Pro-life and pro-family associations extend their reach in Madrid on a global scale.
Transatlantic Summit For Freedom and the Culture of Life Held in Madrid
The 6th Transatlantic Summit For Freedom and the Culture of Life was held in Madrid, Spain, on 1 and 2 December, bringing together political and civic leaders from across the globe to strengthen ties, exchange perspectives, and build synergies.
The summit, hosted by the PNfV and led by Chilean José Antonio Kast, president of the PNfV, and honorary president Jaime Mayor Oreja, former Spanish interior minister, saw the participation of members of the European Parliament, senators, US congressmen, parliamentarians from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Uganda, Malawi, and Kenya, among others.
A total of 300 political and civic leaders from 45 countries in Europe, the Americas, and Africa attended the summit on personal invitation. Representatives of academic and civic institutions, as well as doctors and researchers from three continents, also took part in the event.
The Transatlantic Summits aim to strengthen ties, exchange perspectives, share experiences and best practices, and build synergies to advance a common agenda of values among politicians and civic leaders from the Americas, Europe, and Africa. The first Summit was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2014, followed by others at the European Parliament in Brussels in 2017, at the Colombian Capitol in Bogotá in 2019, at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest, and last year again at the UN headquarters in New York on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
At this year's summit in Madrid, key challenges facing democracy such as democratic backsliding and fostering pathways to resilience were addressed. Participants emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue to meet these challenges and the responsibility of leadership to protect environments that encourage freedom of expression, civil discourse on contentious issues, and respect for diverse cultures and views.
Lola Velarde, executive director of PnfV, stated that the summit aimed to send a strong message in favor of freedom and the culture of life. Despite being labelled "fundamentalist, intolerant, and anti-rights", the speeches focused on the defense of freedoms and the right to life, especially of the unborn.
Mayor Oreja pointed out that the summit is not a debate between two cultures, but a confrontation against a lack of culture, a sick obsession with the destruction of Christian foundations, contempt for science and biology, a perverse manipulation of history, and an attempt to divide people through history. The opposition faced in the weeks leading up to the summit confirms that this summit is more necessary than ever, as per Velarde.
The PNfV is an international network of politicians actively engaged in the promotion and defense of life, family, and freedoms. Although the meeting was non-denominational, the vast majority of attendees were Christians, with a very high percentage of evangelicals from several countries. The PNfV organizes the Transatlantic Summits every two years, with the next summit expected to take place in 2023.
- During the Transatlantic Summit For Freedom and the Culture of Life in Madrid, political and civic leaders from diverse regions including Europe, the Americas, and Africa, delved into key challenges facing democracy such as policy-and-legislation regarding democratic backsliding and fostering pathways to resilience.
- The Transatlantic Summits, as stated by Lola Velarde, executive director of PnfV, aim to bring policymakers together to exchange perspectives on contentious issues like war-and-conflicts and general-news, with a focus on upholding freedom and the right to life, while promoting a culture of life and respect for diverse cultures and views.
