DOCSLIB.ORG

The Right to Religious Education in Lithuania

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Right to Religious Education in Lithuania ISSN 1392–6195 (print) ISSN 2029–2058 (online) JURISPRUDENCIJA JURISPRUDENCE 2012, 19(2), p. 443–458. THE RIGHT TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN LITHUANIA Birutė Pranevičienė, Agnė Margevičiūtė Mykolas Romeris University, Faculty of Public Security, Department of Law V. Putvinskio 70, LT-44211 Kaunas, Lithuania Telephone (+370 37) 303 655 E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Received on 16 March, 2012; accepted on 12 June, 2012 Abstract. The article analyzes preconditions of realization of the right to religious education in Lithuania during the period of compulsory education. The article consists of two parts. The essence of the freedom of thought, religion and conscience and their relation to religious education is discussed in the first part. The second part of the article analyses national legal framework related to compulsory education in the light of freedom of thought, religion and conscience. The states are required to ensure education of children according to religious convictions of their parents and needs of the children themselves. The Lithuanian legal regulation, however, allows certain ambiguities as to how effectively may the right to religious education be realised. Keywords: human rights, right to education, right to freedom of religion, right to religious education. Jurisprudencija/Jurisprudence ISSN 1392–6195 (print), ISSN 2029–2058 (online) Mykolo Romerio universitetas, 2012 http://www.mruni.eu/lt/mokslo_darbai/jurisprudencija/ Mykolas Romeris University, 2012 http://www.mruni.eu/en/mokslo_darbai/jurisprudencija/ 444 Birutė Pranevičienė, Agnė Margevičiūtė. The Right to Religious Education in Lithuania Introduction Relevance of the topic. M.A. Hamilton raised a question “What could be more important in a free society than religious liberty?”.1 It is universally accepted that within the European community everyone has a right to freedom of thought, religion, and conscience, which means that “… this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance”.2 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states the same.3 These rights are embedded in the constitutions of many democratic states and are recognized as constitutional rights. In the context of ongoing processes of globalisation, making these rights constitutionally protected would entail certain issues and obligations for the states that have already recognised or would recognise such rights. The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania guarantees the right to education to its citizens and makes the education until 16 years of age compulsory.4 It also ensures the freedom to choose religion5 The Law on Education6 and the Law on Religious Associations and Communities7 provide that parents and guardians of the minor are free to choose religious studies for their children. The freedom of religion is not solely an independent right because it is directly related to the right of education and right to choose religious education during compulsory education. “Each human being shall have the right to freely choose any religion or belief and, either alone or with others, in private or in public, to profess his or her religion, to perform religious practices, to practice and teach his or her belief … Parents and guardians shall, without restrictions, take care of the religious and moral education of their children and wards according to their own convictions”.8 Therefore, religious up-bringing and education of the child involves and is highly dependent on how well it is implemented during the process of compulsory education. Core of the topic. Globalisation processes determine that societies within democratic states become more and more diversified which, in time, increases the need to replace a homogenous religious teaching with a more diversified teaching of religion in 1 Hamilton, M. A. God vs. The Gavel. Religion and the Rule of Law. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005, p. 8. 2 European Convention on Human Rights, Art. 9 [interactive]. [accessed on 20-02-2012]. <http://www.echr. coe.int/NR/rdonlyres/D5CC24A7-DC13-4318-B457-5C9014916D7A/0/ENG_CONV.pdf>. 3 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, con- science and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, prac- tice, worship and observance” [interactive]. [accessed on 20-02-2012]. <http://www.un.org/en/documents/ udhr>. 4 Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. Official Gazette.1992, No. 33-1014, Article 41. 5 Ibid., Article 26. 6 The Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Education. Official Gazette. 1991, No 23-593. 7 Law on Religious Associations and Communities. Official Gazette. 1995, No. 89-1985. 8 Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. Official Gazette.1992, No. 33-1014, Art. 26. Jurisprudence. 2012, 19(2): 443–458. 