Inaugural Conference
Cercle Royal Gaulois, Brussels, Belgium
Wednesday, December 4, 2013 -
10:00 to 19:00
Sustainable Freedom: The Conversation between Christians and Secularists in the Post-Secular Age.
Click here to read a Dutch newspaper report on the conference.
Click here to open the You Tube-playlist of the conference.
Direct links to keynote speakers and panels:
Os Guinness - Sustainable Freedom
Frits Bolkestein - Post-Secular Age
First Panel: Human Rights and Human Nature - Sophia Kuby, Thierry Baudet, Marie Smith, John Fonte
Second panel: Religious Freedom - Eric Teetsel, Jennifer Marshall, Rocco Buttiglione, Martin Kugler
Thrid panel: Free Market - Robert A. Sirico, Bruno Roche, Jan Schippers, Theodore Malloch
Photographs of all speakers of the conference in order of the program:
Program
10:0010:00
Opening Remarks
Todd Huizinga, Executive Director, Transatlantic Christian Council, United States
10:05Welcoming Address
Anna Zaborska, Member of European Parliament, Co-Host
10:15Welcoming Address
John O’Sullivan, Editor-at-Large, National Review and author of The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister, Co-Host
10:25Keynote Speaker, Sustainable Freedom
Os Guinness
10:55Discussion: moderated by TCC Board Member Miriam Lexmann, Head of the Brussels office of the International Republican Institute
11:15Panel discussion
Human Rights and Human Nature
Moderator: Sophia Kuby, Executive Director, European Dignity Watch, Germany
First Panelist: Individual Rights and Group Rights
Thierry Baudet, Academic, Journalist and Writer, The Netherlands
Second Panelist: Human Rights and the Right to Life
Marie Smith, Director, Parliamentary Network For Critical Issues, USA
Third Panelist: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Global Governance
John Fonte, Senior Fellow Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C., and author of Sovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or be Ruled by Others?, USA
Discussion, Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
12:15Lunch
13:30Keynote Speaker, Post-Secular Age
*Frits Bolkestein
14:00Discussion: moderated by Dr. Stefan Gehrold, head of European Office, Konrad Adenauer Foundation
14:20Break
14:30Panel discussion
Religious Freedom: The Most Foundational Freedom under Threat
Moderator: Eric Teetsel, Executive Director Manhattan Declaration, USA
First Panelist: Religious Freedom and Freedom of Education
Jennifer Marshall, Director, Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation, USA
Second Panelist: Religious Freedom and Anti-Discrimination Law
Rocco Buttiglione, philosopher and politician, former member of the European Parliament and nominee for European Commissioner, Italy
Third Panelist: Growing Threats against Freedom of Religion in Europe
Martin Kugler, Co-Founder of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, Austria
Discussion Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
15:30Coffee Break
16:00Panel discussion
The Moral Case for Free Markets
Moderator: Rev. Robert A. Sirico, President, Acton Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
First Panelist: State Responsibility and Personal Responsibility
Bruno Roche, Special Advisor, Social Justice & Globalization, G20 French Presidency, Chief Economist, Mars, Incorporated
Second Panelist: The Free Market and Social Justice: Is There a European Social Model?
