Vladimir Maximenko General Director Strategic Culture Foundation Ph.D. (History) "The first man was created with a free will, with the authority over oneself. This freedom is the greatest Divine gift to the man." St. Hieromartyr Methodius, Bishop of Patara "A commandment was given to us... not because God did not know the future, but because He established the law of freedom." St. Gregory the Theologian "Christ... set us free by the holy baptism giving us the freedom to do good works if we wish..." Venerable Abba Dorotheas The 1 Oth World Russian People's Council took place in Moscow in April, 2006, its main result being the adoption of the Declaration стр. 211 of Human Rights and Dignity. The importance of this document presented on behalf of the "unique Russian civilization" lies in broadening the horizons of the debate on the criteria of universality of the Western concept of human rights. Two postulates of the Declaration of Human Rights and Dignity are of fundamental significance: the assertion of the inherent plurality of civilizations within the global community and the concept of the religious origin of all cultures as "originating from God". These postulates are the major contribution of the World Russian People's Council with its Declaration to the current debate on human rights and liberties. The human rights debate has been intensifying since the late XX century. It is paralleled by the discussions of the necessity to reform the UN which is the most universal organization of our epoch. The 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, The Final Declaration of the 1993 Regional Meeting for Asia and Latin America of the Second World Conference for Human Rights, and now the Declaration of Human Rights and Dignity of the 10th World Russian People's Council demonstrated that nowadays "the recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienab ... Читать далее