445 educational institutions. Scientists are devoting considerable attention to the issue of freedom of religion, however, the research has been mainly restricted to research of the scope of the freedom of religion9 or analysis of the status of traditional religion within a state10, and there has been insufficient attention devoted to the issue of religious teaching in the literature. Education of individuals is very relevant in educational policies of both the European Union and Lithuania, because time progress and advance depend on human abilities and their application. Alternation of the content of education is becoming a continuous process which is influenced by political, economic, social, cultural phenomena on the global, European Union and national level, when competence becomes a priority in education. It is no longer sufficient to provide skills of literacy, communication, critical and problem thinking by teaching ways to use full range of modern technologies. Democratic society has to foster common human and religious virtues and norms that allow better comprehending, interacting and coexisting in a modern world.11 Therefore, challenges arise of the proper ways to formalise and subsequently implement religious teaching in the process of education. Another interesting observation arises from the analysis of Article 26 of the Lithuanian Constitution, namely that there is an increasing role and involvement of parents in the religious upbringing of their children (the right of parents to freely educate and up-bring their offspring is a universally accepted parental right). However, in an increasingly diversified modern society, when a large number of families reflect a mixed representation of religious background, a question of individuality of each of the parent’s convictions arises. This issue becomes important in the light of the right of parents to demand a certain religious teaching of their child, when each of the parents requests for a religious teaching that corresponds with his or her religious beliefs. The object of the research: the system of legal regulation of the right to religious education in Lithuania during compulsory education. The aim of the research: to present a systematic analysis of the legal framework of religious education in Lithuania. In order to achieve the aim of the research the following tasks were carried out: 9 Vitkauskaitė-Meurice, D. The Scope and Limits of the Freedom of Religion in International Human Rights Law. Jurisprudence. 2011, 18(3): 841–857; Vidrinskaitė, S. Tikėjimo ir sąžinės laisvė: konstituciniai pagrindai ir realizavimo ribos Lietuvos Respublikoje [Freedom of Conscience and Religion: Constitutional Foundations and the Limits of Realization in Lithuania]. Jurisprudencija. 2006, 12(90): 88−98. 10 Balodis, R. Equality Principle and Status of Predominant Religion (Traditional Religious Denomination) in the Baltic States. Jurisprudencija. 2006, 12(90): 103–107; Stanisz, P. The Principles of the Relationship between Church and State in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2nd April, 1997. SOTER. 2007, 22(50): 131–143; Glodenis, D. Bažnyčios ir valstybės santykių raiška ir ypatumai: racionalaus pasirinkimo prieigos požiūris [Church and State Relations and the Resolution of Features: a Rational Choice Approach]. Kultūra ir visuomenė, Socialinių tyrimų žurnalas. 2011, 2(3): 83−100; Lankauskas, M. Valstybės ir bažnyčios atskyrimo principas: lyginamieji aspektai ir teisinė padėtis Lietuvoje [Principle of Separation of Church and State: Comparative Aspects and the Legal Situation in Lithuania]. Teisės problemos. 2009, 1(63): 88−119. 11 Rugevičiūtė, G. R. Tikybos pamokų pasirinkimo motyvai ir bendroji katalikų tikybos mokymo programa [Religious Education Choice Motives and the Common Catholic Religious Education Program]. SOTER. 2006, 17(45): 69. 446 Birutė Pranevičienė, Agnė Margevičiūtė. The Right to Religious Education in Lithuania 1. Revealing the essence of the freedom of right of thought, religion and conscien- ce and their relation to religious education. 2. Analysing the Lithuanian laws and jurisprudence that regulate implementation of the right to religious education during compulsory education. Methodology of the research: In the course of reaching the objective of the research, analysis of scientific literature was carried out, as well as methods of systemic and analytical-critical analysis of legal acts and international documents were
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lithuania's Constitution of 1992 with Amendments Through 2019
