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(April 16, 2008/ Brussels, Belgium) The recently concluded
ALDE-CALD meeting in Brussels, Belgium was organized this year
with the participation of new allies from the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats for Europe, the Pacific, African and the
Caribbean (ALDEPAC).
ALDEPAC was formed in 2005 by the Liberal and Democratic members
of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to forge a formal
network of liberal democratic parties in Africa, the Pacific and
the Caribbean and help them strengthen their liberal democratic
values.
Johan Van Hecke, co-president of ALDEPAC, said: "The concept of
a liberal society is not in contradiction with the concept of a
social society. True Liberalism invites us to define freedom,
which must never be at the expense of others. Therefore it is
time to approach Africa from a different viewpoint, and move
from governance to a new era of dialogue...”
The first network seminar of ALDEPAC was held on October 29-31,
2006 in Kigali, Rwanda with “Justice and Reconciliation” as the
theme of the event. A conference focusing on "Liberalism and
Governance: the Social Liberal State" followed the year after in
Dakar, Senegal. ALDEPAC members have invited CALD to take part
in their next meeting which will be held in Togo July this year. |
