IXth Conference 'Mut zur Ethik' ('Courage to Take a Moral Stance')

Basic Rights, the State under the Rule of Law and International Law versus War

edited by Verlag Menschenkenntnis, Zurich

What does it mean for a country to be neutral? This is a very demanding as well as crucial question. More than 60 speakers from 20 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America discussed this issue in Feldkirch/Vorarlberg (Austria) in autumn 2001. The IXth Conference of the European Working Group together with our committees had intended to analyse globalisation and possible alternatives to power and war politics.

This attempt was successful. Even though the speakers were all so very different with respect to their backgrounds and studies they all emphasised that neutrality is a cultural achievement and not a political concept of power. We could add: Neutrality 'is' culture, that is, it is a fight against our own prejudices and deeply rooted ideologies. Neutrality means relinquishing power politics. Law takes precedence over power. The principle of law, which internally is put into practice through the state under the rule of law, is the guideline for foreign policies and should be the basis for the co-existence of peoples. Furthermore, neutrality is connected with two other concepts: with direct democracy and with voluntary humanitarian aid. Both concepts are often brought into connected with Switzerland, which is looked upon as a kind of model. That is the reason why this book is so important for all those who are not satisfied with the terms 'democracy' and 'political correctness' and who want to fight for a real culture of liberty. Not just liberalism and reformism should be our Pole Star but also direct democracy as it has been developed in Switzerland for centuries. For the 'non-Swiss' it is important to know that this idea of democracy is based on the free community, federalism, the militia system, neutrality and various people's rights which find expression in the numerous, often obligatory referenda.
Dario Fertilio

For the book: see links at 'Mut zur Ethik'

The book (676 pages) contains all the contributions in the original language (German, French, English) and is available in bookshops or can be ordered directly from:

Verlag Menschenkenntnis, Postfach 278, 8044 Zurich, Switzerland
ISBN: 3906989550
Price: EUR 43,00