    PDF generated: 26 Aug 2021, 16:37 constituteproject.org Lithuania's Constitution of 1992 with Amendments through 2019 This complete constitution has been generated from excerpts of texts from the repository of the Comparative Constitutions Project, and distributed on constituteproject.org. constituteproject.org PDF generated: 26 Aug 2021, 16:37 Table of contents Preamble . 3 CHAPTER I: THE STATE OF LITHUANIA . 3 CHAPTER II: THE HUMAN BEING AND THE STATE . 5 CHAPTER III: SOCIETY AND THE STATE . 9 CHAPTER IV: NATIONAL ECONOMY AND LABOUR . 11 CHAPTER V: THE SEIMAS . 12 CHAPTER VI: THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC . 18 CHAPTER VII: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA . 23 CHAPTER VIII: THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT . 26 CHAPTER IX: THE COURTS . 28 CHAPTER X: LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE . 31 CHAPTER XI: FINANCES AND THE STATE BUDGET . 32 CHAPTER XII: STATE CONTROL . 33 CHAPTER XIII: FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL DEFENCE . 34 CHAPTER XIV: ALTERATION OF THE CONSTITUTION . 36 FINAL PROVISIONS . 37 CONSTITUENT PARTS OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA . 38 1. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA ON THE STATE OF LITHUANIA . 38 2. CONSTITUTIONAL ACT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA ON THE NONALIGNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA TO POST-SOVIET EASTERN UNIONS . 38 3. LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA ON THE PROCEDURE FOR ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA . 39 4. CONSTITUTIONAL ACT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA ON MEMBERSHIP OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA IN THE EUROPEAN UNION . 41 Lithuania
    [Show full text]
  • NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE in LITHUANIA a Story of Peaceful Liberation
    NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE IN LITHUANIA A Story of Peaceful Liberation Grazina Miniotaite The Albert Einstein Institution www.aeinstein.org 2 CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Nonviolent Resistance Against Russification in the Nineteenth Century The Goals of Tsarism in Lithuania The Failure of Colonization The Struggle for the Freedom of Religion The Struggle for Lithuanian Press and Education Chapter 2: Resistance to Soviet Rule, 1940–1987 An Overview Postwar Resistance The Struggle for the Freedom of Faith The Struggle for Human and National Rights The Role of Lithuanian Exiles Chapter 3: The Rebirth From Perestroika to the Independence Movement Test of Fortitude The Triumph of Sajudis Chapter 4: Towards Independence The Struggle for Constitutional Change Civil Disobedience Step by Step The Rise of Reactionary Opposition Chapter 5: The Struggle for International Recognition The Declaration of Independence Independence Buttressed: the Battle of Laws First Signs of International Recognition The Economic Blockade The January Events Nonviolent Action in the January Events International Reaction 3 Chapter 6: Towards Civilian-Based Defense Resistance to the “Creeping Occupation” Elements of Civilian-Based Defense From Nonviolent Resistance to Organized Civilian-Based Defense The Development of Security and Defense Policy in Lithuania since 1992 Concluding Remarks Appendix I Appeal to Lithuanian Youth by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania Appendix II Republic in Danger! Appendix III Appeal by the Government of the Republic
    [Show full text]
  • The Revival of Lithuanian Polyphonic Sutartinės Songs in the Late 20Th and Early 21St Century Daiva Račiūnaitė-Vyčinienė
    The Revival of Lithuanian Polyphonic Sutartinės Songs in the Late 20th and Early 21st Century Daiva Račiūnaitė-Vyčinienė Introduction The ‘Neo-Folklore movement’ (in Lithuania, In contemporary ethnomusicology, attention is folkloro judėjimas, folkloro ansamblių judėjimas; increasingly paid to the defi nition of the terms in Latvia, folkloras absambļu kustība; in Estonia, ‘tradition’ and ‘innovation’. These defi nitions folklooriliikumine) is the term used in the Baltic include stability and mobility; repetition and contries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) to denote creativity; ‘fi rst’ and ‘second existence’1 and similar the increased interest in folklore tradition during concepts, and how these phenomena relate the 1970s and 80s. The term also ‘describes the to folklore traditions. Most of today’s musical practical forms of actualizing folklore in daily traditions can be described as ‘revival’. This term life and in the expressions of amateur art that is used widely yet ambiguously in research in have accompanied the spiritual awakening of the English language.2 The word is applied to the people and their fi ght for the restoration of the phenomena of revitalisation, recreation, independence at beginning of the 1990s’ (Klotiņš innovation, and transformation, these terms often 2002: 107). In Soviet times, the Lithuanian folklore being used synonymously and interchangeably.3 ensemble movement,5 one among thousands of its Nevertheless, there are some ethnomusicologists kind, was a form of resistance to denationalisation who take a purist approach, adhering to the and to other Soviet ideologies. Without this original meanings of these terms. The Swedish ethnic, cultural union there would not have been ethnomusicologist Ingrid Åkesson describes a Singing Revolution.6 three basic concepts that apply to the processes This movement encompassed a variety of of change in folklore, each with its own shade of folklore genres and styles, refl ecting the general meaning: ‘recreation’, ‘reshaping’/‘transformation’, revival and reinvigoration of folklore.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Are Suicides So Widespread in Catholic Lithuania?
