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1. Letter of Appreciation to Fr Mintoff
2. Network of Eritrean Civic Societies – Europe protests against Church closures
3. Network of Eritrean Civic Societies – Europe extends its invitation to all societies in Europe. Letter of Appreciation to Fr Mintoff Eritrean Network of Civic Societies – Europe has sent a ‘thank-you’ letter to Fr Dionysius Mintoff, head of Peace Laboratory in Malta. Fr Mintoff, a Sanfrancisan cleric, has supported and fought for the rights of the Eritrean refugees. The letter expressed appreciation for all the moral and legal support he has provided for the Eritrean refugees in Malta and the facilities of his organisation (Peace Laboratory) he has placed at their disposal. The letter made a mention of the current situation and stated that there is ample evidence the situation in Eritrea is grave. It read, “… when Eritrean POWs in Ethiopia refuse to return to Eritrea then that should present a good picture of what is really happening in the country.”
Eritrean regime closes Churches and Persecutes Members An urgent appeal to the world community by concerned Eritreans In a letter sent to numerous religious agencies and dignitaries, the Network of Eritrean Civic Societies – Europe (NECS-Europe) has expressed its concerns on the ongoing deterioration of human rights situation in Eritrea. It stated that ‘under the totalitarian rule of President Isaias Afwerki, Eritrea, the once promising new nation in the Horn of Africa, has become an amphitheatre of human rights violations’. NECS-Europe acknowledged that the incursion on people’s faiths has started as early as 1994. It is to be remembered that the first victims were Islamic Schools. Immediately after independence the government closed Private Islamic Quranic Schools and arrested the teachers. The letter stated the organisers, members and staff of the closed institutions are citizens whose rights should be protected under the law and are not bent on conspiring against the government. ‘Members of NECS-Europe’, the letter stated, ‘believe that religious congregations do not have anything to do with politics and those churches are not instruments of religious institutions outside the country’. NECS-Europe made a call to the government that members of the churches that are closed down have the need to fulfil their spiritual needs. And it reminded that government that those churches are not asking the government to cater for their organisations but to be left alone to practice their faith. The letter made a call to major religious institutions to register their displeasure against such injustice and to stand at the side of the Eritrean people. It concluded by appealing to organisation and their respective governments to pressure the Eritrean regime to respect the basic rights of the faithful.
An Invitation to join the Network of Eritrean Civic Societies - Europe
The Network of Eritrean Civic Societies- Europe was formed in Steenwijk, (Fredeshiem), The Netherlands on 21 July 2002. The meeting was attended by representatives from six different countries - Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The Network of Eritrean Civic Societies is a challenge to Eritrean citizens and civic societies anxious about the conflict between the brutal regime in Asmara and the resilience of Eritrean citizens. The organisation deals with the apparent ineffectiveness and complications of the government’s reaction towards the predicament of our citizens. It also deals with consolidating the needs and undertakings of civic societies that are spread throughout the world. In other words, in order to achieve maximum effect, it co-ordinates the activities of the member civic societies and strives to create a platform that can be shared by all. Much has been said and written on the theme, and various meanings given to the word ‘civic society’. Dictionary meaning of ‘civic’ is anything that pertains to citizenship; therefore, according to the interpretation we adopted in The Netherlands, civic society seeks to measure the extent to which civic participation is tied to challenging injustice and government inefficiencies. Another definition that describes the engagement of civic societies is the following: individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. We believe that our civic movement helps our citizens to understand their ties to Eritrea and their responsibilities within it. Through our civic movement we aspire to a community of citizens with common needs, mutual interests, shared objectives, related goals and linked destinies. The goal is to develop a cohesive society and a society of shared values that struggles against injustice perpetrated by the government. The Network of Eritrean Civic Society- Europe recognises the fact that the more people engage with each other the better it is for our country. Our guiding principle is to ensure that initiative, power, and responsibility are kept close to the people. In short, we work on the principle of self-empowerment. Based on the above principles we are asking people and civic societies to join our action-oriented society that works towards future safety and security of our people. We invite you to join us and work constructively, positively, and in full respect for one another to identify the problems and develop solutions in a joint endeavour. We believe that a strong will to face the issue and a commitment to simplicity are keys to success in the process. It is our belief that in order to succeed, we must avoid pre-conceived ideas, avoid unfounded statements and respect one another, while innovating dynamically. Also, what defines this movement is that it will go beyond just examining worries about the future. We will focus on process, i.e., analysis, understanding of causes, establishment of common understanding, and identification of possible paths. The Co-ordinating Committee of Network of Eritrean Civic Societies - Europe.
9 September 2002 For further information please contact us at: EHDR-UK, Unit 103, 56 Gloucester Road, London SW7 4UB Email:
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A Call for Help Dear fellow citizens, Our Eritrean brothers and sisters in Malta are in need of our donations. They need our financial assistance.
Eritreans for Human & Democratic Rights – UK (EHDR –UK) is raising money to assist the Eritrean refugees stranded in Malta. According to our Human Rights Officer who is closely following developments in Malta, the Eritrean refugees are in dire need of legal representation. The officer also established that those who are teaming up with the refugees in Malta need financial assistance as soon as possible. The legal costs to keep their cases alive is increasing by the day. Please be generous and provide your timely support now. You can donate at any branch of HSBC Bank with the following information; EHDR–UK Malta Fund
HSBC Bank
Sort Code: 40-46-48
Account Number: 51366971 Or, you can send your cheques made payable to “EHDR-UK Malta Fund”. EHDR -UK
Unit 103, 56 Gloucester Road,
London SW7 4UB, UK For further details please write to us at:
E-mail:
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