Philosophy
The Movement's stated objective is to "contribute to the establishment of a united, federal Europe founded on the principles of peace, democracy, liberty, solidarity, and respect for basic human rights. It seeks to provide a structure to encourage and facilitate the active participation of citizens and civil society organisations in the development of a united Europe". Its various Councils and Associations, under the co-ordination of the European Movement International (EMI), work to influence major decision-makers across European civil society - its multitudinous associations, governments, politicians, political parties, enterprises, trade unions and individual lobbyists - to achieve these ends. The Movement focuses its attentions on seeking further integration in the political, social and cultural arenas, using its network of lobbyists to achieve those ends.
The EM also works as a study and information group operating through various projects and activities. It tries to involve larger segments of the public in the European project by disseminating information on European affairs and activities and getting them involved in its projects.
The association attempts to remain pluralist, and integrates into its management political personalities from both the Right and the Left.
As with many pan-European organisations that deal with European integration, the Movement (including its national organisations) has been divided for a long time between the "unionists", supporters of simple intergovernmental cooperation along the lines of the pre-Maastricht EU, and the "federalists", supporters of a federalised Europe governed along similar lines to the United States.
Read more about this topic: European Movement International
Famous quotes containing the word philosophy:
“A life-worshipper’s philosophy is comprehensive.... He is at one moment a positivist and at another a mystic: now haunted by the thought of death ... and now a Dionysian child of nature; now a pessimist and now, with a change of lover or liver or even the weather, an exuberant believer that God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world.”
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
“The new statement will comprise the skepticisms, as well as the faiths of society, and out of unbeliefs a creed shall be formed. For, skepticisms are not gratuitous or lawless, but are limitations of the affirmative statement, and the new philosophy must take them in, and make affirmations outside of them, just as much as must include the oldest beliefs.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“A novel is never anything but a philosophy put into images.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)