    religions Review Why Are Suicides So Widespread in Catholic Lithuania? Danute˙ Gailiene˙ Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Vilnius, Universiteto 9/1, Vilnius 01513, Lithuania; [email protected] Received: 20 December 2017; Accepted: 27 February 2018; Published: 5 March 2018 Abstract: Religion as a protective factor against suicide was introduced in Durkheim’s theory of suicide and analysed from various perspectives in multiple studies. The Lithuanian case is intriguing because before WWII, along with Catholic Poland, it showed much lower suicide rates than its Protestant neighbours Latvia and Estonia. However, today Lithuania is among the leading countries in terms of the prevalence of suicide. Interestingly, not much has changed in Lithuania in terms of religious denomination—about 80% of population call themselves Catholic. The aim of this article was to explore which factors might have affected religions’ protective function against suicide during radical historical processes. The method of study consists of an analysis of historical sources, and of recent studies in suicidology and sociology of religion about suicide and religion in Lithuania. The results of this analysis show that two factors seem to be most important—heroicizing resistance suicides and experiencing long-term politics of atheisation. Keywords: religion; suicide rates; Lithuania 1. Introduction Religion as a protective factor against suicide was first introduced in Durkheim’s (Durkheim 1979) theory of suicide. He observed that the Protestant countries in Western Europe have higher suicide rates than the Catholic ones and related it to the stronger social cohesion and social integration among Catholics. Since then the association between religion and suicide has been analysed from various perspectives in multiple studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Ii Geography 2.1 - 2.2
    LITHUANIA ASSESSMENT April 2000 Country Information and Policy Unit CONTENTS I SCOPE OF DOCUMENT 1.1 - 1.5 II GEOGRAPHY 2.1 - 2.2 III HISTORY Recent Political History 3.1 - 3.4 Economic History 3.5 - 3.7 Parliamentary Elections 1996 3.8 - 3.9 IV INSTRUMENTS OF THE STATE Lithuanian Government 4.1 - 4.3 Political Organisations 4.4 - 4.16 Lithuanian Constitution 4.17- 4.18 Rights of Citizens to Change their Government 4.19 –4.21 The Security Services 4.22 – 4.31 Legal Rights/Detentions 4.32 – 4.38 Prisons 4.39 – 4.42 The Judicial System 4.43 – 4.53 The Penal Code 4.54 – 4.56 The Death Penalty 4.57 – 4.58 Citizenship 4.59 – 4.63 Social Welfare 4.64 – 4.65 Education 4.66 Europe and NATO 4.67 – 4.71 V HUMAN RIGHTS A: HUMAN RIGHTS: GENERAL ASSESSMENT Actual Practice with Regard to Human Rights 5.1 – 5.10 Women 5.11 – 5.14 Children 5.15 – 5.18 People with Disabilities 5.19 – 5.21 Religious Freedom 5.22 – 5.30 Ethnic Minorities 5.31 – 5.37 Jews 5.38 – 5.44 Poles 5.45 – 5.49 Russians 5.50 – 5.56 Roma 5.57 Refugees 5.58 – 5.66 Homosexuals 5.67 – 5.72 B: HUMAN RIGHTS: OTHER ISSUES Freedom of Speech 6.1 – 6.7 Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association 6.8 – 6.10 Workers’ Rights 6.11 – 6.18 Freedom of Movement 6.19 – 6.20 Military Service 6.21 – 6.26 Rehabilitation and Genocide Trials 6.27 – 6.28 Organised Crime 6.29 – 6.41 ANNEX A: CURRENT GOVERNMENT ANNEX B: ELECTIONS ANNEX C: POLITICAL PARTIES ANNEX D: CHRONOLOGY OF KEY EVENTS BIBLIOGRAPHY SCOPE OF DOCUMENT 1.1 This assessment has been produced by the Country Information & Policy Unit, Immigration & Nationality Directorate, Home Office, from information obtained from a variety of sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania
    THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA (Adopted by the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania in the Referendum of 25 October 1992) THE LITHUANIAN NATION – having created the State of Lithuania many centuries ago, – having based its legal foundations on the Lithuanian Statutes and the Constitutions of the Republic of Lithuania, – having for centuries staunchly defended its freedom and independence, – having preserved its spirit, native language, writing, and customs, – embodying the innate right of the human being and the Nation to live and create freely in the land of their fathers and forefathers—in the independent State of Lithuania, – fostering national concord in the land of Lithuania, – striving for an open, just, and harmonious civil society and a State under the rule of law, by the will of the citizens of the reborn State of Lithuania, adopts and proclaims this CONSTITUTION CHAPTER I THE STATE OF LITHUANIA Article 1 The State of Lithuania shall be an independent democratic republic. Article 2 The State of Lithuania shall be created by the Nation. Sovereignty shall belong to the Nation. Article 3 No one may restrict or limit the sovereignty of the Nation or arrogate to himself the sovereign powers belonging to the entire Nation. The Nation and each citizen shall have the right to resist anyone who encroaches on the independence, territorial integrity, and constitutional order of the State of Lithuania by force. Article 4 The Nation shall execute its supreme sovereign power either directly or through its democratically elected representatives. Article 5 In Lithuania, state power shall be executed by the Seimas, the President of the Republic and the Government, and the Judiciary.
    [Show full text]
  • Defining Religion to Be Recognized by a State
    Defining religion to be recognized by a state The case of neo-pagan community “Romuva“ in Lithuania Lukrecijus Tubys Master thesis Religion, conflict and dialogue programme Faculty of Theology Helsinki University 2020 2 3 Tiedekunta – Fakultet – Faculty Koulutusohjelma – Utbildingsprogram – Degree Theology Programme Religion, conflict and dialogue Tekijä – Författare – Author Lukrecijus Tubys Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Defining religion to be recognized by a state. The case of neo-pagan community “Romuva“ in Lithuania Oppiaine/Opintosuunta – Läroämne/Studieinriktning – Subject/Study track Työn laji – Arbetets art – Level Aika – Datum – Month Sivumäärä – Sidoantal – Number of Masters and year 11, 2020 pages ​82 4 Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Lithuanian neo-pagan community “Romuva” approached the Lithuanian parliament to grant it state’s recognition. According to the Ministry of Justice, the religious community met all necessary requirements – it has been registered for 25 years, its customs and creeds do not contradict law and morals, and it has support in the society. However, the Lithuanian parliament voted against granting the new status. This thesis aims on how was the legal recognition of the “Romuva” argued for and against in the public media and the Lithuanian parliament and what kind of understanding of neo-paganism in particular and religion in general was constructed in these arguments. To achieve the goal two sets of data were analyzed: all articles related with “Romuva” recognition appeared on the most popular as well as pro-christian and pro-romuvian media sites from 2018-2020. Also public records from the Lithuanian parliament during submission and consideration phases, letters to parliamentarians. The data was also structured in a timeline to track the development of arguments.
