Human rights have no borders

The Protestant and Catholic churches in Germany have launched a joint campaign to mark the forthcoming general election.

Under the motto ‘For All’, they are calling on people to vote for human dignity, cohesion and charity. These three terms can be read on the posters that are currently hanging in public spaces across Germany - including in front of the headquarters of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Lower Saxony (ELM).

These central Christian values run through all the work of the ELM. Even if these values are widely recognised and initially appear to be less controversial, ‘something has shifted in the political discourse,’ explains Tobias Schäfer-Sell, Advocacy Officer at the ELM. He cites the intensification of the debate on asylum law as an example, as well as the call for the supply chain law to be withdrawn. ‘Numerous health and education projects in countries of our partner churches have been halted overnight because the richest people are taking from the poorest,’ says Schäfer-Sell.

What are equality and justice still worth to us? Human dignity and human rights apply to everyone and have no limits, according to the firm conviction of the leadership and staff at the ELM. ‘Test everything; hold fast to what is good‘ (1 Thessalonians 5:21) is the motto for 2025. ‘Even in the upcoming federal election, it is important to test and make a good decision - for human dignity, charity and cohesion. This is another way of supporting the partner churches and standing up for those who cannot raise their voices themselves,’ says Dr Emmanuel Kileo, Director of the ELM.