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COEUR
is a privately funded, not-for-profit foundation, dedicated
to promoting Europe as a force for peace, political stability,
cultural values and economic progress in the new globalized
world.
Europeans have, since the end of the Second World War,
initiated the bold and unique experiment of bringing together
old rival nation states of their free will rather than
by force. Although Europeans share a centuries-old cultural
heritage, a rare degree of freedom, democracy, justice
and high standards of living, many still remain rift by
localized conflicts of nationality, language and religion.
New kinds of social, economic, security and environmental
risks have replaced the dark but simpler menace of the
cold war. Europe's leaders face slow growth, high unemployment
and national indebtedness to pay for high levels of social
protection.
Although many of Europe's citizen are enthusiastic, in
spite of the successful launch of the Euro some are disillusioned
with "Europe". They do not perceive the uniting
of Europe as positively as they did during the post-war
decades of high economic growth and political idealism.
Some see European integration as a threat to their livelihoods,
national sovereignties and traditions.
It is the credibility of Europe for Europeans themselves
which is at stake, not the progress of institutional mechanisms.
Europe has a value of its own and, if the notion of being
European is to have any substance, there is an urgent
need to focus more on the people of Europe - and
to explain more broadly why and how Europe should be united
- rather than only on economic and political technicalities.
COEUR
is being established to meet that need.
COEUR
will act as a "continuous conference"
through its website on which may be published contributions
received from persons or institutions interested
and active in the debate about the future of Europe.
COEUR
will convene occasional symposia and produce occasional
papers on major issues concerning the construction
of Europe. (See Contacts)
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