    [Show full text]
  • A History of Lithuanian Independence Interviewe
    “We Started Our Resistance Fight for Gaining Independence and Freedom Again” A History of Lithuanian Independence Interviewer: G. Gedo Interviewee: Valdas Adamkus February 17, 2015 Table of Contents Interviewer Release Form…………………………………………………………………………2 Interviewee Release Form…………………………………………………………………………3 Statement of Purpose……………………………………………………………………...............4 Biography………………………………………………………………………………………….5 “Lithuania is Coming Back as a Free Nation”: Historical Contextualization…………………….7 Interview Transcription…………………………………………………………………………..27 Interview Time Index……………………………………………………………………………46 Interview Analysis……………………………………………………………………………….47 Appendix 1……………………………………………………………………………………….52 Appendix 2……………………………………………………………………………………….53 Appendix 3……………………………………………………………………………………….54 Works Consulted…………………………………………………………………………………55 Statement of Purpose Throughout history, countries have taken over other nations and oppressed the occupied nations’ peoples. Sometimes the abused states are lucky enough to become free after years of repression and tyranny. They then have to rebuild and cope with the deep impact and trauma years of injustice and suffering have created. Therefore, in order to understand a country’s declaration of independence and its aftermath, one must learn about the occupation of the country, the nation’s independence movement, and the country’s modern concerns. The purpose of this project is to provide the viewpoint of a Lithuanian who witnessed the occupation by the Soviet Union, the movement for Lithuanian autonomy, and the rebuilding of Lithuania. This project also intends to illustrate the emotional impact of the events during this time period. The work of President Adamkus, a Lithuanian immigrant to the United States and later the president of Lithuania, helps to explain the country’s development as it works to join the rest of Europe as a modern nation. Biography Valdas Adamkus was born in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1926 and grew up in free Lithuania.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion, Identity, Postsocialism
    Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology Department II Religion, Identity, Postsocialism The Halle Focus Group 2003 - 2010 Religion, Identity, Postsocialism The Halle Focus Group 2003-2010 Edited by Chris Hann Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology Halle/Saale (Department II) 2010 CONTENTS Preface i Chris Hann I INTRODUCTION 1 Broken Chains and Moral Lazarets: the politicization, juridification and commodification of religion after socialism 3 Chris Hann II REGIONAL CLUSTERS 23 CENTRAL ASIA Religious Identities in the Ferghana Valley 27 Irene Hilgers Local Islam in Postsocialist Khorezm (Uzbekistan) 30 Krisztina Kehl-Bodrogi Modern Murids: Islamic Revival in the North Caucasus 34 Galina Khizrieva Muslim Life in a Kyrgyz-Uzbek Town 37 Julie McBrien Religious Frontiers after Socialism: Missionary Encounters and the Dynamics of Conversion in Kyrgyzstan 41 Mathijs Pelkmans Becoming Muslim in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan: An Anthropology of Moral Reasoning 45 Johan Rasanayagam Moral Education, Islam and Being Muslim in Tajikistan 49 Manja Stephan EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE Nation, Religion and Tolerance in Eastern Europe 55 Juraj Buzalka Charismatic Christianity among the Roma in Romania 59 László Fosztó Moral Education in Romania and the Republic of Moldova 62 Monica Heintz Contents Re-orientalizing the Church: Charity and Morality in the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church 65 Stéphanie Mahieu Modes of Religiosity in Eastern Christianity: Religious Processes and Social Change in Ukraine 68 Vlad Naumescu Living Cosmopolitanism? Religious Revival and
    [Show full text]
  • 7 Report Submitted by Lithuania Pursuant To
