Abstract
This paper addresses the topics of Religion and Human Rights in the Greek context. More specifically, it explores key Human Rights issues from the perspective of Religious Freedom, namely the legal personality of local religious communities, provisions on proselytism and places of worship, civil rights and youth engagement in the relevant debates. Furthermore, it highlights the dynamics developed between the State regulations, the religious communities and the Human Rights debates in Greece. In this perspective, it enhances as important the fact that Greece as an EU member State cultivated during the last decades a legal and political culture that belongs to the modern liberal democracies tradition. Despite this progress, a variety of challenges is to be faced by Greek society: the rapid changes in global geopolitics, the new migration waves, and the cultural and religious pluralism along with the social and political instability caused by the debt crisis bring to the forth discontent. In this sense, the overall challenge for the Greek society is to approach an understanding of human rights that may function as a framework that guarantees justice and equality for all.
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Notes
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The following eight paragraphs are part of previous research and have been published in: Nikos Maghioros, State and Church in Greece: “To reform or not to reform?”, Droit et Religions – Annuaire, vol. 2 t. 1 (2006–2007), pp. 496–534.
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“NCHR is a statutory National Human Rights Institution having a consultative status with the Greek State on issues pertaining to human rights protection and promotion. The creation of NCHR emanated from the need to monitor developments regarding human rights protection at the domestic and international levels, to inform Greek public opinion on human rights-related issues and, above all, to provide guidelines to the Greek State aimed at the establishment of a modern, principled policy of human rights protection. A source of inspiration for the creation of NCHR was the Paris Principles, adopted by the United Nations and the Council of Europe.According to Law 2667/1998, by which it was established, NCHR has the following substantive competences:
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The study of human rights issues raised by the government, by the Convention of the Presidents of the Greek Parliament, by NCHR members or by non-governmental organisations;
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The submission of recommendations and proposals, elaboration of studies, submission of reports and opinions for legislative, administrative or other measures which may lead to the amelioration of human rights protection in Greece;
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The development of initiatives for the sensitisation of the public opinion and the mass media on issues related to human rights;
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The cultivation of respect for human rights in the context of the national educational system;
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The maintenance of permanent contacts and co-operation with international organisations, similar organs of other States, as well as with national or international non-governmental organisations;
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The submission of consultative opinions regarding human rights-related reports which is to submit to international organisations;
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The publicising of NCHR positions in any appropriate manner;
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The drafting of an annual report on human rights protection in Greece;
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The organisation of a Human Rights Documentation Centre;
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The examination of the ways in which Greek legislation may be harmonised with the international law standards on human rights protection, and the subsequent submission of relevant opinions to competent State organs.” http://www.nchr.gr/index.php/2013-04-03-10-13-40/2013-04-03-10-14-20. Accessed Oct 28 2014.
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Maghioros, N., Tsironis, C. (2015). Current Debates About Religion and Human Rights in Greece. In: Ziebertz, HG., Črpić, G. (eds) Religion and Human Rights. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09731-2_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09731-2_6
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