Table of Contents
History
In the fall of 2006, four people living in Madrid, agreed on the idea that one cannot be fully happy, while living only for oneself. They have been inspired to follow the vision of five illustrious personalities that impacted the lives of those around them. They are: Queen Sofia of Spain (born in 1938), Nicolae Titulescu (1982-1941), Dr. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), Dr. Jean Nussbaum (1888-1967) and Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962).
H.M. Queen SOFIA, is an inspiring example not only for Spain and Europe, but for the whole world Her Majesty is a model of institutional elegance and diplomatic discretion and inspiring kindness, leadership as a long-time champion of the ongoing desire to be useful and of service through the humanitarian work and assistance she has undertaken throughout the whole life. Such elegant characters, like that of Queen Sofia, is what contributes more than anything else to defend and to nurture the harmony and understanding among people, to peace and education for all those in need, and the strengthening of respect for all regardless of culture or faith. Nicolae TITULESCU, the greatest Romanian diplomat of all time and minister of Foreign Affairs, reminds us that there was a time in the Romanian history when Romanian had an elite perfectly connected to Europe, a respected elite that made Romania’s name mean something in the world. We pay tribute to Albert SCHWEITZER, theologian, musician, philosopher and missionary doctor in Africa, who stated: We cannot abdicate our conscience to an organization, nor to a government. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ Most certainly I am! I cannot escape my responsibility by saying the State will do all that is necessary. It is a tragedy that nowadays so many think and feel otherwise. Only when an ideal of peace is born in the minds of the peoples will the institutions set up to maintain this peace effectively fulfill the function expected of them. But a very special tribute we pay to Jean NUSSBAUM, the French physician of Swiss origin, when World War I broke out, Serbia that was plagued by a strong outbreak of typhus from the very beginning of hostilities, made a desperate appeal to foreign countries to secure the help of physicians. Jean Nussbaum volunteered and was appointed to the hospital of Nis, Serbia, near the end of 1914. While he was in Serbia, circumstances led Jean Nussbaum to an intervention with an officer of the Serbian army, to allow an Austrian prisoner of war, appointed to serve in the Nis hospital, to practice the principles of his faith. Out of lack of tact and narrow-mindedness, this prisoner had placed himself in a situation which might have cost him his life by refusing, as an enemy prisoner and in time of war, to obey orders. This event may have been instrumental in the awakening of the interest Jean Nussbaum was taking in the promotion and defense of liberty of conscience and religion of all people for the rest of his life. On April 25, 1945, Jean Nussbaum attended the United Nations Convention in San Francisco when the goal of the Convention was to found an international organization to succeed the League of Nations. The Economical and Social Council was appointed to deal with the topics concerning the human rights. There in San Francisco, Nussbaum met Eleanor ROOSEVELT, the widow of the former president of the United States and the worldwide human rights champion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These two persons quickly agreed on the issues of human rights and brought them closer to each other in the battle they were both fostered their cooperation. Eleanor Roosevelt became a champion for the cause of human dignity in the world. Through her own merit, she warranted the respect and recognition of all thinking men. At the broadcast of Conscience and Liberty on Radio Monte-Carlo, she had a magnificent address: Freedom is a key issue for the settlement of various key policies that divide peoples and governments.
As Titulescu, Schweitzer, Nussbaum, Roosevelt did, and Queen Sofia is doing – promoting and living the true values of life, and fighting for all people regardless of culture or faith, the A4D understood that before inequalities and the painful contrasts, intolerance, lack of equal opportunities, discrimination and persecution, the key, is to promote a holistic model of life and thinking, diplomacy, respect, moral values and solidarity. We need a humankind where the pain of one of its members can determines the mobilization of all for its recovery.
Purpose
Among the future objectives of the A4D, the following stand out:
- International cooperation on building bridges and encouraging respect, hope and protection for people of different languages, cultures, religions and beliefs. Promoting and defending freedom and human dignity, the principle of conscience, free will, inform consent and religious liberty for all.
- Promotion and defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms, official representation and legal advice and defense of all people suffering from intolerance, discrimination, abuse and persecution based on freedom of conscience and religious liberty.
- Diplomatic cooperation and dialogue, negotiation win-win, assistance and development, the need of coordination of international actors, based on Dialogue Five (D5+) frame, representing: a) politicians, b) diplomats, c) academics, d) religious leaders, e) international organizations and others (media, business).
- Academic, scientific, cultural and artistic purposes.
- To promote and spread the Romanian language, artists, writers, scientists, diplomats and culture throughout the world.
- To promote respect for the conservation of nature, to contribute to the improvement of the health of individuals, and countering the hatred, hate speech and any kind of abuse based on emergency laws, lockdowns, etc.
- To organize international events, seminars, and honour with awards and medals of “dignity, creativity, freedom, peace”, personalities and organizations.