    ACFC/SR (2001) 7 REPORT SUBMITTED BY LITHUANIA PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 25, PARAGRAPH 1 OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES (Received on 31 October 2001) 1 REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA SUBJECT TO ARTICLE 25 (1) OF THE CONVENTION 2001 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I............................................................................................................................4 Introduction.....................................................................................................................4 1. General up-to-date information on the public policy related to the protection of national minorities...........................................................................................................4 2. Information on the place of international treaties in domestic legislation......................7 3. Information on the nature of the State..........................................................................8 4. Summary of the development of Lithuanian statehood...............................................10 5. Information on the demographic situation in the country ...........................................11 6. Information on whether there are minorities within minorities ...................................12 7. Main economic indices..............................................................................................13 PART II ........................................................................................................................16
    [Show full text]
  • Religions in Lithuania and Its Sociopolitical Consequences
    Journal of Law and Religion 35, no. 1 (2020): 61–78 © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. doi:10.1017/jlr.2020.9 the legal notion of “traditional” religions in lithuania and its sociopolitical consequences egdūnas račius Professor, Vytautas Magnus University abstract Lithuania formally distinguishes between what it terms “traditional,”“state-recognized,” “registered,” and “unregistered” religions. Though constitutionally Lithuania is a secular state and all religions are declared equal vis-à-vis the state, religious communities recognized as “traditional” have, nonetheless, been favored by the state. They have been granted pref- erential treatment both in the legislation and extralegal handling by various state actors and institutions. At the same time, traditional religious communities are formally equal among themselves and vis-à-vis the state. However, the size of their membership puts them into two distinct camps. While the Catholic community constitutes 77 percent of the country’s pop- ulation, the remaining eight traditional religious communities together hardly make up 6 percent, of which 4 percent are Orthodox, with Lutherans, Calvinists, Greek Catholics, Old Believers, Judaists, Karaites, and Sunni Muslims making up the remaining numbers. This article focuses on one of the smaller traditional religious communities, Sunni Muslims, and through this example seeks to show looming complications arising from the current legal system for the governance of religion in Lithuania, which, as a country, starts inter alia being affected by the appearance of revivalist and other “nontraditional” forms of Islam on its territory.
    [Show full text]
  • A Hundred Years of Archaeological Discoveries in Lithuania
    A Hundred Years of Archaeological Discoveries in Lithuania EDITED BY Gintautas Zabiela, Zenonas Baubonis, Eglė Marcinkevičiūtė TRANSLATED BY Jeffrey Arthur Bakanauskas Vilnius 2016 Contents 8 The First Palaeolithic Inhabitants and the Mesolithic in Lithuanian Territory Egidijus Šatavičius 40 The Neolithic in East Lithuania Algirdas Girininkas, Linas Daugnora 50 The Neolithic in South-east Lithuania Eglė Marcinkevičiūtė 66 The Neolithic–Early Bronze Age in the Trans-Nemunas Region (Užnemunė) Vygandas Juodagalvis 86 The Stone Age in West Lithuania Adomas Butrimas 96 Coastal Lithuania during the Neolithic SPONSORED BY Gytis Piličiauskas Lithuanian Council for Culture 110 The Early Bronze Age Cemetery in East Lithuania Algirdas Girininkas, Linas Daugnora 120 The Lower Nemunas during the Early Metal Age Rytis Šiaulinskas 130 West Lithuania during the Early Metal Age Algimantas Merkevičius 148 The Investigation of Prehistoric Sites in Wetlands Elena Pranckėnaitė A BOOK REVIEW BY Dr. hab. Anna Bitner-Wróblewska (State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw, Poland), Dr. Sebastian Messal (German Archaeological Institute), Prof. Dr. hab. Vladas Žulkus (Klaipėda University) DESIGN BY Aida Janonytė © Society of the Lithuanian Archaeology, 2016 ISBN 978-9955-9913-9-7 160 Old and Middle Iron Age 338 Wooden Structures of the Middle Ages Settlements and Hillforts Gintautas Zabiela Rokas Vengalis 350 Masonry Castles and Forts 182 Late Iron Age Hillforts Albinas Kuncevičius and Settlements 360 Manors and Palaces Gintautas Zabiela Birutė Salatkienė, Virginija
    [Show full text]