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How, in a democracy, in an open, plural society, can decisions be reached that are defensible in terms of a global common good? This question is also challenging Christian churches to search for an answer while witnessing Christian faith and the Gospel. The main current and future tasks of the church will include enabling people to deal responsibly with freedom. Christianity continues to have major significance for Europe and the West.

This article examines the European Commission’s 2016 proposals relating to asylum procedures and the Dublin mechanism. In particular, it analyses what State responsibility for protection means in the context of the ‘first country of asylum’ and ‘safe third country’ concepts, which are addressed in the Commission’s Asylum Procedures Proposal. What effect does the common responsibility of all parties to the Refugee Convention have on a particular State’s individual obligations when it examines a refugee’s application for protection? Can a State simply transfer asylum seekers to another State without seeking assurances from that ‘safe third country’ that they will be granted access to refugee status determination procedures? Does a State’s responsibility end after it removes an asylum seeker or is it obliged to cooperate with the destination State? Does merely transiting through a country mean that it is a ‘safe third country’ to which an asylum seeker can be returned? Can an asylum seeker be sent to a State that is safe in one or two regions, but is otherwise unstable? The article considers these and other questions, taking a sceptical approach to the European Commission’s proposal relating to the ‘safe third country’ concept.

The article addresses the special mission of Catholic schools within the educational system in Germany. The considerations centre on the fundamental mission of the Church to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ as light of nations, and hence to be itself light of the world. Consequently, the essential distinctive characteristic of Catholic schools is understood to be shaping education in the light of the Good News. The article will show concrete examples in several areas of how this affects the daily lives and work of the schools. It will also reveal challenges emerging for the future development of Catholic schools in Germany.

Der Beitrag analysiert Formen der Diskriminierung im Zuwanderungs- und Aufenthaltsrecht und darauf bezogene Interpretationskonflikte. Dazu wird zunachst der Diskriminierungsbegriff im Fluchtlingsrecht diskutiert. Aufgezeigt wird, dass volker- und menschenrechtliche Grundsatze ein durchaus weitergehendes Verstandnis von Verfolgungsgrunden und Diskriminierungstatbestanden erlauben, als dies in der deutschen Rechtspraxis anerkannt ist. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird argumentiert, dass der fluchtlingsrechtliche Diskriminierungsschutz den Gesamtzusammenhang aller Menschenrechte berucksichtigen sollte.

The human rights movement has never accepted that human rights belong to the domestic jurisdiction, but the new model of peacekeeping, which to some extent is based on a human rights component, causes severe problems for the movement, particularly because of its selectivity and its often biased implementation. This obstacle to an impartial combat against massive human rights violations and a wide range of other problems make it difficult for the movement to develop a consistent and plausible policy on peacekeeping. Although the international community may have good reasons to deploy soldiers in order to save lives and to bring an end to genocide, a supportive attitude by the human rights movement may jeopardise its principles of impartiality and non-violent campaigning and hence weaken the system of protection of human rights. But it has to be underscored that massive human rights violations will cause a moral dilemma for the movement if it cannot justify its neutral position on compelling grounds.

Staatsverschuldung und Zukunftschancen der kommenden Generation – eine Problemanalyse aus sozialethischer Perspektive / Fragen eines Bürgers zur Staatsverschuldung

Die Einladung, bei den diesjahrigen Bitburger Gesprachen ein Gruswort zu sprechen, lasst vermuten, dass die Veranstalter die Auffassung vertreten, die religiose Tradition unseres Landes gehore in den offentlichen Diskurs von Wissenschaft, Gesellschaft und Politik. Ich teile diese Auffassung und bin deshalb dankbar fur die Einladung, kurz zum Thema zu sprechen. Das tue ich nicht als Stimme aus einer vergangenen Epoche und Kultur, sondern als hoffentlich uberzeugender Zeuge einer auch heute wirksamen und sehr gegenwartigen Realitat. Trotz aller Probleme die Kirche lebt, wie sie an mir sehen. Als 102. Nachfolger des heiligen Eucharius darf man vielleicht doch ohne Stolz, aber mit einer gewissen Gelassenheit -, diese Stimme des christlichen Glaubens und Denkens in diese Tagung einbringen.