Pro-life and pro-family networks continue to grow, now extending to Madrid.
Transatlantic Summit For Freedom and the Culture of Life Held in Madrid
The 6th Transatlantic Summit For Freedom and the Culture of Life took place at the Spanish Senate in Madrid on the 1st and 2nd of December, organized by the Political Network for Values (PnfV). The summit aimed to expand the global network of pro-life and pro-family alliances, bringing together political and civic leaders from 45 countries in Europe, the Americas, and Africa.
At the Madrid event, key discussions and concerns addressed typically include the importance of defending the culture of life against trends that undermine human dignity, such as abortion, euthanasia, and other practices seen as threats to life’s sanctity. Strategies to promote freedom and human rights, especially in contexts where those rights may be under threat from cultural, political, or legal pressures, were also a focus.
The role of families, educational institutions, and civil society in fostering environments that uphold these values was another topic of discussion. Addressing legal and policy challenges in various countries related to the protection of life and freedom, and strengthening cooperation between transatlantic partners to advocate for these principles on international platforms were also addressed.
Although being labelled as fundamentalist, intolerant, and anti-rights, the speeches at the summit focused on the defense of freedoms and the right to life, especially of the unborn. Despite concerns that in many countries, not only the right to life, but also the right to defend it, is being cancelled, the summit aimed to send a strong message in favor of freedom and the culture of life.
The first Transatlantic Summit was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2014. Since then, the summits have been held every two years, with previous gatherings taking place at the European Parliament in Brussels, the Colombian Capitol in Bogotá, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest, and last year again at the UN headquarters in New York.
The Madrid edition of the summit was led by Chilean José Antonio Kast, president of the PNfV, and hosted by Jaime Mayor Oreja, honorary president of the PNfV and former Spanish interior minister. Although the meeting was non-denominational, the vast majority of attendees were Christians, with a very high percentage of evangelicals from several countries. Representatives of academic and civic institutions, as well as doctors and researchers from three continents also took part in the event.
The opposition faced in the weeks leading up to the summit confirms that the summit is more necessary than ever, according to Lola Velarde, executive director of PnfV. The Transatlantic Summits gather politicians and civic leaders from the Americas, Europe, and Africa to strengthen ties, exchange perspectives, share experiences and best practices, and build synergies to advance a common agenda of values.
- In the midst of debates about policy-and-legislation and general-news, the Transatlantic Summit For Freedom and the Culture of Life, held in Madrid, emphasized the importance of defending human rights, particularly the right to life, against practices like abortion and euthanasia that threaten life's sanctity.
- politics played a significant role in the Madrid event as political and civic leaders from Europe, the Americas, and Africa gathered to focus on strategies to promote freedom, address legal challenges, and strengthen cooperation between transatlantic partners, aiming to advocate for these principles on international platforms.
