The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly is an organization of citizens dedicated to peace, democracy and human rights in Europe.
The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly is a non-governmental organization, working on the notions of fundamental rights and freedoms, peace, democracy and pluralism. hCa works independently from political parties, government and states, aims to:
- introduce the basic rights and freedoms accepted in international agreements and outlined by universal standards into daily life;
- promote peaceful processes for the resolution of problems through mutual understanding dialogue and peace;
- improve pluralist democratic bodies and civil society initiatives;
- ensure the supremacy of law and to defend an economic system that promotes the well-being of human life and the environment.
Why “Helsinki”? The Helsinki Final Act (August 01, 1975) provided a basis for creating conditions favorable to peace in Europe and made human rights a common value to be respected by all nations in a world which was divided into East and West camps in that period. The word « Helsinki » refers to the historic significance of this agreement (taken directly from Helsinki Yurttaslar Dernegi).
The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the new global political context this created gave rise to a new peace movement called the “Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly”. From October 19th to 22nd 1990, peace activists from all parts of Europe (chaired by Vaclav Havel, then president of Czechoslovakia) held a meeting … (see the full long wikipedia-text).
More links on wikipedia: Helsinki Accords; Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.
Other links:
CONFERENCE ON SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE, (with Contents/Index; FINAL ACT HELSINKI 1975; Questions relating to Security in Europe; Co-operation in the Field of Economics, of Science and Technology and of the Environment; Questions relating to Security and Co-operation in the Mediterranean; Co-operation in Humanitarian and Other Fields; Follow-up to the Conference).
The Final Act of the Conference … , on University of Minnesota, Human Rights Library;
same on OSCE.org, and ‘Signing of the Helsinki Final Act’;
same on recon.org.