Jan Schippers, Economist, and Director Guido de Bres Foundation, research Department SGP political party, The Netherlands
Third Panelist: The Free Market and the Global Financial Crisis
Theodore Malloch, CEO, Global Fiduciary Governance LLC, USA
Discussion Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
17:00Closing Remarks
Henk Jan van Schothorst, Executive Director, Transatlantic Christian Council, Europe
17:05Reception with cocktails
19:00End of Conference
10:00
10:00
Opening Remarks
Todd Huizinga, Executive Director, Transatlantic Christian Council, United States
Opening Remarks
Todd Huizinga, Executive Director, Transatlantic Christian Council, United States
10:05
Welcoming Address
Anna Zaborska, Member of European Parliament, Co-Host
Anna Zaborska, Member of European Parliament, Co-Host
10:15
Welcoming Address
John O’Sullivan, Editor-at-Large, National Review and author of The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister, Co-Host
John O’Sullivan, Editor-at-Large, National Review and author of The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister, Co-Host
10:25
Keynote Speaker, Sustainable Freedom
Os Guinness
Os Guinness
10:55
Discussion: moderated by TCC Board Member Miriam Lexmann, Head of the Brussels office of the International Republican Institute
11:15
Panel discussion
Human Rights and Human Nature
Moderator: Sophia Kuby, Executive Director, European Dignity Watch, Germany
First Panelist: Individual Rights and Group Rights
Thierry Baudet, Academic, Journalist and Writer, The Netherlands
Second Panelist: Human Rights and the Right to Life
Marie Smith, Director, Parliamentary Network For Critical Issues, USA
Third Panelist: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Global Governance
John Fonte, Senior Fellow Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C., and author of Sovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or be Ruled by Others?, USA
Discussion, Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
Human Rights and Human Nature
Moderator: Sophia Kuby, Executive Director, European Dignity Watch, Germany
First Panelist: Individual Rights and Group Rights
Thierry Baudet, Academic, Journalist and Writer, The Netherlands
Second Panelist: Human Rights and the Right to Life
Marie Smith, Director, Parliamentary Network For Critical Issues, USA
Third Panelist: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Global Governance
John Fonte, Senior Fellow Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C., and author of Sovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or be Ruled by Others?, USA
Discussion, Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
12:15
Lunch
13:30
Keynote Speaker, Post-Secular Age
*Frits Bolkestein
*Frits Bolkestein
14:00
Discussion: moderated by Dr. Stefan Gehrold, head of European Office, Konrad Adenauer Foundation
14:20
Break
14:30
Panel discussion
Religious Freedom: The Most Foundational Freedom under Threat
Moderator: Eric Teetsel, Executive Director Manhattan Declaration, USA
First Panelist: Religious Freedom and Freedom of Education
Jennifer Marshall, Director, Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation, USA
Second Panelist: Religious Freedom and Anti-Discrimination Law
Rocco Buttiglione, philosopher and politician, former member of the European Parliament and nominee for European Commissioner, Italy
Third Panelist: Growing Threats against Freedom of Religion in Europe
Martin Kugler, Co-Founder of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, Austria
Discussion Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
Religious Freedom: The Most Foundational Freedom under Threat
Moderator: Eric Teetsel, Executive Director Manhattan Declaration, USA
First Panelist: Religious Freedom and Freedom of Education
Jennifer Marshall, Director, Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation, USA
Second Panelist: Religious Freedom and Anti-Discrimination Law
Rocco Buttiglione, philosopher and politician, former member of the European Parliament and nominee for European Commissioner, Italy
Third Panelist: Growing Threats against Freedom of Religion in Europe
Martin Kugler, Co-Founder of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, Austria
Discussion Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
15:30
Coffee Break
16:00
Panel discussion
The Moral Case for Free Markets
Moderator: Rev. Robert A. Sirico, President, Acton Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
First Panelist: State Responsibility and Personal Responsibility
Bruno Roche, Special Advisor, Social Justice & Globalization, G20 French Presidency, Chief Economist, Mars, Incorporated
Second Panelist: The Free Market and Social Justice: Is There a European Social Model?
Jan Schippers, Economist, and Director Guido de Bres Foundation, research Department SGP political party, The Netherlands
Third Panelist: The Free Market and the Global Financial Crisis
Theodore Malloch, CEO, Global Fiduciary Governance LLC, USA
Discussion Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
The Moral Case for Free Markets
Moderator: Rev. Robert A. Sirico, President, Acton Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
First Panelist: State Responsibility and Personal Responsibility
Bruno Roche, Special Advisor, Social Justice & Globalization, G20 French Presidency, Chief Economist, Mars, Incorporated
Second Panelist: The Free Market and Social Justice: Is There a European Social Model?
Jan Schippers, Economist, and Director Guido de Bres Foundation, research Department SGP political party, The Netherlands
Third Panelist: The Free Market and the Global Financial Crisis
Theodore Malloch, CEO, Global Fiduciary Governance LLC, USA
Discussion Q&A with audience (30 minutes)
17:00
Closing Remarks
Henk Jan van Schothorst, Executive Director, Transatlantic Christian Council, Europe
Henk Jan van Schothorst, Executive Director, Transatlantic Christian Council, Europe
17:05
Reception with cocktails
19:00
End of Conference