In order to achieve its objectives, the Ambassadors for Dignity and Freedom International Foundation, carries out the following activities:
Opening schools of law and diplomacy, and law offices and legal consultancy centers of defense of fundamental rights, justice and rule of law. To promote and organize courses, conferences, seminars, congresses, global summits, other activities, in collaboration with international, regional, national organizations and entities, such as: the U.N, the G-20, the G-7, other geopolitical or regional organizations, governments, universities, religious and cultural entities, non-governmental organizations, etc. Co-organizing events together with/ held at the U.N., the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the OSCE/ODIHR, the embassies and consulates, parliaments, governments, cooperating with ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Education, Culture, Cults, the universities – such as Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Madrid Complutense, Kyoto Doshisha University, and others prestigious universities; events held at churches, educational and cultural centers. To address issues of preventive diplomacy and diplomacy for human dignity, freedom of conscience, free-will and religious liberty, peace, security, development, education in moral values, and protecting the family, children and all adults of contemporary dangers, abuses and risks. Where necessary, opening of schools, colleges, universities, promoting research centers and courses for peace and moral values and programs on topics of international importance; to train specialists and cooperating with universities on developing master’s and doctoral programs in diplomacy, human rights, law and religious liberty, intercultural and religious dialogue, respect for cultural, religious identity, and faith; nurturing peace, tolerance and harmony among all people; training on respect and happiness, media, business and development, the knowledge of other cultures and beliefs. The opening of TV and radio channels, journals, writing books, recording debates and interviews on geopolitics, worldwide trends and crisis, and opening webs; offering awards, medals and diplomas of excellence; training and opening medical centers, offices, infirmaries for consultations and treatments, first aid education, dental offices, pharmacies, other educational centers for the promotion of holistic health; granting scholarships for students. The establishment of centers, institutions and branches of the A4D at the international level, and carrying out all activities any actions that lead to the best achievement of its goals; etc.
Who We Are
In February 2007, the four future founders of Pro Vivere Dignum, that became later the Ambassadors for Dignity and Freedom International Foundation (A4D), prepared a project of humanitarian work of two weeks expedition to Uganda, Africa, just to become familiar with the situation first hand. A year and half later, on 2008, due to the rapid and wide extension of the projects, complexity of established contacts and relations, as well as the desire to retain management with full accountability and transparency of the resources entrusted, everything leads to the imperative to give a formal and official image to the project as a non-profit organization. Foundation status is chosen because it is the one with more guarantees and responsibilities before the competent bodies of the State, to all citizens in general and to contributors in particular. Thus, it receives its own name and identity, an organization that already had years of existence and sustained activity. The Ambassadors for Dignity and Freedom International Foundation – initially Pro Vivere Dignum – is published in State Official Bulletin of 2008 and enrolled in the Register of Welfare Foundations of the Ministry of Education, and Social Affairs.
After many projects developed since 2006 to 2012 in Africa, Spain and Romania, when one of its founders – Dr Liviu Olteanu – was called in 2011 to act as Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other regional organizations where he worked until 2021 as expert in human rights and religious liberty for AIDLR, the Ambassadors for Dignity and Freedom International Foundation (A4D), was introduced and has collaborated in recent years in educational, cultural and diplomatic activities, being a co-sponsor of the Global Summit on Religion Peace Security and of the Gala Concert of the Romanian Madrigal Chamber Choir, events organized at the Palace of the United Nations in Geneva in 2016; also being a sponsor of the International Conference on human rights and religious freedom held at the Complutense University of Madrid, event co-sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice from Spain, and recently, also being a cosponsor with Harvard University during the International Seminar on ‘Human Rights, Dignity and Law’ held at Harvard Law School, in June 2023.
Since 2021, after the return of Dr. Liviu Olteanu in Madrid from his previous responsibilities – held in Geneva at the United Nations, and in Brussels and Strasbourg at the European Parliament and Council of Europe – he took over the management of the Ambassadors for Dignity and Freedom International Foundation, relaunched and developed this organization with the purpose to be a Global Platform on Education for Dignity and Freedom, Diplomacy and Religious Liberty, Culture and Development, Peace and Security, planning to cooperate with worldwide and regional organizations, the Governments, specially by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Education, Culture, Human Rights, and to cooperate with scholars and universities, diplomats, religious communities and Non-Governmental Organizations. The idea of a “global platform” was suggested and became feasible following the discussions and proposals made at the Palace of the United Nations in Geneva that took place in 2019 on the occasion of the Global Summit on Religion Peace Security, which was coordinated by doctor Olteanu as organizer of two UN summits, together with Adama Deing, the Under-Secretary-General of United Nations and Special Representative of UN Secretary General for the Prevention of Genocide.
