Breakfast Seminar 5th April 2014 United in diversity: A Christian view on the European Union
The Institute of Leadership & Ethics warmly invites you to a breakfast seminar on
Saturday 5th April 8:30am -‐ 10:30am
If you would like to attend the breakfast, please email Peirong.lin@etf.edu, your name and the number of attendees by the 31st March 2014. The breakfast program is open to all at no charge although voluntary contributions towards the cost of these events are always welcome.
Introduction Europe stands at a crossroads. The euro crisis moves the debate on the future direction of the European Union (EU) to the forefront. Participants in this debate are inclined to take an extreme position. They either cling to the nation-‐ state or go for a centralised federation, as in the current campaign for the European Parliament elections, to be held 22-‐25 May 2014. What position should Christians take? From a Christian perspective, there are good reasons to be both positive and critical about the EU: positive about the EU as a community of values and in its efforts for public justice in Europe and globally; and critical because this ideal is continually overshadowed by economic and financial motives and because further integration threatens cultural diversity and democratic legitimacy. The essence of a Christian view is a relational approach to Europe’s values and to European public justice. It aims to find a proper balance between unity and diversity. This is expressed well in the EU's official motto: 'United in Diversity’. Now more than ever, European leaders must act according to this motto to lead the EU forward to a flourishing and hopeful future.
Dr. Sander Luitwieler
ILE is a part of ETF The overall aim of ETF’s Institute of Leadership and Ethics is to engage with the best practices of leadership that will contribute to a just and sustainable society. For more information on ILE, please refer to the ILE website http://etf-‐ile.org/
Sander Luitwieler (1978) studied Political Science at Leiden University, the Netherlands. During his studies and as a Ph.D. student, he specialised in European Union politics. In 2009, he got his Ph.D. degree at Erasmus University Rotterdam. In 2012, he concluded the Master Christian Studies of Science and Society at VU University Amsterdam. In his research, he focuses on developing a Christian perspective on European culture and the EU. In addition to several academic publications, he has produced a number of publications for the Research Institute of the Christian Union and the European Christian Political Foundation (ECPF). The latest one is “A community of peoples. Europe’s values and public justice in the EU”. At the moment, he is a Research Fellow at the Evangelical Theological Faculty in Leuven, Belgium.