the exercise of basic human rights or the performance of others.
The Collective becomes part of the Movement for a secular state and of the Iberoamerican Network of Lay Freedoms, Red with carrying out activities such as the Central American Forum on Civil Liberties I Lay last year and which already have a Memory written. Is with the other organizations, entities and individuals that make up the Movement for a secular state that the Collective for a Free Choice makes this process of study, advocacy, consultation and others around the subject of the secular state in the country that culminates for now, with the presentation of the draft law reform in these two articles of the Constitution which would make Costa Rica a secular state. This presentation is made for the month of August this year and enters the legislative corrriente supported by 13 deputies of the Congress. The project can condense to effect this work as follows: Articles of the current Constitution in mind:
Article 75. "Religion, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman is the state, which contributes to its maintenance, without impeding the free exercise in the Republic of other religions that do not contradict the universal moral or good manners."
Article 194. "Do you swear God and promise to the country to observe and defend the Constitution and laws of the Republic and faithfully perform the duties of your office? "Yes, I swear. - If they do them, God help you, and if not, he and the country you request it. "
reform proposal modifies this:
Article 75. "Everyone is free to adopt and profess a religion that respects human rights, or not to take. The state will be neutral in religious matters, but will guarantee the exercise of this freedom, according to law. "
Article 194. "Do you swear by their convictions and promises to the country to observe and defend the Constitution and laws of the Republic and faithfully perform the duties of his office? - Yes, I swear. - Should it do so that the country be recognized, and if not, she demands it. "
The proposal raised a lot of dust at the level of public opinion and contrary responses were immediate. The right-wing press has traditionally been the more aggressive they criticized the bill and began a kind of "holy crusade" in the middle of distortions and manipulations that lent itself to confusion. So the Movement was accused of being a
While the initiative was unsuccessful bill by now (the weather was not the best legislative and intervention of the church completely obstructed the course of their discussion), it is clear that the country must go slowly preparing to address issues like these, it became clear the urgency of debates around the need for a secular state and showed the presence of large numbers of people, organized groups, etc., with different beliefs and ethical frameworks that support and favor such reform. The public discussion so far has focused on other topics of interest, due mostly to the proximity of national elections, but it is not an issue yet exhausted and after the elections are expected to be taken up strongly.
To download the draft
http://sitio.estadolaico.cr/node/13 law
visit
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