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Launch statement:

Civil liberties and democracy are under attack as never before and the need for a collective response to counter these threats has never been greater.

We share common objectives of seeking to create a European society based on freedom and equality, of fundamental civil liberties and personal and political freedoms, of free movement and freedom of information, and equal rights for minorities. This entails defending, extending and deepening the democratic culture - a concept not limited to political parties and elections but embracing wider values of pluralism, diversity and tolerance. And we share too a common opposition to racism, fascism, sexism and homophobia.

The defence of civil liberties and democracy also requires that positive demands are placed on the agenda. For example, respect and rights for all people, cultures and their histories, for the presumption of innocence and freedom from surveillance and the freedom to protest and demonstrate.

To these ends the European Civil Liberties Network (ECLN) has been established.

There are many groups across Europe working on associated issues, such as, legal rights, human rights, refugee and migrants' rights, globalisation and peace. The ECLN seeks to work with, and complement, these groups by concentrating its efforts on civil liberties, freedom of information and democracy at the European level.

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The ECLN is an iniative of the following founding groups

Statewatch (based in London, founded in 1990)

European Race Audit (part of the Institute of Race Relations, based in London, founded in 1956).

CILIP (covers civil liberties and policing and is based at the Free University of Berlin, founded in 1975).

Mugak (covering immigration, racism and xenophobia, based in the Basque country in Spain).

Komitee gegen Schnueffelstaat (works on democracy and civil liberties, based in Bern, Switzerland).

Hellenic League for Human Rights (founded in 1953, Greece).

Access to Information Programme (Sofia, launched in 1996 by journalists, lawyers and academics working on human rights issues).

VD AMOK (an anti-militarist and conscientious objectors organization that works closely together with the peace movement).

Komitee für Grundrechte und Demokratie (Committee for fundamental rights and democracy, Germany)

Founding individuals

The founding individuals are: Thomas Mathiesen, Professor Sociology of Law, Oslo, Norway; Liz Fekete, IRR European Race Audit, Mads Pedersen, co-editor "Salt", Copenhagen, Aidan White, Secretary-General European Federation of Journalists, Brussels, Professor Wolf Dieter-Narr, Berlin, Gareth Peirce, lawyer, London, Heiner Busch, CILIP, Berlin, Germany, Lorenzo Trucco, Turin, Italy, Deirdre Curtin, Professor and Chair of School of Governance, University of Utrecht, Netherlands, Tony Bunyan, director Statewatch, Professor Steve Peers, University of Essex, UK, Ann Singleton, University of Bristol, Gus Hosein, Privacy International, A.Sivanandan, Director of the Institute of Race Relations, Helmut Dietrich, Forschungsgesellschaft Flucht und Migration - FFM, Berlin, Paddy Hillyard, Professor, Queens University, Belfast.